"Anna-san, what are you looking at? Is that a ring? Or some kind of accessory? It looks strange."
In the cathedral, Sister Anna was sitting in one of the pews, staring at a small metal ring. A voice suddenly spoke near her ear.
"Let me see. Hmm... my intuition tells me this might hold a very specific secret. Anna-san, where did you find this?"
The newcomer leaned in, studying the metal band. Like Anna, she wore a strict habit. Wisps of light brown hair peeked out from her hood, and her eyes—a dark shade with hints of pale violet—twinkled with curiosity.
"Airi, shouldn't you be in class? Why are you here?" Sister Anna asked flatly. To a stranger, she sounded sarcastic, but Airi was used to it. Anna's personality was cold, as if nothing in the world could move her.
Perhaps that's the price of receiving 'Divine Grace,' Airi thought. She wasn't jealous. In this world, everything had a price. Anna had become this cold only after her awakening. Airi had her own minor abilities, but they were insignificant enough that she hadn't had to sacrifice her emotions.
"Class ended ages ago. It's after-school hours now; everyone is at their clubs. What about you? Didn't you say you were going to the library for research? You don't have any books... have you been staring at this little trinket the whole time?"
"My 'Revelation' tells me this object is important. It could even cause a disaster. But the feeling changed... the catastrophic nature is gone, yet it remains 'dangerous.'"
Anna placed the ring in Airi's hand. Despite her words, her expression remained a calm, flat lake.
"'Dangerous'? This little thing?" Airi held the ring, activating her own ability—her version of a 'Revelation.' She didn't feel danger, only a slight sense of discomfort, like something was "off."
'Revelation' was their name for a specially enhanced sixth sense. It allowed them to perceive misfortune, disasters, or evil people and objects. It was a passive trait, but they could trigger an active "scan" to judge the nature of an object.
"It faded. I felt 'Danger' when I first picked it up, which is why I brought it back. But the sensation is weakening. Also... I believe this belongs to one of the students."
"A student? Why specify 'our school'?" Airi asked, before remembering the recent exchange program.
"This. Look." Anna pulled out a cap and showed Airi the brand label.
If Alistair were there, he would have recognized it instantly as the cap he'd snatched from a desk to hide his hair, only to lose it in the rush to escape.
"This is a luxury brand," Airi noted.
"Exchange students are from average families. They wouldn't buy a designer cap just for a disguise," Anna explained.
"Then how do we find the owner? We can't exactly ask for someone to claim it. Where did you find it—oh..." Airi stopped, realizing Anna had spent the whole afternoon in the library. The context of "impure activities" was obvious.
"I'll find them. In the meantime, I found students engaging in 'impure interactions' in the library. We should be stricter for a while. As for finding the owner, leave that to me."
Anna stood up, pocketed the cap, and walked to the front of the chapel. She folded her hands and closed her eyes in prayer.
Airi looked at the ring in her hand, wondering if she should give it back. She decided to keep it for a moment; if it were truly dangerous, Anna wouldn't have been so casual.
But why... why do I feel this sudden palpitation? Airi looked at the sun-drenched, bright cathedral, yet an unshakable sense of unease rose within her. She tucked the ring away and joined Anna in prayer.
As the two sisters prayed in the silent, holy hall, wisps of black mist began to curl around the silver crosses on their chests. The silver was slowly becoming tarnished and dark. Simultaneously, some of the mist turned into a faint, lustful pink, drifting into their noses and pores with every breath.
And no one was there to see it.