The Devil's Cage

A cry of shock came out from Sister Moni’s mouth, unconsciously though.

Her eyes had lost focus and plunged deep into her own memories.

Was it 50 years ago?

No, no, much further than that!

Back then when she wasn’t the saintess but just a muddleheaded apprentice nun, she had once seen the brilliance of the last God’s Child of Dawn from far.

It was exactly same, tender and tenacious, unyielding and strong, just like the dawn of first light.

That was the last of the glorious era of the Church of Dawn.

After that, even God’s Child couldn’t compete with time. Aging, dying, everything was fixed like destiny itself.

During God’s Child’s passing, Sister Moni became one of the candidates for the saintess position.

Then, Church of Dawn went downhill day by day and eventually became apart history itself. The history of the church only lived on in certain books and records throughout the ages and now, all that was left was a school.

As if Sister Moni had woke up from a dream, she gave a long sigh after recollecting her senses because she clearly saw the person that came to their aid.

It was Kieran, not the God’s Child that she remembered and that was also the reason why Sister Moni gave a complicated look toward Kieran.

Guntherson wouldn’t have hidden the information about Kieran being a potential God’s Child but following Kieran’s death previously, the information has become useless and now Kieran appeared once again. He appeared in a much stronger form than before, a God’s Child appeared after the fall of the Church of Dawn? Was Lady Destiny playing a joke?

Sister Moni didn’t know how to face Kieran suddenly, while John stared at Kieran with an astonished expression.

In the chief officer’s memory, Kieran was devoured by the colossal crocodile.

Kieran glanced over the two of them and captured their expressions with his sight before revealing a smile on his face.

“It’s been a while! Greetings Sister Moni, Chief Officer John, 2567 send his regards. It’s really the best thing to come back to familiar faces after a long journey!” Kieran pretending to exclaim.

In the people’s eyes, the Great Detective Kieran was dead but Kieran didn’t plan on changing this image, not just because of the description of the background but also because he was used to moving around in 2567’s identity.

“Kie… 2567 what happened? Where have you been these six months?” John addressed Kieran in a slightly twisted way.

The chief officer was quite doubtful about the pseudonym 2567 but he still went along with Kieran’s will, addressing him that way.

Kieran was his good friend and he saved his life before, so John knew what should he do.

As for Sister Moni, the elderly sister didn’t utter a single word, all she did was stare at Kieran silently.

“Let’s change the venue, this isn’t a good place to talk.” John pointed at the bodies on the floor.

“Sure.” Kieran didn’t reject since he had gathered all useful leads.

…

The chief officer and elderly sister walked side by side to his office.

However, every few steps they walked, John couldn’t help but turn back for a glimpse at Kieran.

“John, I think you should be yourself.”

Kieran’s voice sounded from the shadow beside them.

“If a man sees a person fused together with the shadows and still can remain himself… I think that man is not normal at all!”

“No, no, no, Sister Moni, I didn’t mean any disrespect. B-But… this is too shocking!”

John who wasn’t slow-tongued and clumsy of utterance stuttered with his words.

The elderly sister beside wasn’t angry at all because she herself wasn’t calm either.

Inside Sister Moni’s heart, a storm was already brewing, tidal waves were clashing.

The dense Dawn Force and the supernatural undercover ability, Kieran had reached such heights within a “short” 6 months.

Sister Moni who had deep knowledge about Church of Dawn’s history knew even the first God’s Child who founded the church wasn’t as powerful as Kieran.

Kieran who had far exceeded the first God’s Child appeared in an era where the Church of Dawn had fallen…

“Oh merciful Bernadette, please inform your believer, have you returned?” The elderly sister prayed in her heart.

It was natural that she didn’t get any answers.

The ones who passed had gone away long ago and the ones who returned had just arrived.

It was like the rotation of the four seasons, going through cycles non-stop yet each of them was distinguishably different.

All the summers were different, despite them being scorching hot.

“Sorry, I only have water here.”

Inside the office, Kieran came out from the shadows and sat directly on the sofa, beside him was the elderly sister.

John picked up the cozy pot, as hot water was poured into three thick glasses, faint steam rose up.

Kieran casually took his glass and started to tell his story.

“When I woke up, I found myself on a boat. The sailors who rescued me didn’t know what happened and neither did I. I was badly hurt and broke, so all I could do was stay on the boat at the time. Fortunately the captain was a nice man, he tried his best in gathering medicines for me and of course, maybe it is because the power within me had awakened, my wounds healed rapidly. But when the boat finally docked, I realized I’ve arrived in another country. It has been a difficult 6 months for me trying to get back here. I’ve always been on the road, walking, riding, following merchant convoys and going across the sea again.”

“Finally, I’ve returned,” Kieran said slowly.

“Awakened power?” The chief officer didn’t even doubt a single word Kieran said and his attention was completely captured by a certain phrase, so was Sister Moni.

Although she remained silent, when John asked, she too was all-ears.

This was what Kieran wanted.

“En! That’s what I called it because I don’t know why it would grow strong so fast. Although I learned this power with Guntherson’s guidance. When I woke up, the power inside me went through drastic changes, it was powered up countless times and I’ve even learned some other knowledge as well,” Kieran said.

At the same time, he raised his hand up, Dawn Force then started to gather in his palm.

It sounded absolutely ridiculous but when he saw the white light on Kieran’s palm, John didn’t even doubt it one bit.

Everything that happened before his eyes had exceeded his comprehension, the shock his heart had felt has made him forget to doubt and he never would even if he had calmed down because Sister Moni spoke.

“Inheritance that can self-awaken? Other than the first God’s Child, 2567 you are the second that could achieve such feat.”

The moment she finished, the elderly sister stood up and performed an ancient salutation at him.

Wung!

Just as the salutation was being performed, the Dawn Force in Kieran’s body was rumbling and it started to operate in an even livelier manner.

White brilliance emanated from Kieran’s body, making him look holy and majestic sitting there.

While being showered by the light, Kieran’s eyes lit up when he saw the elderly sister performing the ancient salutation.