Skyler was lying on the bed in her bedroom, staring intently at the ceiling while the murmurs of people echoed from the window.
No. It could be said that her body was lying with her eyes fixed on the ceiling, but her mind was elsewhere, wandering in the depths of her thoughts.
It was like mind and body were in two different worlds and one world at the same time.
"I became a Daredevil, and I have blood-related powers. Dad must've worked hard to find the grimoire in Pandora Sea." A thought raced through Skyler's mind. "And then I even have two Attributes… I'd like to know what it means…"
Narrowing her eyes, she peered out of the corner of her eye at the emerald necklace that was on her desk. Seeing the necklace in full view, a burning emotion was covering her from head to toe; a sensation that made her lips twitch.
Ever since she put it on, only bizarre events have happened around her. First of all the mysterious palace with the blue roses full of carvings and statues of her. The mere fact that there was a place like that dedicated only and exclusively to her made her shiver, but the thing that left her even more incredulous was the door with the seven jewels.
"What could that even mean?" Skyler wondered. "Then there's that figure with the crown of thorns… why…"
Her lips trembled just thinking about him. However, her mind could not help but think back to his first appearance. As that rather divine light shone on him, her necklace suddenly lit up like they were somehow connected to each other.
An event like this certainly could not be overlooked.
"Why did it light up on its own? First when I was in that palace and now in front of that figure. What could it possibly mean?" Skyler muttered in thought.
Thinking back carefully, there was another occasion when her necklace lit up on its own. And that occasion was without a doubt the most sinister.
"The fog lady." Skyler pressed her lips together.
Her fingers twisted on the fabric of her pajamas as her heart raced. Apparently, the mere mention of her name made her skin crawl as a wave of heat washed over her body. That jagged silhouette not only appeared in her dreams, but even appeared during her Trial on several occasions. But what puzzled her most was the conversation she had with her.
Not to mention the fact that her necklace lit up as soon as she touched it.
—"Beware of the Angel of Miracle."
"It doesn't make sense, why did she say those words to me? Why?" Skyler muttered.
What did those words mean? Who was the Angel of Miracle? And why did her necklace suddenly light up? Why does that silhouette appear in her dreams? Why does she feel emotions she doesn't want to feel? Why does she feel a sense of affection towards her?
It all makes no sense! It all makes no sense! It all makes no sense at all!
Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why why, why, why, why, why—
All those bizarre things happened only to her, why?—that thought settled into the pit of her stomach as if it were thick, black sludge.
Unable to contain the horrid thoughts that raced through her mind, Skyler hastily stood up, feeling a wave of heat run through her body rhythmically. She then put her hands in her hair and began to scratch it. Her scratching was so intense that it made her scalp tingle.
"Blimey... I cannot understand any of this." Skyler muttered in distress. "I must discover the origins of that necklace, but I don't know how. The only thing I know is that it comes from Aetheria, and that dad received it as a present from someone before I was born."
Her head would occasionally feel heavy, her fingers went numb as rock. It felt like her world was falling apart. The world around her was intermittently blurring. Her father's necklace, which was supposed to be a symbol of affection, was involving her in abnormal events.
Her body trembled whilst her teeth were clenched tightly. It did not make sense, why does she feel this way? What is the necklace really? What if she stops wearing it?
Right, If she stops wearing the necklace and puts it in a safe place, then maybe all this could finally end—No.
"No, no, no, no. I cannot bring myself to do it. And why would I even do that?" Skyler whispered weakly.
Shaking her head back and forth, she exerted herself in trying to regain the reasoning.
Why did Skyler have to stop wearing the necklace in the first place? Why would she do such a thing to a gift from her father? That necklace that was on her desk was an endless source of mysteries. Instead of desecrating such a precious gift, why could not she use it to her advantage?
She needed answers, she absolutely needed answers. Her breath became labored. Necklace, mysticism. Her eyes suddenly shone.
In an instant, an idea struck her.
"Wait, why don't I just get a job related to mysticism?" Skyler was surprised that she had come up with it.
