A hefty, concerned crowd formed around the collapsed old mill after Klev and Vora departed. The news showed up and reported on the destroyed mill and commented on proper demolition of unusable buildings.

A Chime came across the mess and took a closer look. Buried shallowly under the rubble were corpses of Soot. They were not killed by the factory’s fall. In fact, the wounds they had were incredibly unnatural. Their flesh was cracked and appeared nightmarishly painful. No human nor Chime had such ability to inflict that. He informed a Kindler of a nearby church, who, in turn, divine stepped to O’Landra’s central church to notify the Bearer.

***

Sympha emerged from a sigil of light. She smiled at the gathering of people. A fire erupted, and firefighters were trying to douse the flames fueled by old flour with big red HCs. A woman stood before a man holding a mounted wood and brass shoulder camera with a black lens. A mother and her young boy were watching out the window. The boy had accidentally knocked the flowerpot to the sidewalk below, leaving a dirt splat. A man had his legged trapped under some rubble and had surely broken it. Many tried to get him out, but their attempts failed.

One of the rescuers, a teen girl, goggled at Sympha’s arrival and ran over. “Maiden Sympha. Please. I beg you to help my father. He got his leg caught trying to help.”

Sympha gave a dismissal wave. “By God’s word, I will.”

The direct word of the Burning Bell raised her hands. Simultaneously, the rubble pinning down the girl’s father glittered gold, rose, and vanished into bell-shaped sigils.

“Bell bless. Thank you,” the teen girl praised before running to her father.

Maiden Sympha graced her way to the firefighters. They were puzzled and astounded when she presented her hand, and the roaring flame curled up into a fireball and swiftly floated to her hand. She gazed at its flicker before balling her fist and absorbing the fire.

“Praise be the Bell,” roared the people.

“Bell bless you,” the Maiden replied. “Leave the cleaning to myself. I’m quite good at cleaning up messes.”

After a bit, the crowd dispersed, and Sympha investigated what she’d been informed. She tossed rubble aside and came across the buried corpse of the fat Soot. Its ivory flesh indeed appeared like Swiss cheese. She felt great malice from the cracked parts.

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Not from anyone else. Dowsers maybe? It’s not Fallite, however. Seems demonic, magical. If it’s a new weapon the dowsers have, this could cause catastrophe for humans and Chimes.

Sympha breathed calmly and closed her eyes. Her vision hadn’t reached darkness, but rather blue sky way above the clouds. Her mind shot upward, right next to the massive Burning Bell.

“Father. This growing hatred between the clergy and humans continues to bring me great worry. The human’s confidence has reached frighteningly high levels as they develop greater weapons. This will lead to a one-sided massacre.”

Sound came from within Sympha’s mind. Notes, and tings, and bongs: an orchestra. Words of the Burning Bell only she could understand.

“I have been dealing with it. I have been for hundreds of years. I may be the Maiden, but my influence outside of O’Landra is limited. Now O’Landra seems to be cracking.”

More rings enter her mind.

“But the number of people who think Heaven doesn’t exist is growing. Giving those below some proof might end all of this. No,” Sympha corrected herself. “It wouldn’t. That’s not why…” She clasped her hands together. “What would you do if it came to war?”

The orchestra bellowed.

“Leave that as a last resort. I will work harder than ever to ensure the balance remains and heaven stays open. I will need the cooperation of the other Bearers. There are four I wish to speak with that may sway the rest.”

Rings…

“Thank you.” Sympha hung her head for a moment. She wanted to tell her father something. Something she wanted to admit every time they had a conversation. But just like the other times, she didn’t. “That is all.”

Sympha’s eyes snapped open her eyes. She went from the open blue to having asphalt beneath her toes. She had a bit of a surprise as Hasmed and Gretgle arrived. Gretgle examined the corpse of the Soot, and Hasmed sat around kicking rocks.

“Were you talking to him?” Hasmed asked.

“Yes,” Sympha answered matter-of-factly.

“And did you bring up that?” Hasmed pointed at the Soot Gretgle was investigating.

“Not directly. Why?”

“You’re getting dull in your old age. That’s not some Fallite weapon.”

“I’m very aware that it’s something else. Some other weapon.”

“Not man-made,” Hasmed added. “I can smell it. Whatever did that is different from Chimes, humans, and even god.”

“I am aware, Hasmed,” Maiden Sympha replied grumpily. “Gretgle. Could you peer further into this?”

“I already ‘ave everything I need,” Gretgle replied. “I’ll let you know when I can.” Afterward, he divine stepped away.

“I need to discuss things with the other Bearers. I want you to make some meetings for me.”

“What’s that?” Hasmed asked, jumping to his feet. “You want me to do what?”

“I need you to gather some Bearers.”

“Still can’t hear you,” Hasmed responded. “Hard to hear with the chains around my head. I’ll speak with you later.” He vanished.

“Don’t run from me—” Sympha lost her calm composure and became irritated. “I’m the Maiden, and you do what I say.” She fixed her blonde hair and sighed. “I’ll just have Cherub do it then. And then I’ll have you do something more foul, you mopey child.”

She took in the spectacle of the mess and thought it best to be rid of it for the safety of others. She lifted a hand and then swiftly chopped it. At the same time, a giant bell manifested and collapsed around the mill. It glowed bright orange, then lifted to reveal a shallow crater of ash.