8. Saint Selena Church

The Saint Selena Church on Vlad Street is the headquarters of the Church of the Evernight Goddess in Tingen City, alongside the Church of the Lord of Storms' Church "River and Sea Church" located in the north of Tingen and the suburban Church of the God Steam and Machinery "Holy Numerics Church," collectively supporting the religious community of Tingen City and its affiliated towns and villages.

Many of the passengers who just alighted from the public carriage at Vlad Street were rushing to the church to pray.

Attracted by the sound of the bells, Angel momentarily forgot the urgency of her fugitive life. She walked along the sidewalk beside the street, crossing the central square to the fan-shaped stairs in front of Saint Selena Church.

The church is Gothic in style, very similar to the Church of Light Angel knew in her past life, but it is entirely black. The buttresses on both sides support the main structure, and the front windows are pieced together in red and blue, clustering around the protruding central structure, above which sits a tall bell tower.

The prominent entrance is arched, and at this moment, many believers are entering and exiting.

Among the three mainstream churches in Tingen, Angel is most interested in the Church of the Evernight Goddess. This is not because she can hear the bells of Saint Selena Church every day, but because the way the followers of the Goddess Church salute is by drawing a scarlet moon on their chest.

This was exactly the same as the emblem of the sun he drew on his chest when he was a Templar Knight of the Church of Light.

The Church of the Evernight Goddess worships the Evernight Goddess, whose revered color is black, representing the scarlet moon, in complete opposition to the Church of Light's Goddess of Light, who venerates the sun and pure white.

This coincidence is too striking.

But then again, in a world that not only has steam engines and revolvers but also has a year of 365 days, this coincidence doesn't seem so remarkable.

Angel climbed the steps to the front of Saint Selena Church, and just by looking at the solemn church, her somewhat anxious heart was calmed.

She took out a five-pound note, approached the donation box near the main entrance, and dropped it in.

A young priest standing by, seemingly unaccustomed to such generous believers, quickly came forward and drew a scarlet moon clockwise on his chest: "Praise the Goddess, thank you for your generosity, beautiful lady."

"Praise the Goddess, it's nothing compared to this precious peace," Angel followed suit, drawing a scarlet moon and replied.

She initially intended to take out just a few coins, but for some reason, when she reached into her pocket, she pulled out a large denomination bill.

However, this was indeed her true feelings. In front of the church, she truly enjoyed a moment of peace, thinking that perhaps what followed would be an endless journey of fleeing. The tranquility of the present was indeed very precious.

"Madam, you seem to be troubled by something. If you have some free time, why not come to the church's confession booth? Perhaps listening to the teachings of the goddess could provide answers to your doubts."

Is my state that obvious? Angel touched her head in confusion, realizing that her hood had been pulled down at some point, exposing her worried face to the eyes of this attentive priest.

As for the confession he mentioned, Angel originally planned to just donate some money and leave, but changed her mind under the priest's persuasion.

"Consider it as earning these five pounds back." She gave herself a reason.

Angel thanked the priest and entered the church through the main door. Flanked by high windows of dual-colored glass, the narthex appeared narrow and dark. By now, the sun had set outside, and the crimson moonlight filtered through the glass onto the ground, enchanting and profound.

She walked through the cramped narthex to the prayer hall. The mass had ended some time ago, and most people had left. There were seven or eight believers scattered around the hall, some bowing their heads and closing their eyes in prayer, some staring blankly ahead, and some covering their faces and muttering to themselves.

Circling the neat benches, she arrived at the confessional on the side of the prayer hall. The door was just being opened from the inside by a middle-aged man who walked out with a blank expression and unfocused eyes, almost bumping into Angel outside. It seemed that the confession had not resolved the confusion in his heart.

Seeing him walk away slowly, Angel then entered the narrow confessional, closed the door behind her, and sat on the wooden chair with a backrest.

In front of her, on the crossbeam, there was a candle. In the dim candlelight, a deep male voice came from behind the partition: "Child, what would you like to say?"

Indeed, what do I want to say? Angel asked herself.

I come from another world, having unfortunately possessed a body of someone who reaped what they sowed?

Just solved the identity issue, planning to settle in this world, but a letter scared me into planning to flee to a distant land?

Weighing her words, Angel slowly said:

"Facing evil, I chose to retreat, not adhering to my own principles."

She expressed her confusion in an obscure manner.

Fortunately, the bishop presiding over the confession was accustomed to enigmatic penitents. After a moment of silence, he continued to ask, "Is this matter beyond your capability?"

"Yes, perhaps there is a slight chance, but I think it's unlikely."

"Then, have you tried seeking help from other powers?"

Was he hinting that I should call the police? Angel was startled for a moment before responding, "That's exactly my dilemma. I long to overcome it, yet fear exposing myself and attracting the attention of others. Would that be contrary to the goddess's teachings?"

"Fear is a human instinct. Those who overcome their instincts are praiseworthy, but following one's heart won't lead to harsh judgment either. The goddess..."

The bishop's voice seemed to grow more distant, and the last words were almost inaudible. Angel leaned forward towards the partition, "What did you say?"

Suddenly, the candle in front of them was extinguished, plunging the confessional into darkness.

