A long dream, a hazy dream.
The dream's scenery was vague, only the bright moonlight remained the same. In her daze, Felia seemed to arrive somewhere, surrounded by moonlight and white mist, as if something terrifying lurked behind the glow and fog. Instinctively, she turned and ran.
She ran toward the direction that felt familiar.
The unknown presence didn't stop Felia, perhaps it simply didn't care. That chill rising from the depths of the soul was the indifference of a being that saw everything as insects. To use a metaphor: like a paralyzed person watching a slightly unusual ant scurrying about.
Not cruelty, just disregard.
As Felia grew increasingly uneasy in the moonlit fog, with the dream tilting toward nightmare, her aimless run was suddenly interrupted by a hazy figure that took her hand. That hand was warm, leading her through streets and alleys, away from the chaotic moonlight.
The figure remained hazy; Felia could only cling to her.
By the time Felia realized it, she had already left the mist, yet the figure stayed behind. She waved at Felia before slowly fading away.
"Mother…?"
"It's your sister."
Half-awake, Felia blurted the word, only to hear her bedmate Maria answer. As though freshly woken, Maria carried an inherent, languid allure in her bones. She pinched Felia's small nose, a little amused.
"Dreamt of Mother?" Maria tugged at her own sleepwear. She usually slept neatly, but with a little kitten flailing beside her in the night, even her buttons had come undone.
"Mhm, it was Mother." Felia instinctively pressed into her sister's cool body, dazzled by the fine whiteness before her eyes. "But… it didn't quite feel like Mother."
"Then was it Father?"
"Not telling you, it's my secret." Looking up at her languidly enchanting sister, Felia suddenly beamed, leaned in, and planted a smacking kiss on Maria's cheek. Then she bounced happily off the bed, humming a nameless lullaby while getting dressed for the day.
Maria, her cheek still damp with her sister's morning kiss, smiled fondly and dragged herself lazily from the bed. She didn't know what dream Felia had, but she was sure it must have been a good one. Since their homeland's destruction, this was the first time she'd seen Felia so genuinely happy.
Holding a ribbon between her lips, Maria reached behind to tie her silver hair. Morning light poured through the window, painting a beautiful scene. Exposed skin glowed snow-white, exuding temptation.
The scenery was lovely, but the person lovelier still.
.........
"You're going out again? When will you be back?" Felia saw her sister, already washed and clad in a fresh nun's habit, and knew she was leaving.
"Out to earn money. I'm planning to buy us a house in Torrent City, we can't live in the cathedral forever."
Fastening her sword belt tight, Maria's slim waist took shape. Wide sleeves concealed scrolls of divine magic ready to be drawn at any time. She brushed aside her bangs, gazing at her noble reflection in the mirror, and took a deep breath to face the day.
"Spend more time with me…"
Clutching the hem of the black-clad nun's robe, Felia lowered her head, her voice no louder than a mosquito's whisper.
She was still a child, who had just gone through so much. And her only relative, was also, in a way, her enemy. Of course she would feel lonely and insecure.
A house and money meant little, what Felia wanted most was for Maria to stay by her side.
"Once I finish these things." Maria crouched and stroked Felia's platinum hair. Like silk against her palm, sometimes tickling like petting a cat.
Felia stayed silent, stubbornly turning her head away.
Of course it wasn't really about money…
But house-hunting was indeed a matter to be raised soon. What Maria was truly preparing for was to get in touch with Pastor Arthur. The strongest faction on the continent had swiftly organized experienced personnel once they detected the threat of Chaos. Though Maria only joined this special unit due to her deal with Archbishop Mark, she had her own thoughts too.
Version 1.0, Cinders of the First Flame, was drawing near. Which also meant the fall of the Radiant Church was imminent.
Dark Sun Gwyndolin underestimated the extraordinary factions and human kingdoms that had long huddled under the Sun Gods' churches. Likewise, the Solar Church underestimated the ambitions of gods beyond their pantheon.
Forcing itself into others' affairs, issuing decrees in the gods' names, trying to unify everything under Solar rule, when the Sun Gods had already declined, wasn't that courting death?
Maria could not change the Radiant Church's demise.
But letting those early veterans against Chaos vanish entirely was too wasteful. If their experience, knowledge, and even some people could be preserved, perhaps in this life the Anti-Chaos Alliance would arise sooner, sparing many detours.
And the Anti-Chaos front could not be built without the players.
The butterfly had already flapped its wings, whether a storm would follow was unknown. Yet clearly, even in the First Flame's closed beta, Chaos had bared its fangs and sounded a warning. Facing that sinister malice from beyond the world, one could never slacken, for by the time you faced them again, it would already be too late.
Maria strode lightly, greeting the clergy she passed, and soon departed from the Luminous Cathedral.
Not long after her, Su mingled at the back of a patrol team. Beaming, he also exchanged greetings with every NPC he met, strolling in the same direction Maria had gone. His hidden Charm attribute didn't just make him approachable, it also influenced Will and Perception.
These bonuses gave Su, as a nurtured seed, the right to glimpse some of the Radiant Church's inner state.
Truth be told…
After gathering intel on the forums and in-game, Su was already scheming how to abandon ship. Preferably dragging along Sister Maria, that kind NPC, to jump with him.
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