Sylvester didn't dare open the box outside. But at the same time, Gabriel was too interested in knowing what the hell was in it since the little parchment was shaped like a heart. And as far as he knew, only lovers did that sort of foolery.
'Don't tell me he charmed the elf Queen to establish peace,' Gabriel felt his heart sink. Fear arose as he thought about what would happen if King Rathagun found out.
"Quick! Hide the box, Sylvester," Gabriel ran to walk in front of Sylvester and tried hiding the box. "We can't let anyone see it."
"..."
"What's gotten in you?" Sylvester asked and ignored him, eventually arriving inside his office and setting the box on the table. "Let's see what's in it."
'Holy Solis, please prove me wrong. Please prove my doubts as mere seeds of the devil in my thoughts,' Gabriel prayed in his head, lips pressed together firmly, his face sweating nervously.
"Oho!" Sylvester exclaimed as the box opened. "She sent me the ginseng I gave her to grow. I always wondered if plants grown by elves would be better."
"G-Ginseng? Isn't that what you used to… help King Highland?"
"Indeed. Let's see what else is here," Sylvester continued to fiddle. "Some flowers, fragrant perfumes, even fruits—wonderful! I'm sure Mum will love them. Queen Delimira must miss me a lot to send me so many things."
"W-W-What do you mean? Why would she miss you?" Gabriel stuttered. "What happened between you two?"
Sylvester was almost at the edge of his seat, controlling his laughter, "Well, you know. What happens between a young boy and an older woman."
"What? What happens?"
"Things," Sylvester replied and finally found a neatly folded letter inside the box. This was what he was looking for.
Bam!
Gabriel slammed his palm on the table, "Sylvester, you need to explain clearly. What happened between you and the elf Queen?"
Sylvester looked up, smiling wickedly, "She desired a child of her own, and the King refused to give her one all these years. So, I helped her."
"Oh, my Lord!" Gabriel gasped. "You fuc—"
"Adopted! I allowed her to take me as her adopted son. She considers me as her own now and cherishes me like my real Mum. Our relationship is that of a son and mother," Sylvester finally stopped messing around and opened the letter to read. Soon, he smiled as he read it. "And it appears this son has already brought her great blessings."
Under his breath, he read the letter written with great love and delight. The feeling was oozing from every word.
[Pope Sylvester, I hope you are doing wonderful, as I am. Everything in the box was picked from my gardens by my own hands, so please make sure nothing of it goes to waste.
I hope you can visit me again someday. I yearn to speak with you again as I found a true friend in your words, one who understands me, one whose ideas truly helped me. I am deeply thankful for everything you have done for the world, the elves, and my husband—he has changed because of you. Changed for the better, as he now pays attention to me and takes an interest.
Perhaps when we meet the next time, you might have a little brother or sister waiting to play on your lap and receive your blessings as the one above all in this world.
Do send me letters from time to time. I would love to know anything new in your life.
Your Wellwisher,
Delimira]
With a satisfied smile on his face, Sylvester folded the letter again before burning it to ashes, so fine that they simply vanished once thrown in the air. "Well, at least someone's happy. Let's go now, Gab. Is the magic camera prepared?"
Gabriel quickly responded by helping Sylvester don his metallic winged armor forged by the dwarves. Then handed him a holy book of light and the Spear of Infinity. "Baron Loveland prepared for it the entire night. The secondary meeting hall has been neatly decorated with special projection lights."
Sylvester nodded and fixed his long hair at last. "You go and wear the armor as well. It's not every day the Guardians and Sanctum Council get to have a group photograph taken."
"I'm the Saint Wazir. My uniform is my robes, not armor. I'll merely don my mitre and go with you," Gabriel said, following Sylvester out of the office. "By the way, you still haven't told me where you'll be going for the coming days? You're the Pope, Max—someone must always know where you are to avoid any panic."
"I will be going downstairs. You know I can't elaborate further than that," Sylvester replied, eventually arriving in the large, decorated hall. It was brightly lit in all places in a way that shadows were avoided as much as possible.
All the Guardians of Light and the Sanctum Council members were present there, each wearing their working clothes, armor or robes. Baron Lee Da Loveland was busy directing all the high-ranking Clergymen to stand in the spots he had marked with crosses on the floor.
The individual photos had already been taken, and the group photos were now being organized. First were the Guardians of Light, although there were a few missing.
"Smile!" Baron Loveland carefully operated the large magical camera and clicked the photo. The first was with just the Guardians, and the second was with Sylvester standing in the middle.
After that, the Sanctum Council members were photographed alone and then with Sylvester. At last, a massive group picture was taken with all of them in one frame, as the Sanctum Council and the Guardians were the highest decision-making and protection body.
Sylvester was at the center, with his spear in one hand and a book in the other. On his right side stood Saint Wazir, and on the left stood Saint Viceman, while behind him was the Inquisitor High Lord looking menacing.
Ke-Chak!
The flash from the light crystals illuminated the entire hall. With that, the little event came to an end.
"Back to your offices now. Don't delay your work," Sylvester clapped and ordered everyone to return to their positions across the Holy Land.
However, Felix's office was right in the Pope's Palace. So he came up to Sylvester, having been notified that he would be presiding over the Holy Court for the coming days. "Where are you going?"
