"Let's go. We need to leave now," I say, snapping my book shut and addressing Mr. Z. "The Lord's oracle warns that heretics will scour Tingen for Aurora Order members. As a bishop, you can't afford to be exposed."
"Yes, sir," Mr. Z replies, his faith in the Lord's oracle and my role as His favored one deepened by his study of the new doctrines. He hurries to gather his things. I sit calmly by the fireplace, my gaze serene yet distant, fixed on the void.
Klein stirs awake on his bed, surrounded by a ring of grim-faced Nighthawks. Dunn stands beside him, his expression a mix of stern concern. Klein's head throbs with residual pain as he groggily takes in the scene, a groan escaping his lips from the ache.
"Klein, don't move," Dunn says, pressing a hand to his shoulder to keep him still. "You might be contaminated, like Old Neil. Tell me, what did you see before you called for help?"
Klein forces his eyes open, wincing through the pain. Beyond the familiar Nighthawks, he notices a man in a trench coat, its high collar obscuring his chin and lips, seated nearby.
Noticing Klein's gaze, Dunn explains, "This is His Excellency Crestet Cesimir, the 'Sword of the Goddess.' Klein, your timely warning helped us contain Old Neil before he lost control—a remarkable feat for a new Beyonder. But we can't leave risks within the Nighthawks. Old Neil was contaminated by the Hidden Sage, and we need to ensure you're not…"
Old Neil? Klein's mind flashes to the scene before he fainted: a black inverted cross sprouting dark roses, their fragile vines ensnaring a pair of icy, emotionless eyes. As the cross and eyes clashed, a massive eye emerged from the air, delivering an uppercut that shattered the cold pair. What kind of scene was that?
Klein shakes his head, clearing the chaotic thoughts, and speaks, his voice hoarse. "After Old Neil helped me prepare the potion, I drank it and became an Beyonder. With his guidance, I mastered spirit vision. But when I used it to observe, I saw… a pair of cold eyes behind Old Neil!"
"And then I just shouted to him…"
"That was the Hidden Sage," Dunn says gravely. "According to the Church's findings, it contaminated Old Neil." Crestet Cesimir gestures for Klein to continue. Klein nods, recounting the inverted cross and the eye's assault on the Hidden Sage, leaving the Nighthawks momentarily stunned.
It's not their fault—the image of "an eye throwing an uppercut to shatter the Hidden Sage" is so vivid it catches even seasoned Nighthawks off guard. Crestet, a veteran senior deacon, has seen countless bizarre scenes, but an eye punching out the Hidden Sage? That's a first.
"…No issues, Dunn," Crestet says. "Your team member shows no signs of contamination from the Hidden Sage or other gods. To be safe, I need to confirm if his personality has been altered by Old Neil's contamination—considering potential deep-seated influence from the Hidden Sage or True Creator. Please leave us; I need to test him alone."
Crestet opens a silver suitcase at his feet, drawing out the holy relic "Sword of the Goddess." The blade emits a faint glow, sealing the area's spirituality. Klein, noting Crestet's caution, asks, "Your Excellency Cesimir, is the contamination on Old Neil and me… severe?"
"Old Neil was contaminated solely by the Hidden Sage. He's been sent to the Church in Backlund for treatment, but sadly, even if he recovers fully, he likely won't return to his current role. He may be reassigned as a priest, allowing us to monitor any changes. As for you, I'm about to test for contamination—especially since this happened right after you became an Beyonder."
Crestet asks casually, "Klein, what do you think of the 'True Creator,' that evil god?"
I'm being dream-entered! Klein realizes, his pupils dilating. This is to check for deep contamination. He searches for his truest response.
Behind him, an inverted cross, a pair of cold, sluggish eyes, and a shimmering darkness dotted with stars lurk in the shadows, veiled and hidden, watching Klein, awaiting his answer.
In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, I, the High-Dimensional Overseer, discard another avatar eroded by the True Creator's scattered power. Sifting through the writhing flesh, I cobble together a barely resistant body. Before me flicker two light screens. The larger one hovers before the True Creator and me, displaying Klein's surroundings.
The smaller, barely taller than a person, seems a speck beside the True Creator. It shows a woman veiled in darkness, silently observing Klein, unfazed by the roiling flesh beneath her feet.
"You contaminated the Hidden Sage, outer god," Evernight says coolly, showing no hostility toward me. I scoff, toying with a pair of cold, lifeless eyes, injecting high-dimensional knowledge into them. Through this link, I infiltrate the Hidden Sage's essence. Soon, the Hidden Sage's title will need a new claimant.
Even gods like the Black Emperor, who digested their power well, or senior quasi-gods like Mr. Door fell to the Mother Goddess of Depravity's control. The Hidden Sage, lesser than those true gods, stands no chance against me, the embodiment of pathway.
"What's the point of saying that, Evernight Goddess? Or, per old Earth customs, should I call you Amanises? Oh, Amanises, Amanises," I sneer. "You accuse me of tainting the Hidden Sage but won't dare fight me. Questioning me is like questioning yourself. Projecting your will into the Forsaken Land to confront an outer god—does that mean you're betraying Earth?"
I laugh coldly. "Because I'm an outer god? Amanises, there's a limit to self-deception. A demon wolf stuffed with an Old Day human soul and a human chosen by pathway to become an outer god—we're not so different at our core."
"At least we agree on the Lord of Mysteries candidate, unlike other outer gods," Amanises replies, her face obscured by the dark veil. "Before the apocalypse, God Almighty's contest is unlikely to resolve. For Earth's safety, we need a pillar. You, High-Dimensional Overseer, at least don't seek to destroy Earth."
The True Creator hangs silently on His inverted cross, restraining His madness. I nod. "Adam's working with you."
"He supports Amon as the Lord of Mysteries," Amanises says. "I don't trust him or Amon. But until Adam becomes the Visionary, I won't oppose him. He needs war to complete his ascension ritual, and I need the opportunities that war brings."
"Well said. He's too much like the God Almighty," I reply, my avatar writhing. "If Amon becomes the Lord of Mysteries, everyone will wear monocles and dance as puppets. Amanises, you're not an Old Deity, but I can see your past and future. You've always been good at picking sides—a skill from your human days at work? From the Redemption Rose to the Lord of Mysteries candidate, you've never chosen wrong."
"High-Dimensional Overseer," Amanises says evenly, "you were human once. You lived through that era, like us."
"Yeah, so what?" I ask, puzzled.
"When you were human, did you ever consider growing old alone?"
"What, you're resorting to personal attacks now?"
The True Creator watches us, silent. He sighs, summoning his engineering nerd peak. "I recall… when you followed me, Amanises, you said you never married either…"
"She's gone," I note as Amanises vanishes.
I open my eyes, stepping out of Backlund's train station with Mr. Z. But when I see the disguised Aurora Order envoys he recognizes, my lips twitch. They hold massive signs, scrawled in crooked ink:
Mr. Abraham, Welcome to Backlund!
(End of Chapter)