The Oath of Orion

The days after the fight, I was recovering in a hospital.But my mind was still trapped in that church… the one I had fought in.
All that blood on the ground.All that violence.All those eyes watching.
And now, those same church members who had once ignored me were the ones pulling splinters of wood out of my body — piece by piece.
Each time they touched a wound, I re-lived the fight.Every choice.Every movement.Every failure.
I had lost to the stronger ones.Not because I was weak...But because I wasn’t prepared enough.
And that was my one and only obsession now.
I need to shine.I will shine.
It wasn’t the first time I made that mistake.In my past life, people died because of it.I hesitated. I overestimated myself.And they paid the price.
But now... there’s no one else left.No one to protect.No one to lose.
It’s just me —me against them.My life on the line…against my own ego.“I will win this war.”
The atmosphere froze.No one dared to move.No one dared to speak.
I stared into each of their eyes —one by one —and a shiver spread across the room,like a plague devouring all energy.
My gaze echoed through the silence.My presence consumed the air.
“You. Priest. I’ll need your help.”“Become my priest.”
The apprentice, drowned in despair,collapsed to his knees.
I stood up from my hospital bedand walked toward him —slow, inevitable.
Terror took root in his soul.
The image of me,dragging my body toward him like a revenant,etched itself into his mind —as if he had walked into helland found his demon waiting.
I stopped in front of him.Bent down slightly.Smiled.
“Will you follow me…?”
That smile…That question…echoed in his head like a curse.
And then — pain.
A sharp, searing agony tore through my body,wild and chaotic,like a blade made of pure explosion.
My knees hit the ground.
But despite the pain glared at him once again,refusing to bow,even as every nerve in my body screamed.
And at that moment,the apprentice’s eyes widened —as if something ancient awakened inside him.
A strengh he never knew he had.A will stronger than his fear.
He saw me —not as a demon,but as a man on his knees.A man in need.A man asking.
Desperate.For him.
He stepped forward.Put his trembling hand on mine.
“I will do it.”
But as his wolrd where herd by the other, gasps filled the room.Voices rose in panic.
Disbelief. Rage. Horror.
Someone grabbed the boy by the arm,dragged him away like a prisoner,out of the sacred silence.
And all I could hear,as I lay on the cold stone floor,was the echo of hatred they threw at him —
I choose you, young one— We will shine together in this hell.
That’s my promise to you.
I spent the rest of the day writing in a notebook, alone with my wounds.
Not a single member of the church entered my room the whole day.
But if I was lucky, sometimes I could hear people outside speaking about the title the child had gained — “garbage.”
I had dragged him into this, but I couldn’t walk the path for him.
The ball was on his side now. He could keep walking with me… or stay behind and rot in this place.As the moon began to rise in the sky, the door slowly opened.
"It's you... I thought you'd forgotten I even existed."
"I can't do it."
"Then why did you agree in the first place?"
"I don't know..."
"No, you do. It's because you hate this place. And deep down, you want to see the world change."
"We're the same age — don't talk like you know everything."
"But I do. I know every single desire you try to bury behind that face. Every thought you had when they treated you like garbage. I know."
"..."
"I chose you — not anyone else — because you were the only one in that room who didn’t want to shine with his medicine. Or worse… because you believed you couldn’t shine."
"Join me.We’ll change this world.So no one else has to live through hell.Be my priest ORION"
The day after, despite the hate still being thrown at us, my door kept opening.He came to visit me, talking about my fight, the rumors, and all sorts of things.
He helped me recover, brought me books to keep me entertained, and we had small talk.
It had been a long time since I’d seen a priest so dedicated to helping others.
And without even realizing it, a whole week passed, and I was finally able to leave this place.
This time, I was not alone.
“Should we make our relationship official?”
“Of course, how else could I be this ‘trash’ they talk about?”
“Let’s go. Let’s make history and become the first holy knights of this town.”