Witness the Miracle – 1

A dark night with the crescent moon hidden by clouds.

Dim moonlight streamed through the window into a room where the chill from the cold stone walls seeped into the bones.

-rustle rustle

The room, with only a bed barely large enough for a person to lie down and a small desk, resembled a modern-day studio apartment.

In the room, devoid of any decorations, a blonde woman sat at the desk, moving a quill pen.

The pen nib, full of ink, moved across the paper, drawing elegant lines.

The woman was transcribing a book.

It was content she had transcribed before, but with each repetition, she felt like she was gaining new insights.

Her hand, which had been smoothly copying passages, stopped.

She put down the pen and traced the passage with her fingertips.

[For faith is like the air; it is to realize its existence without seeing it.]

“To realize its existence without seeing it….”

As she traced the passage, she recalled the events of the day.

An era teeming with false Saints.

She, Inquisitor Maria Loehn, who was in charge of the duties of the Inquisitor, executed the false Saint who had been captured a few days ago today.

In a plaza where people had gathered, the sinner was brought up.

She, Inquisitor Maria, opened the Bible and asked the sinner.

[The sinner has distorted the words of the Bible and deceived the believers. Also, calling himself a Saint, he privately pursued his own interests.]

The sinner said nothing.

[In the end times, false Saints will abound, and those who call themselves gods will appear. Be wary of them.]

Maria recited the Bible passage and turned to the people gathered in the plaza.

[Children of light, be wary. False Saints are beings that will deceive you. Do not be deceived by appearances and commit sin.]

She drew a massive greatsword wrapped in rough leather.

Silence fell over the plaza.

Maria, having focused their attention, untied the straps and unwrapped the leather covering the sword.

As the leather fell away, the blade of the silver greatsword was revealed.

Maria, gripping the hilt of the greatsword, turned her body towards the sinner.

[I will carry out the righteous execution of the sinner who has distorted the will of light and deceived the world.]

-hum hum

With her words, the greatsword began to emit a faint light.

Maria stood next to the sinner.

The sinner’s head, lowered, made his neck easily accessible for the sword to strike.

She mechanically raised the sword.

Now, if she lowered the sword, the sinner’s neck would fall to the ground.

She put strength into her arm and swung the sword down, and at that moment, she heard the voice of the sinner prostrate at her feet.

[Those who are blind and cannot believe without seeing.]

It was a voice only Maria, who was carrying out the execution, could hear.

[!!!]

She paused for a moment at the sinner’s last words, but the sword heading for the sinner’s neck was already unstoppable.

The greatsword struck the sinner’s neck, and the sinner’s neck was separated from his body and fell to the ground.

The neck fell into the box that had been prepared in advance and rolled around.

[…The execution is over. Everyone, please return.]

It was customary to leave the sinner’s corpse abandoned for a day.

This was to awaken the vigilance of believers whose faith was being tested.

Maria finished her afternoon duties with a troubled heart and began transcribing to calm her mind.

[For faith is like the air; it is to realize its existence without seeing it.]

It was a passage she had always passed over. But the events of the morning came to mind and shook her heart.

“It’s an obvious statement, but why do I feel strangely pricked in my conscience?”

She was someone who could swear that she had never once doubted the existence of God after entrusting everything to Him.

“Could it be that I am being deceived by the words of the sinner?”

It must have been the actions of a sinner desperately trying to survive. Maria decided to think so.

Shaking her head vigorously, Maria continued transcribing.

The flame of the shortened candle flickered, and the sound of an owl searching for prey could be heard in the distance.

As her eyelids grew heavier, Maria briefly collapsed on the desk.

She only intended to close her eyes and rest her body for five minutes.

And so, she fell asleep.

Was it because she slept lightly?

Amidst her drowsiness, a noisy sound disturbed her ears.

-thump thump thump

A dull sound echoed through the room she was in.

“-!”

“-Maria!!”

Someone’s voice seemed to be coming from very far away.

She struggled to open her eyes.

‘I must have dozed off for a while.’

She looked at the candle placed on the desk. The length had shortened a little, but it didn’t seem like much time had passed, judging by the lack of a significant difference.

-thump thump

The door behind her rattled.

“Who is it?”

Maria asked in surprise, and a young girl’s voice replied.

“It’s Lorian, Maria.”

At the voice of the novice nun, Maria straightened her clothes and opened the door.

A busy atmosphere entered the room through the corridor.

“What’s going on?”

“Go to the plaza now. Quickly!”

Maria asked, bewildered by the unfamiliar situation, and the novice nun urged her.

Having heard the novice nun’s words, she ran to the plaza in a daze.

Other Inquisitors were with her, and Priests followed behind them.

Something big must have happened.

Although it was still night in terms of time, the whole world was bright as if the sun had mistaken the time.

And the origin of that light was the plaza where the execution had taken place today.

As she got closer to the plaza, the brighter the light became, she felt an indescribable sense of tension even as she squinted.

‘Oh, God.’

Had the end times, only seen in the Bible, arrived?

Her heart beat wildly.

“It’s there.”

With the voice of a Priest, the group’s gaze turned to the execution ground.

It was a sight that could only be described as a miracle.

A massive burst of light was emanating from the box containing the sinner’s head.

As they arrived at the plaza, the sinner’s head floated into the air.

Even as they were dazzled by the brilliant light, they slowly headed towards the execution ground.

“Oh… God.”

Someone’s voice was heard.

The sinner’s head shone in the air for a while, then slowly flew towards the sinner’s body.

The sinner’s head attached to the sinner’s torso, which was slumped on the execution table, at the severed surface where the blood had congealed.

And then, flash. Light poured down on the whole world.

“Ugh, my eyes.”

It felt like looking directly at the light would blind them.

As everyone hesitated, Maria slowly climbed onto the execution table.

“[As the young believer asked the light, ‘Light, are you my master?’ the light answered, ‘Yes, my child.’]”

Maria recited the Bible passage and approached the light.

As Maria’s hand touched the sinner’s body, the light began to fade.

The light that had brightly illuminated the plaza gradually died down, and the people who had gathered in the plaza to see this strange phenomenon opened their eyes.

What was in front of their eyes was the figure of a person standing upright, emitting a faint light.

Everyone knelt down at the sight of the person who had clearly died in the morning, now alive again.

“…Wh-What is your name?”

As Maria asked in a voice full of fear, the man slowly turned his head.

Maria met the man’s clear eyes.

“Kang In-ho.”

Hearing the name of the person she had executed today again, Maria prostrated herself on the ground.

“S-Saint…”

Hearing Maria’s murmur, the others in the plaza followed her and shouted.

“The Saint has come!!”

“The Saint has come!!!”

Watching the people shouting like that, Kang In-ho thought.

‘What the fuck is this now.’