Chapter 17: Gentle, Warm

After my conversation with my eldest sister, I decided to visit a different part of the backyard where a small temple was specially built.

It evoked a serene and minimalist architectural style. Constructed from white marble, reflecting purity and tranquility. Its design used simple, clean lines with minimal ornamentation, focusing on symmetry and harmony.

It had a modest entrance with columns leading to a small hall. Inside, there was a central shrine, with a pitch black eye-shaped symbol hanging from a small chain above it. Surrounded by offerings and candles, the interior was well-lit, with natural light streaming through strategically placed windows or skylights, enhancing the sense of peace and calm.

At the altar was a woman with dark purple hair, dressed in white nun attire that conservatively covered her from head to toe. Her expression was calm and serene as she whispered a prayer towards the altar. It was Cedric's mother, the priestess of Nerva.

I called her by the endearing title of Mother Serena.

"Mother Serena, it's been a while," I sat beside her and offered a prayer to the altar.

"You're back, my son, I heard you went on quite an adventure this time," Her warm smile radiated as usual.

"Let me guess, Cedric told you?"

"He never hides anything from me, but the latter parts of your adventure were relayed to me by the divine sun,"

The [Divine Sun], [Imperator Nerva], [Bright Conqueror], [Destined Death's Wielder], and countless other names were used to refer to Nerva, the forgotten oldest god who was worshipped by the Fellsword ancestors. Though he no longer held a place amongst the main gods, his power and authority were said to have remained the same.

"He told you about the final parts? Then he saw 'him'?"

"He did, and he tells you not to worry about that dreadful demon, he will die at the hands of his own father. And he has another message for you,"

"A message?"

"Yes, he says he loves you dearly and hopes you will find yourself soon and drink the divine dew at the northernmost star."

"He loves me…?" I muttered.

"Truly so," she assured me. "Past that, I'm sure you're here for a different reason, what's on your mind?"

"I've been having strange dreams, some of them closer to nightmares,"

"Like always, my son, relay them to me and I will ask the divine sun to remove their veil of mystery and lay their plane,"

The divine sun was always there to answer Mother Serena's call, she worshipped him with her whole heart and he took her as his first daughter to guard with his authority.

"I'll start then, in the first dream I found myself in the middle of a field, in front of me a beautiful and great purple sunflower was ripped out by an enormous, sky-piercing hand of pure shadow, the flower blooms anew in a golden brilliance as it is ripped out and the dream ends,"

Mother Serena's expression shifted slightly and then her tears began flowing, a warm and true smile soon followed.

"…that is a beautiful dream, my son…as for its meaning, I cannot say."

Though she clearly realized something, I decided not to ask and moved on.

"In a different dream-no nightmare, I saw myself in a deep slumber within the comforts of my room, a dark hand slithered out of the corner and climbed onto my body, a moment later it ripped its way into my chest and tore away a piece of my heart. An insidious and deep dread then took over me just before I was startled awake,"

"NO! OH DIVINE SON, NOT THE PUREST OF SOULS!" Mother Serena's expression turned into terror.

"Mother Serena, what's wrong?"

"…continue…"

Once again she didn't answer and I moved on.

"The third dream showed a beautiful city under the light of a purple dawn, within it countless monsters ran rampant and sought human blood, above it all in the highest chair, a bright star glimmered with a yearning like no other," I explained slowly and waited.

"The divine sun says this dream of yours is a vision of something to come. It shall come when you forget the vision, that is all he told me."

"A vision?… Well, in a different dream, I saw a chessboard covered in blood, I stood on one side, and on the other was an amalgamation of guilt, fear, death, pain, pride, and hope. and…love..?"

"That too is a vision, the divine sun warns you, when the time comes and you stand at the board, sacrifice what you must and do not doubt yourself," She explained.

"I don't fully understand but I'll keep that in mind. I have one more strange dream to ask about, it was short but In it, I witnessed a pure white heart being torn apart by a pitch-black wolf,"

She remained silent for a while and then hugged me. I felt the same warmth my mother gave off as she held me.

"You will experience great pains, my child, but pain is not only a curse, it's also a teacher, the greatest of them all."

"Pain is a teacher…?" I muttered under my breath.

"Divine sun in the highest realm, grant us light, grant us love, grant us peace, grant us life~" She softly lulled a prayer she taught me when I was younger.

Gentle, warm, and loving was Mother Serena, a bright sunflower in the dull field that is life.

I returned to my room and sat at the side of the bed. I just sat there feeling grateful for where and what I was. Before, I was in a deep hole that I couldn't escape, chained inside it by alcohol, cigarettes, and guilt.

Every day I would decide to 'escape the cycle', and 'start anew' but always return to the same mistakes by the end of the day.

"Finally out of the rat race, John? Pain really is a teacher…"

I fell into the arms of lady slumber and allowed her sweet embrace to pull me into bliss.

…