Chapter 65: The Church of Dawnfire Goddess
In the Capital City of Solvane Highlands, Highcrest, stood the headquarters and main base of the Holy Church of the Dawnfire Goddess.
Within one of its majestic cathedrals, which served as a beacon of hope and worship for humans, people came and went throughout the day to offer prayers to the Goddess.
By the time it was afternoon, the church had finally emptied of its believers.
The main hall was vast, silent, and illuminated only by golden light filtering through the stained glass that formed the walls. Flames flickered on floating candelabras, casting soft shadows on the white marble floor below.
A giant statue of the Dawnfire Goddess stood at the end of the sanctuary—her arms spread open, her eyes closed in serene divinity, and her robe carved to flow like fire in the wind.
A man kneeled at the foot of the altar, his crimson and gold robe draping behind him like a trail of consecrated flame. His silver hair was neatly tied, his fingers interlocked in prayer, and his murmurs barely echoed under the vaulted dome.
This was Cardinal Rhaenor Vaelis, one of the Seven Pillars of the Holy Church of the Dawnfire Goddess.
His voice was calm, filled with the unwavering faith that came only after decades of service.
"Blessed be Her Radiance. May Her light burn away the shadows of corruption. May Her gaze fall upon this forsaken world and turn it anew."
As his final words settled into silence, a faint tremor in the air caught his attention.
He did not open his eyes.