Chapter Text
A group of around seventy hooded figures stood in a dimly lit hall, whispering and conversing to one another in hushed tones. The hall was run-down and covered with dust, as if it hadn’t been cared for or cleaned in a long, long time. Some of the windows were broken and the night sky that lay beyond the horizon was distorted by the damaged glass. Shadows flitted across the cracked walls as the candles in the lanterns flickered almost uneasily.
An old throne sat on an elevated platform at the furthest end of the hall, broken and peeling and only a weak reminder of the glory the place had once been. The stained-glass windows behind the throne threw faded colours across the dusty and stained carpet as the moonlight shone through. Below the windows, there was a blank stretch of wall that had nothing except a pinned newspaper clipping with a photo and the headline “RFA decides their next party date!” on it.
“Silence.”
All noise came to an abrupt halt. The room was suddenly quiet, and all eyes turned to the one who spoke—the person standing next to the throne.
The figure reached up and pulled down the hood, revealing the strikingly beautiful face of a dark-haired woman. She coldly swept her gaze over every person present, and then spoke. “My people, there isn’t much time. We cannot sit idle while our religion, our Savior, is in great danger.”
The group murmured in agreement as she continued on, lifting a hand and gesturing at the bleak surroundings. “It’s been a year since the fall of our sanctuary. We’ve lost much precious time… all we’ve managed to achieve so far is to regroup only partially. In fact, as this is our first meeting since…” A murderous look came over her face. “Since—"
A shorter figure suddenly stepped forwards and interrupted, completely changing the topic. “This has only happened because of that new girl MC, yes?”
It was clear that every person present recognized that name. A couple people in the mass looked furious and a few raised their fists angrily. The shorter figure pulled back the hood of their cloak, showing that she was a young girl barely an adult. She tossed her pink hair over her shoulder as she made her way up the steps, and said eagerly, “Haeun, is the purpose of this meeting today to kill her?”
Her words sparked a flurry of agreements in the crowd. Haeun scowled at the pink-haired girl, her dark eyes flashing with anger. “Don’t be stupid, Hari! What is more important than our Savior?”
“But she isn’t wrong, really.”
A deeper voice interrupted the conversation of the two girls. A tall figure emerged from the shadows by the large doors of the hall, flanked by two other cloaked individuals, and the crowd parted for him as he walked to stand in front of Haeun.
“Hari is right. The root of our problems lies in that girl.” A flash of anger crossed his eyes and he clenched his fists as he went on. "Everything went wrong because of her. She ruined everything. She humiliated us."
The man seemed to realize that he was losing control. He shook his head as if to clear his mind of stray thoughts, and then held up a thick file folder, motioning for Haeun to take it. “...Haeun. Don’t you want to know what the others have been up to? Our kin have discovered something very, very, revolutionary." He paused thoughtfully.
"You and Hari are the last of the disciples to be informed. Anyways, I think it's the right time to let the rest of the believers know. Take it, won't you?"
Haeun glanced at the man suspiciously but relented and took the file folder. Her dark eyes quickly scanned the papers, and then—
Her eyes widened and she quickly flipped through the remaining papers. Hari seemed unable to hold back her curiosity. She pushed past the people around her and made her way to Haeun’s side. “What’s this?” She demanded, trying to see the papers for herself.
“This,” the man said in an almost gloating tone as he spread his hands in front of him, “is the key to reviving our religion and recovering our beloved Savior.”
Haeun looked up with a look of wonder and disbelief on her face. “If what they say really does work, we can—!”
“—a gateway to another world?” Hari said loudly, squinting at the papers.
“Yes.” There was a wild sort of gleam in his eyes as he spoke. “We can put everything behind us…we can start anew.” He turned to the crowd of bemused believers. "My people, we have found a way for our kingdom to thrive again. We have discovered a way to access a parallel world."
"If we cross over to that new land, the sinners back here won't be able to interfere with our plans anymore. We will be free to follow our heart's desires."
The believers started to stir, whispering and talking excitedly about the possibilities that this new variable would bring.
“We can make everything go back to what it was before! We shall find our paradise again…and for the ones who wronged us...”
His expression suddenly darkened, and he grew silent.
As everyone in the hall watched him with a kind of nervous fascination, he pulled out a gleaming dagger from the depths of his cloak, and turned to the wall where the newspaper clipping was pinned. The picture that showed a group picture of the RFA members, smiling happily for the cameras.
There was a flash of silver, and he sank the knife deep into the face of the long-haired girl standing at the front of the picture.
His voice dangerously low, he whispered—
“We will make them pay.”