Chapter Text
With a torch and some food in hand, I looked back one last time at the only man who had bothered to come see me off. As I noticed his trembling eyes starting to moisten up I shot him a confident smirk and cut his pained choke off with a playful chuckle.
“I’ll be just fine. You should worry more about yourself Old Man, take care.” I turned my back to him and leapt over the makeshift fence marking the outskirts of the Moon city, jumping straight into the quiet, all consuming darkness on the other side.
Just as my feet were about to hit the ground, the light beaming from my torch flickered for a moment. In that flash of darkness, a shiver instantly ran up my spine; I felt as if several eyes were watching over me, staring at my figure from all directions. The primordial fear of darkness intensified in my mind, almost making me buckle my knees and hug myself on the spot while my mind went completely blank. Eventually, the flames of my torch regained their brilliance and illuminated my surroundings once more, pulling me out of my daze.
I had always understood the implications of leaving the Moon City. Everyone who ventured out into the darkness before me had never made it back to tell their tale, and those who stayed turned into mindless monsters, afflicting those around them. Though no one knew what truly happened to those who left, some assumed that they met their demise to the monsters lurking in the darkness, others that they took their own lives; but despite our lack of knowledge about what lay beyond the dark, we all understood one thing. It was terrifying.
Despite that, I had to leave; I couldn’t have just ignored the signs of madness emerging within me, or pretended not to notice my growing irascibility, everyday turning me less and less like myself. I had to leave, I didn’t want to hurt anyone, I didn’t want Old Man to see me like this, and more than anything… I didn’t want to turn into a monster.
Suddenly, a ragged voice arose behind me putting an abrupt end to my thoughts. “You passed.” Recognising the familiar sound, I turned back to face Old Man once more. Now donning a crystal monocle over his right eye, his expression was visibly more relaxed than earlier which made a wave of calm wash over me. Hopeful and curious, I asked him “I passed? What do you mean? Passed what?”
The corners of his lips perked upwards as he exclaimed, “You passed the holy trial Caylus! I’m so glad that you’re still pure!”
“The holy trial…? What are you talking about Old Man?” I didn’t try to mask the confusion and subtle anticipation in my voice. Nodding calmly, he nudged his monocle upwards before answering in a devout tone, “God has not abandoned you! There is still a chance for redemption, but we don’t have much time left; just take this and follow me.” He pushed a crystal monocle against my chest, lifted his torch and treaded straight into the darkness, seemingly expecting me to follow. After a moment of hesitation, I pocketed the monocle and followed in his trail.
During the entire lengthy journey he remained completely mute, making me hesitant to ask the several questions swirling within my head. ‘Had God really not abandoned us after all? Where were we heading? Where did he get these monocles from? What was the holy trial?’. I pressed my lips together and decided to curb my doubts for the time being and keep walking.
Eventually, amidst the eerie darkness a faint flicker of light aside from our torches emerged within our visions. I felt my heart skip a beat, eyes widening in shock as my legs came to an abrupt halt. Pointing towards the source I shakily whispered to Old Man, “Look.. that’s..”. We both picked up the pace and made our way towards it. Upon closing in on the mysterious light, we saw several more such sources beyond it and finally got to have a good look; it was a lantern hanging from a tall stick, an actual street lamp! It wasn’t just one either, there was an entire row of them following besides the stone paved road.
Noticing my ceasing footstep, Old Man turned to face my speechless figure with a wide smile. He slowly spread his arms up in the air into a praying gesture and declared, “Welcome to the Holy Cathedral.” Lightning struck in the distance, partially illuminating the area up ahead; there stood a tall, imposing white building with a violet banner hanging from its roof. Its dimly lit stained windows gave the building a reverent aura, similar to the church of God in the Moon City.
I resisted the urge to collapse on the floor, physically holding myself back from screaming out loud. It felt as if the entire world had come crashing down on itself. How was this possible? There existed civilisations outside of the Moon City? Were the holy scriptures false? I have never seen this symbol before, which deity was this cathedral affiliated to? Most important of all, how did Old Man know about any of this? Before I could calm myself down enough to speak out about any of this, he had already reached the cathedral’s doors, pushed them open and strolled inside as if it were a familiar place.
"Wait!-” I shouted desperately, stumbling to follow him inside the cathedral. My hands barely pushed open its large wooden doors, revealing a brightly lit hall filled to the brim with rows of people sitting on pews facing the raised altar. At the sudden noise created by my arrival, all of them slowly turned their heads over to look at the area near the door where I was standing with a torch in hand; their movements abnormally synchronised.
For the third time today, my heart almost stopped. The diverse group of people inside the cathedral featured some faces I remembered, and some all of the Moon City’s residents recognised. They were all people who had ventured off into the dark in the past!
Some of them were wearing blood stained armour with buff physiques, some had pure white robes on with a frail build, rubbing beads across their palms in prayer and some even featured a similar attire to the one I was currently in; but despite their varied builds and distinct clothing, they all shared one common trait.
A crystal monocle resting over their right eye!
[End of Chapter 1: The Holy Trial]