Followers

At the Kyrexo Loop was always the same season - winter, the snow hardly ever stopped, the prisoners quickly got used to it, the harsh weather conditions matched a prison, as a perpetual reminder that you should always find ways to escape, always.

Every now and then blizzards struck, and in nature's wrath, loners tried to take shelter, while groups built massive fires at their bases to protect themselves from the high winds.

But, the blizzards had one advantage - the Ghosts didn't show up during this time. They didn't disappear anywhere, they also lurked in their hideouts, the storms annoyed them, and... it took a good reason for them to get out of their lairs.

No one traveled in a blizzard.

Well, no one except the desperate ones.

Step. Step. Step.

The five people slowly stepped forward, moving along the narrow path, the cold wind and snow blowing directly at them, all they could do was cover their faces with their hands.

A frown kept on Lorana's face the whole way, she was walking second right behind Gex, he knew the unexplored trails well.

"Tsk, not that it's nice in prison, but I never had to wade through a storm before that bitch showed up!" she grumbled.

"Why does she always complain so much? Is that how it's supposed to be...?" Tron glanced at Lorana

He wasn't as cold as the others. He was still a Half-Blank, but that was hardly an advantage considering that the threat of Death Clock hung over him like the Sword of Damocles.

"Shut up..." Lorana hissed, "Are you even a human?! You're too weird! Where are your emotions!"

Normally, Morbia would have thrown in a sarcastic joke, but she didn't care for that. Her teeth chattered, a shiver running through her body while she desperately clutched her shoulders in an attempt to keep warm. She was the one feeling the deepest cold, her sealed powers made her weakest.

"No need to be shy." Hygon covered Morbia with part of his broad coat. Against her backdrop, he was a giant.

In any other situation, she would refuse, but right now she didn't speak, she just nodded she snuggled under the veil.

A bitter smile appeared on Gex's face.

"Hah, we made the slaves gather logs for a fire so we wouldn't be cold during the blizzard, but ended up going outside of our own free will."

It wasn't a complaint, excitement filled him as they finally moved into action and Morbia's warning was the catalyst.

They had one Sacrificial Crystal, they knew the location of four more, so they decided to head to their first victim.

Gex narrowed his eyes, raising his head to the top.

A high slope with only one main road leading up to it with the paths eroded from the windstorm, leaving only the stone road unchanged. The highest point was as far from the ground as possible, with only darkness visible from the lowlands, black smoke rising up in thin trickles, showing that anyone who fell in would be in a place far worse than hell.

"Well, I hope you realize what happened too late..." Gex frowned, "You always are incompetent fanatical bastards..."

At the end of the slope stood a massive temple of white stone, the center was a broad half-ruined dome, two tall towers rose like guards. A bright flame burned in front of the temple, showing that this place like many others in the Kyrexo Loop had not been neglected by Sinners trying to defend themselves from the storm.

A pale white glow, unable to obscure the heat of the fire but of great significance, came from the top of the lighthouse just beyond the temple at the very edge of the cliff.

Gex turned his head, peering over his shoulder at Morbia:

"Are you sure the crystal with the tongue isn't on top of the lighthouse? That was my last known clue."

Still fighting the cold, actively shivering, Morbia nodded affirmatively.

"They moved the crystal to a different location. There's a tunnel under the lighthouse that leads to an underground level, there's a passage to the temple, but it's blocked so the only way to get to the crystal is through the lighthouse."

Lorana joined the conversation.

"I see... It's like a double trap," she rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "Someone will rush to the top of the lighthouse, another will try to get through the temple, but no one will find the crystal that way."

Hygon nodded deeply, continuing to cover Morbia with his broad coat.

"The Saint Tribunal, it's in their nature to protect their treasure with the most devious methods... I've heard many new Sinners have turned out to be their followers."

"We'll just steal their Sacrificial Crystal." Gex chuckled evilly, "I'm sure the guards stand in front of the lighthouse, but that won't be a problem for us."

Tron raised his eyes - to the towering temple.

'Followers? Why follow anyone? Doesn't it deprive you of the opportunity to get more emotion and experience this world?'

Reflection.

Physically, Tron was a grown man, mentally and intellectually he was no behind Moriba or Gex, but his understanding of the world was being built right now with his particular experience involving emotions.

...

The ruined White Temple was the base of the Saint Tribunal members at the Kyrexo Loop, just as the Blind Giant Village was for the Scarlet Root.

The leaders understood the advantage of the location of their base, there was only one stone road leading to the temple, and guards protected this crucial path even during storms, standing at outposts with massive torches in their hands.

Dark blue coats with heavy down hoods covered their bodies, their eyes filled with unwavering tenacity. They sincerely believed that their leaders knew what they were doing, and soon they might get out of the prison.

In the temple itself, in front of the fire, several middle-aged men chanted the name of their goddess, guiding the younger generation to the true path.

"Brictiva, the Sacred Justice! Hear our chants to your power and show us the way out of this infernal place! Accept our cries as a gift! We have more followers every day, everywhere, even in the Kyrexo Loop!"

The man exclaimed, waving the amber fire lamp in front of dozens of people, women and men, young and old. They all believed that serving Brictiva and following the rules of the Saint Tribunal was the only way to live this life properly.

The man was not a leader, just one of the heralds spreading the faith.

The truly important people were in the temple, hiding from the storm behind sturdy stone walls.

Common members were not allowed to enter the far reaches of the temple, nor were they allowed to approach the lighthouse where the strongest of them, the special guards that guarded the passageway leading to the Sacrificial Crystal, were based.

There were many things of value in the Kyrexo Loop, but the most precious was what the people desperately wanted. There was nothing the Sinners wanted more than freedom, only the Sacrificial Crystals could give them a chance at it, thus the guards at the lighthouse were willing to do anything to protect their treasure.

The guards seemed to have nothing to worry about, no Ghosts or humans would bother them during the storm.

They just didn't know that while others were praising the greatness of the goddess, others were making their way to the lighthouse like a troop of shadows.

...

Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.

Small stones tumbled into the darkness, five silhouettes climbing up the cliff, clinging to shallow ledges and the occasional roots.

There was only one way to the White Temple, but that was on a horizontal plane.

It was possible to approach the bottom of the slope on a thin path before starting to climb up.

The heads of the Saint Tribunal knew about it, but they didn't believe anyone was willing to go that far for one reason - risks.

The invaders couldn't climb just up from the end of the trail since their path was blocked by a stone overhang. So they had to encircle the slope by climbing up, putting themselves in mortal danger since now beneath them was not the ground but the abyss.

Tron was the last one to climb.

He glanced down, watching the streams of darkness trying to reach the light from its void.

'How strange... There are five of us, but why does it feel like there is a sixth one down there? Why be in the darkness?'