A Templar's test.

Sadako walked into the inner chamber, she disliked the uncertainty of what was going to happen, it meant she could not tailor her reactions properly.

Her face was carefully molded into an expression of determination with a hint of anxiety.

It was what fit the role she had crafted for herself, a devout believer and faithful servant to The Watcher.

But as she walked besides her fellow candidates, her expectations were quickly broken, from one step to the next, her surroundings changed, instead of a stone room, she found herself standing in a forest, the others gone.

She quickly examined her situation and shifted her expression into one of shock, it was a useful tool to buy her time to refine her approach.

"None of that now." A voice spoke from behind her. "It's not necessary."

Sadako spun around and found herself staring at a man with burned skin, wearing simple robes, both eyes ringed with gold.

She, of course, recognized the appearance almost immediately, he had the same hair color, the same general appearance, even the burn scars matched what happened.

This was Saint Ayumu.

He was supposed to be dead, but she was also supposed to be in the Watchers Shrine, and she clearly wasn't.

But this was good, the reaction here was an easy one to fake, religious fervor.

She dropped to her knees and bowed low, but as her knees touched the ground, she found herself standing again, like she had never moved.

"Come on now, I already said there's no need for that." Ayumu spoke with amusement in his voice. "I'm not here to talk to your mask, I'm here to talk to you."

Sadako carefully took stock of the situation, this was unfortunate, she was sure that her acting was enough to fool her fellows, and she had never seen any Crow Clan members or Star-Eater show any sort of ability to see past her facade.

But there was a chance that this was a test. So she kept her act up, every time people had realized her true nature, it did not end well for her.

Confusion and still a hint of reverence were painted on her face as she spoke. "I-I'm afraid I don't understand."

The amusement fell from Ayumu's face, replaced with an unimpressed stare.

"I think you do, Sadako." He spoke seriously. "We have known from the moment you first joined us."

For the first time in a long while, Sadako felt uncertainty creeping into her mind, normally it was simple, once she figured out what normal people reacted like, all she had to do was make sure her face and voice matched the role she had chosen.

But this not make sense, if they knew about her true self and her personal goals, then why had they allowed her to get this far?

She let her feigned emotions fall away, leaving her face blank.

"Then why am I here?" She questioned flatly, if her mask was useless, then she did not see the point of pretending.

Ayumu raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? You're here because you are about to become a Templar, that's all."

Sadako thoughts were spinning in circles, this reaction did not fit any of her previous experiences, usually being revealed meant rejection, she had learned as a child that honesty did not work.

And yet...

"But I'm not faithful, I only wish for power." She said bluntly, the sooner she knew their stance towards her, the faster she could plan around it.

Ayumu let out a short snort.

"I think you are misunderstanding what being faithful means, Sadako." He started walking closer to her. "Answer me this, do you believe The Watcher Behind the Stars exists?"

"Yes." Of course she did, she had felt him when she had received her Acolyte blessing, while his power and motives could not be known for certain, there certainly existed a being that called itself The Watcher.

"And do you follow his teachings? I mean in a sense that you do what the priests recommend and avoid what is warned against." Ayumu stopped right in front of her.

"Yes." Again, Sadako answered quickly, most of the teachings were good advice, and even if she did not understand some of them, following them was still a good way to ward off suspicion and fit into her role better.

"Would you fight for the Order of the Watchers?" Ayumu asked next.

"Yes." While she would not give her life in a doomed effort, fighting for the Order was a good way to grow stronger. After all, they supplied their members with training, knowledge, and powerful Blessings.

While fighting meant temporary danger and uncertainty, it provided far too many benefits to pass up on.

It was also the best choice, by the time she was independent enough to leave her village and her mistakes there behind, she was too old to join any Shinobi Academy, and thus, it left her with few avenues to grow stronger and safer.

"And lastly, do you intend to betray the Order or The Watcher?" Ayumu questioned seriously.

"No." Even if there was a better way to improve herself, Sadako had invested too much into this path to abandon it, as far as she knew, there has been no true betrayal in the Order yet.

If she betrayed it, then she would become the target of retribution from everyone. It was a foolish move, even if she was offered something much more valuable, replacing something sure with a possibility when she had already gained so much was nonsensical.

Ayumu smiled at her.

"So, you believe in The Watcher, follow his teachings, would fight for the Order, and have no intentions to betray us?" He questioned simply.

Sadako paused briefly before nodding slowly, that was... Technically accurate? It did not mention her motives for doing so.

"Then let me tell you a secret, Sadako." Ayumu grinned, his eyes never leaving her own. "That is better than most worshipers out there."

Sadako felt the same uncertainty once again take hold of her thoughts, that could not be true, every fellow Initiate and Acolyte had a spark that she lacked, something she could never understand, only imitate.

She was broken, missing something she could only guess at. This was a truth she had known since she could think.

A selfish existence such as hers could not be equal to their devotion and belief. She did not understand what those words meant, not fully, they described a feeling she could not feel.

An imperfect imitation could never compare to the real thing. And that was what her 'faith' was, an imitation of what she thought real faith was, based on those around her.

Ayumu reached out a hand and put it on her head, gently ruffling her hair. She let him, unsure what he wanted from her.

"I know you can't understand fully, how do you explain sound to a person that cannot hear, or sight to one who cannot see." He said softly. "But take my words to heart, I'm here to tell you to not be afraid, you have been seen, you have been judged, and you have been accepted, not your mask, but you."

Sadako was incapable of feeling emotions like love or happiness, she only knew their outward signs through years of observation.

But a long present feeling of discomfort eased slightly, years of paranoia that she would once again be outed and cast out had taken their toll on her. The reduction of this burden was... Pleasant.

"Now go on." He took his hand off her head, and pointed upwards. "You have a meeting with the big man upstairs."

Sadako looked up at the sky.

"Ah..."

The sky above her was filled with stars, the surrounding trees disappeared, Ayumu faded away into nothingness.

The ground fell out from under her feet, and she felt herself rising into the air.

Among the stars, something moved, an incomprehensible being shifting behind the curtain of darkness. Eyes opened, each one burning with golden light, focused solely on Sadako.

It stared at her, inside her, past her skin and flesh, to her very soul.

Then it spoke.

It was not sound, but a sensation, every fiber of her body resonated with the voice of the being in the sky.

The words were not comprehensible, but Sadako understood them all the same.

YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN

CARRY MY WILL

WIELD MY STRENGTH

Sadako thought she understood faith a little better now.