Elianna was excited as she sat on the bench inside her family carriage. She had never been to the cathedral before, and her parents told her yesterday about how beautiful and elegant it was. They also told her she needed to dress nicely when attending a sermon at the cathedral, as it was considered a sign of respect.

Elianna looked over to her parents, who were sitting across from her, talking to each other. Her mother was dressed in a beautiful short-sleeved dark green dress that fell to her ankles. Elianna's green dress was similar to her mother's, but it fell just below her knees. Her father wore a black suit with a green vest and tie.

Katarina's eyes flicked to Elianna, seeing her daughter looking at her and Lucian, and she smiled, "Are you nervous about seeing the cathedral?"

Elianna shook her head, "No. I'm actually excited!"

Lucian chuckled, "That's good." Lucian looked at Elianna seriously, "Now, Munchkin. I know Nicholas will be there, but I need you both to be on your best behavior and not play around."

Elianna curiously tilted her head slightly to the right, "Why?"

"The cathedral is a place highly revered by many, including Raina," Katarina said. "Many might take offense to children running around and playing. So just stay close to your father and me."

Elianna felt a little bummed out since she was hoping to play with Nicholas a little, but perhaps she could do that later. "Could we still look around the Cathedral?" Elianna curiously asked.

Lucian smiled and nodded, "Of course." Lucian looked toward the window and leaned forward, "Elianna, look."

Elianna followed her father's gaze, and her eyes widened in awe as a towering building surrounded by rod iron fencing and lush green grass came into view. The building was made of white stone and was absolutely beautiful. The stained glass windows reflected the light from the morning sun, making the building seem to glow. The central part of the building was large and rectangular with a gable roof. Four large rectangular towers were built onto the central building, one on each corner. A large golden cross shone brightly from the morning sunlight at the very top of the building.

The building was at the end of a wide cobblestone road with sidewalks and buildings on either side of the road. Individuals of all three races currently occupied both sidewalks, all dressed in refined clothing and walking toward the large building. The building went out of Elianna's view as the carriage turned down the street and began to head toward it.

Elianna's head snapped toward her parents, who were smiling warmly, seeing her reaction. "W-Was that the cathedral?"

Lucian nodded, "It was."

"It was so cool and pretty!" Elianna expressed. "It looked like it was glowing!"

Katarina chuckled, "Just wait until we get there. The cathedral is far more beautiful when standing up close."

Elianna smiled with excitement and pressed her face and hands against the window. Condensation formed on the window from Elianna's breath as she stared outside the carriage toward the direction they were heading. The window felt cool as she pressed her head against it, and her smile widened as the cathedral soon came into view once more. Her excitement increased as they passed the rod iron fencing, noticing several Tri-Union City guards standing along the fence.

The carriage entered the cathedral's grounds, consisting of large grassy areas with large trees planted all around, with the areas separated by stone walking paths. Elianna observed several individuals walking around on the stone paths, all dressed nicely and speaking with one another.

The carriage soon came to a stop, and it wobbled as the coachman dismounted his driver's seat. The door to the carriage opened, and a dwarf with long orange hair and an orange beard came into view as he held the door ajar.

The dwarf nodded respectfully, "We have arrived, Lord and Lady Vail."

"Thank you, Usuf," Lucian said as he got up from his seat.

Elianna waited as her parents exited the carriage, then turned to face her. Elianna got up, and Katarina held her hand out to her daughter. Taking her mother's hand, Elianna descended the carriage's steps and immediately looked up, going wide-eyed with wonder.

Elianna thought about how her mother had been right; the cathedral looked far more beautiful up close. Elianna had to tilt her head all the way back just to see the top of the cathedral. The white stone that made up the building was flawless and smooth, glimmering in the morning sun. The windows were stained, each with a different design. Some of the windows depicted strange humanoid beings with a golden hue and white feathered wings. Other windows had depictions of various colors, like a kaleidoscope.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Elianna looked at her mother, who was smiling at her. Elianna returned her mother's smile and nodded, "Yeah! I really like the windows!"

Katarina looked at the stained glass, seeing the winged humanoids, "They're visuals of the divine beings who watch over us."

Elianna looked at her mother curiously, "The divine race has wings?"

"According to their depictions in scripture, some do, but not all," Lucian answered, and Katarina and Elianna looked at him. He jerked his chin, "Follow me; I think I spotted them."

