Cycle of Destiny

Chapter 66 The Holy Banner Falls, Disaster Is Imminent!

She put down her wine glass, her gaze drifting into the void, returning to that decisive moment:

"At that time, the brand-new Holy Light Cathedral had just been completed. The old cathedral could no longer match the church's rising status and glory. To celebrate the completion of the new cathedral, we held an extremely grand ceremony attended by the empire's top nobles and all high-ranking clergy."

"During the ceremony, a newly elected cardinal needed to be formally confirmed. Therefore, a 'bearing of the holy banner' was arranged in the process. You know, the holy banner is the supreme symbol of faith and leadership authority. My personal bestowal of it upon him signifies that the highest levels of the Church are formally entrusting some core responsibilities to this bishop. This is simply a ceremonial step, so simple that... it's almost impossible for anything to go wrong."

"But, ironically, at this crucial, foolproof step, an accident occurred." The goddess's voice suddenly turned icy, her breathing became slightly rapid, and her fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the armrest. "When I handed him the holy banner... for some reason, the newly appointed cardinal didn't catch it."

She paused, and the study fell into a deathly silence.

"The holy flag... fell to the ground."

As she uttered those words, the goddess's body trembled uncontrollably.

She grabbed the wine glass and downed the rest of the white wine in one gulp, as if trying to extinguish the chill that surged up from the depths of her memory with the cold liquid.

"At that moment, the entire scene... was deathly silent." She put down her empty glass, her face pale. "Many people's faces drained of color instantly. Because everyone knew that ancient and ominous meaning—"

Her gaze was fixed on Harry's face, each word spoken slowly and deliberately, as if carrying the weight of a thousand pounds:

"The holy banner has fallen; calamity is imminent."

The goddess took a deep breath, as if trying to force the cold air brought by the memory into her lungs.

"Shortly after the Holy Banner fell," she said, her voice lowered, each word seemingly squeezed out between her teeth, "Alexander... found me. He met with me alone under the guise of thanking me for what happened to Cavill. Just when I thought it was just a routine courtesy visit, he uttered that... prophecy that still sends chills down my spine to this day."

She paused for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts or gathering her courage once more.

"He said that on Hanukkah that year—the most sacred day commemorating the founding of the Church of Light—a demon would descend. And its goal was clear: to steal a gift that the goddess had once given me..."

Harry involuntarily held his breath. He tried to make his face reflect the expression the goddess expected—a look of shock and fear.

How could a duke of commoner origin, despite his illustrious military achievements, possibly foresee the arrival of a demon and its specific target? That's incredibly strange.

The goddess stared intently at Harry's face, seemingly drawing strength from the terror on his face to continue her story.

"I believed him. Or rather, the situation at the time forced me to believe him. The shadow of the fallen Holy Banner loomed over everyone, and any ominous sign was magnified. I secretly informed His Holiness the Pope of this prophecy."

She picked up the wine glass and found it was empty; her fingers unconsciously rubbed the inside of the glass.

"So, on the surface, everything remained the same on Hanukkah that year. Hymns rang out, bells tolled, and the faces of believers and nobles were filled with the piety and joy of the festival. But in the shadows unseen by anyone, throughout the Cathedral of Holy Light and its core area... the Church had laid a trap. All the high-ranking combat clergy and the Church's most elite forces were hidden in the shadows, their nerves taut, waiting... or rather, praying that the prophecy would not come true."

Harry listened intently. Hanukkah—he certainly knew this day—the most important founding anniversary of the Church of Light, the empire's grandest religious celebration.

The goddess continued to describe the day that was destined to be changed: "Every year on Hanukkah, His Holiness the Pope, all the bishops, high-ranking clergy, and invited members of the royal family and representatives of the top noble families would gather at the shore of the Holy Light Lake in the Cathedral of Holy Light to hold an ancient and unique water prayer ceremony."

"All the prayer boats will be arranged on the lake, eventually forming two intersecting circles—the '∞' symbol, representing 'infinity' and 'eternity.' When all the boats precisely form the double circle in the center of the lake, the Pope's main boat will slowly sail into the center of the intersection of the two circles."

"At that moment, everyone on every ship, regardless of rank, stood facing the main ship. The prayer was initiated by His Holiness the Pope, and everyone responded in unison, the sound echoing across the lake—a testament to the power of faith."

She shifted her tone, mentioning the key point: "And there was a special arrangement to the ceremony that year. The bracelet that the goddess gave me—the target of the demon in Alexander's prophecy—was worn by my then-heir, a little girl known as the 'Hereditary of the Holy Light.' She was on the main ship. Alexander and I... we stood on either side of the Hereditary. Ostensibly, we were there to protect her, but in reality, our true duty was to protect the bracelet and be ready to deal with the prophesied attack at any time."

Harry could sense the tension on the main ship. On the surface, they were sacred guardians, but in reality, they were hunters lying in ambush. Beneath the sunlight, the lake, and the hymns lay an atmosphere of extreme tension and waiting.

"Then, just as His Holiness the Pope began to pray, and the holy hymns had just begun to ripple across the lake... something unexpected happened. Alexander's prophecy... came true without the slightest error."

The air in the study seemed to freeze. The light from the oil lamp seemed to flicker, dancing on the goddess's pale face.

"It was noon, the time when the sun was at its strongest. But without warning, thick, dark clouds surged up over Lake Holy Light, instantly obscuring the sun! The world was plunged into darkness, as if midnight had fallen prematurely. Then, a fierce wind arose without reason, and the calm lake surface instantly turned into raging waves! Many prayer boats capsized in the sudden storm, and the sounds of breaking wood, the screams and cries of those who fell into the water, and the piercing screams of noblewomen... instantly replaced the hymns and filled the entire space!"

