Holy Maiden

I was located in a dark and damp place. When I tried standing up I came in contact with the luminescent slimy moss that was growing on the dark stones. There was no light so I followed the wall until I found something that resembled a staircase. I tried descending the staircase but in the complete darkness I stumbled and fell down the stairs.

I immediately woke up.

"Soon," were the words that constantly rang in my head.

What a weird dream.

I dressed up and went to the temple to convert all the mana crystals I received into power.

The air in the temple was just as serene as before and after a minute of searching I found Marie kneeling in prayer in front of one of the seven statues.

I clasped my hands together and pretended to pray in wait for her to finish.

I waited and waited and after an hour has gone by I decided to seek a more comfortable position and that is when the bishop suddenly approached me.

"She is impressive isn't she?"

"Yes, she is."

"When Marie starts praying it can take days for her to stop but this is not the main reason why I admire her. She doesn't pick a favorite among the seven deities like most believers do."

I guess I might have to wait a few days before I can convert my mana crystals. Still I would be a full to waste this chance.

"Father, may I ask a question?"

"Go ahead."

"Is it possible for heroes to return back to their worlds?"

"Such information is not available to just anyone even in the upper echelons of the church but I can tell you what I know if you do me a favor."

I slowly nodded.

"You came to convert the mana crystals into power right?"

"Yes."

He led me to a side door and then down the stairs.

I could feel the cold seep into my bones as we approached the bottom. A creepy feeling of being observed could be felt as the bishop detached a torch from the wall.

We walked past throughout many silent hallways paved with gray stone. Every once in a while we walked past a sarcophagus and when we did it felt like the very shadows were watching out every move.

We continued walking throughout the eerily silent catacombs until we arrived in front of a big metal door that seemed to have rusted from the years of neglect.

The bishop unlocked the door with a golden brooch and opened it signaling me to follow him.

We entered a small room that looked like a prison cell. It had a stone bed, a source of water, a toilet, and a table.

There was a woman sitting on the stone bed.

Her skin was pale white and completely smooth. Her long white locks cascaded down on both sides of her face, reaching her feet. She looked like an epitome of beauty with curves in all the right places and coupled with the most perfect hourglass figure I have ever seen. She was more beautiful than all the fashion models from my previous world combined. She was dressed in white rags that barely covered her body and exuded an aura of purity and calmness. Thinking any malevolent thoughts was an impossible task as her very presence steered everyone towards benevolence and kindness.

The only thing that did not match with her visage were the silver chains binding her entire body and the blindfold covering her eyes.

The woman tilted her head toward me and said: "Verily, it hath been an extended span since mine eyes hath beheld the countenance of a hero in their noble presence."

She was acting as if she could perfectly see me despite being blindfolded.

As if answering my query she replied: "Thou art of noble character, I can sense that."

"She is the previous holy maiden, Marietta," the bishop explained.

"So Marie is her replacement," I found it hard to say it but I felt compelled to ask.

"Do not fret my child for I have failed in my task, it is only appropriate for me to endure this fate," Marietta explained, her voice as clear as the gushing of rivers and as enduring as the wind.

"The cult of the fallen god placed a seal on her. The seal feeds on the negative emotions and pain of the sealed and is thus unbreakable," the bishop explained.

He approached Marietta and untied the blindfold revealing the grievous wounds. There were a series of claw marks around her face and her empty eye sockets. It looked as if someone had brutally gouged out her eyeballs.

I gasped when I saw the terrible wounds. I could feel my heart beat faster as I imagined how much it must have hurt.

"The wounds are the source of pain and the anchor that makes the seal irremovable. I would request you to heal them so that she may break the seal after hundreds of years of torment."

"Do so and I will tell you everything I know about the heroes," the bishop assured me.

I put my hands on Marietta's cheeks but I could not force myself to activate my ability. Just seeing the wounds up close was enough for me to want to hide in the nearest corner. I shivered at the thought of having to live through the same experience as she did.

"I sense the quivering of thy spirit, O child. Let not the burden weigh upon thy soul, for thou art not bound to tread the path if it casts shadows of sorrow upon thee."

A single tear dripped down my cheek as I chanted: "Miracle."

I could feel an intense tingling sensation build in my own eyes. It felt as if an ice cold hand was caressing my face. Suddenly a world shattering pain engulfed me. It felt like my eyes were touched by molten metal and at some point I imagined the sound of the muscles holding my eyeball snapping as I was engulfed by the darkness.

Why do I have to faint every single time I use my ability? 

