The air was sharp with morning chill as I made my way toward the cathedral, my boots clicking softly against the pavement.
The streets were quiet at this hour as the city was still rubbing the sleep from its eyes.
Mist curled around the edges of the buildings, reluctant to dissipate under the faint touch of dawn.
I pulled my coat tighter, tucking my hands into its pockets and kept walking.
The spires of the cathedral came into view soon.
Even in the muted light, the building held an aura of reverence. It was perhaps the oldest building in the city, yet it stood as if untouched by time.
And there she was — Alvara.
She stood at the base of the steps, her gray cloak hanging loose around her shoulders, the edges flowing in the faint breeze.
She looked up as I approached, and her expression turned unreadable.
“You’re early,” I said, breaking the silence. My voice sounded louder than I intended against the quiet morning.
“I said before the eighth bell,” she replied, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. “I thought you might need directions.”
I gave a small smile. “You underestimate me, Sister.”
“And you overestimate yourself,” she shot back, though there was no venom in her tone.
For a moment, we simply stood there and let the stillness stretch between us.
I glanced at the cathedral doors.
Much like the rest of the building, the heavy wooden doors were also carved with texts from the holy scriptures and the intricate depictions of the Mother of Mercy.
“Once again, thank you so much for trying to help me with this, Sister. You have no idea how valuable your support is,” I said with as much sincerity I could muster.
She tried to offer a smile but failed. “Thank me when I can get them to talk to you. Now, follow me.”
She turned and began climbing the stairs. I followed, the sound of my boots echoing faintly against the stone steps.
Inside, the cathedral was the same as the last time when I was here, albeit a little colder.
The air was heavy with the faint scent of incense, and the flicker of candlelight cast shifting shadows across the high, vaulted ceilings.
Rows of pews stretched out before us. Most of them were empty save for a few early worshippers lost in quiet prayer.
Alvara led the way down the center aisle, her footsteps barely audible on the polished floor.
I noticed how her shoulders tensed as we approached the altar, where the grand statue of the Mother of Mercy towered above us.
The statue was made entirely from white stone which resembled marble in texture.
The goddess was portrayed holding a khopesh in one hand and a lantern in the other. Her upper face was obscured by a hood, revealing only the curve of her smile.
It was a haunting statue, truly befitting of a goddess of death.
Sister Alvara kept walking and led me toward a side door near the altar. The door creaked open, revealing a narrow hallway.
“This way,” she said, her tone clipped.
I followed without a word.
The air in the hallway was cool, carrying the scent of polished wood and old stone. The faint echo of our footsteps filled the quiet.
And after a short walk, the passage opened into a circular antechamber bathed in a warm golden light.
The chamber was spacious, its marble walls polished to a sheen that reflected the glow of a chandelier hanging low from the ceiling.
There were high bookshelves lining the walls here and there, and a small oak table in the middle with cushioned seats around it.
At the far end of the chamber, a spiral staircase led to the upper floors. The staircase was guarded by two sentinels.
They were clad in dark armor that seemed to drink in the light. Sleek machine guns were slung across their chests, and curved swords rested at their sides.
They weren’t ordinary guards.
They were Enforcers — the clergy’s handpicked guardians, trained to eliminate threats without hesitation.
But it wasn’t their presence that unsettled me.
In fact, I was fairly certain I could deal with them in a fight. Because while they seemed to be armed with enchanted artifacts, these guards were not Awakened.
So, what truly unsettled me in this place… was the runes.
Carved deep into the floor in front of the guards was a long string of glowing cyan symbols, pulsing faintly.
Just one look at those runes and my instincts clawed at the edges of my mind, screaming at me to stop, to turn back.
Whatever force those runes held wasn’t meant for someone like me.
And that was indeed true.
I knew what it was.
Those runes were used to create wards — a deadly safeguard.
If anyone under [S-Rank] dared to cross that line without authorization, they’d be paralyzed on the spot.
This was why I needed Sister Alvara.
Without her or someone else authorized by the church, I’d never make it through.
Yes, my purpose for coming here wasn’t to ask questions from the clergy. No, I had an entirely different goal.
Alvara strode ahead without hesitation, her dark cloak flowing behind her as she approached the guards.
I hesitated, staring at the glowing runes for a moment before following behind her.
The guards stiffened as we drew closer, their hands drifting toward their weapons. One of them — a tall figure with a heavy voice — spoke first.
“Who is that with you, Sister?”
“A guest,” she replied smoothly. “I’m escorting him to the High Priest.”
The guard’s helmet tilted slightly as his gaze bore into me.
After a few heartbeats, the other guard gave a brief nod. “Proceed. Quickly.”
Alvara stepped forward without any hesitation, crossing the threshold of the runes as if they did not exist at all.
When it was my turn to cross, the runes dimmed and soon their light faded entirely.
I stepped over them, and as soon as I did, the runes flared back to life, glowing in that eerie cyan hue once again.
