Nova drew a slow breath as the door opened. The coming conversation would likely require patience he wasn't sure he had.

'I hope Annelie can keep me in check if I go too far. She knows them better than me. But if they're not ready to solve the issue…'

The doors finished their arc with a deep boom that shook the ground. Warm air washed over them as they stepped into the Cardinals' domain.

Thick stone walls curved upward to form a domed ceiling high overhead, where golden chandeliers cast warm light across detailed religious murals. The chamber felt like it had been carved from a single massive block of stone, with no visible seams or joints marring its perfect surfaces.

Eight carved stone chairs, each backed with deep crimson velvet, formed a semicircle around a massive table of polished white marble and gold. Maps and documents littered its surface, held down by ornate paperweights. The air held traces of incense mixed with the musty scent of old parchment.

Five Cardinals occupied the chairs, each wearing emerald robes and tiny white hats. Even from the doorway, Nova could feel the power radiating from them. By his estimations, each cardinal was at least three times as strong as Sar—likely with over a million Soul Power each.

'Each one equal to an ancient beast? I'm not shocked that power would gather in a church like this, but still…'

As they entered, everyone stared at them except for one—a pale woman who sat perfectly still with her eyes closed. Sar greeted them with a short nod and waved them over to her side, standing a few steps from the main table.

"We cannot hide within these walls!" A sharp-faced woman with steel-grey hair slammed her palm on the table. "This is Damascus, not some remote monastery. The world would never respect us again if a small rift caused us to shiver in our boots!"

"And what would you have us do, Victoria?" A heavyset man with a neatly trimmed beard spread his hands. "There is nothing physical to fight. And don't even consider sending any of us inside of that place. We're strong, but the madness would take us in minutes!"

"We should wait for the result of the ritual first, Darius," another male Cardinal added, with dark skin and blonde hair. "If it works, we know how to treat the exposed ones. I say we wait and see if anything happens. Besides, our teleportation formations all stopped working the moment it appeared."

'Have they never seen a void rift before? It shouldn't be the first time one has opened, right? Space has been warped, so there's no way their teleportation formations would hold up.'

"Hey, Sar… What's happening?" Nova whispered, trying not to attract attention yet.

"Arguing about what to do." Sar kept her voice low. "I've told them about your ritual. They're testing it on some of the possessed now."

"Where is the Signus in all of this?" Nova asked, not seeing the man anywhere. The room clearly needed leadership.

"Well… Not here, at least." Sar's lips barely moved. "He is more of a spiritual leader than an actual leader. Most decisions go through this chamber."

"But he can lead if it's needed?"

"Yes, his word is law."

"Any way to get to him?" Nova kept his voice low, watching the Cardinals continue their debate.

"I'm afraid not. Unless he wants someone to visit, they can't."

"...And he's hiding in his secret dimension?" A hint of disdain crept into Nova's whisper.

"We don't know what he's doing." Sar's fingers twisted in her robes—a subtle tell that worried Nova.

'Great. I'll have to negotiate with these dumdums...'

"You did a proper job of conveying the old language, right?" he asked. "It's the most important step of the ritual."

"Of course." Sar looked almost insulted by his question. "I might not have gotten the exact pronunciation, but it was closer to Animo's version than yours."

"...Good." He ignored the provocation.

The Cardinals continued their circular argument. "Have the scholars found anything yet?" Cardinal Victoria demanded. "We must have some knowledge of these rifts!"

"We need to act now, not wait around for answers!" A tall male Cardinal's fist struck the table. "Have you seen the priests and worshippers? They're going mad in the streets!"

Nova turned to Sar. "Can you introduce me?"

"What?" She looked down at him with an expression suggesting it was the last thing she wanted to do. "...Why?"

"So I can prevent them from making any more mistakes, and wasting any more time."

Sar frowned, then sighed heavily. "Fine. But don't get yourself killed." She stepped forward, closer to the table. "Excuse me, your Eminences. The person who gave us the method of banishing the spirits is here, and he would like a word."

"A word?" Cardinal Victoria's sharp eyes fixed on Nova. "Does he know more about this situation?"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"I do." Nova walked to the edge of the table, barely reaching the edge. "And I'll help you solve this crisis for a price."

The room went quiet as the Cardinals studied him, most wearing odd expressions.

"What is this child doing here?" Cardinal Darius finally asked.

"Sar can attest to me being more than meets the eye," Nova replied calmly. "Did none of you hear about the traits I possess?"

"...You're the child with nine lives?" The dark-skinned Cardinal leaned forward, studying Nova with narrowed eyes. He seemed more curious than skeptical.

"Exactly right. And so I have a lot of knowledge to share. For a price."

"What price?" Cardinal Victoria's voice carried an edge of warning.

"A hundred thousand Soul Power for each answer."

The room burst into a mix of uproar and laughter. The tall Cardinal rose from his chair, towering over the marble table, glaring at Nova with barely contained fury. Only the silent woman remained unmoved, like she was sleeping through the chaos.

Nova met the man's gaze steadily, walking the line between assertive and suicidal.

'I can't back down here. Surely they won't do anything too aggressive? Unless the rift…'

A powerful force struck his shoulder, sending him skidding across the polished floor and into one of the walls. The impact sent chips of stone flying, dust raining down on his face as he struggled to find his bearings. However, he barely felt the impact, so they probably underestimated his physical resistance.

'What the hell? I didn't even see him move! Or was it telekinesis?'