If she wanted to discover the origins of her necklace, she needed access to such knowledge. Considering that she was just about to finish her first year at Sallon University, the idea of finding a job related to the world of mysticism was a good starting point to discover the origin of the necklace.
Having turned nineteen, she could find a part-time job without breaking the laws of Steatha.
However, the law of the country stipulated that university students could not work more than thirty hours per week. Therefore, she had to find a job that would accept a university student.
"Maybe Wraithcrow? No, if I joined the Marauder Association I might find out something, but then I'd be forced to travel around the world to hunt criminals with bounties—" Skyler shook her head. "No, this makes no sense."
Her thoughts were thrown off into chaos, unable to even recognize what she was seeing in front of her. Was she standing, or sitting? Was she breathing? Was she conscious? She was not sure. She was becoming less and less sure
But she was sure of one thing, the idea of becoming a bounty hunter and hunting down pirates and criminals across the seas was a bad idea even for her, not to mention the fact that it would exceed thirty hours per week.
Hence, she crossed it off the list. She had to find a job that would not jeopardize her life.
Thud! Thud!
The next moment, a dull noise coming from the window caught her attention.
Giving her head a shake, she stood up and walked towards the window. With the noise filling her mind somewhat clearing up, and despite the lingering heaviness that felt like her head was stuffed with sand, the weight had considerably lightened.
Taking a deep breath while looking at the blue sky and the terraced buildings filled with people, Skyler's eyes widened at the sight as she took another breath and then slowly exhaled.
"Calm down Skyler. You mustn't be reckless." Skyler said to herself, placing her hand on her chest.
The murmurs of children playing in the street brought her back to reality somehow, making the corners of her lips curl up by themselves.
"First of all I need to find other solutions." Skyler thought.
As her headache gradually faded away, Skyler thought of other ideas that might come to mind. With the birds chirping melodies, memories of her baptism came flooding back to her. The baptism was an oasis that left a positive impression on her.
She could still hear the applause from the Cathedral congratulating her devout faith, until it was interrupted by the arrival of the Hermit Exorcists. She suddenly had a small thought.
"That's right… What if I joined the Hermit Exorcist?" Skyler clenched her fists.
Now that she thought about it, the Hermit Exorcists were a group of exorcists operating in Prestwich City who had a vast knowledge of the occult and mysticism. By joining them, she could finally clarify the doubts she had in her mind.
"If I used the necklace as a scapegoat they might accept me." Skyler's vision quickly shifted to the necklace. "My father received it as a present, and then the fog woman. So many things are shrouded in mystery…"
Shaking her head weakly, she walked over to the closet and opened it, taking out a long white dress along with a black overcoat. Putting her clothes on the bed, Skyler pulled the curtains and took off her pajamas.
As she composedly wore the dress, Skyler's blazing eyes were fixed on her left shoulder. On her pale skin, just near the collarbone, there was an emblem carved on it. It was pitch black, and there were two wings with four nails on them along with chains around them.
Seeing the emblem again, her eyes drifted to the corner of her room, her mind thinking of only one person at that moment.
—Oh Klein, I wonder where you've gotten to…
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
West Mennork, 07:30 pm.
With the sun about to set, Skyler was walking slowly through the Arcade District.
Looking around, she could see that the district was much quieter than the North Mennork districts, but it wasn't an area much appreciated by the inhabitants of Conan County, since Arcade District was a seedy area populated by poor citizens and citizens with low social status who worked in order to survive.
Compared to the other districts of West Mennork, Arcade District was famous for the rise of evil religious cults and sects, but which were suppressed regularly by the Wraithcrow and Hermit Exorcists on behalf of the Churches.
"If I remember correctly, their headquarters should be around here. I remember when I first came here I saw them in this area." Skyler narrowed her eyes, walking down the brownstone sidewalk.
Silence reigned supreme, and the only sound she could hear was the chirping of birds flying overhead. The smell of kerosene and marijuana was strong in the air, and Skyler could only wrap her comforting black overcoat around her mouth and nose.
She remembered seeing members of the Hermit Exorcist prowling the district when she was in Sebastian and Cleo's carriage on the way to their headquarters after visiting Evelyn's parents' grave.