"Fortunately," the goddess breathed a slight sigh of relief, "the Pope himself is on our main ship. He exudes a powerful divine energy that stabilized the ship, preserving a small, relatively safe area for us in the chaotic middle of the lake. But everyone's attention has shifted away from prayer."

"Amidst this chaos and despair... it appeared. A crack opened in the dark clouds, and the demon... descended. Its form was indescribable, filled with an aura of blasphemy and chaos. His Holiness the Pope did not hesitate for a moment, immediately taking action to meet it!"

The goddess's breathing became somewhat heavy, as if the aftershocks of the battle still affected her.

"A battle beyond the comprehension of mortals unfolded above the Lake of Holy Light. Light clashed with darkness, and sacred chants intertwined with the roars of demons. In the end... His Holiness the Pope, relying on the power of supreme faith, severely wounded and repelled the demon. But just as it was about to be completely purified, it broke free in a bizarre way, transforming into a wisp of black smoke and disappearing into the depths of the dark clouds, escaping."

She fell silent at this point, her face devoid of any triumphant joy.

"It wasn't until the demon fled, the dark clouds over the lake began to dissipate, the gale gradually subsided, and the terrified people began to rescue those who had fallen into the water... that Alexander and I realized a fact almost simultaneously."

She slowly turned her head and looked at Harry again, her eyes filled with helplessness and lingering fear.

"The adopted daughter... her wrist was bare. The bracelet bestowed by the goddess... vanished without a trace right before our eyes, amidst the chaos and glare of that earth-shattering battle. The demon was repelled, but its purpose... was achieved."

At this point, the goddess's voice choked with emotion, and her long-suppressed feelings finally broke free.

The goddess suddenly covered her face, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably, and low sobs escaped from between her fingers. These were no longer the tears shed earlier as a prelude, but genuine sorrow and helplessness from the depths of her soul.

Just as Harry was caught off guard by this sudden breakdown and was wondering how to comfort her—

Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a glaring crimson color appearing without warning at the edge of the dim light in the study.

Harry held his breath instantly, his heart clenching as if gripped by an icy hand. The necklace around his neck seemed to be burning slightly.

It's her! Bella in the red robe!

She hovered silently in the air diagonally in front of Harry, positioned precisely between Harry and the goddess.

Her blood-red eyes were not looking at Harry, but were fixed on the goddess who was weeping with her face covered.

Harry's entire body stiffened. He dared not breathe, and dared not even move his eyes too obviously, only able to follow the red figure in terror out of the corner of his eye.

How did she end up here? Does the goddess know? Can she see her?

Bella in her red robes began to move, slowly and ethereally approaching the goddess.

Harry felt a cold sweat instantly soak his back. What was she planning to do?

She floated to the goddess's side, stopping just a fist's distance from her face. She hovered there, head slightly tilted, as if examining an interesting object, her blood-red eyes devoid of warmth.

During this process, Harry was so nervous he could hardly breathe. He clenched his teeth tightly, afraid that he would make the slightest sound and disturb the goddess, his gaze frantically shifting between the goddess and Bella in her red robes.

To his utter bewilderment and unease, the goddess seemed completely unaware that this powerful and eerie spirit was floating before her, weeping. She remained lost in her grief, oblivious to the "observer" so close at hand.

This is too bizarre. Bella in the red robes has such a strong presence; Harry can clearly feel the inhuman oppression she brings, but the goddess…

This powerful goddess showed absolutely no reaction?

The goddess cried for a long time before slowly stopping her sobs. With trembling hands, she picked up the black handkerchief again and wiped the tears from her face.

"The fate of this poor bracelet... is like a lone boat sailing alone on a stormy night, surrounded by boundless loneliness and darkness. Every time I think of it falling into the hands of a demon, I feel heart-wrenching pain. My heart... misses it and calls out for it every moment."

She raised her teary eyes, staring blankly ahead, as if she could see the bracelet she had imagined, a bracelet that had been adrift in the distance.

"In those most desperate moments, I felt like I had become a small boat that had lost its way, unable to find a harbor or see a lighthouse. It was as if only by immersing myself in this pain of drifting and being adrift could I feel that it had never truly left me... Only by feeling the same torment could my guilt and longing be sadly relieved."

Her voice grew softer and softer, like a murmur in her sleep: "Whenever I am completely overwhelmed by this helplessness, I can do nothing but pray to the goddess. Only prayer can bring back a sliver of hope and a brief moment of peace, like sleep finally falling on the face of a crying baby... 'Darkness will surely dissipate, and we will surely be saved'—only unwavering love and faith in the goddess can sustain me in the face of such suffering, preventing me from completely collapsing."

She took a deep breath, as if drawing strength from prayer, and her tone became slightly firmer, but tears still streamed down her face:

"Under the goddess's protection and guidance, I firmly believe... I will eventually free it from the demon's clutches, and it will surely return to my side. It will..."

The goddess's excited and religiously charged whispered plea was like a continuous, rushing stream in a deep mountain valley, sorrowful yet persistent.

Her tears were like a sudden summer downpour in the province of Orion, coming without warning, surging and turbulent.

All of this left Harry feeling extremely embarrassed, unsure how to deal with this undisguised and unrestrained outpouring of emotions.

At the same time, a strange feeling arose in his heart: was the goddess, who was of a high status and should be rational and restrained, too emotionally invested in a lost bracelet?