5-1. Teammates
Solen blinked his eyes open, finding himself in the familiar recovery room. Orin was on a bed to his right, and Lucen sat nearby, patiently waiting for them to stir.
Orin coughed—a sound that immediately drew Lucen's attention.
"That's funny," Lucen teased, trying to look casual. "You both gained consciousness at the exact same time. Are you twins or something?"
"Says the guy who was anxiously pacing and praying for us to wake up," Orin shot back, a smirk already on his face.
Lucen's composure broke, a nervous hand scratching his head. "No! That's not it… haha… I mean, we're teammates after all."
"Please don't tell me we've been here for two days," Solen joked, sitting up.
"Nah, just a few hours. After we defeated Viktor, I immediately sent a message for the Sanctuary to send forces from the Cleansing and Transport Department," Lucen replied, his voice regaining its professional tone. "The hospital has been purified from most of its negative energy now."
"Well, that's great to hear,so how are you? Captain!" Solen said with sincere enthusiasm.
"H-h-huh…" Lucen stuttered, genuinely surprised by the check-in. "Me? That's weird, no one checks up on me, but… err… I'm doing good. Hehe."
"What's with this gross stuff, acting like we're brothers, ughh," Orin teased, leading the charge as the rest of them burst into lighthearted laughter.
5-2. The Crossveil Burden
It was Saturday, and Solen decided to take a day off from training to explore the neighboring town. He wore a simple blue Nike hoodie, blending in with the general public. As he walked outside the main Sanctuary gate, he noticed two people following him: senior Saints named Maxi and Kayla.
"Oh look, you're that new recruit guy from the orphanage, right?" Maxi said respectfully.
Kayla immediately bunked him lightly on the head. "Don't say it that way, Maxi. Tchh." She smiled at Solen. "Hi, I'm Kayla, and he's Maxi. You're going out too? Let's stroll together."
Solen shook their hands, and the three left the Sanctuary grounds.
They walked for a considerable distance, admiring the natural landscape and the quiet bustle of the town. Solen felt comfortable around the two Senior Saints.
"So, what does life as a Senior Saint feel like?" Solen asked, curious.
"Eh… just a load of work, and guiding Junior Saints as well," Maxi replied simply.
"I see, I see. Who's the strongest Senior Saint, though?" Solen asked, extending the conversation.
Kayla laughed softly before replying, "Probably Lucian Benedict… Lucen's foster brother. You don't know him?"
"Lucen has a brother?! Woah!" Solen was genuinely surprised.
"Well, yeah," Maxi explained, his tone becoming serious. "The Crossveil family is a very prestigious and honorable family here in the Sanctuary, but they fell from grace when Lucian's father had an affair with another woman that led to the birth of Lucen. It was a truly sinful act that caused their father to be stripped of his title as a Knight of Wonder."
"Being unable to handle the shame, he committed yet another sin of killing himself," Kayla added quietly. "His two holy blades were given to his two sons when they attained their titles as Senior Saints: Excalibur given to Lucen, and Durandal given to Lucian."
"They don't bear the same surnames, though?" Solen realized.
"Well, yeah," Maxi confirmed. "Lucian thought it was somewhat shameful to bear the name of a man who fell so much from grace, so he bore his mother's name instead. No one knows why Lucen kept the name, even with the fact that he's the junior child."
That's tough, Solen thought.
As they got back to the Sanctuary, Maxi and Kayla bid Solen farewell and went to their respective quarters.
It was night time. Solen stayed awake, the information weighing on him. He imagined the burden Lucen carried just by bearing the name 'Crossveil.'
"Unlike me, who can't even remember my origins at all… who knows, it might actually be a blessing, hehe," he chuckled softly. "Lucian and Lucen… I wonder if they're in good terms." Solen yawned, his eyes finally getting heavy as he drifted off to sleep.
5-3. The Ritual of Freedom
Clap… Clap… Clap…
Solen found himself in a dreamscape. A massive crowd was applauding as a man in majestic black robes and long black hair spoke gracefully.
Solen looked around, perplexed. The people clapping for the man seemed bitter and deeply sad from the darkest corners of their hearts. As the man spoke, there was total silence in the crowd. By his side floated a grimoire that looked nothing less than divine—it felt like something not crafted of this world.
"Today, we celebrate the ritual of freedom, which means… I'll only use my powers to set the souls of the poor free today!" the dark, unknown figure announced.
"What's all this about???" Solen wondered, puzzled and confused.
A girl in a dark hoodie, her face completely obscured, brushed past Solen and started running into the unknown without anyone noticing.
"She touched me? Just now I feel like a bit of my Wonder was sapped," Solen realized, his heart pounding.
His attention was pulled back to the speaker. "For all those who seek true freedom… come unto me now…" the unknown man continued.
A crippled child, whose bones were pale and frail as he struggled for breath, was brought before the man by his weeping parents.
"Now be free, young one," the man said gently. "Suffering is but a curse bound to the living."
"He's going to heal him?!" Solen thought, hopeful.
The moment the man laid his hands on the boy's head, life was instantaneously snuffed out. The crippled boy's eyes turned white, and his skin grew cold.
Solen stared in utter horror. "W-what is… a-all this about…" he stuttered in utter confusion. He stared up at the sky, which unnervingly had two suns hanging above the horizon.
"This place isn't Earth… where am I…" Solen spoke, unnoticed by anyone around him—except for the dark gaze of the unknown man in celestial black robes.
"I see… my world has been breached…" the man said, locking eyes with Solen just as he jolted awake.
5-4. A New Mission
The next morning, Solen shared the disturbing revelation with Father Lucent.
Father Lucent rubbed his chin, contemplative. "Can you remember what the grimoire looked like?"
"Not sure I have an accurate description," Solen answered honestly.
"Well then… I'll get back to you," Father Lucent replied. "The Almighty might be preparing us for something big that's about to come."
"We're getting late, Solen!" Orin yelled from the hallway. They were due to go on a mission to exterminate demons from a haunted house.
Solen quickly bid his farewell to Father Lucent and followed his teammates.
They returned that afternoon, exhausted but successful. Solen, Lucen, and Orin walked to their rooms to take a shower and rest.
"Today went well, at least," Lucen remarked. "The portals there were just a result of the excessive negative energy that accumulated in the house."
"Energy accumulated from the release of Vice from the past occupants, probably," Solen added. "The demons all looked the same, so it's safe to say they rose from one Vice."
"Probably fear," Orin replied. "It's why demons do all those creepy things to people first."
As Solen laid his head on his pillow, he wondered what his dream the night before was truly about. He pictured the man in black robes, the grim ritual, and the two suns. Before he could let the thought consume him, he decided to let the thought slide and finally gave himself a well-earned goodnight rest.