René was flabbergasted to what he had witnessed just now. He was having a hard time comprehending how they incapacitated him… What is happening!! Why can't I move? Is this the work of an unnatural force? That man over there disappeared in front of my eyes, how did he do that? Can that woman perform such acts too? Am I unable to move because of him? And why is that woman approaching me? I am only here to see Cardinal Beowulf… René's thoughts were in chaos as the woman stopped in front of René and spoke:
"Speak thy name young man."
In that moment, René's heart was pounding like a drum. He sensed immense threat and danger to his life coming from the woman that stood before him. However, he only saw this as an opportunity as his wish to explore the unknown was only growing larger. Even if he was afraid or it could cost him his life, he had to be more bold and make more dangerous choices sooner or later.
"Refer to me as René"
"What should I call you as Ma'am? It would be rude of me to not ask, considering this is our first encounter."
The woman was sizing up René as she answered "I'm Camella, pleasure making acquaintance with you."
"Tell me, where did you get that thing from?" Camella reached for René's pocket and took out the tightly packaged item and opened it carefully while keeping it away from herself.
The bishop merely watched as the scene unfolded in the middle of the vast church hall. The other man was already back on the bishop's side after shutting and locking the huge doors. His aim was to prevent anybody else entering and seeing the scene in the hall. René was surprised to see that she knew he was in possession of an item—a 'relic' at that, which René didn't know the value of.
She even knows which pocket I placed it in. Is it futile if I still refuse to cooperate with her? But I spent a huge 6 pounds on it… René had decided that he would lose nothing by being honest. In fact, refusing and angering the woman in front of him could put him in a really bad predicament, considering that René was not able to even move in addition to the immense threat he sensed from her.
"I got it from an auction held in The Lizard's Fang which is hold every fifteen days. Nobody else made a bid, so I said to myself, why not buy such an interesting item at such a low price? I paid 6 pounds for it, for your information."
René felt a little bit embarrassed after telling its price, but after all, he had spent money on it, and if they were going to take it, they should at least pay for the 6 pounds!
Camella smiled after 'confirming' the validity of the information she got from René. "Thank you for being honest with me, and for your own good".
She traced her gaze away from him and looked at the bishop, signaling that René was telling the truth.
René was able to move again!… Did Camella let me go, or did the bishop allow me to move? I had no ill intentions coming here, but it most likely is that the cube's presence was enough to make me a threat because even I was able to sense something was off. This raises a couple of questions in my head. Why did nobody offer any price? Why was the price of the cube so low to the point that even I could buy it? And what was the cube doing there in the first place? The overall prices of the products were unusually high too. Maybe they will look into it if I tell these guys, but they are just attendants in the church. But they got unnatural abilities!
As René kept brainstorming and asked questions to himself, his body, out of René's will, reached for the sheathed dagger in his belt! René tried to stop himself, but his body, faced with a fatal threat, instinctively responded to defend itself. "Watch Out!" He shouted. René's eyes widened and his pupils became more crimson as his body took out the dagger with great speed, aiming for Camella's heart. The whole church was filled with bloodlust, coming from René.
Camella put up her guard and dodged as soon as she heard René's loud voice and sensed the deadly threat that was coming from René. She was caught off guard. She didn't think that a person who showed no signs of having any type of power, strength or hostility was able to perform like that.
In that instance a voice echoed throughout every corner of the vast hall of Othrol Church:
"Bow before the Goddess' mercy!!"
It was the bishop! As soon as he shouted, René came to a halt and fell on the ground, breaking the area around him, as if the gravitational pull of the earth was raised ten times more. René couldn't even look up to the bishop as blood from his eyes, nose and mouth started bursting out. The last thing René saw before passing out was Camella coming by his side to help him while holding the cube in her hands.
…
It was already night when René woke up in an underground cell. The only source of light was the three moon's light coming together to make a luminous purple light. René could only sit in silence, realizing what he had done. Even if he claimed that it was not his fault and he acted unwillingly, he thought that it was nigh impossible for them to let him go. So, René waited.
The dagger is missing, I must have left it in the church when I passed out. And I almost caused harm to Miss Camella in the home of a Goddess. I want to apologize to her if I ever see Miss Camella again.
Am I not competent enough to 'use' Solomon's body? He probably knew that I would face such situations. I wonder if that's why he wrote 'certain requirements'. This is the result of me lacking in power and enough will… René leaned back as he watched the moons.
This was a splendid first day, I guess. And I wonder if I can consider today my birthday? I know it is the year 1558, but I can't recall the day. Who would have thought that someone who is on their very first birthday would end up in a cell prison at the end of the day… René thought inwardly as he gave out a silent chuckle.
The moon's are so beautiful, I wonder why there are three of them here in his world… René kept waiting and waiting. He guessed that it was around 10 P.M, nearly the middle of the night. Then he wanted to try something that was rather new to him, again. He hold his silver crescent necklace and began praying.
"Almighty Goddess, I seek your help for I have unintentionally caused harm to another and disrespected another deity's presence. And I seek your guide and light in this realm of unknowns and dangers for this lost child of yours."
