"We've arrived," Raiden declares, and the double metal door in front of him slides apart with a rumble.
The people inside stop dead in their tracks the moment the door opens and stare at the four figures standing by the entrance. Their gazes wander over the Aragons' unruly hair and blood-splattered uniforms. They stand in silence for a moment before breaking out in whoops and hollers.
The laity, staff, and even two Aragons rush to greet them with joy and relief. Endless questions are fired, and Raia and her team report on everything that happened, omitting one single piece of information: Nihar. Raia decides not to mention it since her comrades can't seem to bring themselves to discuss it yet. After all, it's a family matter, and she can't interfere. Announcing someone's death is by far the most difficult news to deliver to anyone. While she hasn't personally experienced such a situation, she is aware of how the loss of one person affects others. She's seen how other people react to someone's death; she's seen how it affects her comrades.
"We were gone for a month?" Raiden, Nathan, and Sunshine are stunned when they are told how long they had been missing.
Raia, too, cannot help but be in shock. A full month? So we were asleep for that long? A sudden flash of realization crosses her face.
"It's the spell," Raia breathes. She looks at her team. "We were trapped in a time warp."
Of course, they couldn't have slept for a month — the time inside that old church had been altered to the point where what felt like a day a month had already passed in the real world.
"The ability to manipulate time?" Raiden says in hushed tones that only the four of them can hear. "Is that also the power of that hooded Blood Demon?"
Sunshine knits her brows together. "That's strange. Does he possess another Curse? It's understandable in the case of that doll-like Blood Demon. The wooden sword doesn't appear to be all that special. It looked like a regular weapon that had been enchanted. But, explosion and time?"
Nathan nods. "Yeah, that's strange. Perhaps another Blood Demon cast the spell?"
Raia concurs with that. Since Cyrus told her that there are currently seven Blood Demons alive, and they just killed one, the time spell must be a Curse of another Blood Demon.
The power to manipulate time? That seems to be trouble.
Raia can't stop wondering about the Blood Demons' real motives. They kept them alive when they were in a particularly vulnerable situation. For what reason? Just because their plan was for them to become depraved? Raia is still unsure what being Depraved means, but she is certain it has something to do with an Elysian being corrupted. Raiden had already informed her that they were immune, and he had proved that to her. So their souls can be corrupted in a different way?
Perhaps Blood Demons have the ability to corrupt Elysians, humans blessed souls.
Perhaps being Depraved is worse than being killed, and it is more favorable to the enemy than simply killing them.
So, who among us will be corrupted first? Raia thinks as she looks at her team.
"You guys slew a Blood Demon? That's insanely cool!" Jade, a man with shoulder-length dark hair, says, unaware of the abrupt changes in their expressions. He's dressed in an Aragon uniform and appears to be in his mid-thirties.
"I should call Bishop Galbraith right now; he'll be thrilled to hear about this!" Milan exclaims with a broad smile, but before he can walk away, the aforementioned man appears.
"What's all the commotion about?" Cyrus, dressed as a bishop, descends the spiral staircase with Sonnet. As soon as his feet touch the ground, he adjusts his rimless spectacles and looks around the crowded area near the entrance.
"Raiden's team has returned!" someone yells.
Cyrus's eyes widen and he slows his pace. "What did you just say?"
The crowds part in response, revealing the four Aragons. A tremendous silence falls over the place. Cyrus lets out a shocked gasp before rushing forward, the pitter-patter of his footsteps swallowing the silence. His steps come to a halt once he approaches them. His hair has grown a little longer, and the stubble on his chin truly reflects the fact that Raia and her team had been gone for a month. He sweeps his gaze over their disheveled appearances. When his eyes fall on Raiden, he appears to be about to hug him but instead he ruffles the boy's hair.
"Welcome back," Cyrus greets in a soft voice.
Raiden's expression softens and a smile forms on his lips. "We're back, brother."
Cyrus returns the smile before ruffling Nathan's, Sunshine's, and Raia's hair. "Welcome home."
Raia's eyes widen slightly as an unfamiliar sensation warms her insides. What is that? Is that a sudden reaction to hearing the word "home"? Or is it the way the word is said? There is genuineness in it.
Genuine . . .
Raia raises her gaze to Cyrus, who smiles warmly at her.
"Welcome home, Raia," he croons.
The strange sensation washes over her once more. She stares at Cyrus, searching his face, but all she sees is honesty. She takes a step back and lowers her head. Can she offer the same trust to the head of this home now that she has decided to trust her comrades?
"We're glad to see you again," Sonnet says in a soft voice like a mother speaking to her child.
"Miss Sonnet!" Sunshine bawls, tears welling up in her eyes. She wraps her arms around the woman's waist and buries her face in her chest.
Sunshine's sobs are contagious that Raiden and Nathan end up crying as well. Tears stream down their cheeks like a river escaping a dam.
Cyrus, Sonnet, and everyone else in the room stare at them, their eyes wide with confusion.
"What's wrong?" Cyrus asks, alarm in his voice. He clasps Raiden's shoulders. "Kara, why are you crying? Has something happened?"
