Chapter 2: Eternal Sun.

Despite the sun shining down on her, the cold wind beat against Alessa's face. Today she didn't mind though because her mommy was allowing her to play outside with a friend. A young boy who grew up in Wish House named Stanley Coleman. The two children commenced to childish activities under the watchful eye of Jonathan.

Jonathan was hired by Dahlia to watch over Alessa when she couldn't be bothered to. Dahlia trusted Jonathan because he was a dedicated follower of the Holy Woman sect. He watched as Alessa and Stanley chased each other round and round like children so often do.

Everything was dully normal. So completely dull and boring. Jonathan almost wished that one of them would do something to break the rules.

Neither of them did.

They continued to chase each other around the yard.

"Wait, Stan, stop." Alessa stopped suddenly.

Stanley still in the middle of his run stopped so suddenly that he nearly tripped over his own feet.

Normally this would make Alessa giggle, but not this time.

"What is, "Less?" Stanley asked Alessa calling her by the pet name he gave her.

On any other day Alessa would have glared at her friend. Today she to busy looking down at the ground.

"Less?" Stan asked.

Alessa continued to look down. Stanley followed her line of site and saw a dying bird.

"It's dying Stan."

Stanley bent down to examine it closer. "Can I poke it with a stick?" he gleefully asked.

"No! Don't touch it!" Alessa snapped.

Stanley muttered "Will it's dying. What's the point in letting it suffer?"

Alessa said nothing.

She drew a circle around the bird with her fingers. She adorned the circle with arcane writing. She placed her hands just above the bird and slowly started to chant.

"Oh God.
Here thine prayers
I am thy faithful servant
Release this poor soul
From the depths of the shell
Allow them to your wonders
Allow them to paradise.

-Amen"

Intense heat flared up from the circle. Stanley saw a brief flash of white before he shielded his eyes. When the intensity was gone so was the bird. It's body had been turned into ash.

Stanley looked at Alessa in shock.

And in joy.

Stanley wondered if he had been with an angel this whole time.

Jonathan had witnessed the entire thing also. How could that have happened? Alessa was only an ordinary girl. This bothered Jonathan immencely. He called Alessa and Stanley to come inside.

"You two go inside the room and play cards or something. Jonathan needs to do something important."

The two children took off to Alessa's bedroom.

Jonathan headed over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book. The book despite being untouched was still in good condition. The golden letters engraved into the bronze cover spelt out "Tome of the Golden Ceremony"

Jonathan carried the book to the table and opened it methodically to a place.

The Miracles of the Golden One

The First Miracle: The Miracle of Mercy

I hear the cries of the mortals
"Help us Golden One!
Show us mercy!
We writhe in torment inside this shell.
Don't shun us from your mercy!"

With the circle of perfection
Prayer to Our Lord
I prepare thee souls
For paradise.

Nevermore
Shall thine souls
Be trapped
In thine decaying shells.

Jonathan closed the book. Could Alessa be? No, such a thought was ridiculous. He thought that maybe he should bring it up at the next meeting though and get the opinions of Dahlia, Leonard, and Joseph.