Shin stepped forward, his own anger a fiery shield. "If it means protecting her, then yes," he said, his voice shaking but determined.
The knight tilted his head slightly, as if amused by the human's audacity. "You wish to challenge the divine will of Devota?"
Shin's heart hammered in his chest, but he held his ground. "I'll do whatever it takes," he said firmly.
The knight's armored hand shot out, catching Shin by the throat and lifting him off the ground with ease. "Foolish mortal," he sneered. "Your bravado is as empty as your pockets." With a flick of his wrist, he sent Shin crashing into the floorboards, the wind knocked out of him. The room spun as pain exploded through his body, each breath a ragged wheeze.
Katy watched in horror as the knight advanced, his crimson cape billowing like a pool of blood. "Take him," he barked at the manager, who scuttled over to grab Shin's arm, his earlier leer replaced by a sneer of triumph. The knight's fist connected with Shin's jaw, sending a spray of blood and teeth across the floor.
"Stop!" she screamed, tears blurring her vision. The knight turned his cold gaze upon her, and for a moment she thought she saw something flicker in those glowing eyes. Was it amusement? Pity? Or perhaps something else?
Shin lay unconscious at her feet, blood seeping from his mouth, his body a crumpled mess of defiance. Katy knew she had to do something. In desperation, she offered herself up. "Take me instead!" she begged.
The knight's grip tightened around Shin's throat, and his eyes remained locked on Katy. "Ah, such noble sacrifice," he said, a sardonic twist to his voice. "But perhaps your purity would serve better as an entertainment for the manager here.
Katy's eyes widened in horror, but she didn't back down. "I don't care what happens to me," she said, her voice shaking. "Just leave him alone."
The knight's smile grew colder. "Very well," he said, his grip loosening. He stepped over Shin's body and grabbed Katy's arm, yanking her toward the manager.
But before the manager could lay a hand on her, the air was pierced by an ethereal sound—a melody so beautiful, so powerful, that it seemed to shake the very foundations of their small, dilapidated house. It was a woman's voice, clear and haunting, and it echoed through the entire district, stopping every person in their tracks. The knight's eyes widened, his grip on Katy faltering.
The siblings recognized the tune immediately—it was the ancient melody that signaled the choosing of the monthly sacrifice. The eerie song was always sung just before the dreaded selection day, but this time it came a week early. The suddenness of it was unprecedented, and the implications were dire.
Panic spread like wildfire through the streets, people whispering and shouting, their fear palpable in the air. The knight's grip on Katy's arm tightened, and she could feel the tremor of his anxiety reverberate through his armor. Even the manager looked alarmed, his lecherous grin replaced with a mask of dread.
"What does this mean?" the manager stuttered, his eyes darting from the knight to the open doorway. The song grew louder, its haunting notes weaving a tapestry of dread that seemed to constrict around their hearts.
The knight's grip on Katy's arm loosened further as he too listened to the unmistakable melody. "It can't be," he murmured, his voice a mix of fear and awe. "The selection is not for another week."
The manager's eyes grew wide with terror, his earlier confidence evaporating like dew in the sun. "This is madness," he stuttered. "Only Devota's herself have the power to bring forth the choosing song."
The knight's grip on Katy's arm was now just a tremble, his gaze darting around the room as if searching for an escape. "We must leave," he said, his voice urgent. "Now."
The manager stumbled back, his eyes darting from the knight to the siblings, then to the doorway as if the very air outside had turned to fire. He licked his lips, sweat beading on his brow. "Y-yes, of course," he stammered, and with one final, fearful look at the kight, he fled the house.
The knight released Katy's arm, and she crumpled to the floor, her eyes wide and her body shaking. Shin pushed himself up, his head spinning, and crawled over to her. "Katy," he croaked, his throat raw from the knight's grip. "Are you okay?"
Katy nodded, her eyes never leaving the doorway. The ethereal melody grew louder still, resonating in their very bones. "It's happening," she whispered, her voice trembling. "The selection."
