.
.
.
—
/Later that day…/
"... A revelation?"
'Inside the temple, Silver stood with Hestia and the others as Rhea shared the news they so eagerly waited:'
"-The Goddess must be escorted to the deepest portion of the Sanctorium-"
"That is what Lord Prometheus told us." Illia added as her expression went solemn
'Silver knew this moment would come, asking:'
"What is the Sanctorium?"
"The Sanctorium is an underground space that spreads all over Olympia, being equivalent to the Dungeon to some degree."
"It is supported by the lights of the Flame of Heaven, and if you keep going further, you'll reach an underground altar for praying."
"Why?"
"Hm? You ask why we have it? Or its purpose? That's a simple question to answer either way."
"The Sanctorium once housed the entire Order of Prometheus at its prime. It's also where we used to perform a multitude of ancient rites and prayers."
"Deep below, next to the flame, it's also where we bury our dead, so their Souls may find their way to heaven uninterrupted… Of course, we took precautions so as to not have their Souls consumed by the raging fire."
"We never fed bodies to the flames either. The underground hallways were meant as shafts meant to release the building pressure of the flame, dispersing it throughout the land… It worked for thousands of years until it failed unexpectedly."
"... So it's time for me to get to work."
"Precisely, allow me and the other priestesses to show the way. We'll also act as guards until we arrive."
'Silver nodded, looking at the end of the hall:'
"Let's go."
""...""
"Something wrong?"
"The… The Sactorium is a sacred place. We can't just let anyone from outside inside. It's the rules…"
"I can understand your rituals, but if that's the rule, then there shouldn't be a problem."
'Silver stepped forward, touching his chest:'
"I'm the first child of Hestia and grandchild of Prometheus, I'm sure he wouldn't mind it if I overstepped my boundaries a bit."
"And if he finds it offensive we can just kick his ass just the same." Artemis added with a faint smile
"Cough!"
'Illia coughed on the side while Rhea struggled with what to say.'
/Stomp!/
"Nope! I don't like it."
"Huh?"
'Hestia stomped her feet on the ground, exclaiming out loud:'
"If Silver isn't coming with me, I'm not moving an inch!"
'Silver found her actions a little childish given what was on the line, but compared to how she was acting before, this was more like her.'
'In the time they spent together exploring the city, Hestia's suppressed emotions had been thrown out into the wind as she dragged him around like a cloth.'
'It was almost as if she wanted to do everything before nightfall, which was understandable given what would happen once the sun set…'
'While the fire had yet to spread, the tension was palpable.'
"..."
'Illia looked at Silve,r but he shrugged without a second glance.'
"... Don't look at me, the Goddess has proclaimed her stance."
"I agree with this as well, there's no harm in it." Artemis added as she smiled faintly
"If you can't make a decision, how about you go ask the higher-ups?... It's best if I'm around, else she may end up causing trouble."
"Really?..."
'Illia looked at Silver with a complex expression, the same one she gave him last time they were in the temple. The look of someone looking at trash.'
'Silver scoffed at her gaze, making her all the more upset.'
"I hate it that you're right!"
"... Sigh… Very well, I'll ask the chancellor."
"Yippi! Now… Artemis, Silver, and I have work to do, so in the meantime…"
'Artemis shook her head, waving at her with a face full of displeasure and a pout, saying, "Fine fine, go have fun and throw me away. I don't mind. I'll take a look around in the meantime."...'
"..."
She's acting strange too. What does she mean by that? There's nothing to do outside.
'Silver wanted to ask what she meant by that but before he could do so, Rhea added:'
"Reaching the inner depths of the Sanctorium will take around a day, so keep that in mind."
"What? A whole day?... Just how deep is it?"
"That's hard to say… I've never thought about measuring it…"
"... The depths of the Sanctorium are connected to the Maroon room, correct?"
"Yes? They are… But what about it?" Illia asked as she showed confusion
"Let's just jump inside, it'll cut us the time."
""...""
"Why am I not surprised?"
"Because that was the most obvious thing for him to say."
'Hestia and Artemis nodded at their words while everyone else in the room paled.'
"A-Are you insane?! Do you know how deep that goes?! Or is it your intention to feed yourself to the fire?! Stop with the jokes!"
"It was just a suggestion… I'll go with whatever method you prefer…"
"We're walking there!"
'Silver shrugged, following Illia as she stormed inside the temple, leading them underground…'
"Silver."
"Hm? Is something wrong, Artemis?"
'Before he could follow them, Artemis stopped him in his tracks, holding onto his hand.'
"... Just… Stay still for a moment."
"Yes?"
/Kiss…/
'Artemis pulled him closer, getting on the tip of her toes as she kissed his forehead.'
/Gleam…/
'While he didn't notice it, a strange mark formed on his forehead, vanishing soon after.'
"What…"
'But before he could say anything else, Artemis put her finger on his lips, saying:'
"Now now, hush hush before they realize you aren't around!"
"This… If you wanted it, you just have to ask."
'Artemis looked away in embarrassment at his lines, replying as her cheeks flushed slightly:'
"Even I know this isn't the proper time… Let's say this is for good luck, now on with it before I lose my composure."
"Sure. We won't take long. Take care in the meantime."
/Chuckle…/
"That I know how." She replied as she waved at him
'Once Silver vanished in the halls, Artemis' smile vanished as she put her hands before her.'
"Can you do it?... Please…"
…