It was the afternoon. The cloudy, gloomy dark sky, however, made it difficult to believe. It had been days since the people had seen the sun, and from their reaction, it was clear this wasn’t surprising.
The weather did not bother them; if anything, they were quite pleased by it.
Sure, the air was cold, but there was no storm or snowfall. At the very least, this weather—though cold—wouldn’t be taking their lives, and this was all it took for the Velmourns to thank the Gods and continue the day with smiles.
A smile that made Vandra sick.
The more smiles she saw, the angrier she felt.
When she thought about the Open Kitchen—the reason all these people were rushing towards the Elders’ square with these smiles—her anger rose even further, so much that the woman just snorted in disgust.
Just as she thought—her husband was right.
He was just a man.
The fact that the Open Kitchen was open even though she went against its rules and ’disrespected’ the so-called Divine Rations was proof that it was all a lie created by that man to fool everyone.
But this was it.
Today, Vandra was prepared to show that man’s true face to the rest of the people.
She would prove that her husband was correct all along—he was no God; there is no God. If they wanted to survive, they needed to rely on themselves and themselves alone!
With that thought in her mind, Vandra once again covered herself with a shawl, hiding most of her face, and stepped into the square with the rest of the people.
But the mont she stepped in, she paused.
Sothing felt... different.
The familiar sll of steam, cooked moss, and warm stone that usually greeted her every ti wasn’t there. The braziers were cold, the pots were empty, and... the people around her were no longer smiling.
Of course, lines still ford, but it was more out of habit. Vandra was confused, and so were the rest of the people.
The entire square was... silent.
There was no sound of ladles or laughter—a sight the people had gotten used to and looked forward to every single day—but today... all of that was replaced with quiet whispers and the crunch of boots on frost.
"Why are they not starting?"
A man muttered near her shoulder.
"..."
Vandra didn’t answer. She just stared ahead with a frown, at the raised platform where the bell hung above the kitchen arc.
Aelindra stood there with her slate in one hand; Tarevian stood beside her with a grim look on his face—a look that made Vandra feel... unnerved.
Finally, Aelindra lifted her hand, and—
Gong
She struck the bell.
The sound echoed across the square, attracting everyone’s attention. Even the wind seed to have stopped as the Warden of Provision began to speak.
"People of Velmourn,"
She spoke in a clear, practiced voice.
But to Vandra, it sounded heavier than usual—sothing told her that she wouldn’t like what the Warden of Provision had to say.
Of course, Aelindra didn’t stop.
"You have all seen how the Divine Rations have blessed us. You have eaten without fear, and for the first ti in many years, we have seen peace in our hos."
She paused; her words made Vandra clench her fists, especially when the word ’peace’ was used.
"But today,"
Aelindra continued,
"The Divine Rations could not be produced."
Her tone beca grimr, and the instant she heard those words, Vandra’s eyes widened in shock.
A hush spread across the square. People stared at one another, confused, waiting for a laugh, a correction, anything.
But—
Aelindra looked down, her hand tightening around the slate.
"It happened because one of us went against the Divine Rules.
Soone amongst us disrespected the Blessing that fed us.
The Divine Rations feel betrayed, and until we restore their trust, they will not return."
She spoke, her voice much, much grimr than before, and Vandra...
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It felt as if her world was crumbling apart right in front of her. She would have lost her sense of self right then and there, but before she zoned out—
"What?"
Soone behind her whispered.
"Who would do that?"
"Have they lost their mind!?"
"They dood us all!"
The murmurs beca louder. Vandra could see faces turn from disbelief to anger. A woman clutched her child’s shoulder tightly, as if to make sure he didn’t run off and break sothing too.
Aelindra carefully observed the people’s reaction, then finally turned towards Tarevian and nodded with a heavy look on her face.
The Voice of Commonfolk nodded back and stepped forward.
"Lord Kael himself has taken the matter into his hands. He is searching for the one who disrespected the Blessing.
If that person steps forward and asks forgiveness, all will be forgiven, and the Divine Rations will return to us.
But if he hides, if the sorrow of the Blessing deepens, we may never eat from its hand again."
He spoke in a heavy, almost pleading voice, his gaze sweeping from face to face.
"This is not a matter to be taken lightly. After twelve hundred years, soone finally stepped forward to help us, making it possible for us to know what it is like to have a full belly.
Please do not bite the hands that feed you.
We ask, not as your leaders, but as your people—
If you know who did this... or if it was you... co forward.
Do not make us starve again."
The Voice of the Commonfolk bowed his head.
Gong
Aelindra struck the bell once more, and just like that, the announcent ended. Aelindra’s n began sending everyone away, telling them how they needed to use their own rations today because they did not have any.
Vandra stood frozen, her fingers tightening around her bowl, eyes flicking between people.
Chaos ensued—the murmurs turned into full conversations now.
"They can’t be serious..."
"Soone really broke the rules?"
"I told you, soone must’ve tried to hide it in their Sanctuary."
"Fools! Why would anyone anger a living blessing!?"
"You think Kael will punish them himself?"
"He should!"
The words grew louder and louder, every single one echoing in Vandra’s head, slowly breaking her apart. She could sense the people’s anger, resentnt, hatred, and... fear.
The worst part...?
She knew it was all directed at her.
"I don’t want dried at again! I want the sweet bread!"
Suddenly, Vandra heard a child cry. She turned and saw a boy tugging his mother’s sleeve with tears in his eyes.
"Please, Mama, make the white food co back!"
"Hush, hush, it will co back... Lord Kael will fix it, he always does..."
The mother tried to hush him, but her own voice was shaking. As much as she believed Lord Kael, if... if it was their own people’s fault... she didn’t have the face to expect him to fix the problem they caused.
Another little girl standing a little further sobbed, clutching her bowl so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
The sll of old dried at and boiled grain filled the air again as the elderly began using the ’normal rations’ that Kael gave them.
That sll—
It made the children cry even louder.
"I won’t eat! I need the white food!"
" too! I won’t eat! I am not hungry!"
Children began running away, freeing themselves from their mothers’ grasps. The mothers chased after them, but... it was clear that it wasn’t just the children who felt this way.
The adults were the sa.
The food that once kept them alive now slled... wrong.
It was strange how quickly luxury beca necessity.
Many people began whispering prayers.
So bowed toward the sky, so directly began calling Kael’s na, seeking forgiveness, so clenched their fists and cursed under their breath, directing all bla at the ’culprit.’
And the said culprit...
She couldn’t move.
Her heart pounded like soone was knocking inside her chest, desperate to get out.
Her hands began to shake; she hid them inside her shawl, glancing around as if everyone could sohow see her guilt, her... secret.
"I don’t want to eat this! It’s hard! It’s dry!"
A child’s voice rang again, breaking through her thoughts.
The child’s mother forced a smile helplessly,
"It is dried at, your favorite, no?"
"NO! I won’t eat it!"
The child raised his voice even more.
Vandra turned away from the sight. Her stomach burned with guilt and fear; her legs felt heavy, her throat dry.
’H-How... how did this happen...?
The Divine Rations... they were real...?
Did I... do all this...?’
She trembled as she continued to look around.
’What have I done...?’
These words repeated in her head again and again.
"He is a man."
Her husband’s words echoed in her head, as if her mind was trying to convince her that it wasn’t her fault but...
If her husband was right—if Kael was just a man—then how did this happen just when she stored the Divine Rations in the Sanctuary?
What if...
What if her husband was wrong...?
What if Lord Kael was... truly a God?
Did it an that she had dood them all?
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