Katarina nodded and looked at Elianna, "Keep holding my hand and stay close to me, Sweetie."

Elianna nodded and followed her mother and father as they began to walk away from their carriage. Elianna looked around and saw dozens of individuals dressed nicely, standing outside the cathedral and speaking to one another. Some of the individuals, like Elianna, were looking and pointing at the cathedral in awe, admiring its beauty.

Elianna looked forward, seeing she and her parents were approaching a group of Tri-Union City soldiers, who were standing around in a circle, their backs to the center. One of the soldiers, a young human male with short lime green hair and orange eyes, looked in their direction. His gaze flicked to them and narrowed before immediately going wide-eyed with recognition.

The young human guard quickly sidestepped, making room for the Vail's to pass by, and saluted, "Good morning, Commander."

The other guards beside the man heard what he said and followed his gaze, seeing Lucian and his family approaching. They also snapped to attention and saluted, wishing Lucian a good morning.

Lucian returned their salute, "Carry on." He dropped his salute, and the guards followed suit as Lucian and his family walked past the guards, entering the circle formation.

Elianna's eyes flicked to the center of the circle formation, and she smiled as her gaze fell on several individuals standing beside each other. The first individual was Raina, dressed in a beautiful golden long-sleeve dress that had a sheen and glimmered in the morning sun, which matched the golden tiara atop her head. Standing beside her was Kassandra, dressed in formal military attire and looking around protectively.

Standing with Raina, facing her, were Mathew, Freya, Celine, and Nicholas. Mathew was dressed in a black suit, complimented by his light blue tie. Freya was dressed in a light blue short-sleeve dress that matched Mathew's tie and fell to her shins. Celine was adorned in a light blue dress similar to her mother's, but she had a white sash around her waist. Nicholas wore a black suit like Mathew's, also with a light blue tie.

Raina's eyes flicked to the Vail's, and she smiled warmly as they approached, "Good morning. I'm glad you could make it."

Mathew, Freya, Celine, and Nicholas followed Raina's gaze, noticing the Vails. Elianna smiled and waved as she met Nicholas' gaze, and he returned her smile, waving back.

Katarina looked at her daughter curiously, noticing her waving, and followed her gaze. She smiled, seeing her daughter and Nicholas were non-verbally greeting each other.

"I hope we aren't late," Lucian greeted with a pleasant smile.

Raina shook her head, "Nope, you are right on time. We were just discussing going inside." Raina looked behind Lucian before curiously meeting his gaze, "I take it that Hector and Oscar didn't change their minds?"

"No," Lucian replied. "They stayed the night but left early this morning."

"We tried to convince them to come, but they're stubborn," Katarina jested.

"Just like my sons and their families," Raina sighed dejectedly.

"They're not here?" Katarina asked.

Raina shook her head, "No, unfortunately. They would rather sleep in, or so they said."

Kassandra looked at Raina sympathetically. She knew worshipping the divine was important to her, and she would've thought Raina's sons would've at least joined her because of that if nothing else.

"Well, don't worry," Freya said, giving Raina a reassuring smile. "We are all here to spend time with you and enjoy this sermon."

"Yeah," Mathew said lowly but immediately flinched as Freya subtly and lightly elbowed him in the side. Mathew cleared his throat and spoke loudly and jovially, "Yeah. We are all happy to be here."

Raina smiled, appreciatingly, "I'm glad." She gestured to the cathedral, "Shall we go take our seats?"

Katarina nodded, "Yes, let's."

Raina turned, and in unison, the Tri-Union City guards around her began to move toward the cathedral as she did.

Lucian looked at Kassandra as they approached the cathedral entrance, "I take it the area has already been secured?"

Kassandra nodded, "Yes, Commander. I placed knights on the perimeter and mages on the roof." She smiled at him, "Plus, it helps to know we have you with us. No one would dare to try anything with you here."

Lucian chuckled, "There may be some who are foolish enough to try."

Elianna, who was still holding her mother's hand, looked to the side, seeing Nicholas walking beside his aunt on the other side of Katarina. Elianna looked up at her mom, "Hey, Mom?" Katarina curiously looked at her daughter. "Can I switch sides?"

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Katarina looked at Elianna, confused, before looking to her right. Katarina's brows rose, and she smiled, seeing Nicholas close to her and realizing why her daughter asked her question. Katarina looked at Elianna and nodded.

