[Location: Outskirts of Hollowshade Valley – Three Miles from Ghosthollow][Status: Active Surveillance][System Status: Passive Monitoring – Concealment Active][Objective: Investigate Regional Power Node – The Church of Faith]
Ren wiped sweat from his brow as he crested the ridge, the horizon burning orange with a late summer dusk. Aria stood beside him, cloaked, hood drawn low.
They looked down into the valley.
A stone cathedral rose from the forest like a forgotten god's tooth—white spires twisted upward, wrapped in bands of gold inscribed with divine runes. Candles burned along the outer paths, forming sacred glyphs visible only to spirit-touched eyes. The air shimmered faintly with protective enchantments.
But it wasn't beauty that made Ren tense.
It was the emptiness.
"Why does it feel… dead?" he asked quietly.
"It's not dead," Aria said. "It's clean. Purged. They exorcise wandering souls on sight. Even harmless ones. Even people like us."
[System Alert: Soul Suppression Field Detected – Grade 2]
[Warning: Field directly suppresses Reaper traits. Prolonged exposure will weaken Host.]
[Recommended Action: Minimize direct contact. Mask soul signature.]
Aria turned to him. "This is the Church of Faith. Their doctrine says all souls must return to the Divine Flame. No rebirth. No lingering. No reaping."
Ren's brow furrowed. "So what happens to ghosts?"
"They're burned. Without judgment. Without exception."
Flashback: Aria's Tone Sharpens
"They're the reason Veyr couldn't pass peacefully," she muttered. "They exorcised her before her soul could stabilize. Before I could perform the Rite of Mourning."
That explained the bitterness in her voice.
"And you're telling me we're visiting them?" Ren asked.
"We're not here to pay respects," Aria said. "We're here because they're recruiting. And if their scouts are active this deep into the Wastes, then something big is happening."
Entering the Church Grounds
Ren masked his aura as best he could. The Reaper System dimmed itself instinctively—coiling like a serpent in the dark of his spirit.
They passed through a massive gate of whitewood and bone. Clerics in silver robes moved in silent patterns, barefoot and singing wordless hymns.
At the central courtyard, a sermon was being conducted. A man stood atop a dais, clad in pale vestments stitched with fire motifs.
He spoke gently, but his voice echoed like a bell through the bones.
"—Souls are not ours to bind. Not to serve, not to summon, not to consume. Those who hoard the dead walk a path of blasphemy. But here, all may be cleansed. Even the corrupted may kneel, and be redeemed."
A group of villagers knelt before him, their eyes glazed over. Among them was a girl no older than Ren—eyes dull, face pale.
Something about her presence tickled the edge of Ren's Soul Vision. He looked again.
[Detected: Suppressed Spirit Potential – Compatibility: High]
[Designation: Potential Pact Host]
[Status: Spirit Sealed]
[Condition: Indoctrination In Progress]
Aria's hand moved toward her blade.
"Wait," Ren whispered. "Not yet. We don't even know if—"
"Look again," she said. "That's not a prayer ritual."
The "sermon" had shifted. The cleric raised a blade—a ceremonial dagger with a ruby hilt. Behind him, two masked acolytes brought forth a burning censer shaped like an open mouth.
The villagers weren't praying.
They were offering sacrifices.
System Activation: Emergency Override
[Danger Level: Rising – Intent to Purge Detected]
[Suppression Countermeasures Unlocked: Shadow Fold Technique Lv. 1]
[Effect: Temporarily nullifies aura presence within radius – 12 seconds max]
[Warning: Can only be used once per cooldown. Cooldown: 6 hours.]
Ren clenched his fists. "We're not letting that happen."
Aria nodded, her eyes hard. "Then it's time to see if your root can stand the heat of faith."