Firstly, there was a sound wind, like divine voices whispering echoes, barely perceptible but which seemed to grow louder as they approached. This led us to probe each other simultaneously for some time, seeking to know if the phenomenon was shared or just a figment of our minds.

Followed a terrifying aura, even more terrifying than anything we could have had nightmares of. An overwhelming atmosphere of hatred surprised us, freezing our blood, stopping our heart’s beats, and petrifying our entire body all at once. It was like a million burning needles were suspended an inch from our body, waiting for the slightest misstep on our part to pierce us from all sides.

A feeling that this time was well shared among us.

Then, this unknown threat disappeared as quickly as it came, and only the mysterious whispers remained. Tetanized and still overcome by fear, everyone's doubts began. Were our targets playing dirty tricks on us? Or had nervous tension made us overreact? Or were the legend of this place real, and we were facing a vengeful ghost?

We were completely lost, not knowing what to do. We were not daring to approach the entrance to the tunnel but even less tempted to flee. The menacing presence’s lasting memory was so domineering that it erased any thought of escaping its grasp.

At some point, after a short moment that lasted less than a minute but seemed like an eternity, something proved we had not yet sunk into madness at least. The echoes stopped, replaced by footsteps, slow, calm, and regular. In contrast to what happened a moment ago, this was almost reassuring.

At the same time, a sweet odor invaded our sense of smell, and a gleam caught our eye. This simple fact gave us back control of our bodies, and we approached the gallery entrance cautiously, certain that any other act would have been fatal.

What looked like two silhouettes appeared from afar. In total darkness, a faint glow wrapped around them, enabling us to barely guess their outline.

There, we stayed motionless in a complete daze, trying to understand the situation.

The answer to all of our questions presented itself. As one of the two entities grew closer, the glow increased slightly, finally allowing us to discern something…

Those two beings didn’t look like ghosts or spirits. No, they had something I quite can’t describe, something powerful and mysterious, something akin to a divine presence. We could not distinguish them very well. In fact, we couldn’t see them clearly at all. Yet the entities seemed to be right before our eyes. Their image seemed to have been projected directly onto our minds, and we were only allowed to grasp their essence without the form.

It was as if we could capture their presence at any time, but we failed to do so because of some natural law forbidding us from doing so.

Because they were deities, I think everyone understood that much right away. They were no doubt about it. The answer simply imposed itself, like an absolute truth.

Both were girls, images of pureness dressed in white, one taller than the other.

The first one had an angelic face, an aura of virtue, and a halo of godliness, embodying divine grace itself. A simple glimpse of her being warmed our souls and made all our worries go away. She was overflowing with mercy and seemed to pity us, for we were only victims in her judgment.

The second one was akin to a devil and reassembled a fallen angel. She seemed to despise the whole world, and her hatred was omnipresent. Even her indistinguishable eyes seemed to condemn us if not humankind in its entirety. Her bloodlust was palpable, and we were suffocating from it. Even so, she seemed joyful, as if she was happy at the idea of wiping us off the face of the planet.

She was definitely the cause of the previous phenomenon.

Our whole beings were at a standstill, awaiting our judgment. And when it finally came, it was so unbelievable that it would leave us speechless for several minutes.

Even now, divine intervention is the only possible answer to describe this whole event. What else could it have been?

***

The two spiritual apparitions were drawing near to the limit of what their shape allowed us to grasp. They made a short break, and very slowly, a pure white emanation of light emerged from them, enveloping them in an aura of holiness.

Two women of different sizes and shapes, both wearing immaculate white. We could only conceive the rest, yet their godhoods were perfectly visible.

One was that of a wicked being. We could feel her hateful stare on our skin, and its reproach and criticism penetrated us straight to the marrow. It was as if she was ordering us to die, to repent not of our sins, but for the sole purpose of erasing our existence from her sight.

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She seemed very pleased by the situation, as if she were apprehending the torture she would give us.

Her divine aura, because it was a divine one assuredly despite her appearance, was heavy and freezing cold. Yet I was feeling as if my body was burning. Fright and terror were mixed within the promise of a welcome to hell without any prospective redemption. Time had stopped, and the din of my heartbeat, which had filled my ears until then, was no longer there.

Wouldn't it be for the angel, we would’ve been dead assuredly.

