"Innocent until proven guilty..." Barou muttered softly. "Looks like our way of looking at things had always been incorrect..."
A heavy silence blanketed the doctor's quarters, broken only by the faint creak of weathered banners swaying in the breeze.
Barou stood stiffly, his large hands clenched at his sides. His face — usually sturdy and unshakable — was drawn tight with guilt.
Gnord muttered under his breath, staring down at his thick boots, as if the earth itself might offer forgiveness if he just looked hard enough.
And Lysaria — proud, faithful Lysaria — could not meet anyone's eyes. Her fists trembled against her priestess robes.
"We were wrong," Barou said finally, his voice shaken. "We judged without knowing."
Gnord grunted, but there was no defiance left in him. "A man's heart ain't seen by the brand on his skin. We forgot that."
Lysaria bowed her head, her golden sash dull. "I... I called myself a servant of light, yet I chose fear over truth."
She swallowed, voice thick.
"I vow — from this day — never again."
Riku watched them quietly, his expression unreadable.
Then, he stepped forward — a small cloth pouch held lightly in one hand.
From it, he drew four smooth stones, each etched with faint, shimmering runes and glowing with a faint golden hue.
These were similar stones to the ones he had used earlier to rescuse
He placed the stones gently onto a raised platform near the meeting hall.
He turned toward the villagers, meeting their hesitant gazes.
"You made a mistake," he said, simply. "Now choose: let it rot inside you — or plant something better."
The villagers shifted uncomfortably. Doubt flickered across their faces. Fear.
Until Lila stepped forward.
She plopped herself right in front of the stones, folded her arms, and turned to glare at the others.
"Are you really gonna run away again?" she challenged.
Barou exhaled slowly — and stepped forward too.
One by one, others followed.
A few hesitated still, but Barou's deep, steady voice guided them:
"Pray. Not for forgiveness from the heavens — but from yourselves."
Hands clasped, heads bowed — the villagers began to murmur prayers into the wind. Humbled words. Regretful words. Hopeful words.
Riku didn't delay anymore.
"O great powers of mercy… hear this silent plea - Preserver of hope, Maiden of Resurrection."
Soon, the massive angelic figure with wide wings descended once again, her majestic aura completely taking over the gloom that was once spread throughout the village.
"Axia, the Maiden of Resurrection...."
Lysaria quickly fell to her knees, unable to believe what she was seeing. She never expected to see on of the light church deities to be summoned at such a remote village.
She turned wide, disbelieving eyes toward Riku.
"Who… who are you?" she whispered, her voice breaking.
But Riku said nothing. Only watched, serene and silent, as the Maiden floated toward the broken bodies of the old man and the girl.
Tendrils of shimmering light wove through the bloodied earth, lifting the lifeless forms gently into the air.
Slowly, the wounds closed and color returned to the dead, pale cheeks. After a while, Breaths shuddered back into still chests.
With a final pulse of light, the Maiden lowered them carefully onto the ground — alive once more.
The villagers stared — some weeping openly now, others frozen in awe even though it was their second time watching this miracle.
The girl — her skin whole — suddenly gasped sharply as she sat abrupt, her eyelids opening and taking in what was happening.
The old man stirred beside her, confusion and disbelief written across his weary face.
"We are alive..."
For one heartbeat — everything was still.
Until—
The girl's eyes locked onto the blinding brilliance of the Maiden above.
Terror flooded her face.
"Nooo... We have been captured by the enemy!"
"No... no, no, not again!" she cried, scrambling up.
She grabbed the old man's hand, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"They'll torture us again! They'll use us —"
"No, miss, please—!" the old man choked, trying to hold her back.
But she was already moving.
From within the folds of her newly restored clothes, she drew a small shard of black crystal — cracked but potent.
"No one will use us!" she screamed.
The crystal pulsed — once — twice — and then shattered.
An explosion of dark light engulfed them both.
A shriek of pure agony ripped through the square.
When the smoke cleared — they were gone. No bodies. No ashes. Nothing but two faint scorch marks on the stones where they had lain.
"They.... they killed themselves again?" Lila said, watching in disbelief.
The villagers stood frozen, horror-struck.
Above them, the Maiden of Resurrection began to fade — her task fulfilled and her presence dimming into threads of mist.
Only silence remained.
Riku's brows furrowed slightly.
Why...?
The villagers murmured nervously, sensing something was different. Even Barou and Lysaria stood tense, feeling a pressure in the air.
Riku's instincts screamed that this was not over.
Gritting his teeth, he turned to the crowd.
"Pray again!" he appealed to the villagers. "Do not stop! Pray with your whole hearts!"
Without hesitation this time, the villagers folded their hands once more and bowed their heads — their voices rising into the still, broken sky.
The stones pulsed faintly once again.
The Maiden's light brightened again.
Soft tendrils of energy wove downward — and once more, the old man and the girl stirred, flesh knitting, breath returning.
The girl gasped awake — wide-eyed, shuddering — and for a terrible heartbeat, hope flickered in Riku's chest.
But then—
"You will never have us!" she screamed, voice breaking.
And again, she detonated another dark shard. The surge of black energy swallowed them both, their forms erased into nothingness once more.
Riku clenched his fists, but he did not stop.
"Again!" he called out hoarsely.
All the villagers returned to prayer, even though they were confused about what was happening.
The Maiden answered once again.
A third time, the light descended.
A third time, the bodies were mended.
The girl awoke sobbing, clutching at the old man.
She staggered upright, shaking violently.
"...Please," she whispered — not to the villagers, but to the Maiden who hovered above them — to Riku, though she did not yet know it.
"We have suffered enough. Let us go. Please. Let us die in peace."