An invitation

After a long period of waiting, Father Benedict arrived back at the monastery, his once-pristine white cloak now covered in blood and grime. Without hesitation, he sat down beside Lumière in the main hall, and started the conversation promptly.

"I'm part of an organisation, Lumière. It's affiliated with the orthodoxy of the Lady of Thorns. It can be considered a 'secretive' investigation team into the sudden uprise of the Nameless's activity. That's why I was out that night- it was a routine search around the area I was assigned. Unfortunately, I wasn't thorough enough with my searches, and several townswomen ended up dead. I haven't been able to act close with you in several weeks because of this. It's been very busy, fraught with peril, and full of guilt and sorrow."

"So why act close to me now? We've fought with each other once now. I've become privy to several secrets, so will you now kill me?"

Lumière's worldview had become several warped in the past several weeks. Even a man like Father Benedict, who he had spent nearly his whole life with, was now considered someone that could betray him at any moment. Of course, Lumière considered him one of the ones he cared for, one that he would change the world for and protect at all costs, but he left room for scrutiny in many aspects. He wouldn't be surprised if he were to be silenced for having come into contact with Father Benedict's secrets, especially since they were intrinsically linked to the secrets of the Church. After all, it was a deity he could trust the least.

"After conferring with my colleagues, we've decided to offer you an invitation to 'Heaven's Roses'. Should you accept, you will be inducted into our organisation in two days time, which would also mark the arrival of the 'white rose' group in Leiden. They've been sent to fill in alongside a blue rose, who will be taking the place that Elise once had as a nun here in the monastery. We would like to continue our charitable deeds here, and it will also serve as a front for the blue rose to continue her operations in secret." Father Benedict nodded succinctly. "If you choose to join us, she will be your 'leader' as a white rose. This is due to the order of hierarchy within the organisation. The white roses are the outer members of the organisation, nearly 'trainees', in a sense. They aren't given an avenue to receive magical power until they exhibit multiple minor or several majour contributions to stop the rise of the Nameless or benefit Heaven's Roses. If you work hard, as I did, you will be given said avenue to magical powers, and either become an Astrologer, or an Alchemist."

"You've become a magic user?" Lumière was a bit surprised, but once again, as he had come into contact with the intricacies of the inner world's workings, he wasn't taken aback. In such a short span of time, he had almost died on several occasions, been given an avenue to intense power, came into contact with the messenger of an evil deity, and seen the memories of a world that was not his own. Anything outside of that seemed almost insignificant, laughable. The fact that Father Benedict was also a user of magic was nothing in comparison.

Father Benedict nodded in response, so Lumière inquired further.

"You mentioned there were choices to become an Astrologer or an Alchemist. Are these truly the only choices that the orthodoxy offers? When I hear of magic in tales, I hear of a wide variety of magical powers. These names don't exactly encapsulate those stories." Lumière intentionally lied to probe information.

"Apart from the two inherently 'Good' domains of magic, there are also two inherently 'Evil' domains- that being the 'Black Magic' and the 'Heretic' domains. However, because these two carry inherent evil, the church offers no avenue to obtaining them, and intentionally tries to curb the acquiring of these powers by eliminating those that are found to have them."

"Besides the four basic domains of magic, there are also the unusual acquisition of strange powers from a domain called 'The Forever', but that's not something you need to know about as of now."

Lumière chuckled inwardly. Many of the things that Father Benedict were speaking of were things he had already learned of long before thanks to the special Gnosis left behind by the Sinner named Poe. It was almost like he had stumbled upon an upper hand from the very start.

"Moreover, from time to time, those who gain the favour of a Deity or a Demon can gain a special 'boon' from them, effectively becoming a servant to a 'Lord'. In the case of Deities, these powers are given for free, and can be used periodically at the cost of certain factors. However, for a boon gained from casting a deal with a demon, these often require sacrifices of blood, flesh, wealth, or anything that the mortal generally cares for in order to use the bestowed powers. These are far more common in our organisation. For instance, the 'Archangels' are some of the highest-ranking members currently active in our circles. They usually equate to an Eighth or Ninth stair Astrologer or Alchemist, a High Priest/Priestess or a Master, respectively.

"A stair?" Lumière puzzled, genuinely confused.

"I'm currently a Third-Stair Astrologer. This means that on a staircase that ascends to the level of a deity, I have only taken three steps. This isn't too great of a feat in the grand scale of power, but it has allowed me enough sway to become an outlier in the Red Roses, a tier above the Blue Rose who will soon arrive at our monastery."

'Has Father Benedict really been this strong of an individual all along? Has he really been fighting against these perils in secret? No, his change in demeanor was rather sudden… then he must have become a user of magic recently, just like I have. To have climbed the ranks of his organisation so quickly, however, is indeed impressive. Even I who has been given a foothold by the evil deity known as 'The Sinner' has failed to rise above even the lowest rank of the House of Cards Organisation.'

