Seventeen seconds had passed since Pearl started her run. In that brief span, she had managed to cover thirty miles, despite her slightly diminished speed.
And everything was going well for the duo— until the wind blades swept into the battlefield.
The third step cyclone, had decided to go on the offensive, seeing how slippery the twinkle was proving to be.
It unfolded its wings sharply, bringing its descent to a sudden halt, hovering in the air about a mile from the ground.
The force exerted by this action was so overwhelming that, despite the bird not touching ground, a crater was formed beneath it, with rocks and matter flying in all directions.
Fully extended, its wingspan had increased significantly compared to Pearl's last memories; now they stood at the length of two football fields, its body the size of a small mountain, and its talons the size of two buses.
Furious, it began flapping its wings at insane speeds, which put the hummingbird wingbeats to shame. A strong suction force came from this action, soon giving rise to ten tornadoes howling with primal rage.
Far in the sky, the remaining cyclones were watching their mother's performance closely.
Today was supposed to be another hunting lesson for these second-step cyclones, and their mother wasn't supposed to take action. But they found it too hard to catch up with the darn Twinkle.
Displeased, the oldest charged forward and took the lead position inside their formation, unleashing a cry understood only by cyclones.
...
Outside one of the hidden rooms inside the mansion, Katarina's form materialized, holding a holographic tablet in her hand as she knocked on a door.
Due to her unique disposition, although holographic in nature, she could solidify her body and matter at her disposal for specific durations.
The door itself was minimalistic, with nothing notable about its design; it was even less extravagant compared to the doors leading to the three master bedrooms.
Katarina paused for a few seconds before phasing through it— inside the atmosphere was akin to that of a cathedral's, serene and holy on one side— while dreadful and unholy on the other.
Neat rows of pews were arranged circularly, and on the walls, three rows of candles flickered softly. On the right side, they were golden and bright; to the left, they were blackish, surrounded by a white afterglow.
The candles themselves were perpetual, unextinguishable, and each was lit with undying flames.
The room itself had no semblance to the door that led into it. It was lavishly designed, coated with gold, and made of the finest minerals. It was cylindrical in form, with the top being covered by a dome.
At the sides of the dome, glass windows made of translucent emerald gave way to light that filled the room with marvelous sight.
At the very center of the room, an altar of sorts was present, with a statue of a woman in front of a giant tree. The statue's face couldn't be seen, just like the rest of her body; only its silhouette could be made out from the shadow cast by it.
On top of her head was a crown, made of twelve stars and ten moons, with the stars forming an inner circle while the moons revolved around them with cosmic reverence.
Each of the heavenly bodies was floating in space, not directly connected to the mineral stone that was crafted into the shape of a crown. The crown had three orbits: the inner one, made of gold and diamonds; the middle one, made of stationary stars; and the outer one, made of revolving moons.
The Crown could be seen, along with the hands beneath the statue's feet.
There were thousands of them, but they came in pairs. Each pair, positioned at the sides of a human head, gazing up at the statue with pleading and veneration.
These hands held up the statue's right leg, while the other was slightly lifted off the ground, as if preparing to take a step forward.
The hands of the woman statue were stretched outward at a low angle from her abdomen, each one entwined by a small branch. From the tip of each pinky finger hung a cluster of fruits sharing the same pedicle, dangling with free spirits.
The eyes of the statue shone with blinding light, a stark contrast to the shadowy form of the rest of her body, which was covered by a long gown that fluttered even though there was no wind.
The sense of holiness exuded by the statue conveyed a feeling that the entity was present there and then, even though she wasn't.
...
On the side of dark candles, a middle-aged man wearing priestly vestments was seated on the front pew with his eyes closed.
Katarina approached the figure, and upon reaching him, she first bowed at the altar with her right hand lifted and pressed against her chest above the heart and her fingers crossed to form a fist, while her left hand was placed beneath the right hand's elbow.
< Bless the Goddess >
She then repeated the same gesture but with her hands in switched positions, bowed to the man before her.
< My Lord >
The figure nodded but didn't offer further response. Used to his indifference, Katarina went and sat beside him and started talking while monitoring the situation with her tablet.
< My lord, aren't you going to intervene? What if something bad happens to them? >
Katarina shifted her gaze from the screen and eyed the figure. Seeing no reactions, she set the tablet aside, trying her best to rein in her emotions.
< My lord, that cyclone has deepened its comprehension of its laws. It is no longer just a 3rd step, but a third step peak favourite that has given birth to four 2nd step abominations>
< Pearl could have escaped alone, but... but... my Lord, are you just going to watch them die? I know you don't favour that boy, and although you follow the goddess, you are free to do as you please, provided you don't betray her.>
< But...but... don't you think your current actions are betraying her faith in you? She might not have said it directly, but it's clear from her arrangements that she wishes you to guide the two humans in her absence. After all, they are a variable in the upcoming calamity.>
She looked at him again, but there was nothing but absolute indifference. Gritting her teeth and witnessing the first cyclone's blow land on Pearl's body, she could no longer hold back.
In anger, she stood up and began ranting.