"Sister Euphemia of the Adorers of Radiant Hope, your request for an accommodation has been granted, though we expect that you perform a few tasks for us."

  A man garbed in black, gold, and white stood in front of a gleaming fountain. He turned around to face the canoness; a wrinkled form with smiling eyes looked up to the young cleric. She clasped her hands; eyes sparkling and almost drew a smile. She forgot herself and her station at that moment, which caused her to take a reverent yet appreciative gaze. Euphemia made a slight bow before she spoke:

  "Oh, Your Excellency, you have my deepest gratitude!" Her eyes sparkled in appreciation, though she was still careful not to excite herself out of decorum. "Praise the Light for you to extend this hospitality."

  "I am glad to hear your willingness to help."

  "Might I ask, where would this refuge in need of help might be?"

  "There's a church at the western fringes of the Old Wood, long vacant after the nearby mining village was closed down. The Empire plans to continue building roads to link the cities to the smaller communities."

  The old clergyman looked away from Euphemia and brought his eyes before the fountain. He continued:

  "That community will be used to house the laborers until the project is done. There are many devout among the incoming road workers, thus our decision to reopen the house of worship."

  A small book with a script was drawn out of the man's waist satchel. He was looking for names by staring at the pages; his eyes were almost touching the paper.

  "I have assigned a priest to take over the people's spiritual needs there, but he's yet to complete the rites until the following month- or was it two weeks? Either way, that will be enough time for you to make the church... warm and homely, will it not?"

  "This is no simple chore, Your Excellency." Euphemia held a steady gaze. "If you don't mind, I would like to know if there is anyone who will assist me in this task."

  "I'm afraid not, my child." The elder clergyman said, "Rumors of ghosts haunting and occupying the empty village made the lay people I initially assigned to watch over the place uncomfortable. I could not, in my good conscience, coerce them to stay longer. In this sense, the Holy Word takes a long time to settle and dispel old legends."

  Ghosts. She had not heard of this word in years. The last time this was mentioned was during those evenings with traveling storytellers, who her mother invited during feasts. Those who sat with her were being mentored to handle their estates or domains - some even in charge of those territories with a little help. A flicker of concern crossed the canoness' face, though she had to replace it with sheer determination.

  "I understand." Euphemia kept her head bowed. "I would like to make a request. I'll need spare clothes to use while cleaning, and maybe some cleaning supplies."

  "A canoness who speaks her mind and makes demands. Your order must have taught you differently."

  "I believe these are within reason, Your Excellency. I cannot promise what I do not have the means to fulfill."

  "I will ask the lay servants to fetch what you need. Your task is done as the Creator intends." He approached the cleric, handing a set of large brass keys to her. "These are what you'll need to access every part of that church. Consider the place as yours, for the time being."

  "Thank you, Bishop. I'll see the preparations through as God demands them."

  ????

  Aurelburg's western exit was far from the seat of the diocese, forcing the canoness to take a tram to be closer to the city gates. This was no run-down vehicle, but a well-kept machine with polished seats and a silent engine. There were hardly any passengers at the time, and she only had to worry about the wind getting exhaust plumes onto her face at times. Plain steam - nothing her lungs needed to worry about. Euphemia not only had to look after a bulkier pack due to the garments and other articles of cloth she received from the bishop, but she also had to be careful carrying around a pair of mops, a long-handled brush, two buckets stacked inside each other, and a sack of detergent powder almost as deep as the pails. She arrived at the gates in under an hour.

  ????

  Nighttime was settling, and Euphemia stood before the old church's facade. The wind carried the scent of moss and aged leaves as it crawled past. Rustling of trees, the hooting of a distant owl, and the fluttering of a flight of bats accompanied the whistling air. There was a little roughness in the masonry; this place was yet to age, just like the cabins that made dotted outlines not far from where the cleric stood.

  Two gray-uniformed soldiers, sentries from Aurelburg's perimeter, put down the metal buckets, some cleaning tools, and a few bedding articles beside her. One of the men, young, freckled, and of thin build, smiled before addressing the canoness:

  "You look like you're doing cleaning duty. We can lend you a hand if you need help, right?"

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  He looked at his companion, whose eyes were hidden by his cap's lowered brim. The eager soldier was answered by an abrupt grunt, followed by a slight nod.

  "Thank you for your willingness to help, gentlemen. I would have to know the lay of this place first." Euphemia clasped her hands and smiled. "I'll call your attention in case... something untoward happens."

  "Our posts are nearby, Sister. Feel free to drop by anytime. Have a safe and pleasant night."

  The Aurelburgians bowed before they turned around to leave the grounds. Euphemia holed the key in, twisting it until two clicks were heard. The church was dark; stubs of what remained of the torches that used to light up the place were mounted on the walls. She turned back to face the main door. There was no one nearby; only the moon's pillars revealed some parts of the dirt path. The other side of the church revealed the mostly unfinished cabins that were meant for the workers who were yet to arrive.

