“How could Father Vincent do this?!” Alhen had been in a bad mood since the meeting was concluded.

  They walked through the pig district, with him following the father without really knowing where they were going.

  “Where are we headed?” He asked after walking for several minutes.

  “Be patient, we are nearing our destination.” Father Vincent responded.

  Alhen shut his mouth and thought about the escorting mission.

  He would start in a few cycles, having to protect the princess for approximately five of them.

  The worst part was that probably anyone who would want to kill the princess of a kingdom would be able to kill him in an instant.

  ‘I’m sure that the King will kill me if something happens to his daughter, that is, if I don’t die to the first threat that appears during our travel,’ he thought, sighing in the process.

  His heartbeat accelerated as he thought about how they had such great faith in him.

  The king was making a mistake; he didn’t have a doubt.

  He wasn’t strong, nor intelligent, nor special.

  If trouble came, he would be the one who needed saving.

  ‘To think that the king would entrust me with the safety of his daughter, he must be desperate to receive help from the Kovesh. I wonder what that means?’ he thought.

  Alhen was lost in thought, unable to focus, following the father on autopilot.

  “We have arrived,” Father Vincent said.

  Without realizing it, Alhen had followed him until reaching a church.

  Looking at the gold engravings reading ‘Church of Healing,’ he resisted the urge to smile, hiding his joy.

  Despite his arm being healed, his body felt stiff and tired, and he had many injuries that made walking tiring and difficult.

  If all his wounds could be healed, it would truly benefit him.

  If they were here, it could only mean one thing: this was going to happen, or at least he hoped.

  “What are we doing here?” Alhen asked.

  “I know that your body is in a poor condition, son. All those injuries you have suffered along the way, it is time to heal them,” Father Vincent replied.

  With this, his suspicions were dissipated, and he smiled in delight.

  ‘Good, it’s time to get rid of this uncomfortable pain I’ve been feeling for the past few cycles,’ Alhen thought.

  “I have also noticed that your left arm seems to be destroyed, and there is a mysterious energy keeping it working. But I can feel that it will be completely useless by next cycle, and I cannot let that happen,” Father Vincent added.

  ‘I thought that my arm would be fine, considering that I can move it, but that doesn’t seem to be the case,’ Alhen thought.

  “What energy are you talking about?” he asked.

  “I cannot tell its origin, but it is powerful, and somehow familiar, as if I have seen it before,” the father had a pondering gaze, but dropped it soon after.

  “Well, there’s no point dwelling on it. Can we enter now?” Alhen asked before Father Vincent nodded.

  They entered the church, and Alhen took in his surroundings.

  The area exuded a holy feel, with almost everything being white and golden.

  Multiple rows of tables filled with chairs and food extended into the back.

  In the front, an empty altar stood with a spiked cross symbol.

  Alhen walked down a long red carpet to the altar with the Father, passing by multiple people dressed in extravagant middle-aged attire.

  Many raised their heads and looked their way.

  They talked behind their back with muffled whispers.

  ‘There it is once again. No matter where Father Vincent is seen, he always attracts attention. When we are done in this place, I will ask him what his title is all about,’ he thought.

  His thoughts were cut short when they reached the altar.

  Father Vincent got on his knees and started praying with clasped hands.

  Alhen followed his movements.

  He raised his left hand with an open palm and placed it just in front of his face before bowing his head and closing his eyes.

  They stayed there for a long time, with Alhen pretending to pray.

  Minutes passed, and the longer he waited, the more desperate he became.

  His mind was filled with thoughts of leaving and stopping what he was doing.

  The father didn’t care, however, taking his time with the prayer.

  Not bearing the boredom from not doing anything any longer, he eventually began to pray to the Supreme Hargred.

  ‘Supreme Hargred, they say that you are the creator of this world, its king. If you truly exist, I want to know why I was sent here, to this world, ‘ Alhen paused.