"How dare you?!" a young voice shouted from where he had stood. It was Annelie, standing with her black foot outstretched in his direction. "Show proper respect to the Cardinals!"

'Ah! Nice save, Annelie! That idea was better than I gave it credit for.'

The tall Cardinal's anger transformed into a pleased smile as he looked at her. "Animo! What a righteous kick! Well done!"

Annelie bowed deeply. "It is only right, Cardinal Petyr. A visitor should be respectful."

"Very true!" Cardinal Darius nodded approvingly. "You should be glad she taught you a lesson, brat. Nine lives are useless if you never learn to respect your superiors."

'Perfect. They really do have inferiority complexes. And here I was just attempting to negotiate...'

Nova rose from the dust, making a show of coughing lightly. "Ten thousand, then. Or you can deal with the problem on your own."

He paused before adding with careful deference, "Oh great Cardinals."

Cardinal Victoria drummed her fingers on the marble. "...That doesn't seem totally unfair, as long as your knowledge is verifiable."

"Let me know if we have a deal. If any of you have that authority." Nova kept his tone just shy of insolent.

"I always heard that age makes learning a lesson difficult," Cardinal Darius muttered. "But we are in a crisis, so have it your way. What do we need to do to close the rift?"

Nova straightened his dust-covered robe and held one finger up, counting the number of questions. "There are several ways of closing a rift like this. You can use spatial magic to force it closed, kill the being holding it open, or let it stay until it closes on its own. There are rituals that can close it, but thousands of participants would need to stay out in the open. And that's impossible since most people would be driven to madness immediately."

"Spatial magic?" Cardinal Victoria pondered. "You know the most about that, Collier. Any thoughts?"

The dark-skinned Cardinal answered carefully. "I have never heard of formations or skills capable of such feats. But it's possible it could work."

His eyes fixed onto Nova. "If I may ask without triggering your fee, do you have any such formations?"

"I can create one, yes. But I am far too weak to use it."

"Create one? From thin air?" Cardinal Collier's skepticism was clear.

'Even here they are amateurs in understanding runes… The system really has hindered progress in research—they're millennia behind.

He tried to keep himself from sounding condescending. "That's usually how formations are created, yes."

He failed.

Cardinal Collier didn't seem to mind it much, instead studying Nova more intently. "I look forward to seeing it."

Nova walked over to the table again, shooting Annelie an imperceptible smile as he passed her. "I have to point out that it isn't guaranteed to work. It would depend on the power of whatever being is holding the rift open."

"Of course. We know enough about the void to fear its inhabitants," Cardinal Darius replied, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "What level of power do you think would be needed?"

"The five of you combined would likely have a good chance of making it." Nova's eyes swept across the Cardinals. "And if not... I don't know what level of power the Holy Signus has, but we might need him."

"Another question to satiate your greed then." Cardinal Victoria's voice carried a mixture of disdain and resignation. "What would happen if we let the rift close on its own?"

Nova put a second finger up. "Everyone in this city would eventually die, unless they are immune to madness or restrained. The rift will tear at your mind, increasing paranoia, anger, grief, hopelessness—all negative emotions."

His voice grew heavy with memories. "Eventually, everyone will willingly walk out in the open and get swallowed by the rift. I have seen it happen. And it has already started."

The room went quiet.

"We've already seen signs of madness," Annelie said slowly, supporting Nova's words. "The guard who attacked Helen earlier…"

She pointed at the girl still standing in the doorway. "That wasn't possession at all, was it?"

"No." Nova met her eyes steadily. "Just paranoia. An early symptom."

"How long?" Cardinal Victoria's voice had lost its edge. "How long do we have?"

Nova held up a third finger. "Hard to say. The symptoms progress differently for everyone. But once a person starts looking at the rift directly, the process accelerates rapidly. I'd estimate most will be gone within a week."

"And those with stronger souls?" Cardinal Collier asked.

"They generally last longer, but..." Nova shook his head. "That just means they suffer more before the end. Power doesn't grant immunity."

Cardinal Darius pushed back from the table. "Then we have no choice. Show us this formation of yours."

"I'll need to perform a ritual to determine what material will work best first." Nova glanced around the chamber. "I'll need to go out to the rift, with some iron, silver, and copper."

"What? You'll go under the rift? In the open?" Cardinal Victoria asked, looking confused.

Nova nodded, flashing a brief smile. "My second trait makes me immune to madness. That's all it does, but in situations like these, it's very useful."

"Right, I recall the second trait saying something about the void," Cardinal Collier stared at Nova with interest. "I'm surprised your spatial magic requires physical components."

"It would work without it, but the void operates under special rules. Determining the right material will make it much more effective in fighting the rift being." Nova turned to Sar. "Can you get what I need?"

"I'll handle it." Sar nodded, clearly relieved they were finally taking action. "What quantities?"

As Nova began listing materials, a distant scream echoed through the cathedral halls. The Cardinals exchanged glances.

"We don't have much time," Nova said quietly. "Including the formation, that will be forty thousand Soul Power total."

'I would need fifty to buy all the children in the Gardens in Collport… But at that point, why not just absorb it all and take them by force? Either way, this will give me a few more options.'

Cardinal Collier barked out a laugh despite the tension. "Still counting, even now?"

"Always." Nova's face remained serious. "I'm not here for charity."

The final Cardinal, who still hadn't uttered a word since Nova entered, finally joined the discussion. "Just get it done."

Her eyes opened, revealing a set of piercing red pupils. "Before we lose the whole city to madness."

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