Salvation of the Fallen - Chapter 4
In the moonless darkness of the Black Forest, Arsena struggled through the grass. It was the first time she had ever set foot there in the middle of the night, even though she had traveled up and down the path hundreds of times. Everything was unfamiliar and frightening, but there was one thing she feared the most.
– You! Yes, you’ve come at the right time.
As the sun was setting, her mother was at home earlier than usual. The smell of alcohol was more pungent than usual, piercing her nose.
The inside of the house was in a miserable state. Furniture was scattered haphazardly, with no intact place, and mirrors shattered into pieces. The few belongings were all destroyed, rolling on the floor.
– You cursed thing. This is all because of you.
The familiar accusation was unusually strong today. As she stumbled backward in disbelief, her mother dropped what she had in her hand and grabbed Arsena’s arm.
– Come with me. You filthy thing.
With a voice filled with hatred, her mother mumbled incomprehensible words, urging Arsena with quick steps.
No. I don’t want to.
As Arsena twisted her body in instinctive resistance, her hair was grabbed. She stifled a sob and was dragged towards the cliff. Luckily, no one was watching, as the red sunset was already hanging over the edge of the horizon.
The completed temple, now covered in a layer of lime plaster, gleamed blindingly white.
At some point, Arsena, who used to hide in the black forest and watch the scene as the sun set, thought. The temple, permeated by the crimson sunset, seemed to be shedding blood. No, it seemed to be steeped in the blood of the people.
Among the gathered crowd, each embracing their own glory, no one would agree, but Arsena was afraid. Afraid of that massive structure, a cornerstone built on countless lives, shining brilliantly and cruelly as if it owned all the light in the world, casting deep shadows over the village with its hypocrisy.
The problem was leaving the black forest a bit earlier. She was careless. She should have avoided encountering her increasingly sensitive mother, who had become more irritable lately. Regret surged in belatedly.
Entering the temple, she scowled and looked inside. Arsena, free of her mother’s vicious grasp, followed her gaze, oblivious to the fact that her scalp was torn and bleeding.
She took in the marble floor, the transparent reflection of her mangled face, the sky-high ceiling, the jewel-colored glass that encircled the temple like a fence.
The wide temple, surrounded by intricately embroidered stained glass, contained all the stories of the temple. From the moment the gods created the world to the descent of the Seven Swords to eliminate the rampant evil. It portrayed every tale, from the merciful god forgiving human sins to the god gifting Felita in order to pardon them.
The sunset was not beautiful as it slipped through the five-colored glass. Beneath the stories that seemed to stain the temple with blood, Arsena was simply afraid.
Terrified.
The suddenly resounding organ sound was as thunderous as the footsteps of the gods’ swords rolling. Arsena trembled, covering her ears.
Indeed, she had stepped into a place she should never have come to. Arsena struggled to move her trembling limbs and knelt on the floor.
I need to get out. I have to escape.
Those thoughts filled her mind entirely. However, her mother once again seized Arsena by the hair. Despite her struggles, her long, dark hair tangled haphazardly in her mother’s merciless grip. With such futile efforts, her hands scraped the smooth floor in vain.
– Come out! Take this demon away from me!
Her mother, without catching her breath, shouted loudly into the void. In the vast space, her mother’s scream echoed, intertwined with the organ sound like a whirlwind, making it impossible to understand what she was saying. Arsena covered her ears.
Soon after, priests in white robes rushed over to restrain her mother. Despite being held back, her mother struggled and continued her cursed words. Arsena was too preoccupied with suppressing the rising nausea to focus on anything.
– Everyone, step back. It seems she has something to say to me.
With an oppressive tone that closely resembled the temple, the chief priest appeared, and only then did Arsena’s mother stop her beastly wailing. Arsena, still ignored, turned her gaze to the chief priest. Somehow, the two seemed familiar with each other.
The insane woman of the village and the sacred guardian of the temple.
Unable to comprehend this strange relationship, Arsena remained in silence. After the priests left, the chief priest’s gaze, veiled in golden cloth, focused on Arsena. It was an unbearable look of disdain as if seeing something filthy. As his eyes bore into her, the deeply carved wrinkles on his face trembled violently.
– This child.
The eyes of a servant of the divine, supposed to be merciful to everyone, were chillingly cold. It was a look of unbearable contempt as if witnessing something dirty. The gaze of the chief priest, wrapped in golden cloth and staring down at Arsena, was as cold as the air on a winter night. His words broke the suffocating silence.
– It labored.
With that one sentence, breaking the stifling silence, her mother, still swaying, turned towards the chief priest. As the chief priest placed his hand on her mother’s head and began to whisper something, her mother embraced him and started sobbing. Every sound echoed in the vast space, mingling with the dampness like a thick mist. The inexplicable nausea surged. Arsena, struggling, left the temple with all her might, running into the only place she could go to—the dark forest.
“Haah…”
In the dark, shadowy forest, it felt as if the air was finally clearing when she climbed onto a tree branch. People feared the black forest, calling it the land of demons, but not Arsena. It was her only sanctuary. A night shrouded in darkness, even without the moon. In the heart of the shadowy forest, she found solace, crouching down with a sense of relief when the oppressive silence settled in. Here, she believed no one could harm her. Foolishly, she believed it until an unwelcome guest arrived.
“What are you thinking?”
Suddenly, a man’s voice echoed, making Arsena startle, and her body swayed dramatically. Reaching out into the void proved futile. The unbalanced little body helplessly plummeted to the ground.
Who was that?
It couldn’t be a villager. There was no way that people who would spit at it and say that it was bad luck just to look at it would enter the black forest.
Arsena’s eyes, a mix of curiosity and fear, cautiously focused on the man. In the swallowed darkness of the forest, his silver hair emitted an eerie light. His face was so transparent it was almost creepy, and he stood in the middle of the forest wearing a long, untarnished white robe. The man exuded an aura as if he were the owner of the forest.
Enthralled, Arsena gazed at him as if he were a breathtaking sight. At the same time, she felt fear in the darkness of the lightless night, in his dazzling radiance akin to sunlight, and in his persistently approaching red gaze. It felt as if that gaze would pierce her heart.
“You should answer.”
“Ugh.”
A moan of pain escaped Arsena’s lips like a breath. She wasn’t hurt when she fell. It was the man who had approached her and stomped on her wrist. The heavy footprint was hot as if on fire.
The spot where he stepped on felt unnaturally hot as if it were on fire.
As Arsena remained silent, the man’s weight pressed down more heavily on her wrist, urging her to respond.
What’s on your mind?
In the dark night, in a cursed land where no one would search, she had come of her own accord and hidden herself. To escape her mother who called her a devil and dragged her to the temple. She thought it was really over now. It had to be over now, she kept telling herself, what she was thinking after all that misery. It was a thing she couldn’t say to anyone.
“I, I didn’t think of anything… really.”
As Arsena stumbled weakly like a dying bird, the man slowly lifted his foot. He walked away at a speed neither fast nor slow, as if paying no attention to her pain. Then, he casually sat down, raised his knees, and lowered his head to meet her gaze.
“No use wracking your brain. Your fate is already decided.”
