Desires & Heresy

The Hall of Inquiry was filled with hushed murmurs, tension thick in the air. Candles flickered against the stone walls, casting long, wavering shadows over the gathered priests and priestesses.

At the center stood Aldric.

His stance was firm, but his eyes burned with barely restrained fury. He was no longer the composed, righteous figure he had once appeared to be.

Across from him, Zane stood silent, unshaken.

Aldric's voice broke through the hall, stronger than before—filled with conviction.

"For too long, I have held my tongue. But I can remain silent no longer!" He gestured toward Zane. "This man—Elias Verdan—is a danger to our faith! A heretic who whispers falsehoods into the ears of the weak!"

Gasps echoed through the chamber.

Aldric's lips curled in satisfaction at the reaction. He had their attention. Now, he needed to break Zane.

"I have watched him corrupt those around him. He manipulates, seduces, and poisons the minds of those who should be devoted to the gods! I have seen it with my own eyes!"

The murmurs grew louder. A few priests glanced at each other uneasily, some nodding along, while others hesitated, unconvinced.

A senior priest, Father Matthos, raised a hand. "Father Aldric, you make grave accusations. Do you have proof?"

Aldric turned sharply.

"Yes," he said, his voice ringing with certainty.

He lifted a hand. "Bring the witness."

The heavy doors at the far end of the hall creaked open.

A priest stepped forward—a man in his late thirties, with thinning hair and a stiff posture. His face was solemn, his expression carefully composed.

But the moment Zane laid eyes on him, he already knew where this was going.

He had heard whispers before—rumors of this priest's wandering eyes, the way his gaze lingered on certain women in the clergy. A man with a habit of watching.

Ah. So this is how Aldric plans to play it.

Aldric has played his cards, Zane mused. But it's a poor one.

The priest took his place beside Aldric and cleared his throat.

"I saw him," the priest declared, his voice steady. "With Priestess Beatrice. Too close. Speaking in hushed tones. There was no modesty in their interaction."

The murmurs turned to quiet gasps.

Zane remained silent.

Let them talk.

Let them question.

Then, he exhaled softly, lifting his gaze.

[Eloquence (Lv.1)]

"Faith is built upon truth," he said, his voice quiet—but unwavering. 

The effect was immediate.

The room fell silent.

All eyes turned to him.

"We are all servants of the divine," Zane continued. "But servants are not free from trials. We are tested, again and again." He let his gaze sweep across the room. "Should I be accused of something untrue, then the gods will judge me in due time."

A beat of silence.

Then, he turned to Father Matthos.

"If I am guilty of what this man claims, then let Priestess Beatrice speak for herself."

Beatrice entered the hall, her face composed.

Zane knew why. Because he had ensured it.

A moment before the trial.

He had taken her aside, his voice low, soothing. His hand resting lightly on hers.

[Gentle Persuasion (Activated)]

"You trust me, don't you, Beatrice?"

A pause. A flicker of hesitation. Then a slow, unsteady nod.

And now, before the gathered clergy, she did not falter.

"Beatrice," Matthos spoke, "has Father Elias ever done anything inappropriate toward you?"

Her response was immediate.

"No."

Aldric stiffened.

Matthos frowned. "You deny the accusation?"

"I do," she said firmly. "Father Elias has never acted dishonorably toward me."

The priest who had testified shifted uncomfortably.

Aldric's face darkened. "You're lying."

Beatrice met his gaze, calm and unwavering.

"No. I am not."

Aldric's fists clenched at his sides.

The senior priests exchanged uneasy glances. The momentum was shifting.

But Aldric was not finished.

"Then bring Celeste!" His voice rang through the hall, sharp with certainty. "Let her stand before us! If anyone can expose his deception, it is the very one he's been trying to seduce!"

The moment Celeste stepped into the hall, Zane saw the uncertainty in her eyes.

She had not expected this.

She had spent the day in service outside the church—only to return and be dragged into Aldric's desperate battle.

Aldric's expression softened—just slightly—when Celeste stepped into the hall.

For the first time since this trial began, his voice lost its edge.

"Celeste."

It wasn't an accusation. It wasn't a demand. It was a plea.

He took a slow step forward, his tone quiet but insistent. "You know the truth. You've felt it. Speak honestly."

Celeste hesitated.

The weight of so many eyes bore down on her, pressing against her chest, stealing the breath from her lungs. This was too much.

Her fingers curled against the fabric of her robe.

Then—she looked toward Zane.

He stood there, still as stone. Watching. Waiting. Not asking. Not demanding.

And yet, she felt the pull of him all the same.

Aldric's grip tightened at his sides. He saw it. He felt it.

His voice grew more urgent. "Celeste."

She swallowed. Why did it feel like her heart was trying to pull her in two different directions?

"I…"

The word barely left her lips before Aldric stepped closer.

Desperation seeped into his voice. "Celeste. Please."

His fingers twitched like he wanted to reach for her, but he held himself back. Barely.

"I am doing this for you."

Celeste flinched.

That tone—too personal. Too familiar.

Something inside her stirred uncomfortably.

She had known Aldric all her life. He had always been strict, always protective—but this? This was different.

Why did it feel different?

And then it struck her.

Because it was never about faith. It was never about righteousness.

It was about her.

It had always been about her.

Her stomach twisted.

[Celeste Corruption: 98%]

She inhaled slowly—and exhaled even steadier.

Clarity settled over her like a veil lifting.

She lifted her head, her voice firmer than before.

"I never asked you to do this, Aldric."

The hall fell into absolute silence.

Aldric's expression shattered.

"Celeste…"

She shook her head. "You claim this is for me, but why? Why me? Why am I the only one you fixate on?"

Aldric took a step back, his composure fracturing.

Her voice hardened.

"There are many priests. Many priestesses. Yet you accuse only him. You question only me. Why?"

Aldric's mouth opened. No words came out.

Her gaze didn't waver. "If you were truly righteous, you would see that your judgment has been clouded."

Her hands clenched at her sides.

"I believe in Father Elias."

The weight of those words settled over the chamber. The shift was irreversible.

Aldric stood there, silent. Frozen.

His knees hit the floor.

The hall was deathly silent.

Matthos sighed. "Aldric… You have let your emotions drive you to false accusations."

A pause. A final moment of judgment.

"You are to be relieved of your duties—effective immediately."

The words struck like a gavel. Irreversible. Absolute.

Aldric didn't move. He didn't even breathe.

The chamber had already begun to empty, murmurs filling the air, but he remained kneeling, unmoving— as if his body had turned to stone.

The world had cast him aside.

Zane had won.