Skyler was uncertain what area it was located in, but she knew that the Hermit Exorcist operated in the Arcade District.
"I need to hurry up and find them if I want to get home before Benson." Skyler's heart was pounding as she checked the time with her pocket watch.
It was after seven, and she only had an hour and a half to find the place and get home before her uncle got home from work. Her body trembled whilst continuing walking down the gloomy street surrounded by rustic and detached houses.
The memory of the discussion she had with Benson that evening after she returned from the Ancient Path Bridge and how he was worried about her resurfaced in her mind.
She didn't want to make him worry more than necessary, she didn't want to be a burden to a kind person like Benson Hall, and that's why she had to hurry to find them before 9 pm.
"What is this queer sensation? I feel something…" An ambiguous sensation left Skyler stunned as she raised her hand to her mouth.
She didn't know how to describe what she was feeling, but it was as though something abnormal was happening, something hostile.
It was an out of the ordinary sensation—paranormal. She felt something paranormal, though a tragic event was about to happen. Clutching her overcoat around her, she tried to figure out where the sensation was coming from.
"Mom, mom, look at that beautiful picture! That lady was really beautiful!"
A childish voice chimed.
Skyler's eyes moved to the small detached house that was across the street. Getting closer to the house, she felt the hostile sensation growing more intense, pressing down on her from the depths of her skull.
"You're right, that blonde lady was really amazing, charming, a beauty!"
A female voice rang out.
Skyler slowly approached a gas lamp near the house, turning her back, she slowly turned her body halfway at the garden of the house.
There was a woman in her forties with short lemon hair and cobalt eyes. She had wrinkled facial features and was wearing a long gray tunic with red collar. The woman was talking to a kid who was a few centimeters shorter than her. The kid had lemon-colored seaweed hair, cobalt eyes, and had soft features with a double chin. He was wearing a white shirt and light blue pants, and was holding a photo in his chubby hands.
Despite their normal appearance of a happy family, Skyler felt somewhat disgusted. Her heart beat louder and louder, she felt something rumble inside her while she carefully watched the woman and the kid, trying not to be noticed.
The woman bent her knees, stroking the kid's head, "The gods are on our side, and soon the city will fall into chaos."
The kid looked at the woman, "Oh, it's like the beautiful lady said, mom, the giant eye will watch the city in panic."
"The giant eye?" Skyler's heart skipped a beat at the kid's omitted words.
Her thoughts drifted to the giant eye with golden irises on that crimson moonlit evening last week. The memory of the eye that materialized in the sky, denying every law of physics, made her shiver.
Was he referring to the giant eye she had seen, or something else? What were the mother and son talking about? What did it mean that the city would fall into panic?
"That's right my child, the deity is on our side! The end will soon be near!" The mother jumped up as she extended her right hand in the air.
"So they saw the eye too?" Skyler narrowed her eyes.
When she saw the elderly couple walking under her house while they looked at the sky, she thought that she was the only one who could see the giant eye, yet she had to reconsider as two people had also seen it.
"Wait, what do they mean by the "end"? Will something bad happen to Prestwich City?" Skyler bit the thumbnail of her left hand.
"Mom, mom, when will we meet the god?" The son exclaimed, waving his chubby arms.
She felt that their behavior was not normal at all. Their cobalt eyes were dilated, and their smiles gave off something sinister, akin to a possession. Hostility and terror reigned in Skyler's mind, her fingers becoming hard like immovable rocks while she was overwhelmed by negative emotions.
The mother bent down, stroking her son's head with her hand while picking something from the grasses of the lawn with her left hand. While the dark rustle of the grass echoed in Skyler's eardrums, her mother raised her hand, holding an object that made Skyler freeze on the spot.
In the hand of the mother, a dagger with a veiled skull in the handle and a waving but sharp silver blade was wrapped tightly in her fingers.
A smile formed on the kid's soft lips, his cheeks blushing and he stared at the glittering blade that was just above his chest.
"Don't be patient, we will soon meet the god in its realm, where we'll observe the city together with the other." The mother giggled mischievously.
