The last glow of sunset was about to fade, and night was fast approaching.
Freshly cut thorn branches lay thick across the hall of the Thorn Temple. High Priest Slo Tu lay peacefully upon them.
Led by Edson, the priests knelt before the old man.
Their faces were filled with grief, but also reverence.
Had the old man not decisively sent them into the secret passage, every last one of them-the Thorn Temple's "seeds"-would have been wiped out, and the "flame" of the thorns would have been extinguished completely.
"Revered High Priest, you fulfilled your oath during your lifetime!"
"May you find peace upon returning to Lady Wenisha's embrace!"
Edson, the elderly priest, prayed slowly and solemnly.
It was simple, without elaborate, lengthy speeches or rituals.
For the Thorn Temple, simplicity-or rather, frugality-was a tradition. They preferred to devote more of their time to pursuing meaning in life rather than to other things.
Even funerals were no exception.
The thorn branches were set alight.
It was no ordinary fire, but flames that shot down from the Thorn Lady's statue.
Under those flames, High Priest Slo Tu's body quickly vanished, turning into a wisp of smoke that drifted toward the towering statue.
A faint radiance gathered around the statue. The moment the wisp of smoke touched it, it took on Slo Tu's appearance.
Though ethereal and indistinct, not quite real, it was unmistakably High Priest Slo Tu.
Beside the high priest, the soul of Head Priest Barry, whose body had been utterly destroyed, also appeared.
The two old friends' souls exchanged knowing smiles, then waved to the people in the hall and vanished.
The faint radiance, however, remained.
The Thorn Lady's voice rang out.
"Ryan shall become my high priest."
"Edson shall become my head priest."
Her voice echoed through the