René knew deep down that the one he was praying to was different from the Goddess whom the church worshipped.
I wonder if 'she' hears my prayer; I don't even know 'her' name and the right incantation… René stopped praying as he was really sleepy and tired. He was about to place his head on the stone floor and sleep when a gentle voice echoed in René's ears.
"It seems that you are awake, great. I have some news for you."
It was the bishop who came to his visit René. He opened the cell's door and stood in the entrance with a gas lamp on his hand. René was not expecting any guests for tonight and was about to sleep, but when he was greeted by the bishop, he jolted awake.
"I am Bishop Henry. It is a shame that we are having our conversation in such a place."
"I will keep it short for you. Cardinal Beowulf had already informed us of your coming. He didn't give any names but you fit the description just right. The dagger was just an extra confirmation."
René felt that he was one step closer to finding answers to his questions, thus he asked:
"Is Cardinal Beowulf here?"
Henry spoke in a gentle tone:
"Unfortunately he is not here, nor will he be back any time soon, or at all. As for your cube, our headquarters will keep it in a safe place. You will get your dagger back when we get out of this place."
Henry was actually sad seeing René in that state, but he did not let René catch on it.
"Your compensation will be given to you as 10 pounds in cash in the morning. That cube is far more cursed than you think. It solely exists to bring about harm to its current owner that it chooses, with some restrictions and setbacks of course. You and Miss Camella were both affected from its area of effect back in the church."
René couldn't find an answer to give to the bishop. He knew that Henry would not answer to most of his questions. But he was relieved to learn that he was under some sort of 'manipulation', therefore attacking her. But this made him angry at the same time, knowing that he let his own body betray himself. The only thing that was left for him to ask to the bishop was about Camella.
"Can I see Madam Camella? I owe her an apology. It was not my intention to cause harm to her in any way."
The bishop took a few steps as he got closer to René.
"I will ask her if I come across her, but if she already wishes to see you, I'm sure she will come herself to speak with you."
"You really must be someone important, considering that Cardinal personally came to me and asked for me to let you join the officials."
"This is an invitation, René. You either come and serve under one of the branches of CCC; 'The Lunar Triad' or you can take your 10 pounds and never see us again. Should you decide to join and have questions, everything will be answered by someone else, while I will respond to a certain extent."
René quickly responded after heard that the Cardinal was here, presumably, not long ago. Also, René was looking for a job and this was the perfect chance for him to get one. After hearing "The Lunar Triad", René was sure that this would be a well-paying job from the name alone.
"When did he ask you that? And how much is the pay for my service? Also, what kind of job is it, the kind that I risk my life for?" he asked in anticipation.
The Bishop's face gradually gained a smile seeing René interested in the invitation.
"You can think of it as safety of society and reconnaissance job. The payment will fluctuate depending on the danger of the missions and your contributions, but even the bottom payment would satisfy most people more than enough."
His face became gloomy again as he was about to talk about Cardinal Beowulf. "It has been a very long time since he has been here. It was the last time I saw him when he told me and asked me about you. It has been nearly two years since I last saw and heard about him."
"Finally, he left a letter behind, only to be opened by you."
Bishop Henry took out two small piece of paper from the inner pocket of his robe as he handed it over to René.
"One is the letter and the other is the address of the Triad, where you should come tomorrow morning."
René thought that he would only open the letters when he got back home, a place where he could call safe. So he quickly took the two small pieces of paper and put them into the left of his coat's inner pocket. The bishop seemed a little sad seeing that René did not have the intention of reading the letter Cardinal left behind on the spot. He wanted to gain information on the Cardinal's whereabouts. And he thought that the small letter could contain anything, so he was expecting a little bit of hope from it.
The bishop stood in the cell with the lamp he brought with him in silence. René knew that he was expecting an answer right at this moment, not anytime later… I was going to do this sort of job by myself anyways. I might as well do it officially and have my back leaned on a safe wall. Besides, I am really curious to see what this city has for me.
"I will gladly take the job." René got up as he answered.
The bishop smiled when he heard René's answer. "Then I will let the guys in the Triad headquarters know of your joining. Be there, tomorrow at 8 a.m. You will officially start serving under The Lunar Triad, after certain procedures."
"Go home now, you must be pretty tired. A car is waiting for you outside to take you wherever."
A car? So technology has come that far… René slowly gained a new insight on the era he was living in.
The bishop reached out his hand with the purpose of making René an acquaintance of him. René did not hesitate to shake his hand "Pleasure doing business with you." René kept the rest of his questions to himself, brushed his clothes off with his hands quickly and got out of the dark cell. The bishop followed Merin to show the way out.
They walked in a large, dark corridor made of intricate stones that had carvings and depictions of certain figures on them; there were prisoner cells every ten to twenty meters they walked. Gas lamps were hanged on the walls occasionally, lighting up their path to outside. The dungeon was like a maze as René and Henry made several right and left turns, headed for the way out.
Then René asked in a whisper "What about my dagger?"
Henry kept walking without slowing his pace "What about it?" he said with a smile.
