"Chosen One?" asked Belle to Sister Isabell. She turned to look at Lucas who had taken a seat at the bench. She wondered what was chosen here. She had lost her parents last night and the pain felt like it would never cease.
"Yes," answered Sister Isabell, "Most of the churches in the past were built by witches. These witches were way ahead of their time, you could say call them oracles who foresaw a few events hundreds of years ago. To be able to correct their sisters' mistakes, they left clues and markings that could come to be of use for the ones who would be able to create the b.u.t.terfly effect."
She saw sister Isabell come forward and she held her hand as if she knew her for years, "Sit with me," and they took to sit on the other row where Lucas was not sitting, "I know you are hurting but if Lucas has brought you here, I am guessing it's because you are searching and looking for answers that have been unanswered so far."
Belle found it hard to keep her feelings together as it felt light they were at the brink of breaking and crumbling down because of her parent's death. Tears started to well in her eyes and she asked,
"Did you know...that they would die?" she took a deep breath to calm her nerves that were a wreck. Her parents had died last night but it took time for the news to circulate, even if it was through the council. The priestess was aware about what happened last night.
Isabell knew it was hard for such a young girl to digest her parent's death but once it was set on the stone, death was inevitable and there was no way to stop it. Lies often protected a person, sometimes it would go undiscovered but in Belle's case, she would one day come to know about it because of what she was.
"Yes. I did," answered Isabell.
Belle turned her face away from Isabell to look at the statue in front of her. Her lips were pressed against each other so that they would tremble less against each other.
"Everyone was doing fine but I knew something was going to happen. Because of the black vapors," Belle paused for two seconds before she continued to say, "I was hoping it would go away, I prayed for it to go away," she whispered.
"I didn't know what was wrong because my mother was healthy and she was doing. One minute I was there with my parents and when I returned..." it felt like she had stepped into a bad nightmare she would not be able to get out.
When Isabell had first seen her here today with Lucas, she didn't know what Lucas was thinking by bringing the girl outside when she had only lost her parents and was grieving them but she now understood; it was so that the girl could put out her feelings instead of holding it in.
Isabell said to Belle, "I know right now you are feeling guilty and holding yourself responsible, feeling the inability of not able to do things when you knew what was going to happen but let me tell you something. There are times no matter what you do, the outcome will still be the same and maybe far worse than what was going to happen," the white witch appeared to be as knowledgeable as her butler and Belle listened to her speak, "Believe this, that one-day things will turn brighter than what it is today."
Belle nodded her head even though her chest felt heavy right now. She then turned her face back to look at the woman who sat next to her, to ask, "How did you know it was going to happen?"
"You are not the only one who has lost family. There have been two more in the last few weeks or months who were attacked by corrupted vampires, people who belonged to the family or worked there, they were pushed to corrupt themselves," answered Isabell.
Her eyebrows furrowed hearing this, "Why? I thought corruption was a natural process, you cannot push people to corruption until dire circ.u.mstances that involve emotional shock," it was impossible for people to corrupt their hearts out of the blue.
She saw the woman pursed her lips, "The black witches have found a plant called spitgra.s.s. The plant has elements to spike the heart of a vampire. Once it's taken in, the body will start the process of corruption."
Belle tried to rake her brain, her mind going back to yesterday, and the series of events that had one after another to stop at the dining room. Recollecting her parent's faces was hard but when she did, she realized it was only her father whose heart had been corrupted. Her mother had not been affected by it and neither was she. It was something to do with the food.
To think there was nothing she could do to deviate from last night 's hurt her.
"We didn't do anything to anyone. My parents never hurt anyone. I don't think they would have crossed paths with the witches either. They were good people..." she didn't know why her family was being targeted. They belonged to the average vampires cla.s.s.
"Some people don't see who you are, Belle. They will see what benefit they can draw in from you," said Isabell to her. The woman took a deep breath before saying, "Years ago, the magic that belonged to black magic was hidden and locked to restrict the black witches. It is the same time when these churches were built with the black dwarfs or writings only certain people can read. The black witches have been trying to regain it back in various ways."
"Is it something to do with the ritual for ma.s.sacres?" on Belle's question, Isabell could tell that this vampiress was well aware of what happened in the lands they lived in.
"It is more than a ma.s.sacre, the black witches' intention was not a ma.s.sacre but to kill you."
