Chapter 36: The Saintess on the Corpse (8)

On the scattered papers was written the story of the saint two generations ago, Aurora.

– Regarding the Divine Power Manifestation of Saint Aurora –

Divine Power 
A rare phenomenon that occurs in children between the ages of 10 and 15, where extreme rejection of magic turns into power.

As time passes, the body adapts to magic, and the opportunity to gain divine power disappears.

If intense physical and emotional pain is inflicted on children who reject magic, their defense mechanisms are pushed to the limit.

In response, divine power, which emits golden healing light, begins to form.

Conditions for extreme divine power manifestation:

– Witnessing the torture of someone they deeply care about. It is theorized that intense emotional pain amplifies divine power. During the torture of a loved one, Aurora’s divine power amplification was confirmed.

– Death of a loved one. As if to confirm that humans are creatures of regret, it was confirmed that true divine power emerged after the death of someone close to her.

– These conditions were directly tested on 15-year-old Aurora. As a result of these events, Aurora suffered severe mental trauma, losing her speech and intellectual abilities.

– Afterwards, she was managed under Pope XXX’s supervision…

This was the story of the previous saint, Aurora.

After her coronation ceremony, she never showed herself in public again, to the extent that rumors spread saying she was imprisoned in the Grand Cathedral. She was a saint surrounded by secrets.

“Charlotte, come with me for a moment.”

Philip called Charlotte from outside the door and gestured for her to follow. She began walking down the corridor after him.

“You were close with Serxia, right? Do you have any idea where she might have gone?”

Charlotte recalled her last conversation with Serxia—her tearful warning to be careful of Philip.

“…I don’t know.”

There was no need to bring up how scared Serxia had been of Philip.

“I see… there’s nothing we can do then.”

Philip’s expression wasn’t one of concern. He looked more annoyed than anything.

“But… where are we going?”

Philip didn’t answer. Only the sound of their footsteps echoed down the quiet hallway.

“Father…?”

Philip’s face looked grim. Like he wanted to say something but couldn’t. They entered a small room next to a prayer hall.

“Father?”

“I’m sorry.”

Thud. Something blunt struck the back of Charlotte’s neck. She had no time to react. Her eyes closed.

Her head throbbed in pain.

When she woke up, she found her hands and feet shackled. A musty smell of mold and the stench of burning metal filled the air.

“You’re awake.”

Turning her head with difficulty, she saw Cardinal Demian standing beside her, wearing white priest robes.

Charlotte couldn’t understand what was happening. There were no windows in the dark room. The only sound came from a small crackling fire.

“…Cardinal…?”

“There’s no time. Begin.”

Ignoring her, Demian ordered a priest whose face was covered by a cloth with holes only for the eyes.

The priest left and returned with another saint candidate—Vanessa.

Vanessa, quiet as ever, calmly observed the scene. She saw Charlotte tied up, the cardinal standing nearby, and the white-robed, cloth-covered figure who had dragged her in.

It didn’t matter that his face was hidden—Charlotte could tell it was Philip from his eyes.

Maybe he was ashamed of what he was about to do—that’s why he covered his face.

Even though his expression was hidden, his fear was clear.

Vanessa also realized something was wrong and began to tremble slightly.

“Listen carefully, Charlotte—or rather…”

The cardinal began to speak.

“Saint Charlotte, only you can save us.”

What was he talking about?

As he spoke, Philip began tying Vanessa to a chair.

Her heart went cold.

Charlotte understood. She knew what was about to happen.

The heated iron rods in the fire started to spark and glow.

“Wait, don’t do this! Cardinal! Father, please don’t do this!”

She pleaded desperately, begging them to stop. She could already tell what was coming.

Philip picked up a red-hot iron and moved it toward Vanessa’s face. Vanessa looked at Charlotte with tearful eyes.

“Stop! Please stop! Why are you doing this?!”

“Begin.”

After that, Charlotte’s memory was vague.

She screamed with Vanessa. Vanessa begged for her life, crying.

But Philip didn’t stop.

He burned her, branded her, and tortured her in every way imaginable.

How could a human do such things? Even the criminals from the slums wouldn’t go this far.

Charlotte screamed like someone who had lost her mind.

She screamed Vanessa’s name until her throat was raw, her yellow eyes wide with horror and emptiness.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, please stop. Don’t hurt Vanessa. Please, stop…”

She screamed so much she nearly passed out. Her vision blurred.

Eventually, Vanessa stopped crying.

She stopped moving.

“Vanessa..!

Vanessa—quiet, kind Vanessa. The friend who always reconciled after fighting with Serena. Her smiling face flashed through Charlotte’s mind.

“VANESSA!

“You killed her,” the cardinal said.

He said I killed her.

Why would he say that? Philip did it.

No—it was you.

“If you had divine power, you could’ve saved her.”

What did they want from her? What was this divine power they kept demanding?

Her screams of hatred turned into helpless wailing.

As the torture continued and Charlotte had no tears left to shed, Philip brought in Ray—his face covered.

“No… no!! Don’t do this!! Philip!! Ray!! RAY!!!”

Charlotte screamed in her hoarse voice for Ray to run. To escape.

She shook her shackled limbs violently. Her skin tore, blood dripped.

“Hopefully this time it will work.”

She thrashed until her wrists bled, but the cold shackles didn’t release her.

“Please, I beg you! Do it to me instead! Please!! Ray!! RAY!!”

The wooden chair creaked as it was bound.

Ray looked at her with calm eyes and mouthed, It’s okay.

He smiled.