Thankfully, the second one was the exact opposite. She was wearing a gentle and soothing smile and remained impassive, unmoved by her fellow’s rage. Her face was completely disinterested. In fact, it was like she was so selfless that she became insensitive to her surroundings. She appeared as if her being had no other meaning than bringing mercy without worrying about herself.

It was as if she bore the sins of the whole world, having mercy on everything and everyone at once and in equal measure.

We couldn’t see her eyes, but I felt that her gaze was empty of judgment, only filled with mercy. She radiated like a beacon with a warming and godly lunar aura that unfroze our flesh and soothed our soul’s burns.

The angel moved again after a break, just as we were about to move ourselves, without even pretending to care about our hidden attendance since they already knew everything. A divine tool appeared in her hand, hiding her shape in order to prevent us from committing further sins, and which surely contained God's words.

Suddenly, without a warning, the divine messengers got on her knees and began to pray.

Perhaps she was praying for us? For the sake of our soul? Or was she doing it for everyone down here, for every sinner that lived in this tinny part of the world? Maybe it was for something even greater…

Oddly enough, we could now only perceive the top of her being, and her lower part seemed to have merged with the ground.

Yet, despite that, her features only intensified. The light she was reflecting became almost blinding, and the mercy that overflowed from her being engulfed her. Her calm attitude showed a hint of inconvenience and pain, and at the same time, I felt my soul was being cleansed, as if she was taking the weight of our crimes upon herself.

The evil one next to her was waiting a little behind. She was staring into empty space, piercing the matter we were made of, as if she was looking into the mesh of the universe, far beyond our souls. It was like giant pupils were standing behind her, probing our value.

The scene was very strange. It was as if the angel was kneeling and praying for our salvation, asking for forgiveness. While the wicked entity was waiting for her success or failure, gauging her own chance to be allowed to take care of us.

What followed was like a painting depicting a miracle. Everything seemed unreal as if an even more powerful deity had descended and was giving his judgment, and once more, everything seemed to have stopped, even time.

Then, before we could notice it, the keeling one vanished from our sight as if her shape returned to nothingness, reverting to pure aether.

Perhaps it was because she had fulfilled her role, and by the day, we still hope this was the sole reason. Deep in our minds, we knew that saving us wasn’t something easy, and it took her a great effort. We feared that she had suffered the consequences of her act. And although we have no right to do so, we merely wished she didn’t suffer because of us.

Thankfully, at that time, her aura had only intensified after her departure, and the resentment toward our person had lessened. We knew she was still here, and she had managed to obtain our forgiveness. Even if she had lost her shape, we understood she had escaped the worst, at least.

In the meantime, the demoness looked dejected, as if he regretted not having been able to torture us to his heart's content. Her gaze only became more intense and penetrating before leaving loudly with anger in a blinding flash.

As if to confirm our mindset, the loathing intensified again, but it was no longer directed against us. This time, the devil’s resentment really seemed to have been inflicted on the human species.

We were left to ourselves, once again, alone in the dark, as if everything that took place had only been a hallucination.

But we were no longer scared of the unknown noise, and we were no longer doubting ourselves, for we knew everything was real.

As we shared our thoughts and impressions on what had happened, as we were describing a scene similar in all respects, something emerged as the divine command.

The divine words that had no meaning until then had become clearer. During this whole time, the angel’s tablet had been impossible for us to decipher. Only a single word had come to my mind like a revelation, and it seemed everyone was in the same situation.

Each one of us could only understand one, but it appeared everyone had his own, and never twice the same. Put together, the message was clear.

‘Discuss’ ‘faith’ ‘free’ ‘soul’ ‘mercy’, and finally, ‘redemption’.

If this was not a direct sign, what would’ve been one?

Do not discuss your faith

free your soul,

with mercy, obtain redemption.

The angel had given us the direction we had to follow.

…

Wandering in the gallery mouth, attracted by the residual presence of the two deities, we advanced toward the place they had stood previously. Only an empty space awaited us. With the holy relic in its midst, a three-cornered piece of delicate embroidered white silk, with two strings tied to two ends, and a pearl necklace hanging from the third one.

The curio undoubtedly contained magic and was a carrier of a divine aura.

By a twist of fate, the number of beads matched ours, each one radiating a pure and saintly vibe.