Meticulous Trap

A young man ambled his way to the unconscious girl covered in a tattered white dress amidst the pouring rain. The rain had no signs of stopping, though it was not as heavy as before. He stared at the girl, whose eyes were shut tightly, brows knitted to a frown.

Trails of headless bodies and diluted blood pooling in puddles.

Dead templars slashed from a large sword.

An empty place without a living soul.

The graveyard was enveloped in nothing but sheer silence.

As Siegren took Lumi from the ground, he undid his cloak and wrapped its shawl around her, lifting the girl's delicate body into his arms. She was clearly alive, though her breathing patterns were irregular at most.

There was one thing in his mind right now—the priest who came to him defenseless while carrying the girl.

He wasn't human, but Siegren was only able to detect that when the priest finally revealed himself. What he wasn't sure of—if it was deliberate or not.

His mind drifted to what happened earlier.

As soon as he was able to break through the barricade, the priest's body then crumbled into mud, leaving a red jasper behind. And then, as his fingertips landed on the gemstone, it lost its luster and turned into a rock. Eventually, all energy was pulverized away and all that was left was dust washing away in the rain.

A priest turning into jasper, then into dust.

He had never heard of something as bizarre as that.

Siegren proceeded to walk away, his grey eyes darting towards Lumi. It is highly unlikely that the girl deceived him.

Especially when she has nothing to gain by doing so.

**

A quick, loud rumble immediately sent Lumi's eyes wide open. She instantly sat down, panting from the sudden flash of lightning. Then as she looked around, her eyes landed on the closed windows reverberating as they blocked the gusty winds and the heavy rain from entering the premise.

"Where…" Lumi then blinked as she saw a familiar figure sitting at the edge of her bed. His back was turned, skin painted with old scars that seemed to look like they are from the result of lacerations and whipping. Their form looked faded enough to suggest they were from many years ago. Some were more prominent than the others, some lighter and seemed to be older.

Lumi then examined the place.

There was an old beige sofa was pressed against the corner of the wall. Its dull colors, which matched the scheme of the entire room itself, gave away the antiquity of the whole place.

Lumi's eyes drifted to the small dining table with two chairs. On top of the table was Siegren's black claymore that was sheathed with a rather worn grey scabbard, and in the top rail of the chair hung his clothes and armors.

The room had cemented walls and wooden floorboards, which were visible enough despite being dimly lit by only two candles.

The sound of thunder startled her; shortly following a heavier rainfall.

It was enough for Lumi to recover from daze after looking around her surroundings. "Where are we?" She asked to the man wrapping bandages around his shoulders.

"An inn," said Siegren. "We're in the outskirts of town. Here,"

He stood up and handed Lumi a neatly folded white dress. "Wear this."

"What happened?" Lumi asked the moment she received her dress. She barely remembered what had transpired. First, she was caught in chains from materialized divine power; after that, she conjured divine power to attack the priest.

Then, she dreamed.

A shiver ran down her spine. She dreamed about one of her greatest fears.

Souls that fell into depravity.

"It seems like you don't really know where the numen is."

Lumi then flinched, lifting her head in a jolt. "That's not true I—" Lumi's words were cut short as his cold gaze left a shiver down her spine. Her shoulders slumped as she looked down the moment she realized he was right.

She doesn't know where the numen is.

Not fully.

"I know where they are. Finding them is another."

Siegren then eyed her, waiting for her to continue.

The girl sighed. "You see, the head priest had given me thorough education to prepare me for being the Saintess' successor. I was told where the numen is, in other words, I am told where they are located but not exactly how to find them."

It was simple.

"'One of the numen of the fallen god is under Saint Hibton's care. Until now, even in her death, under the fire hawk, it rests with her.'"

Lumi repeated these words as if they were engraved in her heart. "Those are the exact words of the head priest."

"It would mean that the numen is taken by Saint Hibton until she died," Lumi continued, "transcribing the message, we could interpret that the numen under the saint's care even in her death means that she took the numen even in her resting place—and that resting place, which happens to be 'under the fire hawk,' is Aclaria."

It is known that the three nations of the north took the symbol of different birds many years ago to signify the power of the realm they rule:

For Estela, was the Eagle—the one who embodies Honor.

For Aclaria, was the Fire Hawk—symbolizing the Truth.

And for Hescurg, was the Falcon—the one that exemplifies independence.

"But…" Lumi clenched her fist, lowering her head. "I…" was wrong. Was her interpretation a mistake?

'What would happen to me now?' Lumi bit her lips as her thoughts swallowed her voice. 'Will he kill me?'

"As I thought," Siegren then grabbed his sword. "Something doesn't add up."

"Huh?" Lumi blinked. "W-what do you mean?"

"You said that the Saint is a person of great importance," he exclaimed, "the temple should've gone to great lengths in order to preserve her body."

It was true. The first time Lumi saw how barren the cemetery was, she was confused. Then, when they reached the tower where Saint Hibton's body was said to be resting, it roused her suspicion.

Why would the temple permit Saint Hibton to be in such state?

The Saintess, which is revered by the people, should have had her resting place adorned with flowers and offerings.

But it was enclosed in rusted chains and dirt.

"That body," Siegren's eyes narrowed. "was decomposing."

Lumi's eyes widened, as if to realize something.

A decomposing body infested by maggots.

Clerics blowing up the tower the moment they were inside.

The barren graveyard that was located far from town.

"They set a meticulously designed trap," Siegren remarked.

Lumi's gaze then drifted to the window.

"…and we fell for it."