  Euphemia closed the doors, exposing herself to the dark. She stretched her arms; open palms were cupped as if to receive water. Her hands glowed as swirls of light from several directions coalesced into a ball the size of a human head. The bright orb dissolved into her hands, leaving a glow that disappeared in seconds.

  "Thank you, o Lord, for this gift of energy."

  A few crystals were drawn from her waist pocket. They were quartz-colored stones that the canoness touched on opposite ends; each was imbued with the energy she collected from the church interior. They gave off a bright white light moments after they were in the cleric’s grip. The crystals were embedded in the inert torches; the combined brightness of six lit objects made an illusion of daylight trapped in the humble church. Euphemia looked around her: the interior was filled with dusty pews, cobwebbed walls, and moldy growth.

  This was a task a brush, a mop, and some soap wouldn’t immediately resolve.

  Euphemia promptly shook her head and breathed deeply before saying:

  "Oh my. This is going to involve much more work than I thought..."

  Euphemia went to the altar. It was an empty white stone table, caked by the dust of ages. The scent of mildew clung to her nostrils, eliciting a small sneeze from her.

  "This is far from... good." Euphemia took a handkerchief and covered the lower half of her face. "I would have to try something to remedy this. My tutor wouldn't be too pleased to know I'm using the arts for these purposes..."

  She brought forth one of the floating spheres from her armlet. It climbed up the ceiling; a dot of solid white settled at the center of the nave.

  "Now, if I remember how to produce different types of light..."

  Four other spheres flew out of her sleeve and settled at the four corners of the church's interior. Their faint glow turned into an overwhelming flood of yellow light. Insects that resided inside were stirred by the change of ambiance, skittering about at the sudden loss of their hiding places - or their sense of direction. She filled the church with red light, driving the tiny creatures out of the place. The floating stones emitted this glow for a few minutes.

  "I suppose I've given the insects enough time to flee from this place. Now, for one last trick..."

  The red brilliance burst into violent, violet light, wrapping everything in a searing touch. Dust, mold, and webbing instantly burned on contact, filling the interior with heavy, yellowish-white smog. All five of her floating stones returned to her sleeve; Euphemia's eyes looked at the glinting, radiating decagram before her. She let out a breath of relief to find that none of the surfaces were visibly scorched, though some of the pews let out smoke. The canoness wondered if there was a need to repaint any of them after that radiant explosion.

  A voice spoke from behind the large holy icon, saying:

  "Is this how people in your country clean things? I'm scared of you now."

  "Rook." Euphemia stood at the center of the church, waiting for the smog to settle. "First, didn't you like the room at the inn? Second, shouldn't boys like you be sleeping this time of night?"

  "I'm curious about what you're doing." Rook stopped near the empty altar, leaning on it while meeting the canoness' gaze. "Also, why not tell me that you're going to clean up this place?"

  "To answer that, this is part of my duties, and it's also one of the Church's ways to give me a place to stay, at least as long as we're in this city." Euphemia walked towards the frontmost pew and took a seat. "About your 'cleaning' question, I prefer that no one else should have to do things this way than I."

  "Wouldn't you scare anyone passing by with that light show of yours? I don't think people know how this gift of yours works."

  "You make sense, Rook - more than I am willing to admit." Euphemia closed her eyes and nodded. "If the lights can draw in or drive away the ghosts, all the better-"

  "Wait." Rook went closer and sat a little too close to the cleric. "Did you say... 'ghosts'?"

  "The people of the church said there were rumors." Euphemia looked at the window; a finger was placed before her lips. "I do not know what ghosts are supposed to look like, nor have the means to get them away from us. I don't think I know how to find out if a ghost is anywhere near."

  "You know what, I'll stay with you in this place."

  "Are you sure you don't want to return to the inn? The bed is surely cozier there."

  "Uh... I... I don't want to leave you by yourself to deal with any ghosts. Yeh. That."

  "Do you think ghosts are real, Rook?"

  "I haven't seen one myself, but I've heard stories of people who did..." Rook went near one of the windows; the darkness obscured much of the empty village ahead. "I don't think I want to see one now."

  "Thank you for thinking of me." Euphemia handed Rook two blankets. "There are rooms with empty beds. You can use these, but I'll need to clean those places first."

  Euphemia turned around and entered the door to the church's housing area. Her voice was fading when she said:

  "Since you're here with me, I'll get you a change of clothes so that you can help me thoroughly clean this place."

  "Can I not do that? I'm not even a member of your church."

  "Consider it part of your duty, as my companion."

  A creaking door was heard from the open hall. It did not take long before the same series of lights illuminated the room. Perhaps Euphemia's cleaning of the church could fuel the ghost rumors, in case someone from afar witnessed a color-changing brightness coming from the abandoned building.