As if to say, Don’t worry. It’s okay.

What was okay about this? Why did he always pretend to be okay?

Ray didn’t even scream. He just flinched as the hot iron burned him.

Charlotte rocked her chair wildly to get to him.

Break. Break. BREAK!!

A golden light flickered in Charlotte’s hands.

“Yes… just a bit more!”

The cardinal grinned at the sight.

Eventually, the chair broke. She ran to Ray, ignoring the chains on her legs. Philip didn’t stop her.

I’m sorry. I don’t know why they’re doing this to me.

I wish I could take your pain instead.

Charlotte tripped over her shackles and fell to the ground.

She crawled with bound hands and feet to the chair Ray was tied to.

She had to save him. She had to heal him. Surely someone in the cathedral could.

She glared at Philip in desperation, but he didn’t move.

“Charlotte…”

Ray’s broken voice barely got the words out.

Charlotte gently touched Ray’s face with her cuffed hand. His hollow eyes met hers.

“RAY!!!”

He couldn’t answer properly.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air. His hands clutched the chair so hard that his fingernails had cracked and bled.

“Charlotte… are you okay…?”

Charlotte, holding his hand, nodded with trembling lips.

“You idiot… You’re the one who’s hurt more…”

She frantically searched for the key to the cuffs, but Philip’s waist felt far away.

“Unlock him! Please!!”

Philip hesitated, then lowered his head. Finally, he unlocked Ray’s cuffs.

“Charlotte…”

His parched voice called her. She tightly held his frail hands.

She could feel his strength fading.

“Why did you fall…”

Ray whispered.

“You’ll get hurt… don’t get hurt…”

His voice sounded like he was fading.

“I’ll get a doctor… I’ll bring one, I promise… There has to be someone in the cathedral…”

Ray’s condition was clearly serious.

But she had to believe she could save him.

“I’m fine…”

He finally smiled at her.

“Charlotte… let’s go say sorry to Ariana…”

Ray slowly, very slowly, exhaled.

Charlotte’s face froze.

“Ray.”

She shook his body.

No breath.

She leaned to his chest.

No heartbeat.

“RAY!!”

She shook his shoulders.

All she could do was shake him and pray he’d wake up.

A loud noise rang from outside. The door burst open, and armored adults rushed in.

The last to enter was the old man who had once taken them in—Cardinal Theodore.

“Demian!! How could you?!”

Charlotte stared blankly at Theodore.

He didn’t say anything. He only looked at her and the limp Ray in her arms.

Charlotte looked down at Ray.

Ray… don’t do this.

We promised never to abandon each other.

How could you leave me first?

We said we’d leave together in spring.

Please… don’t leave me.

Theodore ran forward and cast healing magic on Ray.

But Ray never opened his eyes again.

The old man, shaking with fury, turned to Cardinal Demian.

“I told you I would find another way!!”

Charlotte didn’t hear. She didn’t want to hear anymore.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

I don’t know what to do.

I don’t know what they want from me.

They’re not the kind people I thought they were.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

Ray…

If I really had divine power,

Would I have been able to save you?

“This is my fault… it’s all my fault…”

If only I had listened to Ray…

If only I hadn’t come to the orphanage…

“If I hadn’t brought us here… I killed Ray…”

Charlotte murmured into the air.

“Charlotte! Get a hold of yourself!”

Theodore shook her by the shoulders.

“It’s not your fault!! You didn’t do anything wrong! Please, think of Ariana! Don’t leave her behind!!”

Ariana.

The thought of telling Ariana that Ray was dead—

It felt like her heart was being torn apart.

She imagined Ariana crying.

Charlotte could no longer think straight.

She accepted that Ray was gone.

Theodore stood up and shouted to the guards.

“Arrest Father Philip and Cardinal Demian! Drag them to the dungeon now! They must pay for killing these children!”

Then he approached Charlotte.

“Give him back…”

Charlotte’s voice cracked as she held Ray’s cold body.

When Demian, handcuffed, tried to leave—

“Give him back! GIVE HIM BACK!!!”

Charlotte grabbed the hem of his robe and screamed.

“Charlotte!”

Theodore tried to calm her down.

But Charlotte screamed like she had gone mad.

“Give him back! Give Ray back!! Give me my family!!”

All the adults froze and stared at her.

“What do you want from me?! What is it you want?! I’ll give you anything! Just give him back! Give Ray back!!!”

She clawed at the floor with her nails until they bled.

The adults recoiled in shock at her maddened scream.

“Give him back!! RAY!!

In the small torture room, Charlotte’s scream of grief echoed.

She screamed until her throat tore. Scratched until her nails peeled away. She wasn’t in her right mind.

After her mad screaming ended, Charlotte knelt on the floor sobbing.

“I’ll do it! I’ll do anything! Please! Please save Ray!!”

Cardinal Demian, unflinching, simply looked down at her.

“I’ll be the saint. I’ll use divine power. I’ll do anything. Please let me try!”

One of the armored men restraining Demian clenched his bloody fist.

But Demian remained expressionless.

“I’m sorry! I’ll do well! Please! Save Ray!!

The adults couldn’t watch any longer and restrained Charlotte.

Insane with grief, she crawled toward Demian, flinging broken nails, blood, and tears everywhere.

“BRING HIM BACK!

All the adults could do was hold her down.

Demian was dragged away. Charlotte’s cries grew even more desperate.

Her screams and sobs—

At last, golden light—once only flickering—began to shine from Charlotte’s body.

Divine power born of grief and despair.

And Cardinal Demian, now blind to everything else, simply smiled.