"The others? It's getting bad, I have to do something!" Skyler swallowed hard.
The mother forcefully pressed the dagger in her hand, the gas lamps automatically lit up, illuminating the tragedy that was about to happen.
Hence, Skyler immediately approached the house, raising her hands. Her breathing became labored, walking towards the gate, she closed the distances there were between her and the mother.
"Who's there!?" The mother frowned, pointing the dagger at the gate, "How dare a filthy and impure woman interrupt my reconciliation ceremony!?"
The mother's arm was shaking slightly, she gritted her teeth loudly while an expression of hostility formed on her face, akin to a cat trying to protect her kitten from a predator. The son looked at Skyler with a curious and happy expression, and waved his right hand laughing faintly, his gaze was the exact opposite of his mother's, like two sides on the same coin.
"This is just not my day." A thought raced through Skyler's mind while she forced a smile, "Um, ah, I-I was p-passing this way, and I heard you say that you saw a golden eye."
The mother looked at her in amazement. It was as though she had found another believer like her. Skyler's words cut through her chest, and she slowly stood up, lowering the hand she was holding the dagger with.
"You saw it too? So does that mean you also received a blessing from god?" The mother asked, clasping her hands.
Seeing the mother's smiling, Skyler slowly backed away, the rustling grass making her slender legs tingle. The mother's smile was dark and mischievous, her eyebrows raised fully whilst a tear ran down her wrinkled face.
"Mhh Yea! I saw it the evening of last week. Um, b-by any chance, did y-you see it too?" Skyler asked.
"Of course we saw it! That was the prophecy of the golden eyed god, isn't it wonderful? After all, we summoned it and soon all this will end!!" The mother took a step forward, closing the distance, "Well well, even though for some reason the eye was staring at something else. Is it odd that the eye didn't even look at us who summoned it!? You agree with me, eh, right? True or not!?"
Whilst raving, the mother had the nails of her right hand stab into her left hand. With the note of scratching, with euphoria one would flinch from pain by simply witnessing, she began wounding that dry, wrinkled hand.
Skyler knitted her eyebrows upon seeing that, and continued to keep her hands up while maintaining a safe distance.
"Did they summon it? No wait, if what she said is true, then why was that eye staring at me? Why??" Skyler's body trembled while she continued to back away. "Eh, ah, w-what did you mean by 'all this will have an end' i-if I may ask?"
"What, do you mean to tell me that you didn't receive the prophecy? You folks say you haven't seen it, yet you're the only one outside of us who has seen it, didn't you?" The mother laughed mischievously, placing a hand on her forehead. "Something sublime will happen very soon, and everyone will suffer for it!"
The son approached his mother, tugging at her tunic, "True, the city will fall into chaos, boom, splash, boom, fires galore!!"
"First the blonde lady, then the giant eye, and then the city that will be in chaos... what's happening?" Skyler gritted her teeth whilst glaring at the mother and the son.
They were beyond salvation, trapped in dark limbo. Skyler was unsure whether they had been brainwashed by a cult or not. If she were a normal person, she would have thought them crazy, yet she was a young woman in her nineteen who saw the golden eye not only in the crimson sky, but even in her dream.
She wanted to think that all this was just her imagination, but the harsh reality shattered her hope like glass.
"Soon we'll reach the realm of god, and we'll observe the tragic end of you folks." The mother stroked the head of her son, "My husband is already there waiting for me, and I can't delay. Do you understand, do you understand… do you understand!?"
After yelling at Skyler, the mother pointed the dagger and curled her lips. "Right, why don't you join in too? After all, you saw it too didn't you? So, join us too."
"Holy Son of Nature is getting serious!!" A drop of sweat rolled down Skyler's face.
She backed away nervously without turning her gaze from the mother, her legs trembling. The moon illuminated the blade of the dagger, the tip gleaming as the mother maliciously approached her.
Darkness was rising, gas lamps were illuminating the street, and the moon was rising in the sky bathing everything in crimson.
