High Priestess Jenna exhaled, long and slow, before speaking.

"We'll stay here for now. Let us see what else the elders of the temple intend to throw in my direction. Perhaps then, their intentions will fully reveal themselves."

She said, voice sharp despite the exhaustion in her face.

Her words carried bitterness, but also steel. She straightened in her seat, the proud bearing of a woman who had long been cornered yet refused to bow.

The air inside her quarters was tense. Kana shifted uneasily, her gaze moving from Jenna to Lysera and Irielle.

Lysera leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her sharp eyes narrowed as if she expected trouble at any moment.

Irielle paced slowly, her fingers brushing the bindings of her staff. The heavy silence was soon broken.

The sound of boots echoed from the corridor—multiple sets, approaching quickly.

Evaya stiffened, immediately stepping forward, her hand resting near the hilt of her blade. Her entire stance radiated alertness, the kind of calm readiness that came from years of battle.

The door burst open. A dozen guards poured into the chamber, surrounding them in a half-circle.

Their weapons gleamed in the lamplight, their expressions unreadable but firm. Evaya tensed, body coiled like a spring.

Then, the formation parted.

Through the line of guards stepped an old man, his robes layered and flowing, marked with golden embroidery that signified rank higher than most could dream of.

His presence alone was enough to draw the air taut with tension. This was no ordinary priest.

The high elder.

His eyes, sharp and cold, fixed on Jenna.

"Will you oppose us still?"

His voice was heavy with disappointment, yet there was no room for negotiation hidden in his tone.

Jenna stood, her robes whispering against the floor.

"What choice have you left me? You have stripped me of authority, ignored my counsel, dragged my name through mud within my own temple. To call me high priestess is an insult when you treat me as nothing more than an ornament."

She replied, her voice cold as ice.

The high elder sighed, a slow, exaggerated exhale that seemed to carry the weight of feigned sorrow.

"How pitiful. So much wasted promise."

He said softly, shaking his head.

Before Jenna could answer, his hand rose.

A wave of oppressive power surged through the room, heavy and suffocating. It pressed down on Jenna, locking her limbs as though invisible chains bound her in place.

Her breath hitched, her knees nearly buckled, and her eyes widened with the realization—he was forcing obedience onto her, shackling her with his will.

"High Priestess, you were chosen for this role at birth. You are not free to defy it."

The elder intoned. His voice dropped, laden with command.

"You will obey."

Evaya's hand flew to her weapon, rage flashing across her face. But she froze, hesitation flickering in her eyes. If she struck now, she could very well doom Jenna.

The spell was too precise, too dangerous—any rash move could tighten the elder's hold.

Kana's heart hammered in her chest. The suffocating aura pressed against her too, making it hard to breathe, but her eyes locked onto Jenna's struggling form.

The fury in her chest overcame hesitation. She surged forward without a second thought.

"Let her go!"

Kana shouted, hurling herself at the elder.

Her shoulder slammed into him with surprising force, and the old man staggered back a step, his concentration faltering. In that moment, the spell snapped.

Jenna gasped, her body trembling as the invisible chains dissolved. Her eyes burned with anger—anger that had been bottled up far too long.

She straightened, no longer the weary woman confined by duty, but the true bearer of divine authority.

The room shuddered.

A low rumble coursed through the temple as raw power surged from Jenna's body, spilling out like a storm unleashed.

Lamps flickered, walls trembled, and even the guards flinched, stepping back instinctively from the sudden surge.

The high elder steadied himself, outrage flashing across his features.

"What are you doing, Jenna?"

His voice boomed, his frail appearance belied by his fury.

"Do you mean to destroy everything you have worked for? Cease this foolishness at once!"

Jenna's lips curled into a bitter smile.

"Foolishness?"

Her voice rang louder than his, steady and resolute.

"No, elder. What is foolish is believing I would endure your shackles forever. I'm done."

Her hands clenched into fists, her aura pressing harder into the room, heavier and heavier with each breath.

His eyes narrowed.

"You cannot be done. You were born for this role. Without the high priestess, the temple itself loses its balance. You belong to the goddess and to us. You cannot walk away from that."

Jenna's eyes hardened.

"Watch me."

As the words left her lips, divine energy rippled outward, bright and searing. The high elder staggered, his robes whipping around him as if caught in a sudden gale.

Then it happened.

A blazing surge of divine power cascaded through the chamber, scorching the air with its purity. It did not come from Jenna, though her aura had already shaken the walls.

This was something greater. Something absolute.

The high elder's face twisted in confusion, then pain, as golden light consumed him.

His scream tore through the chamber as divine fire licked across his body, burning away the oppressive force he had wielded so smugly.

Gasps filled the air—guards stepping back, Evaya's eyes widening, Lysera's jaw tightening in shock. Irielle's hand gripped her staff tightly, her own breath caught.

Kana felt her skin prickle, her heart pound as she recognized the presence.

This was not Jenna. This was far above her.

This was the goddess herself.

The golden radiance lingered in the air, undeniable and absolute. The high elder fell to his knees, face pale and trembling as divine judgment seared his soul.

His mouth opened, as though to speak, but no sound came.

Jenna stood tall amidst the glow, her expression unreadable, but in her eyes there was both fury and relief.

"Enough."

Her voice echoed, carrying with it an authority that was no longer hers alone.

The guards dropped to their knees instinctively, unable to withstand the sheer weight of the divine presence filling the room.

Even Evaya lowered her gaze, her usual defiance tempered by awe.

The high elder collapsed fully, his once-commanding presence shattered, his body trembling under the goddess's wrath.

Kana's breath shook as she whispered to herself.

"The goddess… she really intervened…"

The golden light dimmed, leaving the room heavy with silence and disbelief.

Jenna turned slowly, her gaze sweeping across them all, and for the first time, it was impossible to tell if the eyes looking back at them were entirely her own.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.