Chapter 13: The Trial of Rebirth (1)

  House Number 10/15, 5th street, Alley Number 5, York City.

  October 20th, 5th Century, Year 50.

  Nicholas was finalizing his preparations, adjusting his attire until everything was perfectly in place. The young man wore a white suit and a black tie, he moved toward the rack near the door, reaching for his overcoat and fedora.

  Four days ago, he had dialed the contact number for the Spirit Medium Order—the one he’d received from Haley. It hadn't taken long before he was patched through to Prosecutor Romero.

  As soon as Nicholas expressed his intention to undergo the Trial of Rebirth according to Mr. Edwin's proposal, Romero immediately forwarded the matter to his superiors.

  A few days later, Romero contacted him back. The Order had agreed to prepare the ritual and arrange a specialized Trial of Rebirth for him. The condition, however, was clear: he must join the Order and serve as an official agent, fulfilling whatever duties the organization assigned to him.

  To Nicholas, it didn't seem all that different from being a civil servant. The Spirit Medium Order had its personnel embedded in various organizations across the city, much like Romero, who held his position as a prosecutor at the City Prosecutor's Office.

  In practice, they refrained from interfering in the affairs of ordinary citizens but would be deployed only when supernatural incidents occurred.

  More importantly, they operated under the oversight of the Church. Nicholas guessed that perhaps the funding for this secret organization might come from donations from the faithful.

  ...And today was the day Nicholas would undergo the Trial of Rebirth.

  Nicholas didn't know why this had been approved so urgently. He had initially expected to undergo some form of training or preparation as an apprentice before taking this extremely dangerous trial, but it seemed his assumptions were wrong.

  It seemed that today, Nicholas would have to stare death in the face once more.

  Over the past few days, he has spent his time gathering as much information as possible about this new world and organizing his existing workload as a lawyer. He wasn't certain if he would ever get the chance to return to his practice, but for his own peace of mind, he made sure every file was in order.

  Once dressed, he paused at the door to steel himself. This gamble was a critical step in this second life of his. Should he overcome this trial, it would become the foundation for his survival in this mysterious and occult world.

  “Okay...” he whispered to himself.

  “Let’s do this.”

  ….

  The rendezvous point between him and Romero was the Church of the God of Death and Rebirth, located in the eastern district of York City. Finding it was no challenge, since the church was so large, visible as prominently as the massive castle to the north.

  As soon as Nicholas stepped within the church's gates, he encountered many people who had come to worship and pray to their god. Judging from their attire, most were upper class.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  As far as Nicholas knew, in York City... the Church of the God of Death and Rebirth was revered by the nobility. Meanwhile, the Church of the Goddess of Love and Redemption had followers who were mostly commoners and those in the slums.

  the wealthy obsessed over the philosophy of death and the afterlife, while the poor sought redemption and the hope to endure another day. This contrast alone spoke volumes about the stark divide in status between the two churches.

  The Church of the God of Death and Rebirth overflowed with wealth fueled by the lavish donations of noble. On the other hand, the Church of the Goddess of Love and Redemption, supported primarily by common folk, lacked such financial power. Nicholas couldn't help but wonder how that neighboring church managed to fund its internal operations.

  The atmosphere within the church grounds was magnificent and beautiful, resembling a palace more than a sanctuary meant for religious rites.

  As Nicholas approached the entrance door, which stood nearly five meters tall, he caught sight of two familiar figures. Standing there were Prosecutor Romero and Haley, the young girl who had guided him just days before.

  "I hope I'm not late."

  Nicholas said upon seeing they were already waiting.

  "No, you're right on time," Romero replied, glancing down at his wristwatch.

  At that exact moment, the resonant toll of a bell echoed from the clock tower at the heart of the cathedral, signaling that it was precisely nine o'clock.

  "Good morning, Mr. Nicholas!" the young girl greeted him with friendly air. Nicholas offered a warm smile in return.

