Sermon in a Basement

The horse stepped into the side of the church, but the interior wasn't what Kyren expected. Instead of pews or stained glass, a tunnel sloped gradually downward. The deeper they went, the colder the air became, thick with the scent of damp stone and something acrid—alchemy ingredients, maybe. When they reached the bottom, the tunnel opened into a massive underground chamber with ceilings at least twenty yards high and stretching a hundred yards long.

To their left, a small booth sat by the entrance, occupied by a man slouched inside. Across the chamber, along the left wall, racks of potion-brewing equipment bubbled and steamed. In the center, a workstation was set up for packaging, crates stacked high. Against the right wall, a stable lined with horses and carriages stood ready, the animals shifting restlessly in their stalls.

A voice called out from the booth, sharp and slightly high-pitched. "You guys didn't run into any trouble?"

Kyren pulled his hood lower over his face, adjusting the stolen robe. He made his voice deeper. "Nah, went good. Nothing major."

"Alright. Pull the carriage to the stalls for reloading. They'll handle the horse. But don't leave—the boss is coming down to talk."

Kyren flicked the reins, guiding the horse toward the stables. As they drew closer, more details emerged—a stage against the far back wall, surrounded by rows of chairs. A man in a gray robe approached them, broad-shouldered but speaking in a soft, wispy voice.

"I'll take this off your hands," he said, reaching for the reins. "Y'all should go have a seat."

Kyren and Lydel climbed out of the carriage, moving toward the rows of chairs. They sat in the back, hoods low, scanning the room. People slowly trickled in, filling the seats around them. Lydel leaned in close, voice barely above a whisper.

"What the hell have we gotten into?" There was a hint of fear in his voice.

Kyren's expression stayed hard. "We just have to lay low. We don't need to kill everyone—just destroy the equipment, free the horses, and take out the leader."

Lydel exhaled sharply but nodded.

When the seats were full, a figure in a gold robe stepped onto the stage. The Phantom. A silver spiral marked his mana pool, and though his hood obscured most of his face, Kyren caught the twisted grin beneath it. A long scar ran down the right side of his face, disappearing beneath his collar.

"As most of you know," Phantom began, his voice slow and deliberate, "some miscreants have been poking around town. Asking questions."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

"They disrespected the church." His tone darkened. "They disrespected me. And worst of all, they slaughtered one of the Holy Converted."

Gasps. A few voices whispered in alarm.

"These men killed Converted Gill with no remorse, then fled like cowards, too afraid to face our full wrath."

Kyren felt Lydel tense beside him. He forced himself to stay still.

Phantom let the words settle before continuing. "Tonight, we will be Converting five new souls. Attendance is mandatory." His gaze swept over the gathered followers. "I already have them chosen."

Then, without another word, he turned and walked offstage.

A second figure, dressed in silver, stepped forward. "There are wanted posters in town," he said. "If you see either of these men before the ceremony, alert us immediately." He paused. "You are dismissed. Get back to work."

Kyren and Lydel stayed seated, watching how people exited. Near the stage, a staircase led up. The two boys followed the stragglers, keeping their heads down. The stairs wound behind the main church room, leading into a storage area attached to the side of the church. A door at the far end opened to the outside.

They stepped into the courtyard and moved toward the housing district. On the walls, wanted posters of their faces were freshly plastered—no names, just rough sketches.

Once past the gates, Kyren and Lydel stripped off their robes, walking in tense silence.

"What now?" Lydel finally asked.

Kyren smirked, though nerves twisted in his gut. "I got a plan. Might be really stupid."

Lydel shot him a wary glance.

"Five more of those beastly guys might be too much for us," Kyren continued, "so we don't let them make five more. We sneak back in after the basement's empty and start a distraction."

Lydel frowned. "What distraction?"

Kyren's grin widened slightly. "We let the horses out. And we burn everything down."

Lydel stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. "You're insane."

"Probably."

They walked into the woods, sitting down to prepare. Their last scraps of food were eaten in silence, their shared water rationed carefully. Kyren opened his system menu, scanning the mission details. It was vague—would breaking the equipment be enough? Or did Phantom have to die for the mission to complete?

His thoughts were interrupted by Lydel. "Bro, we should start heading back."

Kyren exhaled, closing the system. "Yeah. It's time."

They donned their robes once more, walking toward town at a slow, deliberate pace. The later it got, the emptier the basement would be.

Inside the church courtyard, they moved carefully, slipping around the storage building. As they rounded the corner, the door suddenly flew open.

Kyren froze.

The man in silver robes stepped out, muttering to himself. "These Conversions might not go well… we haven't had enough time."

He wandered off toward the front of the church without noticing them.

Kyren and Lydel quickly slipped inside, making their way back down the staircase. Another figure in gray robes was coming up.

"Hey," the man said, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you two going back down? Everyone needs to be in the church."

Kyren didn't hesitate. "Yes, sir. We'll be right up. Just forgot something in my carriage." His voice was deep and steady.

The man gave a slow nod and continued past them.

At the bottom of the staircase, the basement was nearly silent. The workers were gone. The only sounds were the faint bubbling of leftover potions and the occasional restless whinny from the horses.

Kyren turned to Lydel, his voice low.

"You gotta hit the button in the booth." He exhaled, steadying himself.

"Let's get this started."