Lilith pushed the door open without hesitation, and the girl, who was now just a husk with her soul ripped from her, stumbled back into the room with vacant eyes.
She moved without purpose, like a robot with corrupt files, bumping into the far wall and standing there, motionless.
Ren stepped in after her, shutting the door quietly behind them.
The moment it clicked shut, a voice rose from one of the two beds.
"What the hell is going on?"
The other aspirant, a boy around their age, wearing wrinkled sleepwear, had sat up from his mattress, rubbing his eyes. When he caught sight of Ren and Lilith, and his partner's slack, blank expression, his confusion turned to horror.
He didn't finish the sentence.
Lilith was already in front of him.
A single fingertip pressed gently to his chest, and in the blink of an eye, a silver wisp, the glowing shape of a soul, slid from his body and into Lilith's palm. His body sagged and slumped onto the mattress, soulless and silent.
Lilith turned to Ren with a shy smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear like she hadn't just turned two people into something less than animals.
"Did I do well?" She asked softly.
Ren nodded, glancing between the two husks, swallowing. That was scarily easy.
"Err… You did. No blood, no noise. Perfect. Just…" He sighed, stepping closer. "Just be careful. You know that Soul Dominion eats away at you every time you use it."
Lilith blushed, her eyes shimmered at the praise. "I'll be careful." She murmured.
Then, without warning, she surged forward and pressed her lips to his.
Ren caught her shoulders gently, pushing her back with effort. "Wait, Lilith." He said. "We need to take care of this."
He gestured with one hand at the two husks still in the room, both of them staring blankly at nothing.
Lilith sighed, then raised her hand. The air rippled as soul energy flowed from her fingertips like a wave. It touched the husks, and within moments, their bodies began to unravel, flesh and blood eroding as if devoured by time itself, until nothing remained but dust and silence.
She turned back to Ren, eyes warm and wild all at once. "There. Now, we can continue."
A mad glint entered her eyes as she stepped forward. Ren stepped back uneasily. She stepped forward, he stepped back. The look in her eyes was very… unsettling.
She stepped forward and as he stepped back, his legs hit the bed and he fell on it. In an instant, Lilith was straddling him.
"You're mine, Ren." She whispered fiercely. "Now and forever."
Then, she kissed him.
And this time, he kissed her back.
The morning silence was suddenly broken by the loud toll of the bell, echoing through the stone halls of the Church of the Shivering Tree.
Ren snapped awake, sitting up in a single breath.
The light filtering through the tall, narrow window was pale and cold, barely enough to paint shadows on the floor. He turned to his side, staring at the woman beside him.
Lilith was curled beneath the covers, her snow white hair cascading over the pillow, one leg kicked free of the blanket. She looked peaceful, like she was just another ordinary girl enjoying a nice sleep.
A smile came upon his face as memories of the previous night resurfaced. With a silent chuckle, he reached out and gently nudged her shoulder.
"Lilith." He whispered.
She groaned and turned her face into the pillow.
The first bell kept ringing.
Ren shook her awake and Lilith sat up groggily, eyes narrowing. "Whoever's ringing that bell is going to regret it."
Ren chuckled, grabbing her hand before she could throw off the blanket entirely. "Nope. No murdering of any priest before breakfast."
"Fine." She muttered. "But only because you asked nicely." Then, her voice turned dark. "After breakfast, they'll see."
Ren frowned. "That was a joke, right? Right?"
Lilith's only answer was a grin.
A minute later, they slipped into the adjoining bathroom, taking turns washing themselves off. The water was freezing, but it did the job. They dried quickly and returned to the room, pulling on clean aspirant robes from the nearby wardrobe.
Lilith adjusted hers with an annoyed sigh. "These things are so plain. Are we supposed to look humble or homeless?"
Ren smirked, fastening his belt. "Maybe both."
For the second time that morning, the bell began ringing again. The second bell. With a smile at each other, they stepped out into the hallway just as the other aspirants began to do the same.
Doors creaked open along the corridor, pairs of nervous faces stepping out in matching gray robes. They were all around the same age as Ren and Lilith.
Ren and Lilith blended into the stream, falling into place in the center of the group.
It didn't take long before they started hearing it.
"They weren't in orientation yesterday."
"Look at his jawline—"
"Her hair! God, she looks like one of those beautiful statues come to life."
Ren kept his gaze forward, resisting the urge to sigh. Lilith, meanwhile, smiled demurely, clearly enjoying the attention.
They followed the flow of aspirants through a long corridor that curved downward, moving straight towards the chapel.
When they entered, the large hall was already lit by beams of colored sunlight filtering through stained glass. A massive silver statue of the Shivering Tree dominated the altar, its branches arching toward the high ceiling like reaching arms.
They took their seats, and other members of the church, including ordinary priests and the Chosens, joined them in the chapel.
The Bishop took his place at the pulpit, standing in long white and silver robes, his voice echoing as he led the morning mass.
He droned on, speaking with the absent mindedness of a man who was just following routine, a rehearsed stream of scripture and ceremony that Ren half-ignored, his focus on the layout of the chapel.
After what felt like a hundred years, the Bishop raised both hands in benediction and spoke the final verse.
"May your Resonance guide your truth."
"May our truth be in harmony." The aspirants chorused.
Ren followed suit, lips moving, voice calm. Beside him, Lilith said nothing.
The Bishop lowered his hands. "Aspirants, remain. Everyone else is dismissed."
The ordinary members of the church left, and some of the Chosen filed out behind them. Other Chosens, however, took up strategic positions near the walls, surrounding them loosely and standing with hands clasped behind their backs.
Ren's heartbeat quickened slightly.
They were staying. Watching.
Beside him, Lilith didn't move, but he could sense the subtle, almost invisible, change in her posture.
Have they been discovered?