-Callia-

  I nervously rubbed the back of my head as the high priest grappled with the strange reaction. He seemed to be grappling with a great deal of confusion as his gaze shifted from the orb to me and back to the orb.

  “It seems consistent use throughout the many years since its creation has made the orb sensitive.” He paused and gave me a wink as he began to lead me over to Joana. “Whatever the cause may be, it’s clear that you have a place among us. For your arrangements, I believe it might be best if I follow your lead.” The man hummed happily as we reached Joana. “You know, I have a feeling today might be the start of changes long overdue. Take care, Sister Callia. I’ll have to arrange a meeting with the craftsmen to see if we are able to replace the orb.” With that, the elder gave a slight bow before taking his leave.

  It’s hard to tell what conclusion his reaction meant, but at the very least it seems he was in a good mood. The most noticeable aspect of the divine type traits was the mention of mana holding divine essence. However, there was a significant difference in amount between the normal trait and mine. Instead of holding a trace, it just says my mana has divine essence. I limited how much I fed the orb, but even then the reaction was significantly stronger than I could’ve anticipated. I was still lacking enough skill to suppress mana sufficiently.

  “It seems High Priest Norold holds you in high regard. It’s an honor to welcome you to our home.” Joana warmly smiled at me, and beneath her expression I felt sincerity and a tinge of relief. Hidden beneath that was a lingering pain like a scar that was still healing. She led me up a flight of stairs and over to a large stone platform. I braced for a shift like those in the palace but relaxed as instead, I felt the stone below beginning to float upwards. “Most struggle to adapt to the internal transportation of the citadel, but with time you’ll come to appreciate the convenience." I looked down from the floating platform as it began to speed up, taking us up a wall of various alcoves and rooms. “The first thing most people marvel about the citadel is its size, but despite that, the number of chosen living here is relatively limited. We have a population similar to many cities, mainly composed of the families or descendants of the chosen. We, however, get quarters in the central spire and access to use the elevation platforms.”

  The description gave me a bit of an upper-class and lower-class feeling, but I would have to see how it compared to nobles and commoners. The biggest shock to me was how open the structure was. Standing on the platform, I was looking at what could only be described as a vertical city inside a hollowed-out mountain. The gateway, while cavernous in its own right, was nothing compared to what I was seeing here. The platform moved away from the wall city and towards the center of the hollow mountain, which held a massive spire that stretched up to support the roof. While looking up, I noticed something like a lighthouse at the center of the tower illuminating everything inside the fortress like an artificial sun.

  “It’s really quite a sight. I’ve been here ever since I was four. Seeing a scene like this the same day I was let out of that awful box. Well, I still can’t describe how it makes me feel.” She peacefully gazed out over the terrain below. If Callen were here, he would probably do everything in his power to investigate how the platform levitates so effortlessly. Even moving at high speed, something shielded us from the wind and momentum.

  “What can you tell me about the people here?” It was scenic and seemed friendly, but just because a place looked nice didn’t mean the people were. She hums a bit, gathering her thoughts before cautiously talking.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “I used to work as a public servant; I sadly lacked significant talents with fighting or magic, so I leaned into the skills my mother had taught me. Originally I cleaned the tower and assisted the priests with their work. I’m hesitant to speak badly of another, but it would be worse to lie. I recommend you stay far away from the administration and even further from the bishop who leads them.” I could feel the earnestness in her voice coming forth as the lingering trauma seeped up. “Not long ago High Priest Norold noticed my unfortunate circumstances and had me transferred to the citadel gates.” The negative feelings were doused by sincere gratitude. “I haven’t had many interactions with the paladins, but despite their stern exterior, I’ve found them to be exceptionally kind.” She finished her statement with a glowing warmth of contentment, and I suspect something deeper for someone in particular. I nudge her gently with a conspiratorial look.

  “I’m getting the feeling there might be something deeper there.” She shyly looked to the side, but I could see her ears burning red as she blushed.

  “Well, maybe, but that’ll have to wait. He’s on a mission for the order. Some important news came back just before you arrived, and almost half the paladin order has been sent on an emergency mobilization.” I stopped teasing her as the seriousness of that settled. I reassuringly rubbed her back even if she wasn’t presenting the need for it.

  “Well, when he comes back I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.” She seemed to perk back up and recompose herself as the platform finally came to a stop about midway up the central tower. Joana took the lead, guiding me down well-lit stone hallways and to my future room. Inside I was greeted by an empty stone cube with a straw mat and a balcony. After having experienced the finest luxuries in the kingdom, I hadn’t anticipated such a reversal.

  “You may decorate as you please. The kitchen and restrooms are at the end of the hallway. Most of the rooms on this floor have occupants, so if you ever need help, just knock on one of our sister’s doors. I’m your immediate neighbor, but we’re all a community and will take care of each other. At least most of us. . .” Her gaze drifted over to a particular door next to the platform we arrived on.

  Stampede

  Lilia looked over the camp that her “army” had set up. It was passable considering it was the best they could manage, but the week of nonstop fighting had started to make them slip. Injuries were becoming more and more common, but they had no healers to address the injuries, and there would be no support from the adults. She had to fight nearly nonstop to prevent any casualties from mounting. She would blame Lilith for not keeping her word to keep monsters away, but there was nothing attacking that they couldn’t handle under normal circumstances.

  That was until today, at least. It started small, but as the day progressed, her soldiers started unlocking their statuses. In bids to survive or from not knowing better, they dumped all their hard-earned points into whatever they wanted without giving any time for adjustment. It made half of them useless and the others overwhelmed trying to adjust for the sudden gaps in formation. A complete mess that Jasmine had somehow brought under control while she did everything in her power to buy time for the emergency stat adjustment acclimatization training.

  A sound in the distance drew Lilia’s attention as she noticed a storm in the distance. Lilith's soft voice whispered to Lilia.

  “Looks like our aura couldn’t drive off all the bigger monsters after all. That is the herd of storms, and it looks rather agitated.” Lilia felt a flicker of dread crawl up her spine as the storm moved rapidly in their direction. “You know, you wouldn’t be so worried if you were stronger. As it is, you’ll lose at least half your soldiers in the stampede, but together we could scare them off.” Lilia felt revulsion and hatred crawl up in her gut. It was another trick, another piece to surrender.

  “Retreat to Borough Town now! Take only what you have and flee!” Lilia gave the command, startling those who had just started to rest. However, after months of fighting with Lilia, sparing no effort to save them, they had built trust. Even Jasmine, despite her stiff, confrontational nature, didn’t hesitate to obey. As they ran, Lilia watched the herd come into sight. The deer were violently running down civilians, and not just a few. Monsters swarmed from all directions, whittling away the refugees of Lanious City. Thousands remained, but countless more had perished. Lilith didn’t hesitate to share her perspective.

  “So many are dying. At this rate they’ll never make it. Is your soul worth the lives of thousands?” Lilia glanced at the corruption stat points, her heart hammering. Did she dare? “My power won’t take any adjustments to handle. The monsters would flee before us, and we could save them all.” Lilia felt Lilith stoking her desperation. “Do it.” Lilith whispered forcefully.