Ilyena hurried to the front of the Divine Hall.
She immediately spotted Fog Town's high priest kneeling on the floor, praying ceaselessly.
The old man's once-graying hair had become as dull and lifeless as withered grass.
Exhaustion and sorrow were etched into his aged face. He was steadily pouring what little power remained in his body into the cracked statue of the Weeping Madonna, trying to delay the barrier's collapse.
"High Priest!"
Ilyena hurried forward and called softly.
Hearing her voice, the high priest opened his clouded eyes with some difficulty.
When he saw the dirt smeared over Ilyena and her slightly disheveled burgundy curls, his expression darkened. Stern distress and reproach flashed in his eyes.
"Ilyena! Did you just... sneak outside the barrier?"
Though weak, the high priest's voice carried an authority that brooked no defiance.
"Reckless! Utterly reckless!"
"The Abyss army outside has completely sealed off the square. You're a nun-if you go out there and those mindless monsters discover you, do you know how horrible your fate will be?"
Faced with the high priest's reprimand, Ilyena did not lower her head as she usually did. Instead, she looked as though she had something to say.
"It's too dangerous outside. We all know reinforcements from Winterhold may never come, but that doesn't mean you should take such pointless risks!"
The high priest coughed violently twice, his eyes filled with concern. "You're the Divine Hall's last nun. If the barrier breaks, you'll have to take the children..."
"High Priest, please listen to me!"
Ilyena abruptly clasped the old man's hand in return, her voice trembling slightly with excitement:
"It wasn't pointless! Just now, outside... I met divine envoys from the Sighing Heights!"
"Not only did they save Knight Kyle, but their main army has already assembled on the outskirts