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Vespers

Unlike the rest of the town of Leyton, the Temple of Intara remained untouched by the Deathless. Flickering flames of melting candles spanned the width of the temple's innermost sanctum where Enid knelt, hooded and reverent, at the altar beneath the hanging sculpture of Intara's eight-pointed star.

After hours of silent prayer through the long night, Enid felt remiss to relinquish her vigil. By the grace of her goddess, the Deathless hadn't dared encroach on her sanctuary. The townsfolk of Leyton had been too focused on running and hiding rather than offering themselves up to Intara's mercy—a fatal mistake, she felt sure. All I can do is pray for their souls, she thought, uttering another prayer.

The temple door groaned open, the sound of it inducing a sharp intake of air that tightened her chest as a chill swept through her. "Fecund Mother of War," she implored with a whisper, unmoving, "my refuge and my strength, stand fast in this holy house—"

Rhythmic footfalls echoed throughout the temple while Enid prayed.

"Good evening," a man said, his voice rough and low. The footsteps stopped behind her.

"—my life is Yours and Yours alone. I rest in the sanctity of truth that evil shall not be victorious, and Yours is the Light and the Glory of all the world. Verily I say: so it was, and so it will always be."

Aged wood grumbled beneath the weight of a resting body. Her prayer completed, Enid stood and turned. "Welcome, traveler. Intara embraces...you..." she trailed, confidence faltering at the sight of the man sitting in the front pew.

Black orbs stared back at her from where normal eyes should have been. Veins and capillaries, visible beneath pale and translucent skin, crept out from beneath the man's frayed and blood-stained clothing like a tattered spiderweb. And behind him, the temple doors stood open.

A gathering of Deathless, faintly outlined by dismal night, waited beyond the threshold, just beyond the candlelight.

"You have no cause to fear them," the man croaked, expressionless.

"Who...Who are you?"

He raised his hand, and at the twitch of his fingers, a Deathless slide inside—its form obscured by darkness.

"Ere-Eren-n-n-ny..."

"Erenyx," the man finished for her, speaking slowly. "And you are Enid, yes? High priestess of this...place?"

She nodded, sweat beading on her forehead as panic gorged in her throat—realizing Erenyx might kill her just for admitting her fealty to Intara.

"Good. Please"—he rested a palm on the bench—"sit. I have questions for you."

Enid obeyed, hating herself for it as she sat out of reach.

"Why is it you create false idols?" Erenyx asked, fixing her with the sincerity of his tone and hollow stare.

Despite her fear, indignation crept into her voice. "False idols?"

"Yes. False."

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

"I am also confused," Erenyx replied. "We walked among you once, and a few still linger. And yet you create...these..." He swept a shaky hand in a wide arc, gesturing to the whole of the temple. "Why?"

"Are you...asking me why humans build temples to honor the gods?"

"No. I ask why you build them for gods who do not exist. I ask why you ignore the gods among you."

Enid lifted her chin, proudly purging her fear through flared nostrils. "Intara is with me—always."

Turning, Erenyx surveyed the room.

Somehow, without her notice, the Deathless had drawn closer. It was visible now, standing at the opposite side of the temple in the narrow aisle by the wall. She could make out its tall, humanoid form.

Erenyx flicked his attention back to her. "I see no one. Only myself. And you."

"Faith doesn't require sight. Intara is with me regardless."

"That is true. My followers would say the same. But I do not know this 'Intara'. Who is she? A heroine among your kind? Why do you worship her?"

Enid's brows knitted together. "Intara is the Mother of War. She embodies all things—life, death, and rebirth. I love her, just as I love all she's done for me. I owe her my love and devotion."

"Life, death, and renewal..." Erenyx said, seemingly more to himself than her. "You describe the Great Cycle. Yet, this Intara has no place in the Balance. I am Death."

Dare I say it? Enid wondered, gripping her robes. Goddess, protect me. "Death takes many forms..." she said, kind and patient as if to a child learning something new.

"This, I know well."

The Deathless crept into view beside her.

Erenyx continued, "You see me all around you—"

Overlong limbs rested at a thin waist while a faceless head leaned toward Enid—a monolith of shadow towering above her trembling body.

"—and no matter the form I take, you see me all the same."

She kept her tearful gaze on Erenyx, pointedly ignoring the looming Deathless.

"I am Erenyx the Void—Oblivion and Unbeing. Enmesharra. I am Yama, Deathless Shepard and All-Destroyer, Apep and Thanatos, Motherless-Father-of-No-One-and-Nothing. These are only a few names, but 'Intara' is not one of them. Nor is it a name for my kin. Your faith is misplaced, Enid. Though, take heart: I have never abandoned you and embrace you still."

When she failed to reply, Erenyx continued, glancing at the ceiling. "Do not fret. I am building my...temple...as we speak. Acolytes gather, and it is they who will sing when echoes fade."

The Deathless turned away and loped toward the altar.

"Intara will never allow it," Enid said, heart pounding like a war drum in her ears. "The servants of light will defeat you as they did before."

One by one, the Deathless snuffed out the candles using the tips of its elongated fingers, gradually dimming the chamber.

Even if he was an aberration, Erenyx was still a god, though a minor one compared to Intara—a corrupted child long bereft of her divine essence. Enid wanted to know why he had strayed, if not to guide him back to the light, then to at least understand. "Why are you doing this?" she asked. "Why are you here?"

"I am the Endless Ending—Aetheria's Fated. False idols will do nothing but decay with the minds of those who worship them. Yet those who accept me will see wonders beyond counting..."

"You-you are an evil...wicked god. No one will follow you."

Returning her gaze, Erenyx said, "It so interesting you choose to call me 'evil'. This notion is...humorous. But telling others what you believe does not make it true." Four candles remained, dancing weakly in the growing dark. "Are not the agents of life killers and destroyers? And yet you call them 'good'?"

"They're protectors!" Enid blurted. "Defenders of the weak and innocent!"

Erenyx stood, visible only by the light of the last candle. "Even if that were true, nothing can protect you from yourselves." Turning, he disappeared into the shadows—a disembodied voice carried over receding footfalls. "A pity you could not be convinced... Always, your kind must be shown before you accept the truth. Goodbye, Enid."

When the doors closed, gloom swallowed the hallowed halls of Intara's temple—trapping Enid inside with the Deathless.

It shuffled closer. She remained seated, immobilized by fear.

Then, the Deathless beckoned from the darkness in an imitation of her voice that echoed:

"Hello."

⊱─━━━━⊱༻●༺⊰━━━━─⊰

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