Fusha Plaza had already gathered quite a few worshippers. Since the sky had suddenly darkened, an uneasy air hung over the scene. Butter torches had been lit around the plaza, their flickering flames casting the entire square in bright light. The crowd clustered together, whispering among themselves. Most assumed another solar eclipse had occurred, but frequent eclipses were still a bad omen, so worried expressions covered many faces.
The temple gates were tightly shut, and the huge archway was stained with a hazy, somber hue, like an overly solemn religious oil painting. Several low-ranking monks in gray holy robes stood on the steps, but no officiant had yet emerged to announce what had happened or why the bells were ringing.
Roman led Haruze through the crowd. Fusha Sanctuary was a famous historic site in Fatan Port. She, Chiara, and the little fairy had visited it once before, and she happened to know that the sanctuary had a secret back door. The two soon slipped away from the crowd and entered the sanctuary through it without anyone noticing.
The back door was locked, of course, but that was no challenge for a witch. Roman used Metal Melting to open the lock, only to accidentally set it on fire, giving them both quite a fright. After they finally put out the flames in a fluster, they discovered that more than half the door had burned away. To destroy the evidence, she had Haruze remove the door and hide it, which wasted quite a bit more time.
The back door led to a long corridor, but it was empty at that moment. Roman breathed a sigh of relief. She led the Little Prince tiptoeing through the corridor. Just after they turned a corner, her eyes suddenly brightened. In the pitch-black sanctuary ahead, one