[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 53 - 16: Before The Storm [5]

Chapter 53: Chapter 16: Before The Storm [5]

The darkness was stifling, and the air was musty.

Luke took a deep breath and scanned the area.

Around him were old boxes, dusty shelves, and old furniture. He seemed to be in the basement of the church, specifically an abandoned storage room.

He took a few cautious steps, feeling uneasy as he heard the sound of his own breathing echoing in the confined space.

He lifted his free hand and touched the walls to get a feel for the layout, the smell of aged wood lingering in the air.

There has to be a way out.

He increased his magic until the sphere grew to a considerable size, the pale blue light giving him a better view of what lay ahead.

There was a wooden door a few feet away. He reached out, and his fingertips discovered a worn knob. He grasped it tightly and then turned, the hinges protesting with a soft creak.

Beyond the door was a narrow corridor that led to two directions.

Great, Luke thought. Which path should I go to?

He turned to the left path and squinted. The glow of his orb showed a set of stairs at the end.

When he did the same for the right path, all he could see was darkness and nothing else.

Well. Perhaps the stairs are the safest choice.

Besides, if I’m in the basement area, that means I need to go up.

Luke took a deep breath and walked towards the left path. He only hoped that there would be no traps down this road. He had already used up half of his white magic earlier with the healing.

That fall was pretty bad, he thought, wincing internally.

Although he had managed to heal himself earlier, a dull pain still lingered all over, like a phantom pain. He suspected that he had fallen three stories, something that would have either killed a normal person or left them with serious injuries, especially to the head.

Thankfully, he was no ordinary person.

Being a destined Summoner since birth, he had natural regenerative abilities. He was not invincible — far from it — but he could heal from wounds quicker than average.

So, even if he hit his head or broke his bones, the injuries wouldn’t be too severe. When he fell unconscious after the impact, his body instantly went to work on healing him bit by bit.

Which explains why I feel depleted of energy, he thought as he continued to traverse through the path.

When he finally reached the end of the corridor, the stairs were there. He ascended cautiously, using the glow of the orb that was floating above his open palm. The steps were thick and a bit taller than average, which made it a bit exhausting to climb.

Does this take me right up to the third floor? he wondered. By the gods. This will take me forever.

After a minute, he had to take a break.

Luke gasped as he sat on the steps and tried to catch his breath. It was hard enough to recover from the use of his healing magic, but his hazy memories were not helping.

What did happen before I fell? he wondered.

I think...

Ah.

I think there was a priest.

Luke tried wracking his brain to remember. Bits and pieces slowly came back to him, and the memory itself sent a shiver down his spine.

Hours earlier, as he thought back to the stranger in town, he felt the mark on his forehead hurt. It was a sudden stab of pain, pulsing and pounding in his eardrums. He was so lost in the discomfort that he barely heard the knock at the door.

When the pain finally subsided, he stood up and turned just as the door opened.

The man standing in the doorway was dressed in a priest’s sacred robes. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, with a mop of dark hair and friendly brown eyes. He was also holding a small book pressed to his chest. It looked like one of the holy books used by the people for long prayers.

The man had a smile on his face and opened his mouth to speak, but in the next moment, his eyes grew wide.

When Luke regained his composure, he noticed that the man’s gaze was fixed on his forehead, the area where his mark was currently throbbing and glowing blue.

Luke froze in place.

This was bad.

He had been careless.

"That..." The man’s face slackened in shock. "That color..."

Luke couldn’t even find it in himself to respond.

After all, what else could he say? He couldn’t just outright deny something like this. Not when it was already too obvious.

Not when he had been caught red-handed.

Damn it, he cursed internally.

"The blue color..." The man’s features were suddenly twisted in anger as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "You’re...!"

Luke opened his mouth to speak, to try to calm the man down, but it was already too late.

The priest pushed him with such force that Luke was thrown backwards.

He shut his eyes at the impact. There must’ve been some magic involved in the blow. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have hurt so much.

It was well-known that the priests and priestesses had their own magic thanks to the blessings of the gods in return for their faith. Of course, this meant that they were stronger than an average person, although they usually did not possess offensive magic. But even then, they could use a little magic to boost their physical hits.

"You disgrace!" the priest shouted, eyes narrowed. "How dare you come to a sacred place like this?"

"I’m very sor—" Luke stuttered out as he tried to pick himself up from the ground.

The man’s eyes widened. "Oh no you don’t! Stay away!" he snapped. "You, a person who is bound to a cursed trespasser, is not welcome in these sacred grounds! You will only taint the place. What makes you think that you would be welcome here?!"

Before Luke could explain, the man instantly shut the door, locking it from the outside.

Then, there was an audible clicking sound, as though something had just been activated.

"The world does not need your kind!"

Those were the last words Luke heard before the floor gave way beneath him, and then he plunged into the darkness.