Now that Sekhtar finally had an established, working society, Dhein figured that it was about time to introduce the Divinity Clan's religion.

But before that, he had to learn about their beliefs.

It was a busy day in Sekhtar once again. Dhein sat behind his desk inside his office while Krushe stood before him, wondering why she was summoned.

Dhein asked:

"I called you here to explain to me your beliefs. As we all know, the celestials created this world, and they have handed us a guide on how to connect to the divine. Who are your gods?"

Krushe lowered her head before answering.

"Sekhtar has been isolated for centuries, sire. According to the former king, Angelus, the other gods have abandoned us, except for the goddess of dreams, Oneirah."

Dhein cupped his chin with his fingers.

"Oneirah? The defeated goddess?" he mumbled.

Krushe continued.

"Indeed, sire. Angelus believed that goddess Oneirah is being held captive in the human continent, because that is what our oracle had revealed."

Dhein furrowed his eyebrows.

"That's why you attacked us?"

With an expression of guilt, Krushe nodded.

"And what does the Olcourian Princess have to do with that?" he asked.

"The oracle also said that in order to save our goddess, we must first retrieve the princess alive."

Dhein suddenly remembered what Silver Cloud said when he first met him:

'The ones to conquer heaven will be us.'

They also wanted to capture the princess then. If they were connected to demons and their goals did align, why did their motivations differ from each other?

Could it be that Raymond and Silver Cloud had their own faction, and that they only collaborated with demons because their goals aligned at that moment? It was highly likely that they were different factions who just joined forces temporarily.

Dhein stood up and said:

"Show me this oracle."

***

Krushe led him to an underground dungeon inside the castle. The narrow hallway was dimly lit by the torches mounted on stone walls. Dhein walked alongside the demoness in every twist and turn of the maze-like dungeon, passing by cells that Dhein didn't even want to open.

While walking, Krushe suddenly spoke up.

"My lord, is it true that...'

She paused in hesitation before continuing.

"Is it true that our race is destined to go to hell?"

Dhein threw her a glance.

"Of course not," he answered firmly.

He saw in the corner of his eye her relieved expression.

"So, we can go to heaven too?" she asked.

Dhein responded with another question.

"Is that something that you want?"

Krushe nodded.

"If possible... yes, I would like to go to heaven after I die."

Their footsteps echoed across the narrow halls, only coupled by their voices in long intervals.

"Why is that?" Dhein asked.

Krushe paused in silence for a few seconds, thinking how she should answer.

"These past few days has been really fun for me. I never expected to find taking care of the kids so fulfilling. Me and my coworkers are getting along too."

A smile tugged at Dhein's lips, hearing this.

Krushe continued.

"I want us to be in heaven together."

Dhein nodded, saying:

"I see."

Krushe turned to him and asked:

"How do we get to heaven? Do we have to be marked by divinity too?"

With a shrug, Dhein replied.

"The mark of divinity is only for political purposes. It indicates the formal acceptance of the religion in order to be an Olcourian citizen. If that is the way to enter heaven, then all the other nations are doomed, don't you think?"

Krushe looked at him, curious.

"Then how do we know if we will be accepted to heaven?"

Dhein answered directly.

"We don't. The truth is, no one knows how do we get to heaven. No page in all of the scriptures I've read gives clear instructions or indications if someone can go to heaven or not."

Krushe furrowed her eyebrows.

"What?"

He continued.

"The gods are kind to their creations. Perhaps if we prayed to be accepted to heaven, they will hear us."

"So, what we need to do is pray?" she asked.

"It's not something that we need to do. We pray to relay our messages to the divine," he answered.

"Don't worry. Once I confirm all that I need to know, I will establish the first church in Sekhtar."

Soon, they finally reached a chamber far bigger than anything they had come across. It was located at the very end of the dungeon, too.

"Is this where the oracle lives?" he asked.

Krushe nodded.

Then, she pushed the massive double doors open, revealing a brick wall interior with octopus wires messily hanging on the ceiling. The chamber was dusty and filled with cobwebs. The dark nook and crannies were crawling with centipedes and spiders, Dhein could have sworn there was a whole ecosystem in this room.

At the center of it all was a massive transparent glass cylinder that reached the ceiling like a pillar. All of the messy wirings connected to this glass cell, to either power it up or suck the power from it.

The faint glow of the torches from the outside was the only light source providing vision in the dark chamber, which was why Dhein couldn't see what was inside the giant glass cylinder.

Using dark magic, Krushe lit up the torches inside. And when she did, Dhein's skin crawled and a shiver ran down his spine after seeing the abomination inside the glass cell.

The cylinder was filled with green liquid with bubbles constantly rising to its surface... as if it was boiling. And submerged in that strange substance was a clump of flesh with red veins visible on its skin. The flesh was throbbing as if it was alive, something about its silence told Dhein that this was a sentient creature that had been suffering endlessly and was unable to end its own life.

Then all of a sudden, the clump of flesh opened up, giving way to a huge bloodshot eye. Its iris was deep black, and the white around it was stained in dirty orange. It had way too many veins on its surface, each were bulging and distorting the eye's shape.

The suffering eye looked directly at Dhein, and he saw it become filled with fear.

A humming sound was coming from the glass. The vibrations that it emitted were slowly forming into a distinct, humanlike voice.

The crying voice was saying words that took a while before becoming understandable. It said:

"Pity me, I beg of you."

"I, who lost her wings."

"Lord of the heavens, don't look at what I have become."

An unstoppable frown spread across Dhein's face as a creepy feeling made all the hairs on his skin rise.

Krushe's voice snapped him back to reality.

"This is the oracle, my lord."

When Dhein was imagining an oracle, he expected a woman who received visions from a higher power, kind of like Fiorelle.

The oracle that served the Demon King was a sight no one would want to see.

"She normally doesn't speak unless there is a revelation," the demoness added.

'So this is an abnormal event? Why is she calling me the lord of the heavens?' Dhein thought.

The oracle spoke once again.

"Have I not paid the price for the sins of your people?"

Dhein could no longer remain quiet, and so he opened his mouth to speak.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

The pupils of the fleshy eye dilated.

"I do. Why is your soul..."

Before the oracle could finish speaking, Dhein turned to Krushe and said:

"Leave us alone. Return to the surface."

The demoness immediately obeyed and walked out of the chamber.

Then, he looked at the pitiful oracle once again.

She said:

"Your soul is so glorious, heavenly lord."

Dhein furrowed his eyebrows.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

The oracle continued.

"How lucky is Oneirah to bathe in such light. A light that puts the sun to shame."

"Oneirah?" Dhein muttered.

"The goddess that Angelus is trying to revive?"

The one before him was no mere oracle. This was a creature that transcended all the knowledge humans were never meant to possess.

He stepped closer and spoke with a commanding tone.

"What do you know about my soul?"

The oracle answered dutifully.

"An entity with unmatched purity. Had it embraced me instead of the goddess of dreams, I wouldn't have gone through so much pain and been reduced to the sorrowful state I am in now."

Dhein swallowed the lump in his throat.

"My soul is... in the possession of Oneirah?"

The oracle answered.

"You gave it to her, heavenly lord. Out of love, out of promise, you gave up your power to protect the goddess of dreams."

Dhein's eyes slowly opened wide, his blood running cold in the revelation he was hearing.

"How I wish you saved me, too. Please, heavenly lord. Don't let Oneirah die once more. Only you can keep her safe."

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