n

n

n

"Oh, Sofia...you brought someone.

"

nThat man with the pure white with the color gold on the edge of the clothes, his smile was warm and his soul was so dazzling in my eyes as if it was the newborn baby's soul. His soul was so bright.

n

"Yes, priest. She's my best friend from my hometown.

" Sofia told the priest.

n

"...I see.

" he paused for a while and smiled at me from a distance, I wasn't hesitant to approach him and bowed to him with a smile because I knew he was a person I could trust just like Sofia.

n

"This is your first time in the capital, correct?

" the priest with his long white hair laid down smiling with his soft eyes almost closed at me.

n

"Yes. I come here for a job.

"

n

"Then you come to the right place, thank you Sofia for bringing your friend here.

"

n

"Yes, my lord.

"

n

"Miss, it's going to be difficult for you since we need some people to climb the mountain up there for cleaning the fountain...

"

nHe pointed at the peak of the mountain, there was thousands of stair and a white structure on top of it.

n

"I can do it.

" I said in determination to him because what I needed the most at that moment was money, I had to get my mother treated.

n

"Since this is the first day of you two, why don't I take you on a tour of the place up there.

" I gulped seeing the high mountain I had to climb, I could imagine myself collapsing already.

n

"Don't worry, Irene. I can carry you up there if you're tired.

"

n

"Thank you, Sofia.

" I smiled at Sofia who was climbing the stair alongside me behind the priest's back. The sky after the sun was set became dark, the moon was covered by the misty cloud as we climbed higher and higher.

nIt was windy up there, I could hear the sound of nature, it was refreshing and relieved some of my fatigue after climbing all the way.

n

nAs Irene, Sofia followed the priest climbing on the stair leading to the church up in the mountain. Marinette stood on the rose petal Herod created along with Aurora.

nThey stood before the moon up in the cloud watching three people in their eyes climbing the stairs while Herod was sleeping after overusing his magic all day.

n

"How did you know she is here, Aurora??

"

n

"It's a guess.

" Aurora was expressionless as she replied, she put her hair behind her ear as she replied to Marinette.

n

"That priest...I heard he's been working for years.

"

n

"I really wonder...where all the money of the charity goes to...was it going into the development of the church or...the pocket of someone???

"

n

"Who knows, seeing the luxury that priest is wearing, it might be the latter.

" Marinette smirked as she walked back to wake Herod up to take them to the peak of the mountain first.

nThey landed behind one big tree at the center of the top of the mountain. Aurora walked sneakily to get inside the church while Marinette was immediately paused when they were already up in the mountain.

nWhen Aurora realized she came in alone, she immediately rushed back to where Marinette was.

nShe was surprised when she saw Marinette trembling, her eyes were wide as she was staring at something.

n

"Why aren't you coming??

" Aurora asked, even Herod behind her tried to shake her but she didn't give any of their response and kept staring into the air with no one standing.

nThat was for the eyes of Aurora and Herod while Marinette's eyes saw something completely unbelievable and heard all the crying and begging as she came to that place.

n

"Please...save me...

"

n

"Don't kill me...

"

n

"I want to live...I want to live...please...please don't...

"

n

"Kill...kill...

"

n

"Spare me...please spare me...

"

nThe dark aura overwhelmed Marinette till the point she started to cry seeing the people's souls begging for her to save their lives.

nThey went on their knees begging with their hands stained with blood all over Marinette's feet, their faces were disfigured, she had no idea they were once a human. That was the first time she saw something like that for the first time in her life.

n

"Marinette, what's wrong??!

" Aurora rushed walking past all of those miserable souls, seeing Aurora doing that gave Marinett's chill to the spine.

n

"Don't you see--

" she hadn't finished her question yet, and when she saw the enormous soul with many weapons still attached to their heads, she stopped asking.

n

"My lady, let's go...

" Herod said to Marinette and tried to hold her hand to calm her down.

nShe gulped and took a step on the ground walking past all of those souls like she didn't see them but she was already on the verge of crying at that moment.

nShe kept herself calm saying she was alright but when the voice behind her said to her, she couldn't hold on any longer.

n

"Miss...I died...but my child, she's alive...so please...please take care of her...

" she turned her back quickly to that soul of the woman with the hole in her stomach and the cut on her neck, she shedding tears in front of Marinette as she was turning to ashes floating into the sky.

nShe clenched her hand tightly as she turned back from that, Aurora was worried about her seeing behaving so unusual but kept silent since Marinette wasn't the one who talked much about her problem.

n

"I heard this is the church where the empress was raised. There were many of the saintesses here who were married into the royal family.

" Aurora was saying the fact she knew from the novel.

n

"Aurora, what are you doing??

" Marinette cut her sentimental speech off as Aurora looked at the beautiful scenery of the church while hiding in the bush like a rat.

n

"Why aren't you hiding?? What if they come??

"

n

"We don't have to hide, everyone came here even at night. Just act normal.

" Marinette sighed frowning at Aurora and pushed the big door of the church and went inside.

n

"This church is a sacred place that was built here ever since the birth of the empire.

