To lose everything in a single day. Friends that don’t look at you anymore, people that flee from you at the first sight. Seraphin experienced it.

‘You haven’t received any blessing.’

Those words are still heavy in her heart as she walks like an undead to one of the church’s towers, accompanied by three priests encircling her. They didn’t even let her the time to realize what was happening that she was encircled in front of the folks present. Every student was backing away when she approached, accompanied by the priests. Even the priests she encountered on her way to the tower shifted their gaze. As she didn’t receive any blessing, she wasn’t given the right to remove her hood so nobody saw her face but she was the last student. It is obvious that at least students knew who she was.

The three priests walking with her kept whispering this and that but she cannot hear it, her soul is elsewhere. After a while, they reach the top of the tower, two gigantic doors are now in front of them and open as soon as they step in front of it.

Inside, a half circle made of ten chairs in the form of a stage. This particular room is used by the highest members of the church in order to judge people. When Seraphin and the three priests enter, ten people suddenly appeared from pillars of light on each chair.

The high servants. Existences that can only be seen in myths for ordinary people. Even among the priests of the church, those who can see them are scarce. All of them have bright and shining red marks running around their body, creating different kinds of symbols here and there. On their forehead, however, a distinctive symbol, different for each of them: a flame that grows bigger as you look at each of them. It is a reminder of the order among the high servants.

“We greet their Holinesses.” The three priests lowered their heads and kneeled while pressing Seraphin almost to the ground. They didn’t even wait for her to react or speak in any way.

The high servant at the center speaks first after that.

“She is the tenth one, it seems. We should try to understand a bit more about this one in order to prevent it faster.”

Then at the far right of the half circle, another speaks as well.

“No, we don’t know when her powers will manifest, her execution should be a top priority. The S-grade has been given. Our Lord predicted it so we should bring the chosen here and have it slay her.”

Then another one speaks as well. The high servants didn’t even consider answering the greetings of the priests nor did they ask them to stand back up. They were crouching with shaking legs.

The voice of the high servants is strong and powerful. Every time they speak, a wave of magic can be felt in the air.

After a few minutes of heavy discussions, Seraphin realized one thing: those guys are not planning to let her live at all. She had a hard time understanding what they are saying because of the magic waves emitted every time they were opening their mouths but the little bits she managed to grasp are so frightening.

‘Maybe if I tell them what I know, they will change their opinions.’ When somebody is desperate, he will cling to every bit of hope, even if based on a stupid idea.

As she tries to speak, however, she feels the increasing pressure of the priest’s hand holding her head. Certainly, a signal to tell to shut up. However, she resists, gathering all her strength, she opens her mouth while slightly raising her head but then, nothing comes out. No words, no sounds, nothing. She had to tell them, that she is not an enemy, that this is a misunderstanding, that she doesn’t deserve such treatment. She had to. Thinking of her mother who died while telling her to be strong, always. Her brother who disappeared without a trace on a rainy day, her father who lost his smile and kept working to forget his pain, she tries even harder. If not for her, she had to say something for him, because she knew. She knew that if her life was to end, then her father wouldn’t be able to take it. She had to survive, for him who did everything for her.

Tears start to wet the noble golden carpet of the room. A girl is crying as she cannot say a single word to defend herself, as despair is filling her entire being. But nobody pays attention to it, the high servants keep discussing, the priests stay crouched without moving a muscle, and even their shaking has stopped. She is alone, all alone, yes, nobody will come for her.

‘The world is a cruel place. Those without strength are trampled on, no matter the reason.’ Those were her mother’s words on her death bed. ‘That’s why you must be strong, so that people won’t be able to act tough in front of you. Become strong enough so that even if you are wrong, people will say that you are right. Because strength is always right.’

‘Mother, how I wish I had your strength.’

Thinking of her father hammering a piece of metal like crazy, she feels like her heart would stop. Everything she wanted to tell him, everything she wanted to make him see, the real smile of happiness he would show.

‘I…I want to call you ‘daddy’ at least one last time.’

As she is thinking about those fleeting moments, the high servants stop speaking, and all of them stand up. They have finally finished.

“The council and judged and voted. The apostle will be executed in two days by the new chosen. Until then, she must be kept in the Dominion Gloria without any outside interaction.”

All of the high servants speak at the same time and then like they came, they disappear in pillars of light. Just like this, Seraphin’s fate had been decided.

‘And nobody could do anything to change it.’ That is what everyone present thought at the time, Seraphin included.