  “It’s time, Let's go." Romero reminded them, before pushing open the doors and stepping into the cathedral. Nicholas and Haley followed closely.

  As Nicholas walked along the red carpet that stretched from the entrance into the interior, he sensed a peculiar aura. Though it didn't feel explicitly malicious, his instincts warned him that this place was far more cryptic and harbored dangers even greater than the Order of Spirit Mediums.

  The interior of the church was even more spectacular than the outside. The hall where Nicholas now stood resembled the ceremonial hall at the Order of Spirit Mediums, but much larger. It was filled with benches stretching all the way to the stage at the far end of the hall.

  The space was filled with lecterns and tabernacles, reminiscent of a Christian church. The windows and ceiling were adorned with colorful stained-glass sculptures carved with patterns weaving a silent narrative. In every pane of glass appeared paintings of a single figure, which upon closer inspection resembled the statue standing in the center of the altar.

  It was a sculpture of a man in hooded black robes, clutching a massive scythe—an idol that seemed less like stone and more like the physical manifestation of Death itself.

  The face of the statue was shrouded, impossible to be seen clearly, and for some unknown reason, when Nicholas attempted to peer into its features, a searing heat would wash over his eyes—as if hot blood were streaming down from his very sockets. The pain became so unbearable that he was forced to look away.

  ...It was as if an invisible force was preventing him from gazing upon the face of the idol.

  "Have you ever heard the saying?” Romero’s voice cut through the silence. “A mere mortal cannot look directly upon a God... even if it is nothing more than a sculpture?"

  Romero’s words sent a cold shiver down Nicholas’s spine. He realized then that it might be for the best to maintain a humble and reserved demeanor.

  Turning his attention away from the chilling statue, Nicholas looked at Haley, who was standing beside him. Since he knew very little about these rituals, perhaps he could find some answers from her.

  “I didn't expect to see you here today,” Nicholas remarked.

  “Captain Romero said it would be a valuable experience for an apprentice to witness a Trial of Rebirth up close,” Haley replied.

  "But this is amazing! Mr. Nicholas just contacted the Order recently, yet you’ve already been chosen to undergo the Trial of Rebirth. I even heard the Order negotiated with the Church to arrange this as a special case just for you."

  “Is it not usually like this?” Nicholas asked curiously.

  Normally, apprentices who are selected undergo the ritual at the Order’s headquarters, with Father Ramones acting as the Church’s representative to preside over the ritual,” Haley explained.

  “But this time, the Church offer to conduct the ritual for you directly, which happens very rarely. Perhaps it's because lately no one has been passing the Trial of Rebirth, so now the Order is quite short-staffed on Spirit Mediums."

  That was not exactly the news Nicholas wanted to hear. If apprentices who had trained since childhood were failing to survive it, what chance did he have?

  Nicholas swallowed hard, his throat dry. The pressure was mounting, weighing heavier on him than ever before.

  After passing through the church's security screening several times, they arrived at the ritual chamber, which was a restricted area hidden from public view.

  "Father Benedict." Romero paid his respects to the person ahead.

  The priest appeared to be in his forties, with a slender face and piercing green eyes, dressed in formal clerical robes.

  “Ah… Romero. It has been quite a while,” Father Benedict greeted him “I have finished preparing the ritual, we can proceed whenever you're ready. And you must be Nicholas.”

  The priest turned his gaze toward Nicholas, waving his hand in blessing while making a sign of reverence to the deity.

  “May the God of Death and Rebirth be with you, child.”

  ‘I’m not so sure that’s much of a blessing, Father.’

  It sounded unnerving to Nicholas’s ears —more like a premonition of death than a prayer for protection. Despite thinking that, he merely bowed his head to accept the blessing.

  “Whenever you are ready,” Romero said, turning to him.

  It was clear that from this moment forward, everything rested solely on his own shoulders.

  Nicholas took a deep breath to steady himself. Then, he looked up and replied with resolve.

  "Let us begin."

  20.10.550

  Nicholas Parlay

  Judicial representative