Irin was so pissed the next morning. He heard people making noise and singing at the same time.
The singing grew louder and became impossible to ignore. Annoyed, Irin got up and went to the window. He parted the thin curtain and looked out.
The street below was lively, unlike how it had been yesterday.
People crowded the street. Each group of people wore distinctive clothing, and children ran ahead of their parents, laughing and waving ribbons. Someone was playing a small hand drum. The crowd danced and sang to unfamiliar songs that made the joy in their tone obvious.
All of them were heading towards the town center.
Irin frowned slightly.
'Is this the same town that looked like where ghosts live? He wondered.
Yesterday, the streets were empty, and the whole place looked so depressing. Today it was entirely different.
Someone knocked at the door. Before Irin could answer, the door opened.
The woman entered with a smile on her face. Her cheeks flushed with excitement. She had changed from the simple clothes she had worn the previous night into a festive outfit. She wore a gown and neatly braided her hair.
"You're awake," she said warmly. "Good. I was hoping you'd come."
Irin blinked. "What's going on?"
A broad smile appeared on her face. "No one went missing last night."
Irin crossed his arms. "Really? No one?"
She nodded, almost laughing as she spoke. "No one at all, for the first time in over a month."
"This is why everyone is rejoicing," she went on. "The Church has declared a celebration in honor of this."
"The church?" Irin said in surprise.
She saw his expression and chuckled. "You don't know about the church? It's quite popular around here."
"No," he admitted. "What church?"
"The Church of Light," she stated. "It's the largest one in town. The one with the star symbol."
"I saw it," he said. "It was impossible to ignore since it stood out from the rest of the building in this town."
"It's the town's landmark," the woman explained. "Even the mayor himself is a devotee. He worships there."
"Does everyone in the town worship there?" Irin asked.
She hesitated, then shook her head.
"No. Not everyone believes in the church. Some people still follow older traditions. Some follow nothing at all. But during celebrations like this, especially with the mayor present..." She shrugged.
"Attendance is kind of mandatory for everyone."
"With no one disappearing," she continued, "the High Priest decreed it a sign and a blessing."
'Weird how the moment the cannibals in the mountains were gone, the disappearances stopped. The timing seems so convenient,' Irin thought.
"It's pretty obvious," Irin said quietly. "About why no one went missing."
The woman glanced at him. "What do you mean?"
Irin offered a smile instead of answering. "I'd like to come with you. If that's alright."
The woman was relieved right away. "Of course, you can come with us. It would be strange if you didn't."
She turned to leave, but then she paused. "We'll wait for you outside."
Irin washed his face, tied his silver hair, and then grabbed his coat. He was about to leave when he stopped. He had a feeling he was forgetting something.
He looked around the room until his eyes finally settled on a small pouch filled with fruits, placed on a chair next to the wall.
"Just in case," he said, lifting it and hoisting it securely to his back before he stepped out.
The woman and her child were already waiting outside. The boy stared wide-eyed at the passing crowd while he held his mother's hand.
"Ready?" she asked.
Irin nodded.
They joined the moving crowd and headed to the town square.
The square lay at the heart of the town, landmarked by a large building that towered miles above the rest: the Church.
When they arrived, people gathered in great numbers, happily discussing and embracing one another with joy. They had also erected a small stage made of wood at the center of the square.
The noise from the crowd seemed to quieten a little when the doors of the church opened, and a group of people in a straight line walked out of the church door.
A man in a white cloak was leading the way. Little white star patterns were drawn across his face. Five others, also in white cloaks, followed him, lowering their heads, though their own faces were not painted with the star sign.
"The High Priest," someone from the crowd said.
The crowd automatically made way as the high priest of the Church of Light and his five disciples walked onto the stage.
The five disciples of the high priest surrounded the stage in a circular pattern while the high priest climbed the stage stairs.
The high priest stood at the top of the stage with his hands folded. He observed the crowd for a period of time. When everywhere was dead silent, he cleared his throat and spoke:
"People of this great town," he began in a gentle voice. "Today, we gather not in fear but in gratitude."
The crowd showed its agreement by nodding.
"For weeks," he squinted his eyes, "a great evil held this town captive. Sons and daughters were lost. Brothers and sisters taken. Every night, the believers and I prayed together for their return. We burned incense and knelt until dawn, bruising our legs."
He lifted his hands skyward. "We considered all hope lost. Alas, the god of Light listened."
"And last night," he smiled slowly, "no one was taken."
A loud cheer erupted from the crowd.
Silence fell over the crowd once more when the High Priest raised his hand.
"This is no coincidence," the high priest said.
"This is the Light answering our prayers. The evil that gripped this town has been subdued, not by the works of our flesh. But by our faithfulness."
'Stealing the credit for what I did and attributing it to your god? How charming.' Irin almost said out loud.
The priest spoke more sharply. "And let it be known: those who doubted us, those who mocked us, and even those who turned away from the Light were spared not by their disbelief, but by the infinite mercy the god of light extendeth to all."
He ended his speech on stage with the words, "Draw closer to the light and be safe. Or face destruction from evil."
A good number of people in the crowd clapped when the high priest finished his admonition.
After that, the mayor stepped onto the stage. He was an old man who wore a tailored coat with a fancy wristwatch slapped on his wrist.
"To all the residents of Campton," the mayor said, spreading his hands. "Today, we celebrate peace."
He chuckled weakly. "Let's put these past terrible months behind us. Things are likely to get better from here on out. All activities that make this town great will begin again. And the most interesting part is that curfews will end."
Irin's eyes caught the high priest, who was trying to mask his sadness with a cheerful smile.