Skyler stared intently at the danger in front of her. Having learned pugilism for several years, she wanted to use what she had learned to neutralize the mother. However, Benson had taught her not to foolishly approach a person who had a weapon with it.
"Don't worry, sweetie. I will make sure it's quick and painless." The mother said, walking at Skyler with the dagger firmly in hand.
In an instant, Skyler jumped back, her speed increased significantly from before while keeping her guard up—
"That's enough! Don't you dare take another step, you filthy–!!"
A deep, male voice broke the hostile atmosphere.
Skyler half-turned her body, coming across five people wearing rose suits from head to toe and rose overcoats standing in front of the metal gate. They wore golden crosses around their necks and had the bible in their hands.
A male-figure Hermit Exorcist member stepped forward into the garden. He had long camel hair and brown eyes, the features of his face were robust, and his eyebrows were thick. He had a badge on his shirt that engraved "Nathan Lewis."
Nathan pressed the top hat to his head and said, "I'd say we at least got there in time before another misfortune might happen."
A woman opened the bible in her hand. She had long, ash-colored wavy hair and clear gray eyes, her features were thin, and she had a badge on her shirt that engraved "Extie Wheeler."
"Put the dagger down and raise your hands up!" Extie shouted, raising the bible in her hand.
"But... they're the Hermit Exorcists I saw in the Cathedral." a thought raced through Skyler's mind.
While the wind blew in the street, causing the Hermit Exorcists' coats to flutter in mid-air, the mother held the dagger in both hands. Her hands trembled as if in panic, her teeth gritted and her eyes narrowed.
"How dare you villains invade my property and interrupt my ceremony!?" The mother shouted, her voice becoming shrill.
Skyler kept her guard up, slowly approaching the Hermit Exorcists. She could breathe a sigh of relief, however, she still did not feel safe. After all, the mother still had the dagger in her hands and could kill her son at any moment.
Just before the exorcists arrived, she heard the mother say that her husband was already in the realm of god, and therefore, she assumed that the husband had died somewhere in the house. She could do nothing but feel disturbed by the conversation she had with the family.
The son raised both his chubby hands, "Mum, mum, kill them all!"
"Hehehehahahaha... I can say it's time to start the spectacle." The mother giggled mischievously.
After saying the words, she quickly sprinted at the gate, dagger in hand. A grim smile curved on her wrinkled cheeks, boosted by bloodlust, aiming to stab a woman wearing a black overcoat—Skyler Hall!
Skyler jumped back, held her guard and her pugilistic stance while her eyes were focused on the approaching threat.
"The water flows lightly and calmly, take away every impure thought, whispers sweet melodies, in its sincere embrace. May your anger be appeased-!"
A melodic and symphonic voice akin to a whisper of a goddess rang out majestically.
As soon as the mother and son heard it, they immediately collapsed on the grass as if their motor forces had suddenly stopped, bringing their consciousness into the world of unconsciousness.
"They fell asleep… I wonder what kind of ability it is…" Skyler breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that nothing serious had happened to her.
She turned, coming across a young woman. She was lovely, she had long straight amber hair tied back and dark blue eyes. She wore a purple eyeshadow along with the blush, and the features of her face and body were soft, which made her look like she was the same age as Skyler. She also had a badge on her coat with "Thea Marsden" engraved on it.
Thea, who had an unrolled blue parchment in her hand, stood next to a man slightly taller than her who had long, coal-black hair that reached his neck and brown eyes. He had a medium body and a full beard, having a badge on his coat engraved with "Leigh Xavier."
"Great work as usual Thea, I see you're learning a lot." Leigh said, patting Thea's head.
"Huh, what a slob, couldn't thou just have recited your poem earlier?" Thea muttered, her cheeks blushing whilst looking down.
"I wanted to see if you could recite your poem or not." Leigh paused, turning towards Skyler's direction, "Hey miss, is everything alright?"
Skyler nervously raised her arms, taking a few steps away from the mother who was upside down, "I'm fine, thank you very much for the help."
Just as the tense atmosphere that had been created in the garden was slowly easing, Extie, who until now had remained next to the black carriage that was outside the metal gate, walked towards Skyler. The moon was rising higher and higher in the sky, the wind was blowing lightly making her hair flutter as Extie closed the distance.
