บท 18: Saints and Sorrow
Callisto had grown up in a largely scientific environment. People who didn't believe in god, and probably people who thought they were god, which is maybe what justified their actions in their heads.
[He] grew up in one of those upper-class families that claimed to be religious and charitable despite no sign of such claims, and she would hear the occasional story about the crazy inner workings of the devoted.
However, she didn't expect the temple to be so luxurious. Crystal chandeliers decorated the ceilings, giving a sparkling brightness to the holy site.
It wasn't anything luxurious like the royal castle, but there was a great amount of thought that went into the architecture of the place.
A large, open floor plan with marble pillars, and structures fashioned in a circle, surrounding a beautiful green field with a plaza and a statue of Lux at the epicenter.
The statue had its hands held up to the sky, though it didn't seem to be holding anything.
Once she had arrived, the priests had given her religious robes to change into, as well as a bag to put all of her things in until the end of her stay.
All the riches that she had enjoyed for the past months were exchanged for a humbler life that reminded Callisto of her youth.
There were a few other nobles like her who were trying to redeem their reputation didn't seem like they were faring as well as her with the adjustments.
Irritation and fatigue were on all of their faces, like they weren't expecting to actually work.
It was essentially a summer camp for nobles who had to get away from the heat of public opinion, as well as a business retreat for other nobles who wanted to network within the religious sect.
The Temple of Lux had a good amount of political power and public support, and outside of money, the only way to have an in with the temple was to do charity work. So it was no surprise that she was one of many nobles in the hostel.
The catacombs that were mentioned in the entry log she had found hidden in the library were nowhere to be found.
Whenever Callisto asked, people gave her a weird look. It was only until a few days later when she was aimlessly flipping through religious scripts, that she understood why.
In their religion, Lux was the opposite of death. He was creation, and destruction was a form of corruption that had made its way into Lux's perfect creations.
Because of this belief, things related to death were not to be near any holy sanctuaries. But if that was true, why was there mention of catacombs? There had to be a hidden section of the temple that she was overlooking.
Over the next week, Callisto worked hard, helping plant crops, bringing logs, cleaning clothes, and all the like. The staff became lax around her, and at night, she would go out and investigate.
The grounds at night lost the sense of holiness that they had in the day, with all the priests and knight templars roaming around.
It felt more somber and, in Callisto's opinion, just a little bit ominous. The buildings relied heavily on sunlight to light up the area, resulting in a dark, unlit plaza that Callisto walked around.
Despite the environment, she noticed a small, unkept pathway snuggled between two structures. Walking the trail, she noticed a couple of holy knights stationed in front of what appeared to be a pile of rocks. Suspicious.
Careful to not alert them, Callisto tiptoed closer to them, trying to see what they were even guarding. Whatever it was, they weren't doing a good job.
Both guards were fully asleep, leaning on the walls behind them as they got some shut-eye. Callisto waved her hand in front of them, testing to see if they would wake up or not. They didn't.
Feeling bolder, Callisto quietly walked in between the two snoring templars trying to figure out what exactly they were guarding. It really seemed to be just a pile of rocks.
Upon closer inspection, she felt a light breeze coming from between the rocks. There was an opening!
She removed some of the rocks, and the familiar smell of mildew hit the back of her nose. There was definitely something hidden in there. This had to be the catacombs!
Before Callisto could even think to go further, she felt one of the guards shift beside her, and with little time to think, she dove into foliage just a few feet away.
"Who's there?! No one? Okay… Zzz…" Not the most attentive guards.
But she couldn't count on bad guards. If she got caught, there would be no way she could explain her way out.
Callisto decided she would return at a later date, once she prepared a plan that would make sure she got in and out safely.
-----
Blake Azel didn't have a hard life. His only brother Cornelius had long set his heart on becoming a great scholar, which Blake supported.
Anything that didn't get in the way of his succession. He used to be second-in-line, after his older sister Bathory.
In Blake's opinion, someone so emotional and easily swayed like Bathory was unsuitable to be the next duke, but their father didn't really pay much attention to the character of his children, just the results of their actions.
And despite her soft personality, Bathory got work done and was well-liked by the people of the fiefdom.
Which is why he had to get rid of her.
To be honest, it just proved his point. How could someone so trusting, so easy to kill like Bathory be the next duke?
She would have been a sitting duck. Blake did the family a favor when he pushed her down that cliff.
Really, her body was so mangled that they had to do a closed-casket funeral. It was kind of funny.
He remembered how much Cordelia cried that day. Poor, young little Cordelia, not understanding the concept of death at the age of ten. It was such a huge burden for Blake that he was the only well-adjusted one in the family.
Cordelia had grown up into such an interesting character. She had stopped her barking and became a lady much more befitting of the Azel name.
Maybe Lux had heard his prayers and knocked some sense into his sister. At that thought, Blake chuckled to himself. His fingers tapped to an unknown rhythm on the wooden desk he sat at.
If Lux really answered his prayers, his younger sister would have been married off immediately after her debut.
Unfortunately, she had gone ahead and messed up the perfect engagement. All she had to do was stay away from Nox until they got married. Honestly, it was such a nuisance.
For the majority of his life, everyone had been a nuisance. His mother, whose chronic disease still hasn't killed her yet. His father, whose ambitions were meager compared to his status.
Cornelius, who despite being a genius, still lacked the emotional resilience to be a leader in the new era. And Cordelia. Blake didn't even want to get started on her. Unintelligent, whiny, naive, tactless, the list went on and on.
And suddenly, she had changed. His annoying sister 'Cordelia' was no more, only 'Callisto' remained. It was obvious, but Blake could sense something deeper, a shackled drive that, if let loose, could become something of an armageddon.
Callisto had a goal in mind. He saw the same hardened, obsessive look in her that he saw in himself.
Maybe…he could finally let someone in on his plans…
No, it was too early. He needed to do some things before any external variables ruined Blake's perfect work.
And time would tell if his appraisal of Callisto was correct or not.
"Luka."
"Yes, Master Blake." Luka, who was always by his side, was one of the few people he knew he could trust. Not because of anything Luka had done, but because Blake knew he had trained Luka well.
"You'll be a good boy and watch over my sister during her stay at the temple, won't you?"
"Of course, Master." His green eyes glistened with admiration and a desperate need for approval.
Blake motioned with his hand for Luka to come towards him, and patted him on the head sweetly, making his way down the face and cupping Luka's chin, a commanding look on his face.
"Good boy. Now leave my sight. And don't disappoint me."
As Luka left, the young heir of the duke's family settled deep into the comfortable chair. Now, where was that hemlock he had bought…
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