10 - Saintess
The silence after the crystal shattered did not last long.
Mariana was still staring at the empty pedestal, mentally reviewing every poor decision she had made that morning. Sneak out of the castle. Hide in a wagon. Enter a chapel. Touch mysterious glowing crystal. Break said crystal. Possibly awaken divine apocalypse.
"...This is fine," she whispered weakly.
The young priest across from her did not look like a man who believed anything was fine. His monocle glinted as he stared at the lingering golden particles drifting through the air like fireflies.
"I must report this immediately," he murmured.
Mariana snapped upright.
"No!" He blinked.
She forced a laugh that sounded more like a choking goose. "I mean-no need to rush! It could be... a defective crystal. Manufacturing flaw. Happens all the time."
"This crystal was blessed in the Grand Basilica."
"Oh."
Well, that explanation died quickly.
Before the priest could respond, footsteps echoed from the chapel hall beyond the chamber door. Firm, measured, confident steps-very different from the quiet shuffle of worshippers. The young priest turned toward the doorway.
"Oh. That must be-"
The door opened. A tall man in layered white and gold vestments stepped inside.
His robes were embroidered with sunburst patterns that shimmered softly in the ambient light.
A long ceremonial mantle draped over his shoulders, clasped by a radiant sigil of Astrid.
Silver hair fell neatly to his collar, and his pale golden eyes held the calm authority of someone used to commanding sacred spaces.
Mariana had never seen him before. But even she could tell immediately, he was not a low-ranking priest. The younger priest straightened instantly.
"Your Grace!"
The newcomer tilted his head slightly.
"I was informed the chapel priest might be here," he said calmly. His voice carried the gentle weight of someone accustomed to sermons and solemn halls. "I wished to discuss the transport of reli-"
He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes shifted past the young priest. To Mariana.
More specifically, to the faint golden light still shimmering around her hands.
The air in the room grew still. The newcomer stepped forward slowly, gaze sweeping across the shattered pedestal and the lingering divine residue.
"...What," he said quietly, "happened here?"
The young priest swallowed. "A divine measurement test, Your Holiness."
The silver-haired man's gaze sharpened. "And the crystal?"
"...Exploded."
The man's brow lifted almost imperceptibly. "I see." He turned fully toward Mariana now, studying her with unsettling focus. Mariana resisted the urge to crawl under the table.
Don't panic. You're just a disguised runaway noble who accidentally broke holy equipment. Normal. Completely normal.
The man extended a hand calmly. "Forgive my lack of introduction," he said. "I am Lumen, High Priest of the Grand Basilica from the Imperial Capital of Clematis, Luxor."
Mariana's brain briefly exited her body.
Grand Basilica, Imperial Capital?! Why is someone that important HERE?!
Lumen's golden eyes flicked once more to the pedestal. "The measurement crystal used in regional chapels is capable of detecting divine affinity up to the highest recorded priestly level," he continued thoughtfully. "For it to shatter..."
He fell silent. Then slowly reached into the inner sleeve of his robe. From it, he withdrew a small object wrapped in layers of silk cloth. The young priest's eyes widened immediately.
"Your Grace, that's-"
"A relic," Lumen confirmed simply. He carefully unwrapped the cloth. Inside lay a slender golden rod engraved with ancient runes. At its tip was a clear gem that glowed faintly even before activation. Mariana's instincts screamed.
This is bad, extremely bad!
She raised both hands defensively.
"Before we continue, I would like to formally state that I am just a humble-"
"Please touch it." The request was gentle, but not optional. Mariana looked between the two priests. The younger one had stopped breathing entirely. Lumen waited calmly. The relic hummed softly in his hand. She sighed in defeat.
If I refuse, it looks suspicious. If I comply... something worse happens. Js Fantastic.
She stepped forward. "...Fine."
Lumen held the artifact between them. "This instrument measures divine capacity within ordained High Priests," he explained. "It will react proportionally."
Proportionally? That sounded manageable.
Mariana cautiously reached out. Her fingers brushed the gemstone. For half a second, nothing happened. She relaxed.
See? Completely norma-
The relic erupted in blinding light. Not a glow. Not a shimmer. A radiant explosion of holy brilliance flooded the room, pouring through the doorway into the chapel beyond like a wave of dawn.
The gem burned like a miniature sun. Lumen's eyes widened for the first time since entering. The artifact trembled violently in his hand. The runes along its shaft ignited one by one in brilliant gold. The young priest yelped.
"Your Holiness-!"
Lumen did not look away from Mariana. Instead, his voice rang clear and powerful through the chamber.
"Saintess."
The word echoed like a bell. And unfortunately, the chapel doors were open. Every person praying inside the sanctuary heard it. Silence swept across the hall. Then chairs scraped. Footsteps hurried closer.
"Saintess?"
"Did he say Saintess?!"
"Where?!"
Mariana slowly turned toward the doorway just as the first curious worshipper peeked inside. Then another. And another. Within seconds, a small crowd had gathered in the chapel entrance, staring at the blazing relic still glowing beneath Mariana's hand. Gasps spread through the room.
A woman dropped to her knees instantly. "Divine Astrid...!"
More followed. One by one, people knelt. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"It's the Saintess!"
"A miracle-"
"In Forebros?!"
Mariana's soul left her body.
No. No no no. This was not the plan. The plan was avoiding the Crown Prince. The plan did NOT include becoming a religious phenomenon.
Lumen finally lowered the relic. The light slowly faded, though the gem still shimmered intensely. He studied Mariana again, this time with unmistakable reverence. "...Such divine output," he murmured softly. "I have never witnessed its equal."
Mariana pointed weakly at herself.
"Are we absolutely sure the relic isn't... malfunctioning?"
The younger priest looked scandalized. "That is the consecrated relic of the Grand Basilica!"
"Right," Mariana said faintly.
Of course it was.
From the chapel entrance, more people were gathering now. The whispers were growing louder.
"Saintess..."
"The Empire has been blessed..."
"Praise Astrid..."
A man began crying openly. Mariana stared at the kneeling crowd in pure horror.
This is worse. This is SO MUCH worse. The Crown Prince meeting was awkward. This? This is geopolitical.
Lumen wrapped the relic carefully once more and tucked it back into his sleeve. Then he bowed his head slightly toward Mariana.
"Saintess," he said respectfully.
She made a strangled noise. "I am not-"
"You must come with me." She froze. "To the Grand Basilica in Luxor," he continued calmly.
Her heart dropped straight into the floor.
Imperial capital?!
Where the Crown Prince lived. Where the entire empire would see her. Where destiny would absolutely ruin her life. Mariana looked at the kneeling worshippers. Then at the shattered crystal. Then at the High Priest.
"...Can I pretend this never happened?"
Lumen smiled gently. "I'm afraid," he said, "the bells have already begun ringing." As if summoned by his words, the chapel bells outside erupted into thunderous celebration, echoing across the entire capital of Forebros.
Mariana closed her eyes. She had successfully avoided one meeting. In exchange, she had accidentally announced herself to the entire empire.