Prayer

Year 4623.

Third District, Severn Mountain in the South District of Tanyi City.

More than twenty children from Saint Anne Abbey, dressed in gray linen robes, followed a stern-faced nun along the winding mountain path, gathering wild vegetables from the roadside.

The nun was around fifty, with already graying hair. The skin on her cheeks was old and slack, drooping slightly. Even when expressionless, she exuded a frightening severity.

The gathering party stretched out over a long distance. The nun stood at the front while the children scattered into small groups. From time to time, they brought vegetables to her and asked whether they were edible.

At the back of the group, a red-haired girl followed behind a black-haired boy. Her pale blue eyes were like crystals soaked in stream water, and she watched the surrounding grass cautiously.

"Jane, come here!" The boy waved at her, his face alight with excitement. "Look what I found!"

The girl approached and crouched down. When she saw the dark brown mushroom growing from the ground, her expression changed at once, and she instinctively stepped back.

"Don't be afraid," Boheng said softly. "It's not Chelating Fungus. It's just an ordinary mushroom, the edible kind. Look..."

The girl moved closer, still doubtful.

The boy took out a small knife and pried the entire mushroom from the ground.

Its cap was brown, and its root was caked with dirt. The boy swiftly cut away the muddy base with his short blade, then blew off the dust that had settled on it.

The underside of the mushroom cap was milky white.

"This is a Morel Mushroom. It looks like it's already releasing spores. People used to dislike mushrooms that were this overripe—but compared to ordinary fungi, it's still delicious."

As he spoke, Boheng turned the Morel Mushroom upside down.

"See these swollen parts beneath the cap? We need to scrape them off now, or at least remove the spores. If they fall to the ground, they'll take root and sprout again after a while."

The girl squatted beside him with her arms around her knees. "Is Chelating Fungus the same?"

"If they're both fungi, there shouldn't be much difference." Boheng stood and placed the prepared Morel Mushroom in his cloth bag. "We'll have something extra for dinner tonight."

The moment they straightened up, a rapid ringing came from ahead—it was Sister Gurdin's signal. Every child who heard it immediately dropped what they were doing and ran toward Sister Gurdin.

Eleven-year-old Hesta was still frail. She was led forward by the boy, and the twenty-odd children soon formed a circle around Sister Gurdin.

"Flosang found a poor little squirrel." Sister Gurdin's expression was grave. "Flosang, tell us about it."

A girl about Hesta's age timidly held a bloodied squirrel in her hands.

The squirrel was still alive, but its body was covered in bloody holes.

"I saw a vulture circling in the distance, so I went to take a look. Then I found this squirrel. I think it... it must have had its eyes pecked out by the vulture... and there were several bloody holes pecked into its body too. I couldn't save it..."

"I think this is a wonderful opportunity," Sister Gurdin said softly. "Let us pray together for this poor little creature, that it may rest in peace. I taught you how to pray a few days ago, didn't I?"

"Yes, Sister Gurdin," the children answered in unison.

"Then begin."

Everyone set down their cloth bags or baskets of vegetables. With their hands clasped together, they began reciting prayers in soft voices.

"Jane, what are you doing?"

A cold voice came from above, jolting eleven-year-old Hesta back to her senses.

She looked up. Sister Gurdin, her face solemn, was staring at her. The nun's white-gloved hands were clasped before her chest, and there was anger in her gaze.

Several children nearby secretly opened their eyes and looked toward Hesta.

"Everyone else, close your eyes," the nun said heavily.

All the children kneeling on the ground shuddered and hurriedly clasped their hands again, returning to their previous posture of prayer.

"Everyone is praying with focus, and you alone have your eyes open." Sister Gurdin's voice echoed over the foothills. "Miss Hesta, answer me. What are you doing?"

"I was looking at the dead squirrel... Sister Gurdin," Hesta replied softly.

"Is that so?" Gerdin's voice softened slightly. "But you should close your eyes when you pray, Hesta."

"...I don't quite understand."

"What don't you understand?"

"Are we going to bury it in the ground like this?"

"Yes." Gerdin answered in a devout tone. "My flesh returns to dust, but our souls come from heaven. If we pray sincerely for the dead, then when those prayers reach the Holy Spirit, the mercy He sends down will cleanse your souls as well...

"And a pure soul is less likely to be parasitized by Chelating Fungus, Miss Hesta. Do you understand?"

Hesta frowned but said nothing.

Gerdin frowned again. "What are you thinking about now?"

"I was thinking... why don't we 'sincerely'... eat it right away?"

In an instant, everyone around them stopped breathing. Boheng, who had been kneeling beside Hesta, could not help opening his eyes and looking at his friend with concern.

Gerdin's face turned livid. "W-what..."

"It only just died, and it's still afternoon, so it's fresh enough. If we skin and salt it now—"

"Jane Hesta." Sister Gurdin's voice was so severe it made people tremble. In a soft voice filled with disbelief, she said, "What are you talking about...?"

"We don't have to eat it ourselves," Hesta quickly added. "Once it's prepared, we can hang it outside and let anyone who needs it take it. This little bit of meat may not mean much to an adult, but to someone starving, it could save a life. Burying it in the ground like this is far too wasteful—"

Before she could finish, the nun lifted Hesta up like an eagle snatching a chick and carried her before the dead squirrel.

"Look at it," the nun ordered. Her voice carried a sorrowful, tearful tone. "Look at this poor little creature. I can hardly believe my ears, Miss Hesta—what have I always taught you?"

"...Do not kill." Hesta looked at the nun. "But we didn't kill it, and we wouldn't be eating it ourselves—"

Slap—

A slap landed on Hesta's head.

"Boheng! Take Jane Hesta to the confinement room at the mountain peak immediately..." The nun's voice trembled. "Her mind has been possessed by evil spirits! She must be confined for several days before she comes to her senses!"

Late at night, in the confinement room of Saint Anne Abbey, Hesta curled up inside an iron cage.

Her red hair hung over her face, and she slept lightly.

"Jane, Jane..." A voice woke her. Hesta opened her eyes and saw Boheng's face outside the iron cage.

"Sister Gurdin is asleep. I brought you something from the kitchen. Come out and eat."

Hesta's eyes lit up at once.

Boheng moved aside the heavy lock on the iron cage. It looked as though it had been wound around layer after layer, securely locking the cage shut, but it was only a trick of the eye—the lock merely hung from the cage and did not restrain it at all.