"And here I thought my ex was a witch," I said, attempting to lighten the mood. My nervousness was palpable as I kept my eyes fixed on the painting, half-expecting something to leap out of it at any moment. Still, the unease lingered heavily in my chest.
"Ignis, this is not the time for your jokes," Aria scolded, stepping between the painting and the priest. Her stance was protective, her dagger already in hand.
"Calm yourselves," Father Francisco interjected, his voice raspy yet steady. "No being of darkness can enter holy ground without permission."
"Yeah, that's what I thought too, and yet my ex walked right into my house and took everything."
The bitter memory tugged a crooked smile from me. Humor seemed like the only way to cope with the mounting tension.
"Ignis!" Aria's voice cut through my thoughts, sharp as a blade.
"Alright, mom," I replied, tossing a vial of silver powder at the painting.
The reaction was instant: a blinding flame engulfed the canvas, leaving behind nothing but ashes that dissolved into the air. The eerie laughter vanished in an instant.
"By the way, Father, why did you have a painting of the 'laughing witch' in your office?" Aria asked, her tone laced with curiosity but not devoid of skepticism.
The priest shrugged, as if it were the most mundane question.
"To remember the church's mistakes."
Before he could add more, I spoke up with my usual lack of tact:
"Alright, let's get to the important part: how much are we getting paid?"
The silence that followed was so heavy it was almost audible. The expressions on Aria's and the priest's faces mirrored a mix of disbelief and disapproval.
"Ignis, please, behave," Aria hissed through gritted teeth, clearly teetering on the edge of losing her patience.
The priest, unbothered, replied calmly:
"Payment is not something I can promise right now. This matter has more to do with duty than with reward."
"Duty?" I raised an eyebrow, skepticism dripping from my voice. "Father, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but Aria and I aren't volunteers for the community help club. 'Facing vengeful witches' isn't exactly a cheap hobby."
"What Ignis means," Aria interjected, her tense smile doing little to mask the fiery rage flickering in her eyes, "is that this seems like a monumental task, and we're risking a lot by getting involved."
The priest nodded slowly.
"I understand. And while this village has no riches to offer you, I can guarantee something far more valuable: knowledge."
That, at least, caught my attention.
"What kind of knowledge?" I leaned forward, curiosity bubbling up inside me.
"Lira wasn't always a witch, Ignis. She was a keeper of ancient secrets. If you manage to face her and emerge victorious, you may claim what she once protected—knowledge that could alter not just your fate, but the fate of many others."
The air in the room grew heavy, as though each word from the priest left an invisible mark behind.