What an annoying side effect.

How can I feel twice the pain? Pain cannot be measured right?

Maybe the ability just activates twice the amount of pain receptors?

I brushed my face with a wet towel and shook my head to dispel the many lingering thoughts.

I was still underground kneeling in the stone cell.

"Congratulations, the healing was successful," the bishop commented.

I slowly stood up and looked at him.

"Of course, I plan to honor our agreement. I will explain how you can return back to your world but first."

The bishop gestured for me to get close before taking out a golden plaque and pushing it into my hand.

The plaque felt warm to the touch and as I moved my finger over it, I could feel a warm and fuzzy feeling envelop me.

[You gave acquired a skill: Envy of the maidenless]

"With this, you will be able to convert mana crystals into strength without the help of a holy maiden."

I looked at the bishop with a surprised expression.

"Now for the method of return. The plaque in your hand has seven stars that surround a half-moon and half-sun. This is a symbol of the seven deities. It has the power to alter your destiny so that your path always leads toward the heavenly kingdom. Every pilgrim carries one."

"But how will that help me return?"

"The ritual for summoning heroes originally belonged to the church before it was entrusted to one of the four legendary heroes after they were summoned to this world. This legacy was then passed down through the royal family until today. No one apart from the deities knows how the ritual works or how to reverse it. However, in old legends, the heroes would spend their lives searching for Heaven's Door. That is where the plaque will lead you."

This conversation left me even more confused but after receiving a gift in the form of a skill I did not want to look ungrateful, so I thanked the bishop and left.

The Labyrinth exploration was going to begin in an hour so I hurried back to the palace.

When I stepped off the carriage I could see the princess hurry toward me.

"Daniel, where were you?"

"At the temple."

"I see. I am here because I didn't have the chance to give you this gift yesterday. It's common here to gift men a weapon after their baptism."

She gracefully presented me with a sheath, its surface gleaming in the sun. sheathed within was a saber, its ornamental handle sparkled with the essence of nobility and grace. As I gazed upon it I felt butterflies in my stomach churn and a premonition came upon but I ignored it.

"Thank you very much princess."

The princess smiled, her beautiful blonde hair shimmering in the sun.

She showed me to where my schoolmates were waiting.

Hidden beneath the palace's grandeur, we found ourselves before a colossal ebony door adorned with sinister engravings. Grotesque depictions of mutated creatures, gruesome beheadings, fearsome dragons, and cryptic symbols adorned its surface. Flanked by two guards clad in gleaming silver armor, the door exuded an aura of mystery and foreboding, hinting at the secrets concealed within.

The Labyrinth was apparently a good environment for training.

Training?

"This looks so eerie."

I commented.

"It'll be fine. There are knights with us in case something goes wrong," James optimistically replied.

The guards opened the giant black door with great difficulty.

"Heroes it's time for your first adventure in this new world. It's time we enter the famous Lionheart's labyrinth," Marvin exclaimed.

We walked through the door.

We then descended a spiral staircase made from gray stone. Our way down was illuminated by the dancing flames of the torches the knights were carrying. 

When we arrived at the bottom of the staircase, a giant hall carved out of gray stone opened in front of us. It had many thick pillars and arches that created a neat symmetrical pattern. In the middle of the hall was a giant white crystal floating above a gold pedestal that had all kinds of runes engraved into it.

The crystal was producing a humming sound alongside faint blue light that was illuminating the middle of the hall.

"This is the device that lets people teleport between different levels of the Labyrinth, but it has to be manually activated," Marvin explained.

We walked past the humming crystal and exited the giant hall.

In front of us was a giant chasm that seemed to be bottomless. There was a sturdy rope bridge strung over the chasm.

Nothing bad will happen right?

It's just an exploration.

We continued walking forward over the chasm and when I was standing in the middle of the bridge, I suddenly felt a piercing gaze strike my back. 

I turned around in surprise.

One of the knights fell off of the bridge with a bloodcurdling scream. I could feel the hairs on my body rise.

The knight that pushed his comrade to his death gave me a menacing smile and swung his hand as if he was taunting me.

His eyes were empty as if he was just a puppet dancing by having his strings pulled.

" No!" screamed Marvin as the skeleton cut one of the ropes supporting the bridge.

The rope bridge swayed and launched me into the air but I managed to grab the other rope.

"For Twilight Society!" the knight screamed before slashing the rest of the ropes.

The last thing I heard were the terrified screams of my friends as I plunged into the darkness.