Nothing can change this love. If I go a million miles away, I’d write a letter each and every day. You’re the apple of my eye, my cherry pie. Nothing can change this love I have for you my sweet little Soulstar.

The archives of the Central Synod were a sight to behold, much like the building which housed them. Rows upon rows of books filled the archives’ dozens of rooms. The shelves dwarfed the clergymen that organized them, going up to the building’s dome roof, hundreds of feet above them. Despite the volumes being thousands of years old, they did not show their age thanks to the clergymen utilizing preservation magic.

Josephine walked by the towering bookshelves, over the alternating pattern of gray and black tiles. A clergyman hastened to walk alongside her.

“P-priestess can I help you? Is there something you’re looking for?” he asked.

“I’m going to see the prophecy.” she answered, eyes forward.

She didn’t need directions. The prophecy was so important that it wasn’t placed on a mere shelf, it had its own room under constant guard.

“I-I see. May I inquire why? It takes a lot to give you access.”

“Do I need a reason? I’m an Apostle.” she hissed, annoyed by the man’s pestering.

“O-of course priestess, my apologies.”

The man quickened his pace, heading ahead of Josephine to make the necessary preparations. After a few more moments of traveling, she was in front of a giant steel door, guarded by two of the Central Synod’s Holy Warriors. The two men were adorned in black panoply, their armor reflecting the light emitted from the lanterns which hung next to the door. They wielded massive spears that leaned against their soldiers. They saw Josephine approach and promptly stood at attention.

“Good afternoon priestess” one said, his voice slightly muffled because of his helmet.

“Afternoon.” she replied. “Have you been told of my arrival?”

“Yes ma’am. You can go on ahead.”

Josephine put her hand on the handle, ready to twist when a thought came to her.

“Were either of you on duty when Sir Duke visited?”

One of the guards awkwardly glanced at her, then continued to look forward.

“Y-yes ma’am. I was.”

The man sounded nervous. He gulped. It was said the Holy Warriors weren’t afraid of anything. Whomever said that clearly didn’t have the Apostles in mind.

“Was anyone with him?”

The guard paused, thinking it over.

“A new clergyman I believe. His name eludes me, I’m sorry.”

Josephine narrowed her eyes, trying to recall such a man. New clergyman? That didn’t narrow it down in the slightest. Thousands of young men joined the church every year. She was getting ahead of herself. She still needed to verify there was anything worth investigating. Josephine entered the room.

She was met with a long hallway, the floor covered with a large ornate black carpet decorated with silver stars. Josephine went forward, bypassing the murals on the walls which depicted the tale of the Goddess of Smoke. Her birth from embers, her time as slave, the Uprising, the death of her sister, and finally, the Deicide. At the end of the hallway was an open book on a display stand, placed on a large brown table. Josephine stopped in front of it, examining its pages. It was the oldest book in the archives, having been written by the Goddess of Smoke herself, thousands of years ago. It looked brand new. The pages were bright, the red print looking like it could jump off the page at any moment. It’s black and silver cover glistened and it was all done without preservation magic. Josephine looked at its contents, having learned to read ancient script as a child. It was one of the first things the Central Synod taught her.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

From ashes I was born, from ashes I will return. But before I do, my children shall thrive. Forevermore will they walk the earth. It is theirs, and nothing shall take it from them.

Everything was normal so far. No evidence of tampering or alteration. What did Sir Duke see? Did he see anything? He was mad, yet why did she feel like she was missing something? She kept reading.

When the time becomes gravest, a hero will arise. A hero from an unknown world, a hero whose presence shall bring about peace. With them the enemies will fall, and my children shall prosper, forever and ever.

That was the end. Nothing was out of place. Josephine sighed. It was a waste of time. She should have felt relieved but instead she was…disappointed. It was akin to watching a play with a horrible final act. She was about to close the book, when her hand felt something. The spine of the book felt strange. She picked the book up, examining it instead of the words on the pages.

She held it by the cover. It felt inappropriate to hold the most important religious book in such a manner but it needed to be done. Josephine was shocked. If one didn’t search for it, it would’ve been impossible to notice but there it was. It looked as if pages had been removed from the book’s spine with surgical precision, done so subtly that it was hard to tell the pages had been there in the first place. She put the book down, breathing heavily. Was Sir Duke correct? Was there-

“Josephine!” a voice called out.

She spun around, recomposing herself.

Grandmother was on the other end of the hallway, quickly making her way to Josephine. The woman looked at her with piercing violet eyes. Grandmother stood in front of Josephine, standing a head and a half taller so the elder woman had to look down. It was like Josephine was a child once more.

“Charlie told me that you’d be here.” Grandmother said.

“Yes Grandmother. I came to-”

“He told me why.”

She walked by Josephine, looking at the book.

“Did you find anything?”

Josephine took a deep breath.

“No.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. The prophecy itself had not been tampered. Technically, she didn’t find anything.

“It was a waste of time.” Josephine continued. “Sir Duke must’ve descended into madness long before he came here.”

Grandmother looked Josephine up and down, searching for something. It was like a constable hound sniffing people at a checkpoint for contraband. It was an apt comparison; Grandmother acted more like a dog than a person. Her long nose didn’t do her any favors in that regard. Grandmother locked eyes with Josephine.

“Did it take you coming here to have figured that out? Wasn’t that clear when you killed him?” she asked.

This had become an interrogation.

“Of course.” Josephine said with a straight face, holding back her uneasiness. “I wished to understand the madness.”

“That’s a pointless endeavor. It is impossible to understand a heretic.”

“You’re right Grandmother. I was merely performing due diligence. I had to ensure-”

“Are you implying I had failed in my duties? This whole building is under my security, along with training the next generation of Apostles. Saying that someone snuck in to defile the most holy of documents is to say I erred at some point.”

“I would never suggest such a thing. You’ve done a splendid job Grandmother. I’m a prime example of the fruits of your labor.”

“Don’t get carried away. Just because you’re the youngest Apostle in generations doesn’t mean anything. All it shows is that I'm good at finding children with potential. In fact, given your failure, perhaps choosing you was a mistake.”

“I-”

“Quiet child. We sent you out because we were desperate and paid for it. Then Charlie went on his own and failed as well. We’re getting sloppy. Discipline is starting to fall apart. It’s clear I’ve been too lenient with you lower Apostles. You’re all lucky the upper half aren’t here.”

Grandmother began to circle around her. The woman was still looking for something. Should Josephine tell the truth? Would she even be believed? She doubted it. Grandmother stood before Josephine once more. Josephine couldn’t tell if the dog had found its contraband or not.

“Next time you wish to see the prophecy, ask me first.” Grandmother ordered.

“Yes Grandmother.”

“Good. Go rest, you will be dispatched soon. King Grimmelshausen is wavering in faith. You’ll be sent to deliver a message.”

Josephine nodded, quickly making her way out of the room.

After exiting the archives and a quick trek up the nearest flight of stairs, Josephine arrived back to her room. Located on the fifth floor of the building, it gave Josephine a view of the Central Synod. Below clergymen scurried about like ants. Her room itself was barebones. There was a simple cot and a desk with a chair to the right of it, facing the cobblestone wall. All of the fatigue Josephine was holding off hit her at once. When was the last time she got a good night’s sleep? To her it felt like it’d been ages. She slowly made her way to her cot but stopped upon seeing her desk.

On it was a letter. She went up to her desk and picked it up. Who in the world would give her a letter? She had no connection to the outside world. She opened it and inscribed on the paper inside was: They lied. Be at the Central Fountain tonight, 8pm sharp. There, I shall reveal everything.