A chill ran down Angel's back. Instinctively, she swung her cloak aside and reached for the gun holster strapped to her leg, her body also dodging backwards, trying to move further away from the partition.

"The goddess says, those who face their fears and dare to move forward will be rewarded." A voice, distinctly different from that of the bishop conducting the confession and ambiguous in gender, echoed in the confined space of the confessional, making it hard for Angel to discern its direction.

"Who's there?" Angel shouted. Her hand had already reached the grip of her gun, yet she dared not draw it. The presence of the newcomer was eerie and powerful, stifling any thought of resistance.

No answer came from the darkness.

Suddenly, light returned to the confessional, and Angel found herself still sitting in the chair, hands folded on her lap, while the bishop's deep voice, as pleasing as music from the heavens, said, "...will forgive her honest followers."

Apart from the cold sweat on her back, the eerie darkness seemed like nothing but an illusion.

Seeing her frozen in place, the bishop concluded the confession, "Follow your heart, and feel no guilt or unease."

It was because of my indecision that I came to confess... Angel answered in her heart.

She recalled the day in her previous life when she was baptized at St. Charles Cathedral and became a Templar Knight, vowing to fight against all evils in the world. After passing the trials and joining the Church's agents, she faced the darkness within, moving from initial doubts to resistance. When evil invaded the present world, she stepped forward to fight on the front lines.

Having been in this world for less than two days, she had almost forgotten the decades of perseverance from her past life.

Was it the confusion after becoming a woman? The rush to acquire a legal identity? Or the feeling of powerlessness facing high-ranking Beyonders?

Or was it because she subconsciously believed that she was no longer the Templar Knight Angel Gray, but the Beyonder "Assassin" Angel Granger, and thus did not need to adhere to her past convictions?

"No, this is not evasion, but the optimal choice after consideration. The police will soon discover the anonymous letter in the mailbox, detailing all of Cole Granger's crimes. Based on these clues and evidence, Cole's actions will eventually lead the police to Mrs. Sharon behind the scenes, and due to the involvement of Beyonder powers, the police will notify the Church's armed forces dealing with Beyonder powers to handle it. If all goes well, Mrs. Sharon will be caught within a week."

A voice in her heart argued thus.

"Do you really think so? Then why go to Backlund to remind Lily Granger, your nominal cousin, to seek protection from the official Beyonders?"

"You also think that Mrs. Sharon has a high chance of escaping legal punishment, don't you? She has a wide network in Tingen City and holds various secrets of politicians and businessmen. As long as she is not caught in the act, she has many ways to escape conviction. What can the police do to her?"

Another voice sneered.

"I have done what I can. The police will know Mrs. Sharon is a Beyonder, and the Church's armed forces will intervene..."

The defending voice grew weaker.

"This is not the monotheistic Earth; Tingen alone has three churches restraining each other, and Mrs. Sharon's chances of escaping upon early investigation are quite high. She can easily produce a Rank 7 potion to recruit followers, possibly supported by an even greater force behind her. Once she escapes, you will spend the rest of your life living in fear!"

The mocking voice pressed harder.

"You know there's a permanent solution, don't you?"

Yes, I have always known, just reluctant to face it... Angel suddenly remembered a saying she heard in her past life: "When you are having trouble deciding, just flip a coin. Before the coin lands, you will know the answer you desire."

In that case, when I didn't hear the bishop's last words clearly and asked back, I should have understood my own choice in my heart... Angel suddenly understood the meaning of that saying.

"Thank you, Bishop," she expressed her gratitude sincerely.

"May the Goddess protect you," the bishop behind the partition responded, "Then, the confession is over."

"No, it's not over yet." With her mind made up, Angel looked intently at the partition, as if she could see the bishop's surprised expression behind it.

"What?" The bishop was also startled.

"I need you to tell them, the Night Watchers or whoever they are, those Beyonder ones." Angel, ignoring the bishop's surprise, spoke quickly, "The multiple murders and disappearances in Tingen City previously are related to a person named Cole Granger, involving higher-level Beyonders, with relevant evidence in the police headquarters' anonymous mailbox, please ask them to handle it as soon as possible."

The bishop behind the partition seemed to be silent out of shock, and Angel also remained silent, patiently waiting for a reply, and the confessional fell into silence.

Just when Angel was about to think the other party was secretly calling the police, the bishop's low voice finally said, "They will know."

"Thank you for giving me the resolve amid my confusion." Angel stood up, touched her chest with her right hand four times, drawing out the Scarlet Moon, and then left the confessional.

This thanks was not for the bishop.

The believers who had been in the prayer hall outside had almost all left, and in the dim hall, two priests were organizing the utensils on the presiding table, one of whom was the young priest who had advised Angel to come for confession. Seeing her walk out of the confessional, he nodded in acknowledgment.

Angel nodded back in response, turned, and walked towards the main entrance she had come from.

On both sides of the porch, the scarlet moonlight through the glass seemed somewhat dazzling to her. Walking along the wide corridor, she bathed in the scarlet light, finally turning to look back at the interior of the church one last time, where the engraving of the Evernight Goddess's holy emblem on the wall of the prayer hall seemed to overlook the church, overlooking her.

A deep, peaceful power enveloped her.