Daniel woke to sunlight on his face and the smell of fresh bread drifting through the open window. His whole body felt… different. Not sore exactly, but heavier, as though the air around him had gained substance.
A knock came at the door before he could sit up.
"Come in," he called.
Sister Celeste stepped in, holding a folded set of clean clothes. "The Father says you're to dress and come to the yard when you're ready."
Daniel nodded, rubbing his arm where the glowing brand had been. It was still there — faint now, like the last embers of a fire. The skin felt warm under his fingertips.
"Breakfast first?" he asked hopefully.
Celeste smirked. "If you're still standing after the Father's done with you, then breakfast."
The churchyard was bright and alive in the morning light. Gabriel stood waiting by the same bench press as last night, this time dressed in a simple white shirt and dark slacks. His eyes flicked to Daniel's arm immediately.
Daniel rolled up his sleeve. The mark was clear now: a cross within a circle, flanked by twin pillars. It looked like something carved into a shield centuries ago.
Gabriel's gaze lingered, but when he spoke, his voice was even. "Do you know what this is?"
Daniel shook his head.
Before answering, Gabriel's expression shifted just slightly — the barest pause, as though listening to something Daniel couldn't hear.
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⚜ TEMPLAR DECREE ⚜
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Brand Skills Unlocked
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[Oathbound Resolve] — Constant. Mind cannot be bent, will cannot be broken.
[Guardian's Instinct] — Sense imminent lethal intent nearby.
[Steward's Blessing] — Stabilize the wounded by touch.
[Martial Aptitude – Crusader Arms] — Mastery of medieval weapons.
Gabriel blinked once, the information sinking into his mind like a familiar litany. When he spoke aloud, it was with the weight of certainty.
"This brand," he said, "is more than a mark. It carries with it four gifts. They will serve you in the days ahead."
Daniel listened, silent.
"The first is constant," Gabriel continued. "Your will cannot be swayed by trickery of the mind. No false memory, no psychic compulsion, no whispered command will find a home in you. In this world, there are many who would try."
Daniel's brow furrowed. "That… sounds useful."
"The second," Gabriel said, "is instinct — the sense of lethal danger before it lands. A whisper in the blood that says move before thought catches up."
Daniel flexed his fingers unconsciously.
"The third is the steward's gift: you can keep a dying man alive long enough to be saved. You will not knit bone or close wounds — but you can keep the spark from leaving the body."
"And the fourth?"
Gabriel's lips curved faintly. "You now carry the hands and memory of a crusader. Sword, shield, spear, mace — they will answer you like an old friend."
Daniel let out a slow breath. "This… this is real."
Gabriel's eyes locked on his. "It has always been real, Daniel. But now… now it is yours to bear."