  ‘Time in here passes very slowly, and it’s painful and horrible. I pray for your blessings. Please keep me and those I care about safe. Please don’t let another village situation happen,’ he finished.

  Alhen opened his eyes and found a group of robed middle-aged women approaching their location.

  They wore a lot of jewelry that pierced their faces.

  Their eyes were completely white, reminding him of the blind torturer back in the church, with the difference that they seemed like they could see.

  Looking to his side, Father Vincent still had his eyes closed.

  His hands were clasped, and he knelt in a posture of reverence.

  The women stopped in front of them, all of them with their bodies pointed towards the father.

  “What does the Kovesh want in our humble church? We have long since denied you passage after you decided to break the rules, or is it that you do not remember?” One of the women spoke.

  Father Vincent remained silent, paying them no attention, making the women feel uncomfortable.

  Not knowing what to do, they turned their heads to Alhen, who had been staring at them since they showed themselves.

  “Are you here with the Kovesh? Could you please tell him that he needs to leave right this instant?” She asked, almost pleadingly.

  Alhen shook his head.

  If they thought that he could order Father Vincent around, then they were gravely mistaken, maybe one day in the future.

  Right now, he might be punished and given a harsh lesson; better safe than sorry.

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  He gave them the silent treatment, something that made the Father smile and open his eyes.

  “It seems that I have taught you well. You are resembling your father more by the day,” he joked.

  Alhen didn’t find it funny, however, frowning at his words.

  He looked at Father Vincent with narrowed eyes, making him roll his eyes and look at the uncomfortable women in front of him.

  “You see, my son here has a problem. His body has gone through a hard beating; the constant stress of work and injuries from various dangerous sources have left his body in a bad state.”

  The father shook his head as if troubled.

  “I want one of you to heal him, right now.” Father Vincent explained calmly.

  “I am truly sorry, but that will not be possible. We have gotten strict orders from the matriarch herself to never involve ourselves with you again. I will say it once again, please leave.” The woman bowed.

  “Failure to comply will result in backlash,” she added

  Father Vincent chuckled, almost mockingly.

  He stood without a hurry, and Alhen for a second feared that they were leaving.

  His fears were unfounded, however.

  Father Vincent approached the ear of one of the women, and seemingly with one word, her face shifted into one of pure terror.

  Father Vincent retreated, leaving the frozen woman shivering.

  “Ale, what is wrong? What did he tell you?” One of the women asked.

  The frozen woman ignored her, looking at Alhen.

  “Child, come here, I am going to heal you right now.”

  Alhen had a smile on his face, unable to hide it.

  Contrary to Alhen’s happiness, the women didn’t seem to like the idea.

  “Ale, what are you doing? This goes against everything that the Matriarch has told us! Are you seriously sacrificing years of your lifespan to entertain him? You will be harshly reeducated!” They warned.

  “Shut up! In my situation, you would have done the same thing. I need some space, clear the area, now!” she yelled.

  “Gasp!” The women simultaneously clasped their hands while muttering something unintelligible.

  They looked offended by Ale’s tone of voice.

  “You will regret this, I will make sure of it,” one of the women said before their group retreated into the distance.

  They left the area without saying anything else, and Ale urged Alhan to get closer.

  She waved her hand, and Alhen took a few steps forward.

  She grabbed his shoulder and guided him to kneel.

  Ale passed her hand through his face, closing his eyes and making him look at the ground.

  Father Vincent observed from the side, not stepping in.

  ‘What could Father Vincent possibly have told her for her to become like this? Whatever it was, it benefits me; I hope my body will be fully healed after this,’ Alhen thought.

  He briefly looked at his missing arm with a hopeful expression.

  Placing her hand on top of Alhen’s head, she said, “I, Ale Von Naheli, follower of Lord Silris, plead for the energy of the Mother of Life. Great healer and protector, I channel your energy through my blood and submit myself.”

  As she said the incantation, the air surrounding them started to shift.

  The air, once clear and welcoming, grew heavy and suffocating.

