I walked toward the crystal ball. My heart was thumping against my ribs, loud enough that I thought the front row could hear it. I reached the stand and looked at the clear glass.
I reached out and placed my hand on the cold surface.
I waited for the glow. I waited for the fire, or the wind, or even a tiny spark of light.
Nothing happened.
The crystal stayed clear. Ten seconds passed. Then twenty. The silence in the hall became deafening.
"Is it broken again?" someone whispered from the pews.
The Archbishop came forward to check the crystal. Suddenly, he screamed as if he saw a ghost. Everyone in the hall stood up at once. Sylvie looked very worried.
"This child... he has been forsaken by the Gods!" the Archbishop said, his voice trembling.
A loud commotion broke out in the hall. I stood there frozen, my mind unable to process what had happened.
Then the Archbishop raised his foot and kicked me, sending me flying across the marble floor.
"Don't touch the crystal, you wretched child!" he barked.
My brain finally processed the pain and the insult. I was filled with anger, but before I could say anything, Sylvie appeared in front of me. She stood between us and glared at the Archbishop.
"Back away from him," Sylvie said. Her voice was cold.
"Lady... Lady Sylvie," the Archbishop said. "You are so merciful. You are even protecting this Forsaken. I am moved to tears." He wiped at his eyes as if he were crying.
But then his tone shifted. He pointed a finger at me, his face twisting with disgust. "This Forsaken does not deserve your mercy! He is a stain on this world. I want him vanished to the Abyss by tomorrow!"
Sylvie furrowed her brows. Her expression was so cold that everyone in the room shivered. Vanishing to the Abyss was a death sentence. No one ever came back.
I wanted to say something, but a loud laughter suddenly echoed through the hall.
"Well said, Archbishop!"
It was Cyrus. He stood up from his seat, clapping his hands slowly as he walked toward us. The smirk on his face was wider than before.
"A girl of your status shouldn't get her hands dirty with trash like this," Cyrus said, stopping right next to the Archbishop. He looked down at me like I was a bug. "The Abyss is the only place for someone the Gods have rejected. It's just garbage disposal."
Sylvie stepped closer to me, her mana humming in the air. "He isn't going anywhere."
"Oh? And who will stop us?" Cyrus asked. He looked at Duke Aurelius. "Duke, surely you won't let your daughter ruin her future over a Forsaken? Protecting him is heresy. If word reaches the Pope, she might never be declared a Saint."
The Duke's face darkened at the mention of the Pope. He looked at Sylvie, then signaled the attendant behind him with his eyes.
The Duke sighed helplessly. "Sylvie, move away. The Archbishop and the Second Prince have made their judgment."
Sylvie looked at her father with unyielding eyes, refusing to budge. Suddenly, the Duke's attendants appeared behind her and knocked her unconscious with a gentle strike to the neck. Even though she had awakened Legend Rank mana, she hadn't learned how to use it yet. Her body went limp before she could even protest.
The Duke sighed and looked at me one last time. His gaze seemed to ask for an apology, but he said nothing. He turned and left the church with the unconscious Sylvie and his attendants.
I didn't say anything. I knew he was helpless against the Church and the Royal Family. Part of me was actually grateful he had protected Sylvie's future, even if it meant leaving me behind. But the Archbishop and the Prince were a different matter entirely.
After they left, the polite act dropped. Cyrus walked closer until he was standing directly in front of me.
"Now that she is gone, who is going to protect you?" Cyrus asked. His voice was low and cold. "I always hated you. You're just a peasant who followed her around like a dog. But now, you aren't even that. You're trash."
He kicked me hard, and I fell to the marble floor. I didn't scream or make a sound. I just gripped the stone until my knuckles turned white.
Cyrus leaned over me, stepping on my chest. He whispered into my ear so only I could hear. "I am going to marry her and make her mine. While I live with her in luxury, you will die in despair as the monsters in the Abyss eat you alive."
He kicked me again, sending me sliding across the floor. He turned to the Archbishop.
"Don't worry, Archbishop," Cyrus said. "I will personally handle this. I'll make sure he is escorted to the Abyss in one piece."
The Archbishop bowed. "I cannot trouble Your Highness to do such a thing for this trash."
"It is no trouble," Cyrus replied. "I am a Prince of this kingdom. It is my duty to see that no one stains our land."
"The King must be very proud to have you as his son," the Archbishop said dramatically.
Cyrus signaled his two personal guards. "Escort him to the Abyss. Make sure he arrives without a scratch."
The guards nodded. "As you command, Your Highness."
They grabbed my arms and restrained me. I didn't fight back. I knew I didn't have the power to win. I suppressed my anger and glared at Cyrus and the Archbishop.
"You better pray I don't leave the Abyss alive," I said in a low voice.
They both mocked me, laughing at my words. Cyrus stepped forward and kicked me one last time before the guards dragged me away.