Bishop Seraphina knelt alone in the Cathedral of Light.
Once, this chamber had been her sanctuary—where divine energy poured freely, and her prayers echoed with the voice of the heavens.
Now?
Silence.
The holy light above her flickered, unstable. The statues of angels cast shadows too sharp, too human. And the sacred altar bled a faint crimson from unseen cracks.
[System Notice: Bishop Seraphina's Corruption Level – 6/10][Status: Conflict Detected – Faith and Doubt Intertwined]
She trembled.
"Why… why can't I feel the Divine Presence?" she whispered.
A voice answered from within her own mind.
"Because you have seen the truth. And truth is incompatible with faith."
She clutched her chest. "No! I am loyal to the Light! I am the Voice of Judgment!"
But the voice laughed.
"Then why do you see him in your dreams?"
Flashback: The Mirror Hall
Priyanshu's calm eyes. His outstretched hand."You won't fall. You'll rise above the gods that shackled you."
She had almost touched his hand.
Almost.
Even now, she wasn't sure whether she'd pulled away… or if he had let her go.
Scene: Cathedral Garden
Seraphina walked silently along the garden path. Paladins and priests bowed in her presence, but none dared meet her eyes. Her divine glow had dimmed — not gone, but… conflicted.
Then she stopped.
Because standing in the garden's center, calmly feeding birds, was Kael Arcanis.
She froze.
The Mirrorborn turned slowly, his silver hair glowing faintly in the setting sun. His mirror-eyes locked onto hers.
"No," she said immediately. "I'm not here for a sermon."
"Good," he replied. "I don't preach."
They stood in silence.
Then Seraphina broke it.
"You destroyed a divine knight. Without a trace. You reflect attacks, not reality itself."
Kael shrugged. "Reflections are just truths others refuse to see."
"You're dangerous."
"So are you."
That stopped her.
She stepped closer. "Why are you here, Kael?"
He looked directly into her soul. "Because you are the crack in the foundation. And where cracks form… collapse begins."
[System Alert: Bishop Seraphina's Core Belief – 43% Fragmented][Optional Objective: Push her over the edge – 7/10 Corruption Level]
Then Kael stepped closer, almost whispering.
"You're torn between two forces. One who speaks truth wrapped in darkness… and one who demands blind loyalty masked in light. And the world is waiting to see who you choose."
Seraphina turned away.
"I don't choose villains."
Kael smirked. "Even when the villain tells you the truth… and the hero hides a sword behind your back?"
Before she could answer, a bolt of divine energy exploded nearby. A squad of elite inquisitors arrived, armed with judgment spears and holy chains.
"The Mirrorborn and the Fallen Bishop!" one shouted. "Take them both!"
Kael didn't move.
Seraphina's hand instinctively reached for her blade — then paused.
Because something inside her whispered:
Let them come. Let them see who I really am.
And when she raised her hand… she didn't invoke holy law.
She invoked null light — the corrupted light of someone who no longer believed in absolutes.
[System Alert: Bishop Seraphina's Alignment: Shifted – True Neutral][Corruption Progress: 7/10]
As inquisitors fell screaming under Kael's mirrored gaze and Seraphina's unholy chant, far away in the Loyal Dog Headquarters…
Priyanshu laughed softly.
"It begins."