Elianna excitedly let go of her mother's hand, moved to the other side, took her other hand, and smiled at Nicholas, "Hey, Nick!"

Nicholas' head snapped to his left, a little surprised by the sudden greeting, but he returned Elianna's smile as soon as he realized it was her, "Hey, Lia!"

"Are you excited about the sermon?" Elianna asked.

Nicholas shrugged, "I guess. I used to go to them all the time with my dad."

Elianna looked at Nicholas curiously, "What about your mom? Raina said she and your mom used to go together."

Nicholas flinched, and his eyes fell. Nicholas' expression changed to something Elianna couldn't read, and she looked at him a little worried.

Noticing her nephew's expression and hearing Elianna's question, Freya placed her hand on Nicholas' shoulder. Nicholas looked up, feeling his aunt's reassuring grasp, and they shared a smile.

Wanting to change the subject, Freya jerked her chin forward, "Excited to see the inside?"

Elianna and Nicholas looked forward, seeing they were approaching the entrance. Elianna smiled, feeling elated about seeing the inside. After seeing how beautiful the outside of the cathedral was, she couldn't help but wonder how beautiful the inside was.

The guards began to enter the cathedral first, filling in together. The cathedral's entrance was large, giving enough room for several people to enter simultaneously. Soon enough, Elianna and the others approached the cathedral entrance, passing under the archway and through the dark brown opened double doors. As they entered the cathedral, Nicholas' and Elianna's eyes widened in amazement.

The inside of the cathedral looked a lot bigger than the outside. The room was incredibly large, with a bright red carpet running down the middle and dozens of long, dark brown wooden benches on either side of the rug. The cathedral's flooring was also made of white stone, which seemed just as pristine as the stone on the outside. Beautiful crystal chandeliers adorned with lumous stones hung from the ceiling, illuminating the cathedral. Thick stone support pillars were scattered throughout the cathedral, connecting the floor to the ceiling. Murals covered the walls and even the ceiling of the cathedral, depicting different images of the divine race. At the end of the cathedral was a white and golden altar, with a golden cross erected in the center. But what caught Elianna's eye the most wasn't the altar but the object above it.

Hovering above the altar was a large stone that was bigger than a carriage. The stone seemed to be made out of crystal and radiated a bright, warm, golden glow. As Elianna stared at the stone, she felt her heartbeat increase a little, and a warmth began to fill her heart... no... her mana core. The golden energy from the stone was absolutely beautiful and comforting, and Elianna was utterly mesmerized. She was so mesmerized that Elianna began to feel a sense of walking forward as if the energy was pulling her in.

"That's a world stone."

Elianna started as if she were knocked out of a daze before she looked at her mother, who was smiling at her after catching her daughter's gaze.

Elianna looked back at the world stone and said softly, "It's so beautiful."

"It was a gift," Lucian said, and Elianna looked at her father. Lucian smiled at his daughter, "The divine scripture states that the world stones were given to us by the divine. The golden glow you see is their divine radiance."

"Radiance?" Elianna asked, confused.

"Their light, or power," Lucian clarified.

"There is a stone just like it in Zasaly," Nicholas expressed, also admiring the world stone.

Lucian nodded, "There are four world stones in total. Each kingdom has one and is sworn to protect them."

Elianna eyed the stone peculiarly, "I-I can almost feel it... It's warmth."

Nicholas looked at Elianna curiously, "You can?"

Elianna slowly nodded, "Yeah, in my mana core."

Lucian's smile faded, and he and Katarina shared a gaze.

"I often think the same," Raina said, and everyone looked at her. She smiled warmly at the world stone, "I can just imagine the divine power flowing through us from the stone. It's extraordinary." Raina looked at the others, "So, shall we go take our seats?"

"Could we look at the paintings first?" Nicholas asked, looking at the murals around the cathedral in awe.

Freya chuckled, knowing Nicholas loved to look at artwork. She nodded at Nicholas and looked at the others, "You all go ahead. I'll show Nicholas the murals."

Elianna looked at her mother excitedly, "Can we join them?!"

Katarina looked at Freya, who smiled and nodded, welcoming their company. Katarina smiled at her daughter, "Sure."

"Would it be okay if I sat with Regent Raina?" Celine asked. "My feet still hurt a little."

Mathew chuckled, "Yeah, I'll go with you." Mathew looked at his wife, "We'll see you later."