"Down there," Sylvester replied without elaborating too much. "But, if everything goes well, you'll be able to fulfill Isabella's wish."
Felix chuckled and put a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "As delighted as I am to hear that, I don't want it to come at a grave cost. So you better not do something so crazy that even I seem sane."
"Everything comes with a price, Felix. That's how the universe works. That's how magic works." Sylvester stopped them from following him as he reached the stairways to the dungeons. "It might take me a few days this time."
"Rest assured, I'll take care of everything. We even got two Supreme Wizards to help," Felix assured him.
"I'll keep a good eye on everything, Max," Gabriel added. "I have no clue where you're going or what you will do. But be safe—let's not make Mother Xavia cry."
"I don't plan to."
Sylvester waved his hand and walked downstairs alone. This time, even Miraj wasn't with him, which made him a little anxious.
'Let's hope I don't have to use Soulbreaker's technique.'
At last, he reached the single door in the secret chamber of the dungeon. Beside the door was also a large wooden box he was to take alone.
He took the key hung around his neck and unlocked it, then entered into the familiar sensation of the dark void, standing on something and yet on nothing. With him, the box was also sucked into the door before closing itself.
"Conviction, suffering affliction, seeking benediction—you return again, Sylvester Maximilian," Eldritch God Nehilius' voice reverberated as he pulled Sylvester to his body again, bringing him to the endless void where his body rested. "What have you decided? What do you seek?"
Sylvester silently stared at the creature, thinking nothing in particular. If the creature was an all-powerful entity, he was sure that not even his thoughts were safe.
"I found a pathway to enter the Demon Realm, and I believe I can find some answers regarding the two Primordial Gods there. But, I fear I'm not strong enough to go there yet—I'm willing to go through the evolution you suggested, Nehlius," Sylvester confidently revealed his intentions, masterfully hiding his fears.
"So be it!" Nehilius's no-nonsense attitude was far more frightening, however. "Pain in mind and body is not what you should fear the most. Fear what you are about to see—focus, maintain your thoughts, do not falter on your path, or everything will be lost."
"What exactl—"
Before Sylvester could ask what Nehilius was talking about, something happened. He found himself floating in absolute darkness again. Every single piece of clothing from his body vanished, and his body began to curl into a fetal position without his desire.
"Argh!"
Searing pain came, taking over his entire body. All over his skin, he felt as if his veins had turned into little worms that forced themselves to crawl all over his body. It burned, it ached, and it was not explainable.
"Aaaa…!" Sylvester groaned in pain, his face turning into a bloody mess as he felt every single pore on his body bleed; His nose, ears, and mouth too, while his eyes began to bulge out as if they were swollen, unable to fit his skull.
Pop!
"Noooo!" The eyes popped apart with a squelching sound. It was utter darkness, but he could feel his vision was gone. Everything was failing, layer by layer. Everything was being destroyed.
"Haaaaaa… Stop this!" He roared, having lost his mind. This was unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life. Everything hurt as if even the smallest cells of his body were being torn apart.
Crack!
His bones broke apart with a billion small cracks. Muscles shattered long ago. Nothing held his body together as everything failed, even his heart.
"End this… End this madness!" He appeared like a demon while roaring, but his voice also cracked and vanished, trapping him in his body.
'What is this? My Soul… I must focus!' Panic ensued, as it was a massive risk to trust the Eldritch God.
However, just as he started to feel his consciousness fading, a multitude of voices began to echo all around him. Surprisingly, he felt his ears still worked, or was it just in his mind?
With clenched teeth, he heard them. They were recognizable and close to his heart.
'...It's a boy, Xavia.'
'...You must live, Jonathan.'
'...Father, I missed you.'
'...I am not your father, but I'm proud.'
But then his own voice also reverberated to him.
'...For your family, would you kill that man?'
'...I'll become the Pope.'
'...You are like a father to me, Sir Dolorem.'
Slowly, the voices combined into a satanic chant that began to harm his mind. Just like his body, he began losing his mind. The pain exploded, leaving him in a comatose state.
"Is that it?!"
'W-Who?' Sylvester heard a voice out of nowhere. It didn't belong to Nehilius. It held immense power and felt warm in his heart. "S… Solis?"
"Rise, Sylvester Maximilian—Remove that veil, for you were never a gentleman. Unleash your ruthlessness, reveal your fangs, and burn all who oppose you. Use all the power and magic I have blessed you with and ascend to the pinnacle. Only then will your true destiny be revealed."
'These words…' Sylvester realized he had heard them before, precisely the same. 'Another memory?'
"Stop being weak! Stand up and ignite with my fire that blazes through you!" Solis' voice continued to run through his mind, and surprisingly, it felt warm, suppressing the pain.
'Blaze? Fire? Dragon?'
The clues were there all along; only some guidance was needed.
To forge anything, a proper furnace was needed. All proper furnaces required divine fire, and he realized the fire rested within.
'Your blessing—then let me borrow!'
BOOM!
And so there was light in the endless void of darkness—A mortal attempted to break the divine shackles, the epitome of power he attempted to harness.
Thank you for reading. Gifts and GT votes are highly appreciated.
