Warm air washed over Aren as Mira pushed open the shelter door. The sudden shift from cold rain to indoor heat made his mortal body sway.
"Easy, easy," Mira said, catching his arm again.
He hated how much he needed the support.
Inside, volunteers sorted clothes, stacked blankets, and handed paper cups of soup to tired faces. Mortal activity, simple and earnest, filled the space.
A staff member noticed them. "Mira, who's this?"
"Found him in the alley," Mira said. "He can barely stand."
Aren straightened. "I can stand."
He immediately leaned into the wall.
Mira gave the staffer a look that said see.
The man sighed. "Bring him to the side room, we'll get a cot ready."
Aren followed, each step reminding him of the humiliating reality of his flesh. His bones ached, his breathing stuttered, and his senses were dull compared to the divine clarity he once possessed.
He sat on a cot, exhaling slowly.
Then the system chimed.
[System Calibration: Attempting]
[Error. Divine Core Inaccessible.]
[DIVINITY: 0]
[MIRACLES: Locked]
Aren closed his eyes. "Still nothing."
He lifted his hand, wishing for even a flicker of golden judgment, a shimmer of the divine scales he once commanded. Nothing responded.
His fingers felt like ordinary fingers.
Mira returned with a bottle of water, a roll of bandages, and a small bowl of warm soup.
"You should eat something," she said, placing the items beside him.
A chime answered her kindness.
[FAITH +1]
[Total FAITH: 2]
Aren blinked. "Your sincerity is unusually powerful."
"My what?"
"Nothing."
He took the water and sipped. Even the taste felt new. Mortal taste. Mortal weakness.
"So," Mira said, sitting on the edge of a nearby chair, "you were talking about a shrine earlier. What does that even mean?"
Aren studied her. She was curious, not mocking. Sincerity radiated from her like soft light.
"I require a focus," he said. "A place where belief can gather. Without it, my existence in this realm… weakens."
"That sounds like religion," she said.
"It is faith," he corrected. "Not religion."
She raised an eyebrow. "Big difference?"
"Religion is structure. Faith is choice."
Mira considered that for a moment, then nodded casually. "Alright. So what do you need?"
He hesitated. "Something wooden. Stable. Something people could place offerings on. A candle, maybe. Anything symbolic."
Mira didn't question it. She simply stood.
"Let me check the donation room."
She hurried away before he could say more.
Aren leaned back against the wall. The cot creaked under him.
"This body," he muttered, "is an insult."
A minute passed.
Two.
Then Mira returned, breathing lightly, carrying several objects in her arms.
"I found these," she said. "A wooden box someone donated, a candle that still works, and… chalk. Don't know if that helps."
A chime rang before he touched anything.
[Potential Shrine Components Detected]
A second message followed.
[Quest: Establish First Shrine
Requirements:
A stable base
A symbol of belief
A light source
Voluntary offering from a believer]
He frowned. "The last requirement. A voluntary offering."
Mira placed everything on a small table. "Well, the box is mine. I use it to carry stuff. But if it helps you… you can have it."
A bright notification pulsed.
[FAITH +2]
[Total FAITH: 4]
[Shrine Material: Wooden Box Acquired]
Aren inhaled sharply. "Do you give things away this easily?"
"Only to people who look like they're trying," she said. "You seem like you're trying."
He let out a quiet laugh. "You have no idea."
She smiled faintly. "So where does this shrine go?"
"Outside," Aren said. "A place connected to open air is ideal. The courtyard, perhaps."
Mira nodded. "Come on. I'll show you."
He stood, slower this time. His balance improved slightly. Mira led him through a small hallway into a fenced courtyard behind the shelter.
Rain drizzled softly, forming puddles on the concrete ground. A single lamp buzzed overhead.
"This will do," Aren said.
He placed the wooden box on a flat stone surface near the wall. Mira handed him the candle. He set it atop the box.
"What about a symbol of belief?" she asked.
Aren took the chalk, feeling its grain between his fingers. In a single, confident gesture, he drew a simple mark on the wooden lid: a vertical line with two small bars crossing it, unevenly balanced to resemble tilted scales.
"Justice," he said quietly. "In its simplest form."
The system flared.
[All Shrine Conditions Met]
[Shrine Established: Tier 1]
[Faith Generation: Activated]
[Authority I: Stabilized]
Warmth rushed into his chest. Not full power, not yet, but a flicker of divine identity awakening.
He exhaled, relieved.
Mira stepped forward. "Did something happen?"
Aren lifted his right hand. "Watch."
He touched her forearm. A small scratch she had from earlier glowed softly, then faded, leaving smooth skin behind.
She stared. "You… healed me."
"It is only minor," Aren said, "and only because the injury was simple. My power is limited."
The system confirmed it.
[Miracle Unlocked: Justicar's Touch]
A basic miracle of restorative justice.Heals minor wounds caused by harm or imbalance.
Mira shook her head slowly. "You weren't joking earlier. You actually… fell from heaven."
"I do not lie about such things," he said.
She stepped back slightly, not in fear, but in astonishment. "This is insane. I, um… I don't even know what to say."
"Say nothing," Aren said softly. "Your actions already speak."
He glanced at the faint glow around the shrine. It was weak, almost fragile, but real. A seed of divinity in a world that had tried to erase him.
The system chimed again.
[Quest Complete: Establish First Shrine]
[Reward: +5 FAITH]
[Total FAITH: 9]
A new line appeared.
[New Quest: Gain Your First Devout Follower]
Aren smiled, tired but certain.
"Justice remembers its own," he said. "And this… is only the beginning."
The candle flickered gently, as if agreeing.