"Who are you? What is a sweet lady doing in the rough district of West Mennork?" Extie asked, her gaze turning serious.
Skyler backed away, her heart beating rapidly, forcing a smile, "Eh, m-my name is Skyler, Skyler Hall! I was here b-by accident when I saw this family talking about something queer–"
"Were they talking about that famous giant eye? It is just an inference that she and the other members got into their heads." Nathan exclaimed, interrupting Skyler and then knelt down to examine the sleeping mother along with the son.
He wasn't entirely wrong. After all, in his eyes, the mother was just a lunatic who had recently tried to stab a defenseless woman due to her madness. She wanted to accept his statement, yet she could in no way deny what she saw that evening with her eyes.
It was so vivid, surreal, realistic and disturbing that Skyler could not possibly forget, even if she wanted to.
"I-it's not an inference, I saw it too!" Skyler shouted, denying Nathan words.
"Hah, what did she say? Did she seriously see the eye?" Thea stared at Skyler in disbelief at what she said.
Skyler deeply felt the Hermit Exorcist's gaze pointed sharply at her as though she had uttered a blasphemy. The members frowned at her, clenching their fists as the up gas lamp casted terrifying shadows across the street.
"Miss Skyler, are you really certain about what you just said? If it's a jest, it's not amusing at all." Nathan stood up and looked seriously at Skyler who was a few inches shorter than him.
"Yea, I'm sure!! I-I saw one last week! And then…" Skyler hesitated to continue, her body trembled faintly, raising her hand to her lips.
"Then what? Is there anything else?" Nathan raised his voice.
Despite Nathan's harmless question, Skyler was somewhat terrified. She was distressed like somehow just looking into his eyes was enough to kill her.
Exie stood next to Skyler, gently stroking her trembling slender back, "Tell me maiden, did you have any chance to see it again?"
Skyler took a deep breath, as if she wanted to forget her fears, her lips trembled, "Mh yea... I saw it in my dreams, and there was a black figure, completely... shrouded in a black veil, and then it had wings, it was like... as if it was... o-obsessed with me!"
Whilst she spoke the words, Skyler collapsed on the floor, a feeling of rejection rising from the depths of her soul. The memory of the giant eye that stared at her and the black figure that said that her birth was a sin committed by humanity became vivid in her unstable mind. She was so pale she could not do anything but hold her breath.
Her consciousness wanted to reject these memories, but her subconscious somehow showed them as a projection in her eyes.
Seeing Skyler trembling, Leigh approached Nathan, "That's enough, she's clearly traumatized."
Extie, who was next to Skyler, got on her knees, gently stroking her shaking back. "You do not have to try to remember, it's okay, it's okay."
"Isn't it better to take her with us? We cannot leave her in this squalid place." Thea murmured, looking at Skyler.
"Miss Skyler, which area do you live in?" Nathan asked, his voice deepening.
Skyler looked up, her gaze directed at Nathan, "I live in North Mennork."
"North Mennork? Uh... what brought you to come here?" Leigh's mouth was wide open, massaging his right shoulder.
Skyler chuckled softly, as though laughing at herself for doing something foolish. On the other hand, she had ventured into one of the most dangerous areas of Conan County out of mere curiosity, and although she discovered that she wasn't the only one to have seen the giant eye, this did not change the fact that she had almost risked her life.
Not to mention she went there right after returning from the Trial.
"Enough questions for now, Loy, takes this family to the Wraithcrow's headquarters. We'll go to Center Mennork to report the result to the Cathedral." Extie exclaimed, staring at the members.
While Loy, who had curly orange hair and blue eyes, walked with quick steps at the unconscious mother and son, Leigh, Extie and Nathan walked towards the carriage that was stationed outside the gate.
Thea, who had been left behind, gently grabbed Skyler's right arm, "Please, follow us into the carriage."
Seeing Thea's worried face, Skyler nodded weakly, picking herself up from the ground whilst walking with her, leaving Arcade District behind.