Vowed

In the cozy confines of their humble abode, Oliver and his beloved wife shared a tender moment, their hearts entwined in the sweet embrace of love. As they sat together, bathed in the warm glow of candlelight, a sense of anticipation hung in the air, palpable and electric.

"Darling, can you guess the good news I brought tonight?" his wife cooed, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she gazed into his soul. A playful smile danced upon Oliver's lips as he leaned in closer, the scent of her perfume enveloping him like a fragrant embrace. "I don't like guessing," he teased, his voice a gentle caress against her ear. "Why don't you just tell me directly?"

His wife's laughter bubbled forth like a melody, a symphony of joy that filled the room with warmth and light. "Awww, you are no fun," she teased, her fingers tracing lazy circles across his chest. Just as Oliver prepared to respond, his heart skipped a beat at the sound of his wife's voice, soft and melodious. "I'm pregnant, you're going to be a father, Oliver," she whispered, her words like a gentle breeze that stirred the depths of his soul.

A rush of emotion swept over Oliver at that moment, his eyes widening in wonder at the miracle unfolding before him. Happiness swelled within his chest, threatening to burst forth like a dam unleashed, and he gathered his wife into his arms with a tenderness born of boundless love. "I promise I will protect you both," he vowed, his voice echoing with solemn sincerity as he pressed his lips to hers in a fervent kiss. At that moment, time seemed to stand still, the world falling away to leave only the two of them, united in love and anticipation.

His wife melted into his embrace, her body melding seamlessly with his own as they reveled in the joy of their shared connection. With each kiss, each touch, they forged a bond that transcended the bounds of mortal flesh, a testament to the enduring power of love in all its infinite splendor.

**Divine Judgment!** 

His thoughts were interrupted by lightning coming from the sky. In a moment of surreal intensity, the heavens themselves seemed to crack open, unleashing a torrent of divine wrath upon the hapless figure of Oliver. With a deafening roar, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, a brilliant lance of raw power hurtling toward its target with unerring precision.

Time slowed to a crawl as Oliver's senses were assaulted by the blinding light and deafening roar of thunder that accompanied the lightning's descent. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing like a drumbeat of impending doom as he braced himself for the inevitable impact. Boom! The lightning struck with explosive force, its searing tendrils engulfing Oliver in a blinding cascade of light and heat. For a fleeting moment, he was consumed by a white-hot inferno, his body wracked with agony as the very air crackled with the intensity of the divine assault.

As the smoke began to disperse, a haunting silence descended upon the scene, broken only by the ragged sound of Oliver's labored breaths. Through the haze of pain and disorientation, he struggled to make sense of his surroundings, his vision blurred and swimming with shadows. With a trembling hand, Oliver reached out to assess the damage wrought by the lightning's cruel embrace. His arm hung limply at his side, torn and mangled by the ferocity of the blast. A sickening realization washed over him as he felt the jagged edges of bone protruding through the torn flesh, a gruesome testament to the severity of his injuries.

But it was his hip that bore the brunt of the lightning's fury, the bone rent asunder by the sheer force of the impact. A searing pain shot through his body like a white-hot dagger, his senses reeling as he struggled to remain conscious in the face of overwhelming agony. With each passing moment, Oliver felt his strength ebbing away, his body growing weak and sluggish as the shock of the lightning's assault took its toll.

"Sofyy," he uttered his wife's name.

"Your rampage ends here," came the cold, authoritative voice of Archbishop John Kottman, his words laden with the weight of divine judgment. Each thud of his approaching footsteps echoed like a death knell in Oliver's ears, signaling the impending finality of his fate.

Desperation surged through Oliver's veins as he summoned the last vestiges of his strength, his hands trembling with exertion as he dragged himself across the blood-stained earth. Every movement was a Herculean effort, each inch gained a testament to his unyielding resolve to defy the forces arrayed against him.

"Such disgusting people," one of the members sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "No wonder you are the husband of that witch." The words struck Oliver like a physical blow, his heart lurching in his chest at the mention of his beloved wife. The memory of her gentle smile and unwavering love flooded his mind, lending him the strength to endure even in the face of overwhelming adversity.

But the final blow came when his tormentors revealed the truth behind the tragedy that had befallen him—their admission of guilt was a damning indictment of their depravity. "We were the ones who killed your wife and your filthy villagers," they boasted, their laughter ringing hollow in Oliver's ears as they reveled in their own cruelty.

In that moment, Oliver's world shattered, the weight of his grief and despair threatening to crush him beneath its crushing embrace. Yet even as darkness threatened to consume him, a flicker of defiance burned bright within his soul, a silent vow to honor the memory of his loved ones with every breath he drew.

"Silence!" The Archbishop's command thundered through the air, a resounding proclamation that quelled the raucous laughter and mocking jeers that had echoed through the desolate streets. In the wake of his authoritative decree, a heavy pall of silence descended upon the scene. Yet even as the quiet settled over them like a suffocating blanket, Oliver's mind seethed with a tempest of rage and indignation. Each word spoken by his tormentors echoed in his ears like a cruel refrain, a relentless reminder of the injustice that had brought him to this precipice of despair.

"This is the punishment for people who worship evil gods," he hears John Kottman's voice clearly in his head.