The dim glow of the street lanterns cast a warm, amber light over the bustling night crowd as Elara and Kael woven through the maze of vendors and food stalls.
The scent of grilled meats and roasted chestnuts hung in the air, blending with laughter and the sounds of clinking cups.
They settled at a modest stall tucked away in a quieter corner, where a few wooden tables stood beneath a patched canopy.
Despite the commotion around them, Elara felt a strange stillness—a calm that she desperately needed after the intensity of the ritual.
Kael shouted loud enough for the stall owner to hear, "Mr. Red, two bowls of chicken soup and a platter of freshly baked bread, please."
"Right away!" The stall owner, Mr. Red answered as his pair of hands busily preparing the other customer's order before they seated.
Looking to his right side, he instructed his fourteen years old son. "Matt, prepare two bowls of chicken soup and serve it to the young man seated at the corner".
"Yes, father." Matt answered energetically as he swiftly prepare their order.
As they waited, he looked around, ensuring no one paid them any undue attention. The place was ideal for a private discussion, given the mix of chatter and clanging utensils that could easily drown out their words.
Elara broke the silence first, her voice a low murmur. "Tonight's ritual… did it seem almost overbearing to you?" She paused for a while, looking for the right words to say.
She opened her mouth, but before she could voice out her thoughts, Matt approached their table with the chicken soup. "Enjoy your chicken soup and freshly baked bread," he said smilingly.
Elara smiled and thanked him softly. She stared at the bowl in front of her, stirring the soup absentmindedly. Waiting for Matt to walk far enough before saying what's on her mind. "I knew the Order would go to great lengths to secure their influence, but witnessing it—feeling it—was something else."
Kael nodded, his gaze fixed on the table as he spoke quietly. "I agree. The sheer amount of power High Priestess Mother Aveline displayed tonight was staggering. She moved with such precision, as if she could control the faithful's minds with a flick of her wrist."
He took a bite of bread, chewing thoughtfully. "And the Council of the Blessed… they're all completely in sync. It's like they're connected on some level we can't even comprehend."
Elara shuddered slightly. She could still recall the weight of the ritual, the way Mother Aveline's presence seemed to smother the entire hall. "It makes me wonder just how deep her powers run," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"The High Priestess is… unsettling. But her influence over the temple, the Council, and by extension the faithful, is almost absolute. I'm not sure if we're able to break through their thick walls of influence towards the faithful."
They fell silent as their mind wandering, each lost in thought as they dug in, though neither seemed particularly hungry. Kael spoke up, his tone laced with unease.
"What bothers me most is how well they control everything. The illusions, the spells, even the runes—they're layered with such skill that it's nearly impossible for anyone to break free. Anyone without training would fall for it."
Recalling the earlier experience, Kael shuddered "even I almost.... Unable to withstand their power." He whispered softly.
Pausing slightly, "as if, just with a flick of the High Priestess's finger, she can command the weak and desperate souls to offer their full trusts and faith to them" unsure how to describe his feeling at that moment.
Elara nodded. "If they keep the faithful in such a daze, maintaining their loyalty becomes all too easy." She paused, a flicker of frustration crossing her face.
"Yet, as powerful as the temple is, I can't help but wonder about the Divine Order. We hear their name spoken in reverence, but they're almost mythical. Has anyone even seen them?"
Kael's brow furrowed as he considered this. "The Divine Order… they're shrouded in mystery, always spoken of as the highest authority, but we've never seen them, not once. It almost feels like they're just… a legend, created to instill fear and obedience."
Elara's fingers drummed lightly on the table, a distant look in her eyes. "There's something off about it. If they're real, why stay hidden? Why not show themselves, solidify their position in the faithful's eyes?"
"Unless," Kael said slowly, "they have reasons to remain in the shadows—reasons that even Mother Aveline may not fully understand."
"We're not even sure what is Mother Aveline's role in this power games." Elara's mind wandered, her gaze distant as a memory surfaced from years ago. "Speaking of the Divine Order, I suddenly remembered I did meet someone once,"
She began, her voice soft. "Four years ago… an old man, rumored to have lived over 200 years. He was strange, had an air of knowledge beyond this world. They say he'd seen the Divine Order himself, long before the temple was what it is now."
Kael looked at her intently, his curiosity piqued. "Do you think he'd know more about them?"
She nodded, though uncertainty lingered in her eyes. "Perhaps. He was cryptic, only spoke in riddles, and vanished before I could ask more. But if the Divine Order is as powerful as the rumors say, then he's one of the few who would know the truth. It's a slim lead, but…"
"But it's something," Kael finished, leaning back in his chair thoughtfully.
They lapsed into silence again, both lost in their thoughts as the voices around them ebbed and flowed, a distant hum in the background.
The bustling food stall felt like a world apart from the grim secrets they'd been discussing. Elara's mind raced with conflicting thoughts and emotions, questions with no clear answers.
Her gaze met Kael's, and for a moment, they shared an unspoken understanding. The ritual they'd witnessed tonight was only the beginning.
Elara's gaze turned sharp as she turn to look at Kael, "we need to find the old man at all cost."
"What?! But, how?!" Kael asked, his eyes widened in shock at her sudden decision.
"Four years ago, I met the man at the abandoned old temple near the outskirt on the west of the forest."
As Elara said this, she suddenly brought the her own painful memory lane. On the rainy day, in desperation to survive, she run to the abandoned temple to seek shelter from the rain and cold, most importantly, from her bullies.
She's not alone inside the abandoned temple as the old man, whom she thought was a beggar taking shelter said something absurd.
Murmuring to himself about the temple, the future, and most importantly about the Divine Order. He cursed them so much that she thought he's a madman.
But now, as she recalled the weird things happening inside the Luminaries Temple, it seems what the old man had said was true.
And this was the reason why Elara was determined to find the old man. To uncover the truth.