Volume 1: Path – [Academy Arc]
Chapter 29: Death Level Danger
Caelus and Aiv walked toward their right, as it was the nearest side for them to exit from the seats they were sitting on.
"Aiv, you got any questions you wanna ask the Head Bishop?"
"I should be the one asking you that. I already knew about all this before I came here, so I'm good."
"Hmm. Wanna check out the church in the meantime?"
"Sure, let's go."
There were corridors in both directions. They chose the one on the right, since it was closest to where they were standing.
As Caelus and Aiv exited the main hall and stepped into the corridor, a refreshing scent of flowers greeted them. The air was lighter here. Birds fluttered between the arches, and butterflies floated gently above their heads. Soon, they arrived at a beautiful garden which is vast and vibrant.
In the center of the garden stood a striking fountain. At its heart, a statue of a woman wielded a spear, frozen in the moment of piercing another figure directly through the head, where the brain would be.
Caelus felt a chill creep down his spine as he stared at the second statue. 'It doesn't have horns… but its body is covered in dots. Is that a demon?' he wondered.
Where the spear had pierced, two butterflies hovered in slow circles one glowing in a deep yellow hue, the other in a bold crimson red.
'Weird… from what I know, when those two are together, it means something dangerous is coming, something so huge that death is the only thing waiting for that person. Hah, at least it's not me. If it were, they'd be hovering over my head,' Caelus thought, shifting his gaze away from the statues to focus on the butterflies instead.
Caelus's favorite insects are butterflies. He found them beautiful, especially their delicate wings, which fascinated him with their vibrant patterns and graceful motion. So intrigued was he by their elegance that he studied every type of butterfly he could find, managing to absorb all their details within just a week.
"Caelus."
"Caelus."
"Hmm?" Caelus blinked and turned to look at Aiv, pulled from his thoughts.
"What happened to you? You just spaced out."
"Nothing. It's just… the garden is so beautiful, I got lost in it. Let's go somewhere else. If I stay here longer, I might drift off again."
As they began walking, the two butterflies suddenly moved together and soared into the sky. They glided smoothly above the rooftop and directly above Caelus's head, casting soft shadows over him as they passed. Their flight path mirrored his steps perfectly!
As Caelus reached another door, the butterflies suddenly split apart, fluttering away in separate directions. The door stood tall about a foot taller than him. 'Everything here feels oversized,' he thought.
Since the door was already open, Caelus stepped through without hesitation. On the other side was another corridor, leading to the opposite wing from where he had originally entered. Just like before, it opened up into another vast garden.
This garden mirrored the previous one in nearly every way, with the same grand layout, the same statue at the center, even the same sense of serene beauty. Every detail was replicated perfectly, almost unnervingly so.
As he walked deeper into the space, Caelus spotted two people heading his way: Uriel and Aeren. Their presence stood out clearly against the tranquil garden backdrop.
Behind them trailed a group of students, each exploring and admiring the garden's peaceful charm.
Caelus, as he looked at Aeren, noticed a small, almost invisible golden thread above Aeren's head it seemed to be emerging from his mind.
Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through Caelus's eyes. It was as if something was drilling into his vision. He tried to blink, then shut his eyes tightly, hoping it would stop and for a moment, the pressure seemed to ease.
But before he could relax, hot liquid trickled down his cheeks and it was blood.
Aiv, standing beside him, turned sharply and froze. His eyes widened in horror. "Caelus?! What happened?!"
Caelus opened his mouth, but no words came out. His throat tightened, choking off any sound. He could only clutch at it as panic overtook him.
Aiv quickly grabbed his shoulders. "Somebody help! He's bleeding!"
The other students who heard Aiv's desperate cry rushed to the scene, gasping in horror as they found a boy collapsed on the ground. Blood streamed from Caelus's eyes as he clutched his face in agony, choked noises escaping his throat like he was suffocating.
Within seconds, the Head Bishop arrived, her robes billowing as she sprinted toward the commotion. She had been the only high-ranking official close by, as the other church servants were stationed throughout the massive complex, each group of five covering a floor-sized section.
Without hesitation, she dropped to her knees beside Caelus. Her hand curled into a fist and, with precise force, she struck his chest. A dark, solid marble-like object shot out of his mouth. With practiced reflexes, she caught it mid-air as it hovered, pulsing with a strange aura in her palm.
She immediately placed her other hand on Caelus's forehead. A warm golden light surged from her palm. In an instant, the blood vanished, the choking ceased, and the boy's breathing steadied.
"Boy, what is your name?" the Head Bishop asked, her tone stern but not unkind.
"Caelus… Caelus Throne. What just happened to me?" he managed, still dazed.
"That's what I should be asking you. Why was this inside your chest?" she asked, lifting the marble slightly.
Caelus felt a crushing weight descend on him. It was like death itself had paused to listen for his answer. "I… I don't know. I've never seen that thing before. I have no memory of it at all."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes… But I might have a clue."
"Then tell me what it is."
Caelus hesitated. He glanced around at the other students watching, then gave a subtle signal to the Head Bishop.
She exhaled and snapped her fingers. Instantly, the entire courtyard froze the students caught mid-step or mid-turn, unable to move, hear, or see what was happening.
"Now, speak. No one will hear you."
"When I awakened, the Evernight family took me in. They handed me over to the Awakening Association. Michael, one of the association's staff, helped get me a spot at the academy."
"So you're saying someone planted this thing in you… But what's the gain? You come from a regular citizen background. There's no known connection between you and the Evernight family."
"There is one. Or… there was. Uriel Evernight. She's the only daughter of the family." Caelus's voice trembled.
The Head Bishop raised a brow. "What? Let me guess, you two were in love, but her father didn't approve. Now she's engaged to someone from the Asborn family. She seemed happy talking to that boy…"
She turned to look and there, standing not far off, was Uriel, her hand gently held by Aeren's.
"She is revived from the dead but lost memories of me and got replaced with him, making him her lover now," Caelus said as he got up.
"These bastards... using a revival machine like that every time someone dies, even knowing the consequences, just because they have money." She scoffed, her voice laced with anger. "Alright. I'll inquire into what you told me. Don't worry about it. You can go now. Time is frozen only within this Church, so you still have a few minutes left. Go rest until then."
As she raised her hand to snap her fingers, Caelus called out, his voice hoarse. "Wait... before that, can I ask you one last question?"
She paused and nodded. "Sure."
"That marble you're holding... is it dangerous?"
She turned her gaze to the hovering object in her palm. "It's a demonic core. Only demons have them. Which means humans or any living beings should never have one inside them. I'm honestly baffled that you've survived this long. A human with a demonic core would usually turn into a demonic beast within a day. There's no known cure."
Caelus's lips trembled. "I... I don't know..."
Without another word, she snapped her fingers, turning her back on him as she strode away.
"Caelus, are you okay?" Aiv was the first to speak, his voice laced with concern as he hurried to Caelus's side.
Caelus looked at him, taking in his friend's anxious expression. He managed a reassuring smile, though it was faint. "Yeah... I'm good now. It's all thanks to the Head Bishop. She helped me just in time."
Aiv let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "That's a relief. I was really worried. You looked like you were dying back there."
"Sorry for scaring you," Caelus said with a weak chuckle. "Didn't mean to give you a heart attack."
He smiled awkwardly, still shaken, but grateful. Aiv gave his shoulder a supportive pat, his expression softening.
[End Of Chapter 29]