Against The True Gods

The streets of the capital were rather empty, most preferring to stay inside and keep warm against the rain that had suddenly begun to fall a few days prior. Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire

Yet, the children still played and danced in the rain, stepping and jumping into puddles, splashing one another as their laughter echoed alongside the smoke from the lit chimneys.

A few merchants lingered in the streets, smoking under the cover of plazas, shielded from the rain. Some hoped to make a few sales, while others joined in the children's games. Meanwhile, the capital's knight guards stood watch, their presence providing a sense of peace and security.

Caine and Enya walked through the capital amidst it all, unseen and unfelt by those around them.

Enya wore simple rose-colored robes, her hair neatly tied into a bun, while Caine, as always, was clad in robes of black and white.

His long curly hair flowed freely with the soft breeze, his robes fluttering as they moved.

Despite his eyeless state, his face still wrapped in bandages, Caine's head turned slowly, as though he could see and appreciate the beauty of the scene before him.

With unhurried steps, they strolled through the quiet streets of the capital.

Suddenly, Enya broke the silence.

"May I ask you a question?" she asked.

"Go ahead."

Enya hesitated for a few moments, their footsteps echoing faintly in the stillness before she finally spoke. "Sir, do you dream?"

"What a strange question," Caine replied, his tone tinged with amusement. "Do I dream? I suppose not anymore. I haven't slept in quite some time. Even when I do, I don't think I dream."

"It's interesting you ask that. I truly don't remember ever dreaming," he continued with a soft chuckle. "I suppose my mind finds comfort in the silence and stillness of sleep, foregoing the need for dreams."

"Why do you ask?"

Enya laughed at his response, her hands moving to cover her mouth as her giggles echoed through the rain-drenched streets.

"Oh? Have I said something funny?" Caine inquired, his voice light.

Shaking her head, Enya allowed her laughter to fade. "Sir, I didn't mean it literally. I meant to ask if you had any dreams—for the future? Or if you had any at some point?"

"You seem strangely driven," she added. "As if you chase after a star you must grasp at all costs. Such passion is embedded in your flesh and radiates off of you in blinding waves."

"I can only wonder what could make a man such as yourself chase so hard, you know?"

"Such as myself?" he asked in return.

"Sir, what do you not have? Is there anything not in the palm of your hand?"

Caine paused, momentarily stunned by her words. Shaking his head, he smiled—a soft, ethereal smile.

"What do I not have… how interesting." His smile deepened. "Dreams? I don't know. I truly don't."

Enya was taken aback by his response, her gaze widening slightly.

"I try not to think about myself if I can. My mind usually remains apathetic to anything related to my own being."

Before Enya could respond, a voice echoed from the distance.

"Oh? Do you not even dream of happiness?"

Elder Larisse materialized from thin air, her steps deliberate as she approached the duo.

Like them, her presence was hidden from the average populace.

"Happiness? Maybe." Caine smiled faintly.

"Such a thing is rather illusory, is it not? Wishing for it seems… harmful."

"Harmful?" Larisse's usually emotionless face shifted slightly, the faintest curve of her lips hinting at a smile.

"Dreaming of happiness is harmful, you say. You are afraid, hm? Deathly afraid."

The slight curl of her lips sharpened.

"You're scared of losing it, so you run away from it, hm? How cowardly. But what else can I expect from a slithering bastard?"

Caine's expression remained calm, his smile unbroken.

"Oh, it seems you already have quite the strong opinion of me. How unfortunate."

He resumed walking, but just as he moved to pass her, Larisse's hand shot out, gripping his shoulder and rooting him in place.

Her piercing black eyes bore into his face, unrelenting in their intensity. Her True Will erupted like a tidal wave, crashing into Caine with violent force, seeking to overwhelm and destroy him.

A suffocating pressure descended on the area, silencing even the distant sounds of laughter and rain.

Just as Larisse opened her mouth to speak, the oppressive aura dissipated, vanishing like a wisp of smoke in the wind. Her True Will recoiled, forcibly pushed back into her own body against her will.

She blinked, momentarily disoriented, only to find herself staring at empty air. Turning quickly, she spotted Caine and Enya's slowly retreating figures, their backs fading into the distance.

Her gaze narrowed, and she reached up to touch her throat. Pulling her hand away, she saw blood.

Though the wound was already closing, the fact that it hadn't healed instantly spoke volumes—and beyond that, she hadn't even seen him move.

Her eyes remained fixed on their fading silhouettes, and just as they disappeared from view, a whisper reached her ears.

"It was a pleasure, Lady Larisse."

***

"What… what was that?!" Enya exclaimed once they were safely out of Larisse's range of perception.

The sheer pressure the woman had emitted was unlike anything Enya had experienced before.

"Hm? Nothing too important. She was simply testing my bottom line and failed miserably. She's quite the wounded animal," Caine replied calmly.

"Anyway, what were we talking about again? Was it… dreams?"

"Sir, are we truly going to let this slide?!" Enya demanded, her voice trembling with frustration.

Caine chuckled softly. "What would you have me do? She's a Holy Knight. No one but the Pope himself can hold her accountable."

"And fighting her? That would be far too troublesome."

Enya's gaze faltered, disbelief evident in her expression.

"Sir… are you saying… you'd lose?"

Caine shook his head, his smile one of quiet amusement.

"No, I doubt I'd lose. It would simply be bothersome because of the Pope. He doesn't want me to kill anyone."

He paused, then redirected the conversation with effortless ease.

"Now, back to dreams. What's yours?"

Enya sighed, reluctant but resigned to let the matter drop.

"My dream…?"