CHAPTER 50: Veil of Sanctity
The monastery did not resemble corruption.
White stone arched into vaulted ceilings painted with scenes of salvation. Gold-lined scripture spiraled up pillars like frozen prayers. Incense drifted through the hallways in soft silver threads.
Candles burned in disciplined rows.
Everything was holy.
Everything was immaculate.
Her boots did not echo.
The woman in black battle robes moved like a blade drawn silently from its sheath. The fabric clung close to her form, tailored for combat rather than ceremony. Crimson lipstick marked her mouth with deliberate sharpness .. color in a place that demanded purity.
Her expression remained composed.She passed clergy who bowed their heads respectfully.She did not return the gesture.
At the end of the longest corridor stood a chamber guarded by twin curtains of embroidered silk. Gold thread depicted saints kneeling beneath divine light.
From behind the curtains..Moans.But not soft.Not feminine.Raw...Male.
Multiple voices tangled together in breathless rhythm. Flesh striking flesh. Suppressed groans turning desperate.
Her jaw tightened.Disgust rose in her throat.She buried it.She waited.
The sounds intensified before finally collapsing into strained gasps and satisfied exhalations.Silence followed.Moments later, the curtains parted.The Pope stepped out.
He wore nothing but a loose silk robe barely tied at the waist. Sweat still clung to his temples. His smile was lecherous ..unguarded, animalistic.
His eyes roamed over her slowly.She did not react.Gradually, the smile shifted.Melted.Reformed.
His back straightened. His chin lifted. The robe was adjusted with deliberate dignity.The Pope returned.Not the man.The symbol.
"Well?" he asked mildly, as if he had been interrupted during scripture.
"The girl remains within Negrove," the woman replied evenly. "The anomaly appeared as anticipated."
A flicker of interest crossed his eyes.
"And?"
"He intervened."
"Protective?"
"Yes."
A thoughtful hum escaped him.
"Good."
He turned away, tying his robe more securely as if the conversation bored him.
"Continue observing her. If his attachment deepens, we will have leverage."
She inclined her head once.
"And the anomaly?"
The Pope's lips curved faintly.
"Let him believe he is unpredictable."
He waved her away without looking.
"Dismissed."
She turned and left without another word.
Behind the curtains, faint sobbing resumed.
The Pope did not return to bed.
He walked through hidden corridors few knew existed, stepping into a private study lined with ancient tomes and relics sealed in crystal.
He sighed once.
Then pressed three concealed studs along the gilded molding of the wall.
The stone shifted.A section rotated inward.Cold air spilled out.He entered.
The chamber beyond was small and metallic ..entirely unlike the monastery's grandeur. Symbols etched along the walls pulsed faintly. At its center, a hovering disc of light flickered to life.
He placed his palm against it.The room froze.Literally.Frost crept along the floor.
Candles extinguished.And the holographic projection formed.A figure.Distorted.Cloaked in red static and shadow.
Even blurred, its presence carried weight .. like standing before something that did not recognize humanity as relevant.
The Pope lowered his head.
"Crimson Six."
The air vibrated faintly.
He swallowed.
"The subject, Leylin, has begun displaying expected deviations. He intervened tonight. Protective behavior confirmed."
Silence.Then a voice.Not loud.But heavy.
"How far have you progressed in locating the final Core of Greed?"
The Pope hesitated only a fraction.
"My men continue the search. It remains undiscovered."
The hologram flickered once.Displeasure did not show.But neither did approval.
"Do not fail your duty."
The temperature dropped further.The Pope's breath fogged.
"Yes… yes, of course."
"Return to your task."
The projection vanished.The warmth did not immediately return.The Pope stood still for several seconds after the call ended.
Then..He smiled.
Slowly.The obedient mask dissolved.His hand slipped beneath his robe, drawing out a pendant hidden against his chest.
Within it..A core.Small.Faceted.Glowing faintly green.Greed.Its light reflected in his eyes.Ambition replaced fear.
"Undiscovered…" he murmured.His fingers tightened around the pendant.
"So naive."
The smile that formed now was not lecherous.It was ruthless.Outside the monastery, the bells began to toll midnight.
And somewhere far from sanctified walls..Leylin walked beneath the same moon.Unaware that the board had shifted.Or perhaps..Fully aware.