What do you mean 'what about it'!? Do you think I would ask about it if I didn't want to know its whereabouts?? You were going to give it when I got out!… René soon after realized that they were still in dungeons, so he decided to keep his mouth shut until they got out of the dungeon while mocking himself for not considering the details. He was an everyman after all…
They finally reached the wide stairs leading outside. When they were out of the dungeons, René realized that they were in a museum in the piazza of Othrol Church. He kept asking questions to himself as they left the church completely.
When they reached where the steam-powered car was, Bishop Henry took out René's dagger and threw it at him "That's a fancy one you got there, keep it safe, there won't be anymore chances."
René caught the dagger just before the car's driver began coursing the vehicle. He was surprised, but too late to express his gratitude as the car was already moving. The bishop saw him off as he merely watched René leave.
…
The night was silent, and at the same time, it was sinister. René was still in the process of getting used to the night, but he found the luminous purple night quite charming. He was finally at home after bidding the bishop farewell in front of the Great Othrol church. René was thankful for getting a free ride to home with a vehicle that seemed like a 1920's car from his own time, but he was a little saddened as he couldn't express his gratitude to bishop Henry.
René stood in front of his home's door as he remembered more details… Ah, I remember now. It is December 25 today. His eyes gradually gained tears after his realization before he uttered his next words.
"Happy birthday and merry Christmas, dear Me."
He gave out a self-deprecating laugh before he opened the door to his home and stepped in. René actually considered today very efficient as he was gonna get the money he spent back and joined an official department, which, as the bishop claimed, had a payment pretty well.
However, it was only after he stepped in that René fully realized he was in a new world. There was no one to greet him when he took his first step inside his home—his parent's loving voice, his siblings fighting with him, the smell of the delicious meal his mom would make for the family every evening, his comforting bed, his lifelong friends, the delicacies of different countries, and the comfort advanced technology provided—all and more was gone.
René wanted to cry and ask for help from somebody, but everything he would do in that moment would be in vain, maybe even putting him in danger. He felt his legs tremble and the power in his hands drain altogether.
René sat in the chair silently after taking off his coat and tidying up the place. Then he took out the small papers the bishop gave him. He wanted to focus on moving with his life for that was the only thing he could do.
René began reading the first small piece of paper which had 'Address' written on it.
"Triad Administrative Department, City Center, Phaeton Avenue."… Center of the city? It is not far from here, approximately 8 miles away. I wonder if they have some kind of transportation reserved for the employees. Paying for commuting every day I go there is a bit of a problem. I will sort this out when I start the job, for now, I have to be careful with how I spend.
René put the small paper that had the address of the 'headquarters' on the large table in front of him. Then, he took out the other letter out of his pocket. He took off the seal on the letter and unfolded the piece of paper that was left behind by Cardinal Beowulf in anticipation, and began reading.
"Amidst those buried realms of yore, where Solomon's dust lie,
Behold, the heavens tremble; calamities in flesh walk plain, yet unseen evermore.
Listen, the silent crowd—unknowing masks of fate they wear,
Each form, an echo of the itself, bound by spiritual snare.
Thou tread a path where none may see, where light and dark merge,
Beware, for all are one, and one are all, in their sacred design."
Cardinal Beowulf, I wish you hadn't spoken in riddles. How am I supposed to understand this?
Well, I can interpret it roughly. The phrase "buried realms of yore" probably means ancient places, while "where Solomon's dust lie" probably means the remnants of Solomon. The third and fourth verses are really confusing, like, what even is a "spiritual snare," or the "sacred design" in the last verse... René gave out a loud sigh and continued... The fifth verse seems like a foreteller of my path, at least for now. The rest of the passage is too complicated.
I sometimes wonder if I am a fool myself… But I am no wise man, for I have only myself to blame.
René read the poem over and over again until he couldn't get a new meaning. He gave up trying to understand it as he got up and headed for the bathroom with the purpose of taking a bath and washing the fancy, bloodstained coat.
René changed into his bed clothes and left the coat for drying after taking a relaxing, warm bath. It was nearly midnight, and René was too sleepy to think of anything else but his rest, so he headed to his bedroom. When René lied on his bed, the stress and pain his mind and body were enduring quietened.
René grabbed the dagger with the purpose of closely inspecting t once more. He was keeping it by his side just in case something dangerous happened. René slowly unsheathed the dagger as he saw the very small new markings on the dagger.
"As Above So Below Fate Beholds No Truths"
This is weird, these were not on the dagger just this morning! Bishop Henry couldn't possibly have carved these did he? I highly doubt so. It probably did on its own just like when it wrote "René" on it.
Just then, a 'gate' slowly ripped opened in the air, across his bed.
It looked like reality itself was being shattered like a glass. Red and black 'things' that resembled thick veins sprouted from within, holding the contour of the 'gate'. The gate contained an illusory realm which René couldn't properly see. However, there was one thing inside the gate his eyes had caught clearly, a creature, formed as a single, enormous eye that had huge rings with weird designs circling it, watching René nonstop.
René jumped out of his bed as he got up in fear at the sight of this otherworldly realm.
"What the f*ck?"