Asher stepped into the grand entrance of the Central Emissary, his breath catching at the sheer beauty of the place. Towering arches reached toward the ceiling, intricately designed with Renaissance-era carvings that seemed to dance in the dim light. Stained glass windows adorned the walls, casting a kaleidoscope of colors onto the polished marble floors. The air was thick with the scent of incense and whispered prayers, creating an atmosphere that felt both sacred and otherworldly.
Captain Bolard walked ahead, his demeanor unwavering, yet Asher could sense an undercurrent of anticipation in the air. As they approached the inner sanctum, a figure emerged from the shadows—Father Elyas. Asher had heard of him before, but this was their first encounter. The priest exuded a calm authority that immediately drew Asher's attention.
"Ah, Captain Bolard! And you must be Asher," Elyas greeted, his voice warm and inviting. "It's good to see you both. I trust your recent endeavors have brought you closer to the truth?"
Asher nodded, trying to mask the unease curling in his stomach. "We've made progress, but we need to ensure my… condition is assessed properly."
"Of course," Elyas replied, gesturing for them to follow. "Deacon Collin is awaiting you."
They walked deeper into the emissary, passing through hallways lined with sacred artifacts and ancient texts. Each step echoed softly, swallowed by the heavy silence that enveloped the place. The architecture loomed around them, almost alive, with its majestic pillars and vaulted ceilings.
Finally, they arrived at a heavy silver door, embossed with intricate black scripture that seemed to pulse with a faint, ethereal light.
An old man stood there his eyes were fierce burning like red coals his pale as moonlight.
"Elyas , Dunn is this the young man you went through all that trouble for?"
Asher felt something pricking his skin like static electrcity. Spiritual essence? Channeling his will into his eyes he acticated his spirit vision. He felt like he was looking into the heart of a volcano the spiritual energy around Deacon Collin was immense. Like hellfire turned liquid it dripped off Collin before blazing into mini infernos. "Bloody hell what step is this guy?!" Asher deactivated his spiritual sight and half bowed. Tracing a crescent moon on his heart he spoke solemnly.
"Your grace it is my honor."
Collin raised a robed hand allowing Asher to rise his head.
"At ease we are all equal before the mothers eyes."
"This is my new assistant Asher Moretti a Jester he seeks the next step."Captain Dunn spoke respectfully
"I see Asher you must be certain about this.. this is no trifling matter. We call it an assessment chamber but it is more than that. It is a powerful relic capable of assessing your subconscious. When you enter you will lose all that you take for granted . Sight ,smell,touch,taste even your ears will fall deaf. In that moment the relic will attempt to bind you within your own mind. The only way to escape is to dispell the illusion using your spiritual essence. The level of spiritual essence required to accomplish this task is on the cusp of step 8. So..let's me clearly ask you are you truly ready? There is no need to fall victim to impatience. If you fail here that's the end you can always wait until you feel more confident."
Asher hesitated in the face of such grave warnings from the powerful Deacon. "Though I may feel fear still I walk for the mother watches me always."
Deacon Collin looked at him then he gazed into ashers eyes attempting to ascertain his will.
Asher looked back his resolve stalwart he would not be denied.
Collin sighed and placed a hand on the door, murmuring an incantation that sent a shiver down Asher's spine. "Very well dunn go wait in the chapel elyas escort him."
The door creaked open, revealing a small, self-contained room bathed in a silvery glow.
"Inside," Collin instructed, his tone turning serious. "This is your last chance Asher. "
Asher swallowed hard, the weight of the moment pressing on him. He stepped inside, the door closing behind him with a soft click. Instantly, he was enveloped in a sensory void. The room, though beautiful, stripped him of sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. It felt like stepping into a void, an echoing emptiness that was both disorienting and unnerving.
Time stretched on, each second becoming a minute, then an hour. Asher was left alone with his thoughts, the silence wrapping around him like a shroud. Memories began to flicker in the darkness, unbidden and vivid.
Suddenly, he found himself sitting at his kitchen table in his old apartment on hobble street ,the same outfit he had worn to the ball still draped over him. He tried to move but he couldn't he was a passenger in his own body. His body seemed to be acting out a scene. But it was.. familiar this is.. after I downed that cheap whiskey the night of the ball. I remember now I had blacked out on the kitchen table.
Asher stirred, a tidal wave of nausea crashing over him as he fought to lift his heavy eyelids. Had he been dreaming, or had the door just... opened? His mind struggled to grasp the concept, the thought slipping away like smoke. Probably? Or maybe not.
"Hick…" he burped, the sound echoing in the heavy silence of the room. The remnants of the night clung to him like a soggy blanket—alcohol and exhaustion intertwining in a suffocating embrace. Voices floated through the haze, vague and muffled "Janice, dear, no, not at all. Please, come in." Like whispers from a dream he couldn't quite recall, slipping through the cracks of his fractured consciousness.
One voice sounded hauntingly familiar—was that him? And there was a girl, her voice soft and anxious, the words a delicate melody just out of reach. They were discussing... something important, perhaps? His thoughts tangled and twisted, each syllable evaporating like morning mist, leaving only confusion in their wake.
Asher felt his body sway, the world tilting dangerously like a ship caught in a tempest. He couldn't hold on much longer; the ground beneath him felt like ice. Just as he began to lose himself again, his gaze fell to the doorway where he caught sight of a young girl with springy brown hair and hazel eyes that sparkled with an unsettling mixture of fear and terror she peeked into the kitchen just in time to see him fall, She immediately turned to run to the door.