'Still, this has provided many insights. To orthodox organisations, the level of power the 'One of Spades' would equate to is a 'fledgling'. This must be common information, seeing as how it has been what everyone in the House of Cards has been referring to me as for quite some time. I wonder if Poe's Gnosis has anything to say about this topic?'

'But even then, do I really have a choice in joining this organisation? I'm privy to their secrets, so it's likely that they will use some sort of trick to keep me silent.'

"What will happen if I don't join Heaven's Roses?" Lumière inquired further.

"Your memories of the past month will be erased by special means."

'The past month? Isn't this too unlucky? That would erase all the knowledge I've acquired about the inner workings of the magical world. I can't decline this offer, it seems. Not if I want to complete my goals, that is.'

"Then, I'll be joining you in two days, it seems."

Father Benedict smiled softly and nodded his head in confirmation.

'Ugh, if this is the case, then I've matters to settle quickly. It could fall back harshly on me if I don't.'

Lumière glanced at his hand, eyeing the runes that had been painted on it in blood. It was the contract formed with Three of Hearts. He let out a sigh, and adjourned from the main hall, taking his top hat with him.

It was almost like the two of them had stopped their familiarity entirely. Lumière had come to know that the events of the past month had changed him, but he didn't think it would have changed his relationships too much. Unfortunately, it seems it had also changed Father Benedict, and so the bridge between them had all but shattered. They were like professional associates to each other now. It made Lumière let out a slight, saddened chuckle.

As Lumière stepped out onto the street, he saw a man kneeling at the edge of a dilapidated building, confused at his appearance, before realising that he was no longer living, likely dying from starvation. In the aftermath of the attack on the monastery, most Dwindlers had stopped coming to Cobbler's street for the sake of food and shelter. After all, there were other avenues in place for them to seek out their necessities, without having to risk the possibility of another massacre taking place, albeit unlikely. Those avenues were grueling, fraught with peril, and paltry at best, but the one thing people feared above life was death, and so avoiding Cobbler's street had become a necessity. The haven that was once their monastery had become a place for those seeking aid to starve. There was no hope left on their avenue. He made a note to bury the man upon his return. That was the least he could have done, when he no longer had the potential to help him live. As he stepped out into the street, he returned to his thoughts.

'There is a strict social hierarchy in place. It's always been that way. One is either at the bottom, at the top, or a fool who becomes mistress to those at the top to pretend they're not at the bottom.' Lumière frowned slightly, affixing the top hat once left behind by a warm-smiling magician, then stepping out into the emerging warmth of the end of spring. 'It's not something I mind. If I were to work each day and savour simple treasures every so often, I know I could afford happiness. However, I'm burdened with a heart that feels for the people around me, those that I've chosen to care for. If it's not me that suffers the hierarchy, then it is them, and so I have to change it. Still, is this a way upwards for me? Moreover, can I really say no? I'm a heretic, a blasphemer of Gods. Can I really join an organisation that wittingly serves the orthodoxy of the Lady of Thorns?'

Lumière let out a quiet, knowing laugh, as if he were laughing at himself, with a pained smile that crept up his face. He knew that he had fallen into a perilous, dangerous situation. Alike to the black aura that the Nameless gave off, he too gave off a similar feeling when he would use his abilities. Moreover, he had been ensnared by the will of a presumed evil deity known as 'The Sinner', and there was presumably no way for him to back out of the deal they had made, for he had already used the power given to him once.

'Then, once again, is the only option for a sinner like me to lie? Will I play the part of the saint, knowing I am only a plaything of fate's cruelty?' Lumière chided. The thought was quickly shaken away from his mind, however. 'No, I've already decided to walk this path by all means. Whether I have to pretend to serve a deity I do not truly believe in or not does not really matter. The Sinner, the Lady of Thorns, the Architect, these cruel powers that rest high above are beings I care not for in the slightest. They've just been lied to by an illusionist in order for me to reap the rewards of power.'

'Whether being evil in the place of good, or vice-versa is no concern of mine. Moral greyness is my best friend, where morality defines my inclination to madness. For a heretic, it's inevitable to lose my sanity. That's just the path of power I walk down. Even so, I cannot lose sight of my goal. If I forget my destination, then I really have gone mad.'

Immediately after the thought, a small black streak began to trail down Lumière's cheek, having pooled up upon his eyelid. Noticing the warmth cascading across his skin, he touched a hand to his face, recoiling with the same pained smile as before.

'My head will forever be hanging at the edge of the chopping block. One wrong move and my plans will fail. Still, isn't the idea of that 'performance' much more exciting?'