The bus rumbled down the road, packed with people of the same age—or slightly older. On the left side of the window seats sat a guy with black hair and dark eyes. Unlike most guys on the bus, he was strikingly appealing, especially to the girls onboard. He was only twenty-one, but many of the girls—church girls included—had already imagined settling down with him.
"Caelen! Hey man, did you see that building over there?"
A voice pulled him from his thoughts. Another guy, who looked about his age, suddenly took the seat next to him—the one that had been empty just a moment ago. He tapped Caelen's shoulder and pointed to the right side of the bus. That side was much livelier; people were laughing, chatting, pairing up, or just staring out the windows at the towering building outside with a sleek, modern design.
"It's nice, right?" the guy said, glancing at Caelen who was now staring at the structure.
"Hey, Jake? Can you not grab my face? I'm looking at it now. And honestly, it's not that different from the last dozen buildings you got excited about."
Jake quickly let go, looking sheepish. "Sorry, sorry. I just... Unlike you, I never really leave the church grounds. All of this stuff—it's kind of amazing to me. I'm a little jealous, you know?"
Caelen smirked. Still seated, he reached over and pulled Jake closer to the seat next to him.
"Whoa! Careful, man! These seats kill my knees," Jake yelped, but his smile stayed.
"You know," Caelen said, "the world outside the church isn't always as exciting as you think."
"Maybe," Jake replied, still staring out the window. "But will that really matter? Once we get the goddess's blessing from the ritual, we'll be strong enough to handle it. And finally start making money for the church."
"Yeah, yeah. We'll see," Caelen muttered.
They kept talking, their conversation drifting into easy rhythm. Caelen told him about the city—coffee shops, odd smells, strange people, sugary foods that Jake would probably love. They kept it going for about thirty minutes before the bus finally slowed.
The vehicle stopped in an open forest area, wide and green, perfect for camping. They all glanced outside in curiosity. Everything had already been set up. One by one, they stood and filed out in an orderly line.
"Whoa... This place is amazing, right?" Jake beamed as they stepped off the bus. He noticed several more buses parked nearby, positioned to allow space for tents—at least thirty of them, already standing. Around them, people moved in and out of the setup like quiet workers finishing their final touches.
A young man approached, tall and composed. He wore a white ceremonial hat that let strands of blonde hair spill down the sides of his face. His sharp blue eyes practically confirmed his high-ranking status. People from the church often had that look—blonde hair, blue or green eyes. It was like a sign.
"Welcome, children of the light. I am so honored that you have come to be embraced by the goddess of light," the man said, smiling warmly.
"And we are blessed, for Her light finds us through you," everyone replied in unison—even the bus driver, who was still sitting inside but had turned to face the man with quiet reverence.
Caelen didn't speak it as loudly as the others, but he mouthed the words.
"Yes, the Goddess is good at all times," the priest said, still smiling. "And though time is not relevant to Her, it is to us. That is why we are here—to connect with her."
He turned and motioned toward the many tents lined up neatly around the trees.
"Now listen closely, children. Some of you will remain in these tents for the time being. Each one of you will receive the goddess's blessing. This... will be the first time in all of history such a thing has happened."
Though they had all heard the rumors from the saint at the church a few days ago, it was different hearing it directly from the priest. The atmosphere shifted.
"And yes," the priest continued, "the saint herself is here. She remains in prayer for all of you, up there."
He pointed to the mountain, partially obscured by mist and trees. The group looked up—but they couldn't see far. The obscured view unsettled some. Everyone wanted to glimpse the saint. Everyone except Caelen, who didn't care much either way.
"Now, I want ten of you to form a line. The rest of you may rest for now. I'm sure you're all tired. Caelen—you rest with the others."
Caelen had already taken a step forward, but hearing the priest's words, he stopped mid-motion.
"Yes, Father Luziel," he said simply.
He turned and left with Jake. They nodded to each other, then split off toward separate tents. As Caelen pulled aside the flap of one of them and stepped inside—
Caelen stepped into the tent, sighing as the quiet wrapped around him. He kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto the soft mat laid out for him. Above, the translucent ceiling of the tent let in the dimming sunlight and faint outline of the forest canopy. The outside world could be seen, but from the outside, no one could see in. It gave the place a peaceful sort of privacy.
He stared up at the sky, watching the clouds roll lazily past.
"I thought I'd be going first," he muttered, annoyed. "Sucks that I won't be the first to see the goddess..." His voice dipped, a trace of resentment lingering in his tone.
"I literally collected half the stuff for the ritual, and I can't go first? That's some bullsh—"
He stopped himself just in time, eyes darting toward the thin tent walls. He was still close to the others. Who knows? Maybe Father Luziel was nearby and could hear him cursing.
With a huff, he mumbled his complaints for another two minutes until eventually, the weight of the day caught up to him. He drifted off.
