The Forbidden Truth

Silence fell like a divine hammer upon the plaza.

The moment Seraphina spoke— "You should not exist"—it was as if time itself paused.

Thousands of gazes turned to Priyanshu Yadav, standing in his simple noble robes, hands folded behind his back, a serene smile on his face. To the untrained eye, he looked like nothing more than a refined prince.

But to Seraphina… he was a void in the pattern of the world.

Her eyes narrowed, golden irises pulsing with judgment. "Your soul… has no thread in fate."

[System Notice: You have triggered 'Heaven's Interference' — Fated Exposure Event in Progress]

Across the crowd, high-ranking cultivators and political elites began murmuring. The Empress herself leaned forward on her floating throne, interest glittering in her eyes.

But Priyanshu was calm.

He took a step forward, hands still folded, his smile unwavering.

"Bishop Seraphina," he said gently. "If you find my existence unsettling, perhaps the gods are simply too limited to comprehend complexity."

Gasps rippled across the crowd.

Seraphina didn't flinch. "Speak carefully, mortal. Blasphemy invites divine punishment."

"I don't speak blasphemy," Priyanshu replied. "I speak truth — the kind your church has spent centuries burying beneath marble altars and polished lies."

The golden platform beneath Seraphina's feet cracked slightly.

[Warning: Divine Pressure Incoming — Bishop Seraphina is attempting to invoke Judgment Ritual]

And yet, she didn't attack.

Instead, she closed her eyes.

A sphere of golden light emerged, expanding across the plaza like a pulse. Everyone within it froze — including noble lords, disciples, and high monks. A few even fell to their knees, confessing sins they had long buried.

[Villain's Passive Resistance Activated — Truth Distortion Field]

The light touched Priyanshu... and shattered.

Seraphina's eyes snapped open.

"You… cannot be judged."

That sentence echoed like thunder.

Everyone stared, unsure what it meant. Some whispered, some paled.

Priyanshu tilted his head. "Then perhaps you're the one who must be judged, Bishop."

That struck a nerve.

"You speak boldly, Prince. Do you believe you stand above law and light?"

"No. I simply stand in the place where law and light have no meaning."

Then he took a step forward, closing the distance between them, his voice lowering just for her ears.

"I know the Church's secret. The sealed vault beneath the Western Sanctum. The one holding the 'Crucified Star.' You remember it, don't you?"

Seraphina's body stiffened.

"No mortal should know that name," she whispered.

"And yet I do," he said, leaning slightly closer. "Tell me… who is the true villain, Seraphina? The one who hides in shadows, or the one who chains gods for power?"

She stepped back.

For the first time, doubt flickered in her eyes.

[System Alert: Bishop Seraphina's Faith — 2% Corruption Initiated][Progress Toward Villain Path Conversion: 1/10]

The crowd only saw Seraphina falter. The Empress narrowed her eyes, and several hidden organizations took notice.

But Priyanshu?

He was already planning her next fall.