  Alhen felt his veins freeze, his body shaking from the cold.

  Even with his eyes closed, he could see a blinding red light, which made him squeeze them shut tighter.

  Being unable to hold himself back, he tried opening them, but felt someone’s hand holding them shut.

  The incantation continued, with Alhen feeling worse by the second.

  If it weren’t for Ale holding him tightly, he would have already fallen to the ground from the nausea that assaulted his body.

  “Kill this boy’s body, and make him reborn anew,” she finished.

  Alhen, hearing her words, struggled against her grip, doing everything in his power to escape, but he was too tired.

  She didn’t budge, her grip feeling as if it were made out of steel, and his arm started twitching.

  “Arghh!” He screamed.

  The bones in his arm started shifting uncomfortably.

  Not just in his arm, but his whole body shifted and tingled with unpleasant sensations.

  He held no strength to struggle anymore, his body hanging loosely in Ale’s embrace.

  Saliva started dripping down his mouth, while his body twitched

  The pain only got worse from there, however.

  Alhen could feel his left arm exploding, making him cry out in pain.

  Tears stained his eyes as he felt a new arm start growing at a snail’s pace, or at least that’s what it seemed to him.

  He then felt his whole body being broken and rebuilt.

  The last thing he remembered was an unbearable amount of pain starting to mount on his head.

  He gritted his teeth with strength, but it did nothing to help him get rid of it.

  And just when it became unbearable, his head exploded.

  “Splurt!” Brain matter and blood spread through the floor.

  Father Vincent watched the scene unfazed by what had happened.

  Ale, who held Alhen in her arms, started to age rapidly.

  Her hair now had a slight tint of white and barely noticeable wrinkles adorning her face.

  Father Vincent waited patiently, not tearing his gaze off Alhen’s limp body.

  When he noticed a slight twitch on his finger, that’s when he smiled.

  ‘Where am I?’ Alhen asked.

  He found himself in a completely white space, floating aimlessly.

  His body spun rapidly, making him nauseous, and he almost threw up.

  Alhen struggled to keep himself steady and stop spinning, but after many failed attempts, he finally succeeded.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, he took a good look around him.

  “I remember that I was in some church, I believe it was the church of healing. What happened there? Why am I here? Don’t tell me that I died?!” Alhen exclaimed.

  His heart skipped a beat, and his mind began racing.

  ‘I still haven’t taken my revenge against Father Vincent for what happened. I still haven’t honored Henry’s soul. And I still haven’t…’

  Alhen paused, thinking about what else he had left unfinished.

  ‘Is there truly nothing else?’ Alhen thought.

  He shook his head and tried thinking harder about something else he wanted to achieve in his life, but he came back empty-handed.

  “Was that truly everything in my life? My whole purpose was to kill a man, but now that I’m dead, what’s left? Is this my punishment for killing Henry and my real father? Just float in this space for all eternity, regretting my life decisions?” He wondered.

  Alhen gritted his teeth with strength.

  He had suffered, had led a miserable life, and had done nothing of value.

  “This is hell, it has to be. These are the consequences of killing my father in my past life,” Alhen convinced himself.

  “Could all of it have been an illusion? Could Henry not be real, and the father a product of a realistic scheme created solely to torture me?” He wondered.

  He sank deeper into despair, grabbing his hair and pulling it hard.

  When he couldn’t bear the feeling anymore, he let all the tension in his body go, making his body go limp.

  “Why are you this shaken? Blessed one,” a powerful feminine voice resounded throughout the space.

  Alhen’s eyes widened, and he looked all around him, trying to locate the source of the sound.

  “Who’s there!?” He shouted.

  “You are asking who I am? My name is Lord Silris. Unfortunately, I cannot show myself, as you will not be able to handle gazing upon my true form,” she said, sounding certain of her words.

  “What is your name, child?” Lord Silris asked.

  ‘Lord Silris, why does that name sound familiar? No matter that, should I reveal information about myself to this unknown being?’ He wondered.

