The air inside the main hall of the Crimson Temple was heavy. Massive marble pillars stretched upward on both sides toward the ceiling, and the unmoving red flas burning in golden bowls cast strange reflections across the faces of the three figures present.
Drael and Daniel walked slowly through the silence. Behind them, rina followed quietly, dressed in a simple white ceremonial robe, her face tense and uneasy.
Ever since she learned that the priests of the temple had been possessed by Evil, she had been terrified to co here.
What if they decided to possess her too? Or worse, kill her? She had even thought about escaping the temple.
But after thinking for a while, she cald down. She was the only one who could save the temple now, and she had to fulfill that duty.
When they entered the hall, they noticed the priests standing on both sides, but to their surprise, there weren’t many of them, most were missing.
Daniel and Drael naturally knew why, and even rina had heard bits and pieces about what happened last night.
In front of them stood the Grand Priest, wearing a robe redder than blood, covered with intricate golden patterns, and eyes that glead under the candlelight.
"Today, two new mbers shall join us," he said in a calm yet powerful voice.
"Are you ready? To join, you must undergo the Divine Baptism." He smiled gently.
"Yes, Grand Priest," Daniel and Drael both replied respectfully.
The Grand Priest slowly raised his hand. The air rippled, and in an instant, space itself twisted as if a fabric was being torn apart.
The red glow was replaced by a golden radiance. The three of them felt the ground vanish beneath their feet, and in the blink of an eye, they stood before a golden pool.
A vast pool, filled with a glowing liquid that rippled like molten tal. Yellow vapor rose from it, turning into tiny particles of light as it spread through the air. A sweet, heavy scent filled the room, one that clouded the mind.
"This pool is a gift from the God of Light. Whoever enters it will be cleansed of darkness and doubt. The Divine Baptism is the bond between you and Him."
"The Divine Baptism marks the beginning of your new birth. From this mont, no impurity shall remain within you," the Grand Priest said as he stepped forward.
Drael glanced at Daniel, as if waiting for his approval. Daniel said nothing, simply looked away from the pool, showing no sign of worry on his face.
The Grand Priest smiled and raised his hands. His voice echoed through the space, calm, yet filled with power.
"Oh Eternal Light, Absolute Radiance... cleanse the darkness within these two, bind their souls to You, and purge their bodies of all corruption..."
With every word, the pool shone brighter. Its edges trembled, and waves of golden energy surged upward, spiraling through the air.
Daniel and Drael removed their ceremonial garnts and stepped into the pool.
The liquid was warm, but not like water. It felt alive, moving softly against their skin.
Drael gasped, as if sothing was crawling beneath his flesh.
But Daniel stood still, a faint frown appearing on his face. Then, as if realizing sothing, he smirked inwardly.
Suddenly, images appeared in his mind, chains of light forming around his soul.
He felt a force trying to invade him—not to cleanse, but to dominate.
The chains dug deep into his spirit, trying to enslave it.
He sensed a hidden link forming from his heart to sothing vast, sothing divine.
It wasn’t hard to guess that these chains were ant to connect him to that "God."
For a brief mont, his gaze darkened. The corner of his lips lifted.
He smirked and whispered in his mind,
’Trying to bind ? Pathetic.’
At that mont, a dark energy flowed through his body—the power of the Law of Death.
Quietly, without a sound, he infused that dark power into the structure of the link itself, in a way that couldn’t be detected.
The result?
The chain remained intact, but it was under his control. He could break it anyti he wanted. For now, he chose not to destroy it, so as not to alert the enemy.
After all, they couldn’t destroy the temple yet, and until then, he didn’t want to attract unnecessary trouble. It was better to act from the shadows.
A few seconds later, he felt another change.
The power of faith, the sa energy that protected the temple, suddenly began rging with his inner force.
He could feel his spiritual energy being absorbed little by little, devoured by that power of faith, turning into its own strength.
Still, he didn’t resist. He rely limited how much of his energy was being taken, adjusting it exactly the way he wanted.
Outside the pool, the Grand Priest watched with a confident smile.
He believed Daniel was completely bound by the chains of light. There was no sign of resistance on his face.
A muffled sound echoed from deep within the pool, like a drumbeat. Suddenly, the golden light around them flared.
Columns of light shot upward from the liquid, reaching the ceiling. The ground trembled beneath their feet.
"God, complete the bond! Reforge them anew!" the Grand Priest shouted loudly.
The golden liquid began swirling, forming a radiant vortex within the pool. Drael gasped, struggling to keep his balance.
Daniel just stood there, eyes closed, faint sparks of light flickering between his fingers.
Monts later, the vortex subsided. The glow slowly dimd, and the surface of the liquid turned still and smooth like a mirror.
"It’s done," the Grand Priest said, taking a deep breath.
Drael and Daniel stepped out of the pool, their bodies still glowing faintly with a golden hue.
Daniel looked down at himself. He hadn’t expected the Grand Priest to plan sothing so bold, but this... this was far beyond what he imagined.
That bastard actually dared to do sothing like this to him.
"From this mont, you are children of the Light. The Crimson Temple is your new ho," the Grand Priest said gently, opening his arms with a serene expression.
He believed he had brought two new sources of power to his god.
But what he didn’t know was that he had just invited disaster upon them all.
User Comments
0 comments from readers