Maria froze, her lips parting in disbelief.
"The...Goddess?"
"She spoke to me. In my sleep. More than once." Joy nodded slowly, her tone unwavering. "She told me to purify the faith of a man named Cassius Vindictus Holyfield."
"To cleanse his soul and bring him back into her light. She said his faith has strayed—and that he must be purified."
Maria stared at her daughter, her hands trembling slightly.
"Are you serious Joy? The Goddess...spoke to you directly? Are you certain?"
"I am." Joy's gaze turned distant, her voice almost reverent. "Her words were clear. She said, 'Seek out the man who wears sin beneath his charm. Strip the lies from his faith. Burn away the false purity.'"
"And every time I've closed my eyes since, I've heard her whisper his name again."
She looked back down at the reports, her tone sharpening.