"I'll make sure to get us front seats," Raina said. "So, meet us up there."

Freya nodded, and Mathew and Celine walked off with Raina and the other guards, heading toward the front of the cathedral.

Freya looked at Nicholas and smiled, "Ready?"

Nichols nodded excitedly, "Yeah!"

Freya jerked her chin, "Come on."

Freya and Nicholas began to walk off, heading toward the side of the cathedral. Elianna began to follow them but was stopped by her mother, who was holding her hand.

"Hey, Sweetie," Katarina began softly, and Elianna looked at her mother curiously. "Do me a favor. Don't ask Nicholas about his mom again, okay?"

Elianna looked confused, "Why not?"

Lucian smiled, "Just don't, Munchkin."

Elianna felt a little bewildered by her parent's request but nodded in agreement.

"Good," Katarina said. "Come on."

Elianna followed her parents as they began to walk toward Freya and Nicholas, who were standing in front of one of the murals. Elianna and her parents approached them, and Nicholas smiled at Elianna as she came to stand beside him.

"Isn't this painting cool!" Nicholas said, excitement in his voice.

Nicholas looked back at the mural, and Elianna followed his gaze. The mural was beautifully painted, depicting beings wrapped in a golden aura, with white feathered wings, descending from the sky, with a variety of weapons in their hands. On the desolate ground were humans, elves, and dwarves, who seemed to be fighting creatures veiled in darkness and gray-skinned humanoids.

"This is a very famous painting that depicts the divine's descent. It's based on the chapter known as Liberation, written in the divine scripture," Lucian began, his eyes tracing the painting. "The beings coming down from the sky are the divine race, coming to aid the mortal races, us, in their fight against the infernal race and the orcs."

"Infernal race?" Nicholas asked, looking at Lucian curiously. "What is that? I'm sure I've heard about it before."

Lucian's expression darkened, and he looked down, trying to think how to answer.

"They're not good," Freya said carefully, stepping in for Lucian. "They're the opposite of the divine."

"Infernal race," Elianna whispered before looking at her dad inquisitively. "Are they like the infernal cult?"

Lucian went wide-eyed, and Freya's brows raised in surprise before looking at Lucian. She didn't expect Elianna to know about them since they weren't public knowledge to prevent people from worrying.

"Don't talk about that here," Lucian said sternly. Elianna flinched a little at her father's tone. Lucian sighed, and his expression softened when he saw his daughter flinch. He gestured to the next mural, "Sorry. Come on, let's continue."

The five of them walked to the next mural, which was more significant than the last and had multiple sections. In one section, divine beings, some with a pair of wings, some without, and some with multiple pairs of wings could be seen hovering over the mortal races. The divine beings had their arms outstretched, giving the mortal races what looked like a golden ball of energy. In another section, several elves, humans, and dwarves alike were wrapped in what looked like a golden flame and led the mortal armies against the infernal race in a valiant battle. In the third and final section, the mortal races seemed to be cheering, with no members of the infernal race in sight. Hovering above the mortal races were the beings of the divine race and what looked like seven large spheres of light. A golden lightning emerged from the seven lights, converging together, forming four stones.

"This painting is massive," Nicholas expressed, his eyes darting all around it.

Lucian nodded, "This is another famous painting, also based on the chapter known as Liberation, and there is a lot that goes into it." He gestured to the first section, "This part depicts the hierarchy of the divine race gifting the mortal races."

"Hierarchy?" Elianna asked.

"In scripture, it's written how there is a hierarchy, or rank structure, among the divine," Lucian answered.

"Like how people have different ranks?" Nicholas asked curiously.

"Exactly," Lucian chuckled before he continued. "The scripture states that from the lowest to the highest tiers, it goes spirits, angels, archangels, seraphs, and then the principles. The ones we are most common with are the spirits, who are described as divine beings without wings. It is written that they watch over us like messengers. There have been instances where people have reported or claimed to have met a spirit. In fact, it is known that every so often, a spirit will even give a mortal a divine task to perform a great deed, and for a reward, they would receive a blessing."

"Blessing?" Elianna asked, vaguely remembering her mother had mentioned it before. "What is that?"

Lucian pointed to the first section of the mural, "The golden balls of energy being gifted to the mortals are called divine blessings. It's divine energy that allows a mortal to reach the ninth level of their mana core."

