RAVEN

CHAPTER 3

Sacred Church of Wisdom

            Time flew by quickly, for the young Raven. Over the past three months, she had slowly come to terms with her new identity and learned to grudgingly acknowledge her family to a certain extent. An odd baby, she was. Never cried, never laughed, and certainly, never uttered a single sound.

            Days later, Ophelia and the rest of the family were growing concerned about her mental capabilities, repeatedly asking their private physician to check on her well-being, with all results pointing to a perfectly normal baby girl. Perhaps, she just needs time. The physician placated their inner worries, encouraging them to continue spending more time with her so that she could understand basic human actions.

            Meanwhile, in a well-furnished office decorated in tasteful décor, Viktor was seated on a tan leather chair, skimming through a stack of papers piled onto his wooden desk. His eyebrows furrowed together in concentration while spinning the fountain pen in his hand. Currently, he was caught in a rather problematic situation.

            There were far too many reports coming in lately. One that stemmed from unrest and skirmishes run rampant by the border. Something was amiss as if there was a hand of God controlling everything in the dark. Viktor could tell that this was only the tip of the iceberg – the calm before the storm.

             Knock, knock.

             The light rap on the door interrupted Viktor from his inner musings, focusing his attention on his wife, Ophelia as she carried in a steaming pot of tea.

             "Dear," She put down the silver tray and poured out the tea in a graceful manner. "I believe it is time for Raven to go to the Church, is it not?"

             "Today?" Viktor inquired. Compared to his wife, he was not as pious towards the Sacred Church of Wisdom. He knew Ophelia placed great importance on their children being baptized due to being raised in a religious family. Having been with her for many years, it had been difficult to change her mind on the subject.

             Ophelia nodded. "Yes, I'll get the kids and arrange the carriage. By then, please take a break, get changed, and go downstairs. We will be done in about ten minutes."

             Her lips softly pecked his cheek, heading towards the door and out of sight.

~ ♛ ~

             When the family arrived at the church, Raven was taken in by the classic European architecture comprised of white marble. It had pointed arches, kaleidoscopic windows made of meticulously cut colored glass, and cobalt-blue conical structures at the top.

So, this is the Sacred Church of Wisdom. Raven's ears perked up, catching the faint music from the choir playing inside. After everyone had stepped out of the carriage, they proceeded into the cathedral and waited at the side while the priest continued with his sermon.

             Inside, the surroundings were akin to a bright morning; sunbathing the hall in daylight with its high ceilings and large windows. The floor was covered in gold leaf patterns. Behind the high altar embellished in gold details, lied a magnificent pipe organ, and above that was a stained-glass rose window cut into the white wall.

             From her place in the maid's arms, Raven couldn't help but look around. She watched as people knelt and listened quietly to the words of the priest, his gentle voice echoing subtly in her ear.

             "The Sacred Tree granted wisdom onto everyone."

             "Young and old, rich and poor, leader and follower."