Shin pulled her into a tight embrace, his eyes squeezed shut. The knight had left, his earlier threat forgotten in the face of the overwhelming dread that filled the air. They were alone, but not for long. The song grew so intense that it was almost a physical force, pushing at the walls and shaking the floor beneath them.
"We have to go," he murmured into her hair. "The plaza. If we miss the selection, Devota will punish us ."
Katy nodded, her eyes still wide with terror. They stumbled into the chaotic streets, the haunting melody of the selection song guiding them like a beacon of doom. The people around them were a frenzied mess, pushing and shoving to get to the grand plaza where the constellation's judgment would be carried out. They were nothing but pawns in her divine game, their lives at her whim.
The constellations, those cosmic beings that claimed dominion over the shattered world, were not bound by the morality of humans. To them, the people of the sectors were merely vessels to be used and discarded as they saw fit. The siblings knew this all too well as they approached the towering statue of Devota, her gleaming eyes watching over the trembling crowd.
The plaza was a sea of faces, each one a mirror of the fear and desperation that gripped their hearts. The air was thick with anticipation, the very essence of dread. Atop the statue's dais stood the high priestess, her robes fluttering in the breeze, a twisted smile playing on her lips as she held the sacrificial dagger aloft.
The hierarchy of the constellations was clear. At the pinnacle was Devota herself, the cold, capricious deity who demanded monthly tribute. Beneath her, her chosen guardians enforced her will, their power absolute in their designated sectors. Then there were the high priests and priestesses, who served as the conduits of her divine wrath, interpreting her whims and meting out punishments. They were the ones who orchestrated the sacrifices, who whispered sweet lies of eternal life and salvation into the ears of those selected to die.
Shin and Katy pushed through the throng, their hearts racing in sync with the pulsing rhythm of the selection song. The closer they got to the dais, the more intense the pressure grew, until it felt as if the very air was pressing down on them, trying to crush them into the cobblestones.
As they reached the front of the crowd, the song reached its crescendo. The high priest's eyes flashed with a malevolent glee as she raised the dagger to the heavens. The blade glinted in the flickering torchlight, a symbol of the brutal power that held them all in its thrall.
"People of the Seventh Sector!" she called out, her voice cutting through the cacophony like a knife. "Tonight, we gather to pay homage to the great Devota! She who watches over us, granting us life, protection, and the very breath we draw!" The crowd murmured in response, their fear-stricken faces upturned to the statue.
From somewhere in the throng, a voice called out, "But why the early selection, High Priestess?" It was a man's voice, trembling but clear. "Is there something we don't know?"
The high priestess's smile grew sharper. "The constellation's will is not for mere mortals to question," she said, her eyes scanning the crowd. "Her benevolence is infinite, and her wisdom unmatched. But fear not, for she has chosen one among you to ascend to her side."
The crowd fell silent, the only sound the thunderous beating of their collective hearts. The high priestess stepped aside, revealing a crystal podium that hovered in the air, inscribed with ancient symbols that glowed with an otherworldly light. From within the podium emerged a scroll, unfurling with a dramatic flourish.
The priestess's eyes scanned the parchment, her smile never wavering. "Let the name of the chosen one be heard!" she announced.
The podium's light grew brighter, and from its core, a beam shot out, piercing the night sky. The crowd gasped as it hovered above the center of the plaza, the air crackling with anticipation. Then, it began to descend, the light narrowing to a point that grew smaller and smaller until it focused on a single individual.
Shin's heart stopped as the beam of light settled on Katy, her eyes wide with terror, her body trembling. The high priestess's smile grew even wider, and she stepped forward, her hand outstretched. "The pure and virtuous Katy," she announced, her voice echoing through the plaza. "Your sacrifice is accepted."
With a jolt, Katy was lifted off her feet, her body stiff with horror. The light enveloped her, and she began to rise, floating towards the dais. Her screams were lost in the deafening silence that had fallen over the crowd. Shin watched, unable to move, as the light carried his sister to the crystal podium. The high priestess took her hand, and together they stepped onto the platform.