Elianna looked at her father curiously and asked, "You have nine stars. So, did you receive a blessing?"

Lucian's eyes fell for a moment before he smiled at his daughter, "I did achieve my ninth star thanks to the divine."

Elianna looked at her father inquisitively, "Is it hard to get the ninth star?"

Lucian nodded, "Yes. Reaching the ninth level of a mana core is incredibly rare."

"More rare than becoming a mage?" Elianna quizically asked.

Lucian chuckled and nodded, "Yes, very much so. In fact, many believe reaching the ninth level is breaking the mortal limits of their mana core, as it's near impossible to reach the ninth level on your own. As it stands, all the ninth-level mana users are known to have reached their current level thanks to the divine." Lucian placed his hand flat on his chest, "Currently, there are four known ninth-level mana core users, including myself."

Nicholas beamed in admiration, "You: the White Wolf, the Black Hammer, the Witch of Annihilation, and the Berserker."

Elianna looked at Nicholas with bewilderment, "What are those?"

Freya chuckled, "Those are the nicknames of the four ninth-level users." Freya looked at Elianna, "Nicholas has always admired them. He was very excited when he met your father."

Nicholas blushed a little in embarrassment and looked to the side.

Lucian nodded and smiled, "Well, I appreciate that, Nicholas." Lucian looked at his daughter and continued, "Ninth-level users are incredibly powerful. It's why the four of us are respected by many."

"So," Elianna began, looking at her father curiously, then looking at the mural. "The people with the golden fire, are they ninth-level mana core users?"

Lucian followed his daughter's gaze and shook his head, "No. If I remember correctly, those are Nephilim."

"Nephilim?" Nicholas asked.

"They were beings of incredible power who could wield both mortal and divine magic, or so it's written," Katarina answered. "They were half mortal, half divine."

Elianna looked at her mom quizically, "Did they get blessings as well?"

Katarina smiled a little humorously and shook her head, "Not exactly. They were born with their power?"

Elianna looked confused, "How?"

Lucian cleared his throat awkwardly, "That's a conversation for when you're much, much older."

Elianna's expression contorted in bewilderment, and she looked at Nicholas, who seemed just as confused as she was.

"Anyway," Lucian began, wanting to change the subject. "The last part depicts the seven principles."

"The seven principles?" Nicholas asked.

Lucian nodded, "It is written that the seven principles are the ones who rule over the divine in the ethereal realm. They are beings of pure divine power and the strongest of all." He pointed to the painting, "As you can see, they're the ones who made the world stones and gifted them to us."

"You seem to know a lot about the divine and the paintings, Lucian," Freya commented and looked at him with a curious smile. "Did you study theology?"

Lucian smiled and nodded, "Yes, my father worshiped the divine greatly, and I always attended sermons with him. Then, I also studied theology while at Tri-Union Academy."

Elianna eyed the seven spheres of light curiously, seeing them making the world stones with the golden lightning. "Why did they give us the world stones?" Elianna asked. "What are they for?"

Lucian looked at his daughter and was about to answer when a bell chimed.

"We should go take our seats," Freya said, looking toward the altar. "It's almost time for the sermon."

Nicholas slumped a little, looking around and seeing there were still many murals to look at, "Can we look at the rest of the paintings later?"

Freya chuckled and nodded, "Sure. Afterward, we can go get something to eat." Freya looked at Lucian and Katarina, "Would you like to join us?"

Elianna grew excited at the idea, as it meant she could spend more time with Nicholas. She looked at her mother eagerly.

Katarina smiled and nodded, "We would love to. How about you come over to our place? We can have the staff make something." She looked at Nicholas and Elianna, "Plus, this way, these two can hang out a little."

Freya smiled and looked at Nicholas, "Are you okay with that?"

Nicholas excitedly nodded at the idea of playing with Elianna, "Yeah!" Nicholas looked at Elianna, and they shared an excited, friendly smile.

"That sounds like a plan," Lucian said, jerking his chin. "Now, let's go join the others."

Freya and Katarina nodded, and the five of them began to walk off.

As they walked, Elianna subtly leaned over and whispered to Nicholas, "I hope you know we are having a foosball rematch."

Nicholas looked at Elianna and grinned competitively, "Looking forward to losing again?"

Elianna narrowed her eyes on Nicholas and returned his competitive grin, "The only person going to lose is you."

Nicholas smiled, loving this competitiveness between them, "We shall see."