Chapter 2: After Dinner
The bedchamber was a sanctuary of soft shadows and hushed whispers, the air heavy with the scent of beeswax candles and the faint, lingering aroma of tonight's frugal repast. The four nuns sat on the edge of their shared bed, the straw mattress creaking softly beneath their weight, the room's silence broken only by the occasional rustle of habit or the soft click of a rosario-cross bead.
Mirelle's voice was barely above a whisper, her words tumbling out in a rush, as if she couldn't hold them back any longer. "Do you think... do you think it's true?
What they say about the Trial of Luxoriel?" Her dark eyes darted between the three of them, her fingers twisting nervously around her rosario-cross. "That... that Luxoriel demands our devotion, our blood, our very essence?" Her voice trembled on the last word, as if the very idea was too terrible to voice aloud. She had been trying not to think about the Trial, to push the thoughts away, but Mirelle's words brought it all rushing back. She looked at Thalia, who met her gaze steadily, her expression unreadable.
"Thargea," she said, her voice low, "what do you know about the Trial of Luxoriel?"
Thargea’s voice was a dry, gravelly rasp, her words cutting through the tension like a blade. "Mother Seraphine has spoken," she said, her fingers tightening around her rosario-cross. "The Trial of Luxoriel is no mere test of devotion. It is a test of endurance, of sacrifice." She paused, her eyes flickering to each of them in turn, as if weighing their reactions. "Every young nun, like us, will be non-mortally crucified in the main hall for seven days." The words hung heavy in the air, the weight of them pressing down on them all.
She paused, her gnarled fingers tightening around her rosario-cross. "They will not give us food. No water. No rest. Only the cross and the pain, and the knowledge that Luxoriel watches, waiting to see who will endure." Her voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes darkening with a mix of fear and reverence.
"But we have our prayers," she continued, her voice steadying, "and our faith. We must pray, beg, and believe that Luxoriel will take care of us." Her gaze swept over each of them, her eyes holding a silent plea. "Do not show any weakness. Do not let your minds wander to temptation. Luxoriel is watching, and he will reward those who remain faithful."
Avelyne’s breath hitched, her fingers tightening around her rosario-cross. She looked at Thalia, whose expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—something that looked almost like defiance.
"Thargea," Thalia asked, her voice steady despite the slight tremor in her hands, "what happens if we fail? If we can't endure the Trial?" Her gaze darted to Avelyne, then to Mirelle, who had paled visibly at the question. "What then?" Thalia’s voice was low, her knuckles white against her rosario-cross. "If we fail?" Mirelle's voice was barely a whisper, her eyes wide with fear. "They say... they say if a nun gives up, if she can't endure, her throat will be slit." She swallowed hard, her fingers trembling around her rosario-cross. "To drain her blood completely, as a sacrifice. As a sign that she's not worthy." Her voice shook, her eyes darting to each of them, as if seeking reassurance.
"What if... what if someone died on the cross, Thargea?" Avelyne asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her fingers tightening around her rosario-cross. The room seemed to grow colder, the shadows darker, as if the very air held its breath.
Thargea's gaze was steady, her voice firm despite the tremor in her hands. "Dying on the cross, would be the ultimate sign of devotion. A testament to one's unshakable faith. It would not be a failure, but a triumph." Her eyes held a distant look, as if she was seeing something far beyond the bedchamber walls. "It would be a martyr's death, a sacrifice accepted by Luxoriel himself." She paused, her voice dropping to a reverent whisper.
"But we must not think of such things. We must have faith, and we must endure." She looked at each of them, her eyes filled with a quiet determination. "We will endure, together." Avelyne reached out, taking Thalia's and Mirelle's hands in hers, her grip firm and steady. "We will survive this trial, all four of us. We will stand before Luxoriel, and we will be found worthy." Her voice was filled with a conviction that seemed to steady the others, her eyes shining with a renewed determination. "We will not fail. We will not give up. We will endure."