Gehenna

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

In the heart of the grand cathedral, a hushed silence fell as the elderly priest stood before the altar, deep in prayer, surrounded by his disciples. Their voices echoed softly in unison, praying for the prosperity of the kingdom and the well-being of its people.

"May our land be blessed with abundance and peace. May the rulers be guided by wisdom and compassion," the priest intoned, his voice filled with devotion.

Suddenly, a radiant light descended from above, bathing the altar in a mesmerizing glow. The disciples gasped in awe as the air shimmered with magical energy. The priest's eyes widened as he felt the power of the divine message. All across the kingdom, people paused, feeling an inexplicable connection to the celestial phenomenon, including Lyra.

"What...," he whispered to himself, trembling. "Is it a prophecy...?"

The light intensified, forming ethereal words that hovered before him. As the light coalesced, it manifested a scroll, glowing with an otherworldly aura. The words were imprinted in gold, shimmering brilliantly in the night. The priest read the oracle aloud, his voice quivering with the weight of the revelation. "A maiden of sacred blood shall rise from a barren land. She will bring forth great change and challenge the very foundations of our world. This maiden holds the power to either save or doom us all. Her name goes by --"

The elderly priest ran frantically to the church's library, searching through their sacred history books. His hands trembled as he found the ancient texts describing how prophecies were manifested in the past, exactly as he had witnessed. 'It's true. This is a genuine prophecy,' he thought, shocked to his core. 

Quickly rising to his feet, the priest rushed to gather the other priests. "Brothers and sisters," he exclaimed urgently, "A prophecy has been revealed for the first time in centuries! We must prepare to go to the castle immediately and report this to the king."

The priests exchanged uneasy glances, realizing the gravity of the situation. They began to prepare for their journey, their actions brisk and purposeful. The elderly priest clutched the glowing scroll given by the light, his mind racing. 'What could this prophecy mean?'

With a sense of urgency, he and the other priests mounted their horses and rode with haste towards the palace. The weight of the prophecy hung heavy in the air, driving them forward with a sense of purpose and foreboding. The kingdom was on the brink of a significant change, and only time would reveal the true implications of the divine message.

Meanwhile, inside the palace, the music paused as the guests exchanged uneasy glances and whispered among themselves, questioning the strange phenomenon they had just felt.

"What was that light?" 

"Did you feel that too?" 

"It felt like something divine..." 

"Is this a sign? What does it mean?"

The king, sensing the rising tension, stood and raised his hand for silence. "Everyone, remain calm," he commanded, his voice steady and reassuring. "There is no cause for alarm."

Amidst the murmurs, Lyra felt a sense of anticipation. 'It's happening just as I remember from the book, she thought, her excitement tempered by a growing apprehension. 'That actually felt incredible, like some divine touch. But it's also terrifying—like a warning that the story of the book is truly beginning.'

She turned to look at the second prince, trying to read his reaction. Prince Numeriano's usually stoic expression showed hints of disturbance. His eyes, which were often cold and detached, now held a flicker of interest and emotion that she had never seen before. 'Just as the book described,' Lyra noted,