章 25: Tour in a Cult

The front was covered in wide glass panels, and above the entrance was a sign that read 'Lazarus Blessing' in white.

A few people, dressed in the same white and grey clothes as Joshua, walked around the area. They stopped to give the newcomers welcoming smiles, each rehearsed to a measured curve of the lips—kind, but not too much.

"This place gives me the creeps," the ghost whispered, seemingly more to himself than anyone else.

Ein wanted to laugh. Even if Adriel had decided to ignore him, he still ended up talking. Despite himself, Ein was relieved to hear his usual comments come out here and there.

Perhaps it wasn't too bad, having Adriel's voice ease the tension. Especially at a place like this.

The inside of Lazarus Blessing resembled a hospital lobby rather than a religious base. White tiles gleamed across the floor, and the air was sterile and still. Soft voices could be heard from a hall to the left, growing and fading like a steady tide.

After their guide showed Ein and Dean to their room, they were given white linen clothes to change into, along with containers to put all their personal belongings into.

They handed their briefcases to Joshua, and once they had changed their clothes, the containers with all their things were taken away as well.

An older member approached them in the hall with a fanatic grin. "Our Leader believes that one must leave behind all material belongings to give way to purity. The less you have, the freer you are."

Even if Dean didn't say anything out loud, his face had a vivid look of 'I didn't ask,' but he wiped it off before the cult member could notice. However, it didn't slip Adriel's keen eyes.

"That look on your face ruins my day," the ghost muttered, crossing his arms. "So damn judgmental. Do you ever make a different expression, or is scowling all you can do?"

The corner of Ein's mouth curled up. He wondered whether Adriel realized that his comments were hypocritical in nature—it didn't look like he did. But it was funny to know the ghost's angry quirk was criticizing things he didn't like childishly.

The older member continued, his facial muscles twitching slightly. "Your new clothes are clean and spotless. Keep them pure, and you'll be allowed to meet your loved ones."

Then, he reeled in his joy for a more serious demeanor as he looked at them thoughtfully. "If I may ask, who do you wish to bring back? A spouse, a parent, a friend?"

After a beat of silence, Dean reluctantly answered, "My wife."

The older member nodded shakily, then asked, "What was she like?"

"She was... warm," Dean replied in an uncharacteristically soft tone. "Caring. I never deserved her, really."

The irritation washed off Adriel's face, his mouth opening quietly. "The way he said it sounds too genuine to be a lie," he spoke quietly, as if suddenly worried Dean would hear him. "Was he married?"

Ein gave the ghost a barely perceptible nod. Dean's wife was a part of the organization. She was one of the people who died after Luke broke during torture and spilled the information on their base.

"Aha, I'm here for my wife too." The old man's shaky hands straightened his shirt, smiling longingly. "But it's been over thirty years since I've lost her, you see. At this point, I'm waiting for my time to come just so I can hug her again in heaven."

The trembling hand patted Dean's shoulder. "This place is magical. People can see their loved ones after the Main Prayer. My sweet Caroline visits me at night."

A murmur from younger members behind their backs reached their ears, "The old guy caught the newbies again. Same thing every time."

Forgetting—or perhaps not caring—about Ein's answer, the older man got distracted by the teens, then mumbled something under his nose and continued on his way.

Ein looked at Dean with a neutral look. Adriel gestured, trying to tell Ein to give him a pat on the back as reassurance, but he knew better than to do that.

The nostalgia-stricken expression on Dean's face hardened, his gaze shifting away for a moment before snapping back at Ein. "The hell you looking at?"

Ein kept staring, unbothered by the hostility. "Is me having eyes personal for you too?"

Dean's eyes narrowed, his expression filled with contempt. The silence between them grew thick with tension, neither of them ready to back down.

"Woah, woah, woah," the ghost waved his hands, trying to diffuse the tension. "Are you going to fight now? In this place?"

Eventually, Dean gave up. "Forget it," he said gruffly, looking away with a scowl.

Ein didn't bother saying anything in response, turning to face the other way. Everyone had their own monsters under the bed, and he wasn't going to poke around a room that had landmines on every step.

Adriel let out a relieved exhale, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Damn. Did you two really work together in the past? I have a hard time imagining it."

Joshua reappeared, seemingly satisfied by the amount of money they brought. He led them around the building, showing the areas they were allowed to enter, and avoiding the Sector C, which Victor Hale's room was a part of.

"Our members are assigned responsibilities to cultivate community spirit," Joshua mentioned eloquently.

"That sounds like a fancy way to say you cut costs by making the members do the work," Adriel noted.

Joshua continued, oblivious to the ghost's remarks. "However, you are free to enjoy your time here without worrying about responsibilities, all the tasks are being handled by able hands. We have plenty of activities our members engage during their free time. Woodworking, pottery, painting..."

It seemed that the hefty 'donations' they had shown up with promoted them from working staff to elite members who didn't have to lift a finger. It gave them more time to snoop around.

They followed Joshua down another hall. This one was wider than the previous one, with white plastic flowers pinned to the walls above the benches that stretched all the way to large rosewood doors at the end.

Behind the doors was the hall they had seen in the introductory video on the cult's website. The same sculpture of the bandaged man stood at the back of the stage, lights turned towards it, illuminating the white marble.

Rows of benches stretched below the stage, a few of the cult members sat closer to the stage, all wearing the same linen clothes. Heads were bowed in individual prayers, no one batted an eye at the doors opening and closing.

Once the tour was over, they were left to dawdle around. There were guards placed by Sector C, forbidding anyone from wandering in.

On Ein's mind, there were two ways to get in: pushing through by brute force, or getting privately invited to Victor Hale's room for tea. The latter was the option that Dean and Ein had agreed upon prior, which meant they had to do something exceptionally great to catch the cult leader's attention.

They split up to check out the hobby corners and gather information on what rumors could impress Victor Hale enough to get him to seek them out.

Ein had one idea for starters. His eyes moved to the ghost, who was trailing along, humming his little song about bumblebees.

He could make Adriel pick up an object and claim to have telekinetic abilities.

Dinner came around, and everyone gathered in the dining hall. The people serving them were also members of the cult, intensely focused on the task.

"How did they manage to make these people so devoted to everything they do?" the ghost wondered. "Is it all in the prayers? Now I'm curious to see what's it all about. I guess we'll see after dinner, right?"

Ein gave a subtle nod while waiting in line for his portion.

The food on their plates consisted of modest but satisfying portions of rice and a few slices of chicken. With the main meal, they were handed cups of cranberry juice poured in flawlessly even amounts, and a cookie for dessert.

Ein took a seat by one of the large tables, Adriel breathing down his neck.