Servants of God and Young Lamb

Representing the sin of rebellion: Rebellion

-Servants of God and Young Lamb

"Together here, we! From the village of Cinder, with the witness of our God, we humbly offer this offering that we hope will be able to soothe your great soul!"

In front of a poorly kept shrine, a woman who looked to be in her late thirties was giving an eloquent speech to a crowd of people who surrounded the lifeless surroundings of the shrine.

She was the matriarch of the village.

"Bring her inside!" The matriarch ordered.

The crowd then made way for people in ceremonial clothes who were escorting a young woman who seemed to be the best dressed among them, with flowers and decorations everywhere.

The women escorting her closely had papers on their faces with unreadable writing on them, and the men who were further away were wearing white kimonos and carrying candles.

"The most skilled of us in the art of scripture will be offered today for your delight!"

***

Now, someone from the outside might wonder if this was some kind of cult or recurring ritual, and they wouldn't be so wrong, considering that this was probably how things would be from now on.

'It's okay, it's okay, it's okay....'

I, who will serve as an offering, or sacrifice, repeated over and over in my head, trying to ignore my fear, which was becoming more and more difficult, with each step taken closer to the lifeless shrine filled with paper currency sealing all possible entrances and exits, my body trembles and my instincts scream for me to run away, but I couldn't.

About a month ago, the shrine that was once silent and quiet had completely changed.

Every midnight, sounds could be heard coming from there, thumping noises as if something was trying to get out, a child's singing voice would sound from time to time, and the talismans that made up the shrine were slowly deteriorating. Things would only return to normal after 5 a.m., at sunrise.

There was no telling what would happen when whatever was inside would make it out, but it would not be good!

We needed a way to repair whatever we had done...with a sacrifice.

'But, why me? It wasn't supposed to be like this!'

Men in ceremonial kimono step away from the escort and light a path ahead of us with their candles.

I am the one with the greatest potential in the spiritual arts and scriptural arts, the one with the most spiritual energy, my future was supposed to be a good life in the city, with handsome men around me and great wealth, but in the end, my talent only served to pull me down!

The women then pass me by while two keep a hold of my arms. These same women remove the paper money without further delay, and with each removal, the greater the pressure and cold that hung in the atmosphere.

I-I'm young and beautiful, I shouldn't have to go through this!

My eyes filled with tears and my body gave in to fear, beginning to tremble endlessly.

'Women don't cry, women don't cry...'

It didn't take long before the door was without any talisman that could be seen. And it took even less time for the shrine door to be opened, slowly and continuously, along with the creaking of the wood.

'No...! I can't! I don't want to!'

I tried to move, but the women wouldn't let go.

'Elders! Elders! Please, I beg you, I can't...! I can't!"

I tried to let go as I screamed, but they didn't spare me even a glance, they just treated me with indifference.

When the door was fully opened, everyone could see what was there, but the women had talismans on their bodies, the men had their eyes closed, and the whole crowd was reciting a silent prayer as they closed their eyes.

In short, only I saw what was inside.

!?!?

My legs turned to jelly and I would have fallen had it not been for the old women holding me by the arms, my eyes became an inexhaustible cascade of tears and my expression became blurred, soon, I could feel a hot liquid between my legs that leaked without stopping.

Inside the shrine, a thin body like a piece of wood was lying on the ground, its long endless black hair adorned much of the floor, behind it, there was an altar that with the opening of the doors, had its candles lit with pure red fire, but its smoke was only black miasma.

The pressure on us increased to a level that everyone, from those closest to those furthest away like the crowd and the matriarch, could feel, it was so strong that many fainted and I could feel the elders who restrained me having their grip loosened, but what's the point? I myself feel so weak that I am on the verge of fainting.

The elderly women beside me began to walk toward the door. Slowly and steadily.

And with each step they took, the dirtier I felt, as if I were swimming in a sea of impurities, the malice in the air was palpable...

I could only come to my senses when I felt myself being thrown to the floor, I looked forward, and the body was now facing me, almost touching me.

As the doors creaked as they closed, I could hear the matriarch's voice.

"May our god have mercy on you and allow you to have a next life!"

And the moment the door closed, it was as if my last thread of hope was cut, and everything in the sanctuary changed.

As if I was in a different realm now, all the sound was gone from outside, everything turned to silence, the atmosphere was still with malice and impurities, but it was much lighter than before, even with red candles on the altar and supporting pillars, the cold still reigned.

"But what...?"

As I contemplated the situation trying to recover, the body in front of me twitched and the sound of snapping bones was heard loudly.

"Ah..."

[Servants of God and Young Lamb]