" Herod stared at the big statue of the goddess Anastaisa which was built inside the church for people to come and pray.

nLegend said your prayer will be heard since your words will reach the goddess up here since they were up in the tall mountain.

nMarinette and Aurora looked at the goddess indifferently since such things as prayers and wishes will never come true for them.

nBut still, Marinette put her hand together closing her eyes praying to the goddess, 'Please help Ji-hoon and Ye-Joon, that's all I asked even if I have to exchange everything.'

nShe finished praying and went to the seat in the last row following by Aurora and Herod.

nA few people stepped inside with the white uniform of the priest, they had the cape covering their faces as they walked behind the statue.

nOne of those people among the group, their similar blue eyes met with Marinette's who was looking at them walking.

nThat eye was shaking and that person flinched a little and walked hurriedly to the rest of the group. With the mask covering their face, Marinette couldn't see the full face of that person but somehow it reminded her of someone she already met in the world.

nLater on, the priest arrived with Irene and Sofia, he went on and on explaining all the structures of the building on top of the mountain.

nMarinette who was sitting on the side couldn't see them, but Aurora could so Aurora was the one who reported all of the movements of Irene while Herod was sleeping on Marinette's shoulder without a care.

n

"Aurora, about your strength...

"

n

"Yes??

"

n

"Can you lift the statue over there?

" she wasn't joking when she asked her that, Aurora looked at the statue and looked back at Marinette.

n

"I guess I could...but I might get into the prison if the statue was damaged.

"

n

"I was just asking.

" her corner of her lip lifted up as she said to calm Aurora down, she got up and walked over the chair at the row before her to the outside.

n

"Let's be the bad guys.

" Marinette took Aurora's hands approaching the people near the fountain.

n

"My lord, I heard the prayer here is really effective.

" the priest flinched when hearing the cold voice, but when he turned his back to Marinette. He thought he was wrong when he saw Marinette smiling sincerely with sparkling eyes and a scar under her right eye.

n

"Yes, miss. Your wishes will reach the goddess fast since we're up above the sky like this.

" while he answered, Irene went behind Sofia scared by Marinette's and Aurora's souls.

nIt was fortunate of her since Herod was still sleeping in the church, if she ever saw Herod's soul, she might collapse.

nAurora when she locked eyes with Irene's green emerald eyes, it kinda reminded her of a part in the novel...something about magic eyes.

nAnd when she realized what Irene could see from those eyes, she went behind Marinette's back.

n

"Sorry, my friend is a little shy. She came here to wish for a husband.

"

n

"What??

" Aurora pinched Marinette's back and asked her in a low voice.

n

"Ah...I see...maybe the goddess could help.

"

n

"Yes...and I also came here to wish.

" her voice lowered down and rose in the church's garden started to bloom as her energy started spreading all over the area.

n

"I wish there will be a new priest soon.

"

n

"Pardon??

"

nDeath Roses Magic: Roses Vine

n

"What're you doing??!!! Let the priest down!!!

" Marinette lifted the priest up in the sky intended to drop him off the mountain from that height.

nIrene shouted and went to stop Marinette, but she was stopped with just a finger of Aurora. Aurora glared at Irene making her stop shouting since she knew immediately from the strength she felt from Aurora. Nothing good came out of going against Aurora.

nIrene's friend when the situation became worse, even her friend seemed to be in danger in front of her eyes. She ghosted Irene and immediately ran into the church.

n

"Sofia...

" Irene tried to call Sofia back, but the church's door was slammed in front of Irene.

nA second later, her friend came out walking with her hand up outside. Irene's both pupils shook terribly seeing the darkest soul she had ever seen.

nShe vomited and collapsed on the ground when she saw Herod pointing the magic energy at Sofia's back as he walked out of the church with Sofia.

n

"You won't get away with this...

" the priest couldn't even tremble as the rose's vine tighten both of his arms, his bare feet were getting cold when he saw no sympathy in Marinette's eyes.

n

"Hm?? I gladly walk into the prison if you are really innocent.

" the grip of the rose's vine around the priest's body started to come loose, the priest started to slip, just a little more, he will fall from the top of the mountain.

n

"I don't know what's wrong but we can talk it out.

"

n

"Why talk?? It's not like a word can change a human's mind. I already set my mind to kill you.

"

n

"No...no please don't kill me...I'll give...give you money!!! Yes, I'll give you money.

" Marinette dropped that annoying guy off the mountain without hesitation and walked to Irene.

n

"You're evil!!! Don't come near me!!! God will punish you!!!

" Irene tried to get away from Marinette even when Marinette reached her hand out to help Irene.

n

"Then let's bet. That priest, is he good in your eyes??

" she asked purely like a kid with curiosity.

n

"At least he's better than all of you people...you murderers.

"

n

"Huh??

" Aurora rushed to Irene and grabbed her collar was going to slap her but Marinette stopped Aurora's strength with the death roses magic.

n

"Alright, I'm evil. But let's see what your good priest did.

" Marinette turned her head at Herod signaling him to do something, and he already guessed what Marinette meant, so he did it beforehand without her telling him.

nA second later,

nThe priest's robe was wet with his pee as the rose petal of Heros dropped him harshly on the ground.

nHis braid hair became loose, he looked really pathetic in Marinette's eyes.

n

"Your good, innocent, generous priest...when you walked up here...along the stairs ...do you know...how many bodies were buried up here??

"

nMarinette's voiced turned all the sobbing sounds of all the humans there to silent, the roses' vine started to come out of the ground and many bodies were up in the sky under the full moon.

nMarinette stared into Irene's soul showing the true color of the world she trusted, she believed.

n

"These...these are the human who was killed on this mountain!

" Marinette shouted and grabbed the priest's collar.

n

"...by this man!

"

nTo be continued....!

n