Warrior Training System

"Who said that?" Lumine exclaimed, her face turning even redder. Before she could say more, Cassian pulled her closer, stopping her in her tracks. "I-I'm not your girlfriend..." she stuttered.

Cassian raised an eyebrow with mock surprise. "We kissed, so that makes us a couple. Don't you know that?" He smirked, adding, "You really are new to this, huh?"

"Knock it off with the nonsense," she said, trying to sound stern, but her flushed cheeks betrayed her.

Cassian chuckled, clearly not taking her seriously. Moving his hand from her waist to her shoulder, he said, "It's not nonsense. I mean, It is about what I said, we kissing, make us boyfriend and girlfriend?" Lumine looked at him, confused, but his genuine smile made her pause and listen. "But honestly, I wouldn't mind having someone as beautiful and strong as my girlfriend. I'd even pray to the devil if it meant you'd be mine," he added with a grin.

Lumine didn't know how to react or what to feel, still processing his words. Meanwhile, Alix, who had been listening to their conversation the whole time, smirked and muttered under her breath, 'flirty bastard...'

Cassian wasn't aware of the impact of his words; he had just said what he genuinely believed. But whether he intended it or not, it seemed to work. Lumine's embarrassed expression softened into a smile as she looked at him and said, "If you keep talking like that, I don't know what else to call you but a fag... hehehe."

Cassian was a bit surprised by her response but smiled when he heard her laugh. It was like seeing the old Lumine again. He hadn't been aiming for that, but he was happy to have his friend back. As for the idea of her being more than a friend, he hadn't really considered it before, but now that he did, he realized he wouldn't mind it at all.

Unlike the other women he'd been interested in, who were often in their mid-thirties or forties—or at least looked it—Lumine was closer to his age. He was sure she was only a few years older than him, making her a good match for him to date.

And he was determined to make that happen. For now, though, he slipped back into their usual banter, trading playful insults and laughing together. The day and a half of the travel passed quickly, and soon they found themselves standing in front of the church Alix wanted to visit first. Cassandra and Dallas were already there, waiting for them. Their faces were serious as they stood with a small group: Russella, her husband Aiden, and Nun Dasika with her young son. Both Dasika and her son looked like they had just finished crying. While Cassian wasn't sure why Dasika was so upset, it was clear her son was distressed simply because he'd seen his mother in tears.

Cassian approached the group and saluted. "Detective, Sergeant…" He relaxed without waiting for a response and turned to Dallas. "Did something happen here, Sergeant?" he asked.

Dallas, looking unusually tense, replied, "I'll explain later. For now, just tell me—did you bring the long-range message relay board with you?"

Cassian nodded and noticed that Cassandra also appeared on edge. She managed only a brief, reassuring smile for her younger sister, Lumine, who looked as confused as Cassian and the rest of the reinforcements.

Lumine stepped forward and gave a salute, while Alix simply nodded at Cassandra and Dallas, acknowledging them. "Detective, Sergeant…" she said, then glanced at the others standing nearby. She offered a polite nod to Russella, Aiden, Nun Dasika, and her son. Turning back to Cassandra, she asked in a low voice, "What's going on here? Why is everyone so tense?"

Cassandra's eyes flicked between Lumine and Cassian before she sighed. "We got some troubling news just before you arrived," she said.

Dallas, shifting uncomfortably, added, "It's bad. We're not sure how bad yet, but it's enough to cause real big trouble...."

Russella and Aiden exchanged worried looks, while Dasika held her son a little tighter, her face still marked with tears. Seeing how serious the situation seemed, Alix nodded as Cassandra spoke. "Let's brief you on our findings from the villages we visited and the families the pastor helped move into the city."

They all followed Cassandra and Dallas into the church. As they walked, Cassian moved closer to Russella and whispered, "What happened, Lady Russella?"

She hesitated, her eyes filled with conflicted emotions. Glancing sympathetically at the young boy, she muttered in a tone of disbelief, "I don't know…"

Cassian couldn't help but notice how unsettled Russella seemed. She had always been a bit peculiar with her deeply rooted religious beliefs, but she was also known for being a sweet and confident woman who never wavered in her convictions. Seeing her now—her eyes clouded with doubt and disbelief—set off alarms in Cassian's mind. Whatever had happened must have shaken the very foundation of something she believed in deeply.

As they walked further into the dimly lit church, the solemn silence was broken only by the soft shuffling of feet and the occasional sniffle from Dasika's son. The air felt thick, almost suffocating, as if the building itself was aware of the grim news that had yet to be revealed. Cassian glanced at Russella again, studying her expression. She seemed lost, her eyes darting nervously between the floor and the altar, as if searching for answers she couldn't find.

Cassian's curiosity burned as he glanced past the distressed Russella and approached her husband, Aiden, who looked tense and angry. "Sir Aiden, do you know what's going on?" he asked.

"It's that deranged pastor... I don't understand how he could have done it," Aiden replied, his voice filled with frustration. "Why... why would he do it?"

Cassian, still confused, pressed further, "What did Pastor Abahram do, and to whom?"

"Don't call him 'pastor'—he's a scumbag... a scumbag that even a million years of torments couldn't cleanse," Aiden spat out, eyes blazing with fury. Cassian noticed a brown-gold light beginning to glow around Aiden, forming a shape that mirrored his body. Cassian's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized it—it was the domain shield of a Circle Warrior, something he himself aspired to develop one day.