"Maybe tears of joy?" Kris, an Aragon with dark man bun hair and a beard, suggests. He has such a masculine physique that he appears to be in his late thirties.
Sunshine tightens her arms around Sonnet as she continues to sob, making the woman even more intrigued.
"It's Nihar," Raiden says, wiping his tears away. "Nihar is . . ."
"He's dead," Nathan rasps, a hard expression on his face as tears spill down his cheeks. "A Blood Demon killed him."
Everyone freezes, stunned by what they have just heard. Cyrus's eyes narrow to slits as he stares at their tear-stained faces, then horror clouds his features. He staggers back, his eyes widening.
"No," he gasps. "No, no, no . . ."
One warrior has fallen.
Tears fill Cyrus's eyes, but he doesn't sob. He balls his hands into fists. "I . . . I should have granted him his request. Now that he's gone . . ."
Everyone lowers their heads, their shoulders slumped forward in sorrow. Another Aragon had died, this time from the Mikaelean Branch. Their family. They are aware that they should be prepared for such tragedies, but there is no way they can ignore the grief that is taking place in their hearts. An emotion Raia never felt before.
What does grief feel like? Is this how humans feel when they lose someone? Caused by someone's death . . . Is there someone I'm afraid of losing?
With that thought, Raia's eyes roam over her comrades in idle speculation. She places a hand on her chest as a sensation of warmth envelops her and spreads over her skin like morning sunlight. It gently eases away her doubts and opens her eyes to see beyond what she normally sees, like an invitation to a new truth and a new way of looking at things.
I guess this world still holds many surprises.
"They are back?" A familiar voice rings out. The four Aragons look up in response.
"Your Highness?" Nathan blurts out, staring at the young man leaning over the balustrade from the second floor.
"The crown prince?" Sunshine says as she pulls away from Sonnet and wipes her tears away as she looks up.
Ian rushes down the stairwell and approaches them. He wears a black waistcoat and trousers, his silvery hair gleaming in the dim light, and his necklace swings side to side like a pendulum. He looks at them for a brief moment, taking in their appearances.
"I'm glad you're all okay." The prince smiles at them. "But what's going on here? Why is it that everyone . . ." His eyes flicker to Raia, and he lets it rest on hers for a moment.
Raia regards him with her usual grim expression, not liking the way he looks at her. And as if bothered by her cold gaze, Ian looks away from her.
"Your Highness?" Raiden says, his eyes wide with surprise as he stares at Ian.
"I've decided to join this organization." Ian gives him a half-smile. "I am now a disciple in training. I began the day after my sister's birthday."
"Who's your Apostle, Your Highness?" Nathan asks with narrowed eyes. His face is smeared with tears, and he doesn't bother wiping them away.
Ian waves off his formality. "I'm under Apostle Lorenzo. And please address me as Ian now. I no longer belong to the royal family."
Nathan's eyes go round, stunned Raiden and Sunshine wear the same expression.
"You . . . what?" Nathan says as if doubting his own hearing. "But what about your family?"
"I've already spoken to them. They're fine with it. Things have already been discussed between the Royal Family, the Council of Elders, the cardinals of the Holy Church."
Nathan's body goes rigid, and a shadow darkens his face. "I see. That's good, then."
Raia detects an edge in his voice. He sounds a mix of envious and relieved. She can tell by his reaction that he didn't expect things to go smoothly between Ian and his family. He expects him to go through the same ordeal he did.
"So he's under Apostle Lorenzo," Raiden murmurs, wiping tears from his eyes with the tip of his finger. He glances at Raia. "Apostle Simon also trained that Apostle."
That piques Raia's interest. "Apostle Lorenzo?"
Raiden nods. "Yes. The one who successfully made a contract with an angel and became an Apostle after only two years as an Aragon."
"But what exactly is going on in here? Why are you crying, and why is everyone so downcast?" Ian's blue eyes cloud with concern as he scans their faces.
Nathan and Sunshine avert their eyes.
"It's Nihar. He's dead," Raiden confesses, and everyone's features dim as a gloomy atmosphere surrounds them once again. He clenches his jaw, fighting back tears that threaten to burst forth once more.
Ian's pupils dilate in dread. "N-Nihar?" He lowers his head, his fists trembling.
Raia deduces from Ian's expression that he had formed a bond with Nihar. Given that he stated that he began training with an Apostle a month ago, he and Nihar must have become . . . friends.
"He was a nice guy," Ian says in a quiet voice. He looks dejected, yet his eyes remain dry.
Silence descends, and the air around them becomes heavier. Raia watches the people around her as they weep. For some reason, she has a strange feeling inside. As she listens to their quiet sobs, her stomach contracts and twists into a knot. She can't even look at their tear-stained faces for more than a second. Seeing them in this situation feels wrong and unsettling. She can't stay in a place like this for long. She wants to walk away and go to her room to take a shower. However, she feels like a statue; no part of her body wants to move. Tightening her jaw, she averts her gaze from them and remains frozen in place.