I followed Sister Alvara up the stairs as we entered another hallway.
We walked straight for a while before taking a sharp turn into a narrow passage.
Soon, we made another turn and exited into a hallway that looked similar to the previous one.
This place was like a maze.
Every corridor was indistinguishable from the last.
Before reaching the High Priest’s chamber, we had to make several more turns, climb another spiral staircase, and pass through three sets of guards stationed at various checkpoints.
Finally, we arrived.
The High Priest’s chamber looked different from the rest of the cathedral’s design.
Unlike the other doors, which were made of wood or stone, this one was constructed from titanium and reinforced alloys.
A scanner was embedded in the wall to the right of the door, and two more guards flanked the entrance.
However, unlike the other guards, these ones were less heavily armed.
Alvara stopped and turned to me. “Wait here.”
I nodded, stepping aside to let her approach the door. The guards didn’t question her at all.
Instead, one of them took a card from a pouch on his belt and pressed it against the scanner.
The device emitted a soft beeping sound as the heavy titanium door unlocked.
Alvara gave me a brief glance before walking into the room. The door closed behind her, leaving me alone with the guards.
I immediately began tapping my foot, trying to look impatient as the seconds dragged on.
A minute passed, and Sister Alvara still hadn’t come out.
I had no idea how long it would take for her to speak with the High Priest. So, I couldn’t afford to wait anymore.
I had to act. Now.
Taking a deep breath, I put on my best irritated expression and whined, “How much longer do they expect me to wait?”
Then, without warning, I took a bold step toward the door.
The guards reacted instantly. The closest one moved forward, placing a firm hand against my chest to stop me.
“Sir, just wait here!” he said, his tone calm but authoritative.
“Huh?!” I snarled, baring my teeth like a spoiled brat. “Do you even know who I am, you insolent peasant? How dare you touch me!”
I slapped his hand away and moved into his personal space, trying to get to the door.
The guard had no choice but to grab my shoulders and shove me back with more force.
I staggered, nearly colliding with the wall behind me.
I coughed for dramatic effect and clutched my chest. “H-How dare you, you bastard! Over! Your life is over! The moment I tell my father about this insult, he’ll have you executed!”
Without waiting for a reply, I spun on my heel and stormed off.
“W-Wait! Hey! Sister Alvara told you to stay here!” the guard called out, his voice tinged with panic.
“I’m going to my father!” I shouted without looking back. “You can tell Sister Alvara I don’t need her help anymore because you assaulted me!”
“I-I didn’t assault you!” the guard shouted and started running after me. “And you can’t just wander around! Hey, stop!”
I also started running and made a sharp turn into another corridor.
“Wait until my father hears about this! My clan will end you! They’ll end you!” I yelled, keeping up my entitled act.
Thankfully, I’d memorized the layout of this floor while following Alvara.
Hearing the guard’s hurried footsteps growing louder behind me, I made another turn and spotted a maintenance closet to my left.
The guard hadn’t turned the corner yet, so he couldn’t see me.
I tried to summon my Origin Card instinctively.
…But nothing happened.
Ah, right.
Those wards had another feature.
They could also suppress an Awakened’s ability to summon or dismiss Cards from their Soul Arsenal.
That meant I couldn’t use my Origin Card either.
Fortunately, I had been prepared for this.
“Fine,” I muttered under my breath and dropped to one knee.
Then, I took out a hairpin from my pocket, one I’d bent into a makeshift lockpick earlier, and got to work on the door.
I twisted and turned the pin, trying to listen for the telltale click of the lock releasing.
But once again, nothing happened.
Okay, so maybe I wasn’t an expert, but I knew how to pick simple locks. I had learned in my past life… as a hobby, of course.
So why wasn’t this working?
The guard’s footsteps grew louder. He was close now, seconds away from rounding the corner and catching me.
I debated my options.
What should I do?
Should I knock him out? Take his uniform and disguise myself as him? But what would I do with the body?
Throw it out a window? Too risky.
I couldn’t afford to get caught. Not yet.
…I was still brainstorming when a thought struck me. Frowning, I placed my hand on the doorknob and turned it.
Click—
…Wow.
Right, so… this door was already unlocked.
Maybe the janitor forgot to lock it.
For a moment, I just stared at the door, my face deadpan.
Then I coughed awkwardly and slipped inside, locking it behind me just as the guard rounded the corner.
“Hey! Where did you go?! Hey! Aww, man! Why do always have to deal with brats!”
I held my breath, listening intently as the guard’s boots thudded past.
He scanned the hallway briefly before running down the hallway and taking another turn.
I waited until the sound of his footsteps faded entirely.
“Heh,” I scoffed under my breath, leaning back against a broom.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out an item and inspected it. It was a slim, blue keycard with a tiny chip in it.
The same keycard the guard had used to unlock the High Priest’s chamber earlier.
During our little scuffle, I slipped it out from his pouch and put it in my pocket with a simple sleight of hand.
Now, all I had to do was wait for nightfall.