Kael had always been a rebellious child. From a young age, he refused to conform to the rules laid down by his parents, the village, and especially The Order.
While others knelt in reverence to the Order's teachings, he scorned their faith. The prayers and rituals meant nothing to him—just empty words spoken to statues.
His parents, devoted followers of The Order, grew increasingly frustrated with his defiance. Their scoldings had no effect, and every time they tried to drag him to the temple, Kael resisted. To him, the constant preaching about "purity" and "devotion" sounded more like chains than freedom.
"Why must I worship something I don't even believe in?" Kael would often argue. But his parents, steeped in tradition, could never give him an answer beyond, "You will understand in time."
They believed his behavior was a result of sin—something dark that lurked within him. They were desperate to cleanse him, to force him to see the light they had dedicated their lives to. And so, there were countless occasions when they dragged him to the temple, thinking it would cure his rebellious streak.
"I'm not going again," Kael muttered one day after another heated argument. But as always, his parents persisted.
This time, though, something within him snapped. Tired of the constant pressure, and curious to understand what his parents found so sacred, Kael decided to confront The Order on his own terms.
He walked to the temple in a fit of anger, determined to see what was so special about this place that everyone seemed to worship blindly.
As he reached the grand doors of the temple, the structure seemed imposing, casting a long shadow over him. The devout were already gathering for one of the daily sermons, their heads bowed, their hands clasped in prayer. Kael hesitated at the threshold, his heart pounding as he looked upon the crowd with suspicion.
"What are you all worshipping for?" he muttered under his breath, his fists clenched at his sides. He didn't want to be like them—didn't want to be one of the brainwashed masses. Yet, something about the temple drew him in that day, a strange pull that he couldn't explain.
He slipped inside, quietly taking a seat at the back of the hall. His gaze traveled over the rows of villagers, many of whom he knew, including his parents.
They all looked so serene, so deeply immersed in the sermon, as if their very souls were tethered to the preacher's words.
But then something strange happened.
As Kael stared at the faithful, he felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere. The air grew thick, suffocating even. His heart raced, but not from the sermon—something else was wrong. He squinted, looking closely at the faces of the worshippers.
Their eyes.
The eyes of the faithful seemed… vacant, their pupils dilated, almost as if they weren't there at all. And yet, they murmured prayers, their lips moving mechanically as they chanted the Order's words.
Kael's blood turned cold.
What is this? His mind screamed, but he knew better than to react. His instincts told him to keep his expression neutral, to not show any sign of alarm.
The priest leading the sermon spoke with such calm authority, but beneath that voice, Kael sensed something twisted.
It was then he glanced at his parents, sitting in the front row. His stomach twisted in horror. They were no different.
His mother's gentle eyes were now hollow, and his father's strong posture seemed stiff, as though held by invisible strings.
Kael fought the urge to run. His chest tightened with fear, but he knew if he showed any signs of discomfort, he would be noticed.
Instead, he forced himself to mimic the others, pretending to be absorbed in the sermon. His hands shook as he clasped them together, and he bowed his head just enough to hide his trembling.
Something is very wrong here.
From that moment on, Kael's life changed. The temple was not a place of worship—it was something far darker. He had no idea what he had stumbled upon, but he knew he had to be careful. He couldn't let anyone know what he had seen, or worse, what he had realized.
----
From that day forward, Kael couldn't stay away from the temple. Despite his fear, something within him pushed him to return, time and again.
Every time he entered, he masked his emotions, blending in with the faithful as best as he could. But his sharp eyes missed nothing.
The sermons, the rituals, the people—they all looked so normal at first glance. But Kael knew better now.
He could see the subtle shifts in their expressions, the blank stares that lingered too long, and the moments when the preacher's voice would lower, carrying a strange, almost hypnotic tone.
He didn't understand what was happening, but the Order's power over the people seemed stronger than he had ever imagined.
It wasn't just about faith—it was something else. Something that controlled them.
For weeks, he observed quietly, piecing together bits of information without drawing attention to himself.
His rebellious nature had been tempered by a new sense of caution. He couldn't afford to act impulsively anymore, not after what he had seen.
On one of his routine visits, Kael noticed something odd. The sermons were always the same, predictable in their structure. But this time, the preacher's words took a different tone—subtler, more persuasive.
Kael watched the villagers around him fall deeper into the sermon's trance, their lips moving in perfect unison with the preacher's words.
But then, Kael felt something more—a presence. His skin prickled, and a shiver ran down his spine. It was as though someone, or something, was watching him. Not just him, but all of them.
His eyes darted around the room, searching for the source of the unease, but found nothing. Yet, the feeling remained, lurking in the back of his mind like a shadow.
Kael gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to leave. Every instinct told him to run, to never return to the temple again, but his curiosity—and his growing fear—kept him rooted to the spot. He had to know more. He needed to understand what was really happening here.
As the sermon came to an end, Kael quickly exited the temple, his mind racing. He had gathered enough clues to confirm what he had suspected all along—the Order wasn't what it seemed.
It was using the villagers in some way, controlling them through faith, or perhaps something far darker.
And now, they were watching him.
For the first time, Kael understood the true depth of the danger he was in. His parents, his friends, the entire village—none of them were safe.
The Order's influence ran deep, and if he wasn't careful, he would be next.