Time passed without his notice. The light dimmed, the outside world grew silent, and eventually—
Rustle.
A soft shuffling sound stirred the edge of his sleep. Something moved within the tent. Then—
"Hey, Caelen. Wake up. Wake up." He didn't stir at first, until—
"Ow—hey!" he yelped as someone pinched him, hard. He bolted upright, instantly alert. He didn't need to see the face. He knew the feeling of that pinch.
"Emma—stop that! Sto—"
A soft hand quickly pressed against his mouth.
His eyes adjusted to the low light. The faint glow outside the tent cast a dim blue hue on her skin. Emma's face hovered close to his, her long brown hair brushing over his forehead, and her bright blue eyes practically glowed in the dark. Something about them felt... sharper than usual.
"What are you doing here? And how long have I been asleep?" Caelen asked groggily, rubbing his eyes. He glanced at the ceiling again. It was night.
"Wait... It's this late? How long have I been out?"
Emma smiled casually. "I don't know. I just came to check on you. You disappeared right after we arrived."
She moved closer, inching beside him, attempting to pull him down gently.
"Hey—Emma—" Caelen quickly sat up again, backing against the tent wall. "Not now. Has Father Luziel said anything?"
Emma frowned slightly, lying back with her arms crossed. "Nope. He hasn't said a word. But I don't care. I haven't slept next to you in almost two years. Now's the perfect time."
She sat up, her voice growing serious. "And you don't want to?"
"Emma," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're a saint. You know what that title means. You can't be doing stuff like this. If someone sees you, they'll think it's me. They'll kick me out—and you know that."
She didn't argue. Instead, she smiled slyly, her voice softening.
"Then how about this?" she said, standing now, placing her hands behind her back. "I've been thinking about it for a while."
She stepped closer, then pointed directly at him. "You could ask the goddess to make you a priest. Then we'll start our own church—just the two of us."
Caelen blinked, stunned. "You're... You're insane. You can't even take care of yourself and you want to—"
"CAELEN!" a voice boomed from outside.
His heart stopped. Panic instantly gripped him. He scrambled up and darted past Emma, holding a finger to his lips as he made a shh! gesture. She nodded, frozen in place.
He stepped out of the tent.
Outside, Father Luziel stood among the tents, his ceremonial hat slightly tilted as he peered around.
"You're awake. I was wondering how long you were going to make me wait," the priest said calmly as he walked toward him.
"I apologize for keeping you, Father. I must've been more tired than I realized," Caelen replied quickly, stepping away from his tent to draw the priest's attention away from Emma.
"We must hasten," Luziel said, grabbing Caelen's wrist—tight, firm, almost too hard. "The summoning circle might lose its power."
Before Caelen could react, the priest yanked him forward. With a strange, almost gliding motion, they weaved between tents. Caelen barely had time to process it—they were already at the edge of the forest.
"Uh... Father Luziel—you're kind of crushing my wrist." Caelen winced, glancing down.
The grip released almost immediately.
"My apologies, child," the priest said, smiling brightly. "I'm just... excited. The time is now. You understand, don't you?"
Caelen looked up at him. Something about that smile... It was real, he could tell—but maybe too intense for a smile. Still, he nodded.
They stepped into the forest. Caelen glanced back at the tents once more. In the middle row, he spotted movement. A familiar hand poked out of his tent and waved. Emma. She saw him looking and quickly ducked back inside.
He didn't smile.
As they moved deeper into the forest, Caelen couldn't shake the quiet.
He looked around.
"Seems like I'm the last one," he muttered.
No other figures. No whispers. No light. Just him and Father Luziel walking side by side.
Then he caught a scent—sweet, but out of place.
"Something smells weird. What is that?" Caelen asked, sniffing again. It reminded him of crushed flowers—rich and fragrant, but oddly artificial.
Father Luziel kept walking. "Oh? You can smell that?" he said lightly. "That's good. The goddess said those connected to her often begin to sense things... things others can't. Don't worry about it."
"Oh... I didn't kno—"
Caelen froze.
He looked down.
Something on the ground—dark, thick. His heart thumped. A slick, crimson smear.
He fell backward, hitting the dirt hard, his eyes wide in shock.
"Wh-what the...?"
Father Luziel turned calmly, stepping toward him.
"Are you alright, child?" His voice was gentle—too gentle.
Caelen blinked, his mouth dry. "I—I thought I saw something…"
He looked again. Nothing.
Was it just his imagination?
"I'm fine," Caelen said, trying to steady his voice. "Sorry, I guess I was just tired. Must have been a trick of the light."
Father Luziel nodded and extended a hand. Caelen didn't take it but stood slowly.
They resumed walking.
But something nagged at him. Caelen's eyes flicked downward again—not to the ground, this time, but to the priest's robe.
Thelowerhemofitwasstained—deep red. Blood.