  “I can hear your thoughts, child. Speak freely. I promise that no harm will fall upon you, after all, I am the Mother of Life,” she said.

  ‘The Mother of Life, why does it sound so familiar? Oh! I just remembered, she is the Lord mentioned by Ale just before the healing process began,” Alhen thought.

  “If I were being healed, then why am I dead?” He muttered to himself, not paying attention that he was speaking with a Lord.

  “Child, you are not dead. It will take some time for your body to form fully. What you are doing is waiting until that moment,” Lord Silris said.

  “Wait, are you telling me that I’m not dead!?” Alhen smiled widely, and a sigh of relief escaped his lips.

  “Of course, you are not dead. Why would you?” She asked.

  Alhen didn’t have an answer to that question, so he remained silent.

  “I want to ask you a question, will you let me touch you?” She asked another question, and Alhen was momentarily taken aback.

  “What do you mean by that?” he asked, but the Lord didn’t elaborate further.

  “Tell me, child, will you let me touch you?” She asked once again with the same tone of voice, giving him chills.

  ‘I don’t know what’s happening, but I should probably not accept. Even if this Lord seems trusting enough, maybe I will die or go insane if she touches me, I shouldn’t risk it,’ he thought.

  “So, you will not let me touch you?” She asked, but Alhen remained silent.

  “I see… then you are useless to me,” she said before the once open and empty space began to turn black.

  Alhen looked all around him with a panicked expression.

  He became overly aware of his surroundings and was ready to defend himself if anything happened.

  “I knew it! You should never trust a Lord,” Alhen exclaimed.

  The next second, he felt an excruciating pain tearing his stomach apart.

  “Arghh!” He screamed.

  When he looked down to see what was happening, he saw a dark energy pulling his stomach open, but blood didn’t leak from his wound; light did.

  “Hahahaha!” Lord Silris laughed, and Alhen gritted his teeth in anger.

  He didn’t have time to think.

  Alhen pushed himself into the empty air away from the energy and activated his blessing, surprised that it worked at all.

  Alhen saw dark energy from all sides trying to grasp his body, and he dodged them all with little finesse.

  He flailed his arms in the air and tried to control his movements.

  ‘If what Lord Silris said is true, then I’m not dead, and I have to wait until the healing process ends, which means I can survive if the healing process ends before I get killed here,’ he thought.

  The dark energy started following him, and no matter where he went, it seemed to be waiting for him.

  More light started leaking from his body after being touched by the rogue dark energy.

  He gritted his teeth and looked back, feeling death approaching from behind.

  A ball of purple energy headed for his head, and when it touched it, it was no longer there.

  “Tick, tick, tick.” Alhen opened his eyes.

  The first thing that he noticed was his location.

  He was naked in a coffin perched on a pristine table, resting with his left arm on his chest.

  The marks on his body, which resembled tattoos, glowed faintly in a dark color before dimming down.

  He groggily opened his eyes and searched for the annoying noise assaulting his ears.

  In front of him stood a huge clock, and with each tick, his ears shook from the sound.

  His body felt better than ever before; he felt reborn.

  Looking down at his right arm, he could only sigh; there was nothing.

  Alhen crawled out of the coffin and dropped to the floor.

  He tried to stand up but found himself unable to.

  He waited patiently, his strength returning by the second.

  Remembering the healing process and what followed after, he immediately shuddered.

  ‘There’s no way that I’m doing that again,’ Alhen thought.

  Now standing, he looked around to get a better view of the room.

  It was empty, being completely white, having a clock and a coffin, nothing else in view.

  There was nothing to light the interiors, but the room remained lit up by a white glow on the walls.

  He noticed his clothes thrown on the ground.

  No one had bothered cleaning them, as blood and other fluids had stained them.

  With a sigh, he grabbed his clothes and put them on; they stuck to his body like glue.

  Noticing the barely visible white door that probably led outside, he took a step out, ready to face what came next.

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