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As if awakening from a nightmare, I straighten into a half seated position.

“You’re awake. Good!” a chirpy voice I don’t recognize says. I look to my side, my expression still in that squinty, befuddled expression most people have when they first awaken. It’s the new Holy Priestess, seated in a humble wooden chair beside me. She is the only person in the room with me.

“I... I-What is this? What happened?” I’m so perplexed and confused. I had indeed planned to faint, but that was real. The moment I had met a pair of stunning, sky blue eyes something had happened and my brain logged out of the real world.

The Holy Priestess looks unconcerned, fluffing her afro puffs with a nonchalant expression.

“You fainted after you made eye contact with me. As it would turn out, you have Holy Power within you in a capacity no one has ever seen,” she said casually as if we were discussing the weather.

I rub my eyes and take a glance out the window, relieved to see that the sun has hardly moved since the last time I saw it. But the words finally register and I stare at the Holy Priestess in shock, nearly breaking my neck from the whiplash.

“Wait, what?” I stare hard at the last pair of eyes I saw before I actually fainted, the Holy Priestess’ face a calm opposite of my own.

.....

“You are the promised child, Winter,” she says.

I shake my head, wondering if I’m hallucinating.

“And no, this is not a dream. We are both in an empty bedroom within the lower levels of the Grand Temple,” the Holy Priestess adds.

“Are you-?”

“No, I cannot read your thoughts,” she finishes smoothly.

I chuckle softly despite the strange circumstances. “You’re good.”

“I try to be,” she answers with a grin, suddenly looking very much like the middle school aged child she is.

I let out a loud, long sigh. “So... can you tell me what has happened?” I inquire, eager to fill the gaping hole of knowledge.

As far as I know, I don’t have any preexisting health conditions, but considering how I’ve woken up to the second most powerful figure sitting beside me, I can feel that there is more at play here.

“To put it frankly, you are the promised child. You are the beacon, the symbol of hope for the empire, and Helio’s physical promise to all of us that he is still among mankind,” the Holy Priestess says. “Would you like some water?”

“Yes, that would be great, your Holiness. Should I call you your Holiness? Ok, I just will.” I answer quickly. “But wait, isn’t that more what your role is about? And um... maybe this isn’t common knowledge, but the oracle declaring the child born to the imperial family 8 years ago... it’s.... a fake.”

My last words slip out in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Hmmm?” the Holy Priestess shifts in her robes with a perplexed expression.

I wonder how to delicately communicate what I know from the story without coming across like I know all the Holy Church’s secrets.

“Er, yes. Apparently, the oracle was fake-”

“Oh no,” the Holy Priestess interrupts with a cheery laugh. “Oracles can’t be faked.”

She looks so confident that it slightly throws me off what I want to say. However, I know for a fact from the webnovel that the empress arranged for some higher-ranking clerics in the Holy Church to stage a realistic oracle. Oracles are visions sent directly from Helio that only the Holy Priest can receive and are treated and respected as words straight from the god’s mouth.

“But your Holiness, I heard,” I look left and right before leaning in, “I heard that my m-mother in the year that she was pregnant with my sister made certain arrangements with people in the Holy Church to somehow get the Holy Priest to fake an oracle claiming that a child born to the imperial family that very year was the promised child.”

“Oracles are impossible to fake,” the Holy Priestess said with a casual shrug. I still can’t wrap my head around this kid being the highest-ranking priest in the entire land. “I would know, I’m the Holy Priestess.”

“What? So what does that mean?” I rub my head in confusion, feeling the beginning of a headache coming in.

“It means that Helio’s motives and actions can sometimes align with those of us mortals. And thus, the fake oracle indeed became real,” the Holy Priestess replies.

I stare at her with a dazed expression. “Your eyes...” I slip out before I can stop my mouth.

“The color is startling, is it not? Helio saw fit to give me his great vision and unsurpassable wisdom, but as a result, I have lost my own,” she replies calmly.

The words take a minute to sink in, before my eyes widen. She was blind?

“Oh wow, I’m so sorry! That was so untactful and rude of me to mention it like that,” I blubber out, a wave of guilt washing over me.

It was no wonder she had reminded me of blue-eyed white cats, which are more prone to blindness.

“It is no matter, I’ve been unable to see since Helio first spoke to me about two years ago. I’ve long become accustomed to this and can now ‘see’ in many other ways,” the Holy Priestess replied.

Thinking back to how she was able to predict what my thoughts and next words were with ease just moments ago, I believe her words.

“You know, your Holiness” I still bumble out, “You’re very beautiful. Incredibly stunning. You could be a supermodel when you grow up.”

Her eyes crinkle into adorable folds when she laughs and I feel slightly better for my gaffe.

“Oh,” she says as her laughs die down and she wipes tears from her eyes, “But what is a supermodel? Some kind of toy?”

As my mind conjures an image of a toy model building set, this time I have a good laugh.

“No, no, no! It’s... a beautiful woman. A woman who is so admired for her beauty that her pictures can be found everywhere,” I explain quickly.

“Fascinating,” the Holy Priestess says lightly, “But I must serve as a Holy Priestess until I die, so I will not have a chance to try out this other role.”

I think back to how the old Holy Priest was reportedly an ancient, withering man and feel the sudden levity of the mood dampened by reality. The weight of being the promised child that I had longed for sits heavily on my shoulders. But unlike the fake title I had sought for protection, it turns out to be very real and very frightening.

