The interior was very large, so much so that it could easily accommodate more than two hundred people. The dark wooden benches, delicately and finely crafted, were of the highest quality that only highly experienced craftsn could provide, were lined up neatly, while the floor, covered with simple carpets, seed sacred in being there. The air was filled with the scent of incense that seed to relax the body.
In front of , a huge altar stood with an imposing statue of Hera, sculpted in white marble, whose radiant figure emanated its own light. Her serene and wise face seed to look benevolently at all the creatures of the world, and her presence, although silent, imposed a reverential respect. The glow of her statue seed to envelop the entire chapel, creating an atmosphere so dense that it was difficult for to breathe. At her side, a priest with a serene and calm face watched , his gaze deep and warm, as if he could read my soul without effort.
"Good morning, my son," the priest said to in a soft, warm voice that seed to perate the place.
"Good morning, Father," I replied, bowing my head slightly in a respectful tone.
"This is the first ti I’ve seen you. Are you here to confess?" he asked curiously, as if he had noticed that sothing in was not quite right.
"No, Father. I’ve only co for so holy water," I replied softly, trying not to reveal what was really weighing on my heart.
"My son, why are you looking for it so urgently?" he said, his eyes fixed on mine, with a mixture of compassion and wisdom.
I paused for a mont, not knowing how to answer.
"It’s not urgent, Father, you’re mistaken," I replied quickly, perhaps too quickly, trying to hide my discomfort.
The priest remained silent for a mont, watching as if he could see beyond my words. Finally, in a softer voice, but full of understanding, he said:
— You know, my son, the goddess blessed with the gift of «Commiseration» I can see that your heart is not at peace. There is sothing that bothers you, sothing that you cannot let go of.
— Father... I... —the words got caught in my throat, as if sothing inside had stopped them, as if they did not have enough strength to break free.
—It is okay, son —said the priest, his tone now calr, almost like a whisper—. I do not know what your burdens are or what weighs you down, but what I can tell you is this: be strong. Do not give up. Soday, if you follow the right path, you will find what you are looking for, what you need. Ti will reveal the answer.
I felt relieved by his words, but also overwheld by the advice.
— For now, wait here a mont — he said, before turning and walking away towards a small door at the back of the chapel.
As I sat there in complete silence, my eyes turned to the statue of Hera. The light emanating from it seed to intensify, and for an instant, I swore in its eyes, it seed to dilate with clarity, I felt its sacred gaze, as if it were watching , as if the image ca to life.
Not long after, torn between believing what I felt or ignoring it, the priest appeared. In his hands he carried two glass bottles, perfectly sealed, which seed to emit a faint glow, as if they held sothing valuable and mysterious inside. He handed them to carefully.
— Take this, my son. This is for you — he said in a low voice, as if the words had an indescribable weight.
I took them in my hands, the glass cold and smooth to the touch. The bottles seed to contain holy water; At first glance, it wasn’t very different from normal water, but the substance itself had healing effects and repelled poison for demons.
"Thank you, father," I replied gratefully, faintly feeling the presence of the statue in .
"I hope to see you soon, son," he said, with a soft smile that highlights his kindness but at the sa ti an inexplicable compassion was reflected in his eyes, as if he knew that the road he was walking would be long and exhausting.
" too, father," I said, feeling a mix of emotions between joy and bewildernt in my own words. I knew that the road was long and had just begun but it would beco more difficult as ti passed.
"May the light of Héra always accompany you, my son," he said to , as I left the whisper of his words seed to contain sothing else.
***
The next day I woke up early, fresh and renewed, I walked through the hotel halls enjoying the day and soon headed « Steel» workshop to pick up my order. When I arrived, the grumpy old blacksmith already had everything ready. Looking closer, there was a slight pattern on the bullets, their firm carving, highlighting the blacksmith’s skill. Their dark, almost black color showed a dazzling beauty, and the precision in the details was impeccable. Each mark on the tal seed to tell a story, a piece forged with patience and skill. Finally, everything and all the materials were in my hands, the work I had co to do could not be done more perfectly. Now I just had to wait for the day of the test, the mont for which he had been preparing .
Satisfied, I said goodbye to the old man and his granddaughter, I told them that I would co back for sothing else another ti, the old man only nodded slightly. I was quite grateful for his work and left the workshop. As I walked through the streets my mind wandered aimlessly and the feeling that I should avoid it began to settle in my chest. Without realizing it, my steps took to the Celta store, the last place I would visit today. There she was, behind the reception desk, with her hair tied back in a simple bun, serving custors with that serenity that characterized her.
I stayed for a mont, watching her from a distance, waiting for her to finish with the custor she was serving. Seeing her reminded of the peaceful day I had, my mind completely forgot about the mission and the tension went away.
She had a charm that made want to stay there for a long ti, but I knew I could now, I had more responsibilities, even so sothing in the way she moved, in how she interacted with people, kept still. When she was finally free, I approached with a soft step enjoying the ti in this place, with a relaxed attitude I greeted her.
" Aliana," I greeted, letting my voice sound natural, without forcing it.
" Oh, you ca earlier than I thought," she replied, surprised, but with a subtle smile that lit up her face.
" If it’s inconvenient, I can co back later. I told her softly, almost automatically, not wanting to interrupt her.
" No, it’s not a problem, it’s actually the perfect ti," she told , and as she spoke, she handed a black card with runic symbols engraved on it that ford the initials "CE." Its elegance was evident, but what surprised most was the light energy it emanated.
" What is this? " I asked, puzzled, looking at the card between my fingers.
" It’s a nice touch on our part. You can use this card to enjoy VIP benefits at all our branches. It’s always good to have our partners around, don’t you think?
I looked at her briefly and then nodded.
" Thank you, Aliana. I’ll accept it. I put the card in my pocket with a slight smile, there was no reason to hesitate, I had run out of money and the cost of materials was also exorbitant, at least with the card I would reduce the pressure a little.
Aliana smiled with a subtle gesture, as if she had already anticipated my answer.
– I knew you would accept it. We will see each other at the auction. I am sure your pill will cause a great stir, said Aliana as she went out to receive another client.
With one last look, I took a deep breath and stood up, I had accomplished everything I needed to do, and I had even obtained so unexpected benefits. The feeling of having finished everything gave stability. It was ti to return to school, to resu the routine. I put the card in my pocket and left the place with a calm step.
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