The Gods Fear Me

Night hung heavy over the outskirts of Thebes, where wind swept dust around a dilapidated barn. This had originally been the site of a secret gathering of wizards, but it had now become the target of a raid by temple knights and priests.

The flames had been forcibly extinguished, and tension filled the air.

More than a dozen temple knights in silver armor, spears in hand, surrounded the wizards inside. Behind them, a high priest draped in golden robes and wearing Athena's sacred emblem slowly entered the barn, his gaze cold and arrogant.

"Blasphemers!" he proclaimed loudly. "You are conducting unauthorized magical activities in violation of the sacred decrees!"

"We were only studying!" an elderly wizard tried to explain.

"Silence!" the priest snapped, raising a hand to point. "Take them all away and burn everything here."

The temple knights immediately sprang into action, brandishing their weapons as they forced the wizards to the ground one by one.

"Don't touch my books!"

The young witch screamed and struggled, only to be brutally kicked to the ground by a knight.

The scene instantly descended into chaos.

Inside the barn, time seemed to burn with anxiety.

A temple knight's blade hovered less than half an inch from the nearest wizard, while golden divine runes flickered upon the priest's staff, suppressing everyone's magic. Despair spread through the air—these wild wizards knew all too well that once they were taken into the temple, they would face the stake, or even more dreadful "purification rituals."

They would be directly stripped of their right to wield magic without regard—just as everyone despaired, a deep, calm voice rang out.

"Ahem."

It was not loud, yet it was like a sharp blade cutting through the suffocating silence.

Everyone turned to look at him. The black-robed man who had been