“Why did I faint after we locked eyes?” I ask solemnly, remembering how her blue gaze had burnt mine before I’d blacked out. I look at them now, admiring how the cerulean contrasts with her warm brown skin. But I feel none of the same, strange sensations.

“Like calls to like,” the Holy Priestess sighs, standing up from her chair in one fluid motion. “We are both vessels of Holy Power, however as yours was untapped and unawakened, meeting my eyes kickstarted the process within you. You can see it, don’t you?”

“See what?”

“The magic. When it is performed on or near you,” the Holy Priestess said, looking at me intently.

“No I can’t-,” I stop midsentence when I think back to the strange sights and music I heard when I was getting tested as a member of the imperial family and the way I could see the imperial physician check my health with his magic. “Oh, you’re right! I can! How come I didn’t connect the dots?”

“Connect the dots?” she asked.

“Erm, make the connections,” I quickly explain. I need to be more mindful of my usage of modern lingo.

“You are a very funny girl,” the Holy Priestess said with a smile. “I propose we be friends.”

“Friends? Heck, ya,” I blurt out. “Ahem, I mean... that would be my great honor, your Holiness.”

I finish with a mock bow and grin at her sheepishly. “But if we’re going to be friends, I can’t call you your Holiness all the time, it’s a bit of a mouthful.”

“I’m Aria.”

“Winter, at your service.”

I shakily stand up from the bed, surprised by how weak I suddenly feel. Aria catches me before I stumble to my knees.

“Thanks,” I murmur to the older girl, my heart feeling warm.

I manage to walk on my own, my legs feeling like pins and needles as we emerge from a dark hallway and a long set of stairs to the same altar as before. My whole ‘family’ waits with expressions ranging from annoyance to contemplation. I can tell from the pillows on the floor that they have already finished the prayers necessary for the Blessing Rites.

“Winter!” Empress Katya suddenly exclaims as if she was extremely concerned for my wellbeing.

Just hearing her say my name makes me wince. She approaches from where she sat beside Julia to pull me away from Aria’s side and hug me, her expensive floral perfume filling my nose and making me want to sneeze.

The hug is tight, a little too tight. But her acting is impeccable. If I didn’t know what kind of person she was, I would not know that the empress is fuming, raging mad.

“Didn’t I tell you to be careful before we left? And now you’ve fainted!” she coos with concern, caressing my cheek. Her hands are warm and comforting, but send a tremor of intense fear down my spine that I cannot control. The empress’ subtle warning did not escape me and my adult ears although she very much appears to be a loving mother towards me. She worries about my supposed illness, but Katya doesn’t acknowledge the diagnosis: myself being the promised child.

“I’m sorry, mother” I answer contritely, “It was never my intention.”

I cough weakly as if I’m really not feeling well so I can escape and sit on a pew far away from her and Julia. Settling down, I can see that the expansive hall has attained a few more guests, high ranking clerics, priests with important roles within the Holy Church who travel to other locations on occasion to give blessings and hold mass in addition to under the table dealings. Their solemn faces match the somber mood within the room instead of the jubilation that should’ve occurred if it were Julia instead who was declared the promised child.

“Holy Priestess,” a wily one starts seriously, “Is it truly... the Holy Power?”

The undertone couldn’t be more obvious, almost as if he wants her to deny something. But Aria must no doubt detect this as well and nods seriously as she stands behind the altar and subtly reminds everyone in the room who she is. At the Grand Temple, only the Holy Priestess is qualified to stand behind the altar no matter the reason. Even the cleaners must use long-handled brushes and mops to clean it.

“There is no doubt. She has reacted to the Holy Power within me and fainted. Princess Winter is indeed the promised child from my predecessor’s oracle.” There is no pomp or baritone in her voice, but one cannot argue with the sweeping presence Aria has.

One cleric looks laughably ill, loosening the color of his silk black robe and another looks as if he has much more to say. But finally, a brave soul does speak out once more.

“It couldn’t be a... mistake by any chance, would it, your Holiness?”

“Are you doubting the oracle of my predecessor? Are you questioning the words of Helio, even as an important figure within the Holy Church? I will have you know as you are all esteemed company, oracles are impossible to fake on pain of death by a thousand lightning bolts for maligning Helio’s word,” Aria says, her voice not wavering in the slightest as she delivers a death blow to any plans to delegitimize me.

The cleric who tested me years before approaches the altar slowly and makes a show of bowing to the Holy Priestess. “Your Holiness, discovering another party capable of wielding the Holy Power is indeed a cause for celebration. But perhaps, would you consider allowing us to block this information from the masses? As this discovery was so unexpected, we will require time to study old records of the role of a promised child within the Church. Debuting her now will lead to confusion and discontent amongst the people.”

I smirk to myself, my head tilted downwards where no one can see. As expected, these people are quite good at twisting things to their agenda. But I remember the last thing Aria murmured to me before we emerged out of the hall, a few words that had instilled a hope I had hardly dared to dream of.

“I can see it. The thread binding you to this world. It’s a beautiful gold color and the only thing I can still see with these eyes.”

I pinch myself to keep from laughing inappropriately. No matter what happens, my worst enemy, Peppermint, can no longer play with me at will.