Chapter 32 A Thousand Years
As the people of the temple shielded their faces and bodies from the terrifying wind, Elric gave a last glance at Lord Ezra, who remained unfazed by the wind, still pointing his staff to the sky. Indeed, he was a very powerful man; even the heavens and the earth obeyed him.
Elric sneaked out of the crowd, unnoticed by anyone. He ran silently toward the prison yard, ensuring the force of the wind did not hinder him. He knew exactly what he had to do, although it was a very foolish idea... in fact, that was the most foolish thing he would ever do, but for some reason he just couldn't bring himself to stand by and watch a human be sacrificed. He could only hope that Elyon would forgive him.
Levi beamed as she saw Elric approach her cell. She was already dressed in her white temple garment and was waiting to be taken to the altar.
"What is going on, Elric? Why the sudden wind?" she asked, but Elric did not reply. He took out a key from his pocket and unlocked the cell. Levi stood, surprised.
"What are you doing?" she asked in a panic, but Elric grabbed her hands immediately and drew her out of the cell. She knew exactly what he was doing but didn't want to believe it was so. "Are you taking me to the altar?"
"No!" Elric yelled loudly enough so she could hear him despite the wind. "I won't stand by and watch Lord Ezra sacrifice you at the altar."
"Lord... Lord Ezra?" Levi asked in surprise. "Is he back?"
"Yes! Come with me now. I'll take you far away from here. You don't have to die," Elric reassured her, but for some reason she didn't look pleased.
"Did he speak of the sacrifice? Is it truly the will of Elyon that I must die at the altar?"
Levi could feel her heart beating fast as she waited for Elric to answer her question and free her from the one thought that had kept resurfacing in her mind. If it wasn't the will of Elyon, then she would gladly run far away from the kingdom—that is, if the priests kept insisting on sacrificing her. But if indeed it was the will of Elyon... what then was she going to do?
Elric gazed at her for a while and sighed. He couldn't believe he was actually going against the Almighty just to ensure this priestess lived another day. What if Elyon struck him dead at that moment? Seeing how the weather had changed suddenly, that wouldn't come as a surprise. He sighed again; the wind wasn't even helping matters.
"Yes!" he replied finally, and Levi swallowed as she felt a shiver run down her spine. What she had been dreading had finally come to pass. "Lord Ezra was actually sent by the Almighty Himself to carry out the sacrifice."
Levi frowned. "You really want to go against the Almighty for my sake?"
"I just... I just don't want you to die. Come with me, Levi," Elric pleaded, stretching out his hands for her to hold. "I know of a beautiful kingdom far away from here. I can take you there—you and your family. You would get to live and start a new life. You would be free… free to do whatever you want and travel the world for a thousand years. The oath of the priesthood would be broken and therefore have no effect on you… just take my hand!"
But the lady remained silent, staring back at him with a stoic expression. It was one of those quiet moments when he couldn't fathom what she was thinking or what her next move might be, yet he desperately hoped she would listen to him.
To his surprise, Levi stepped forward, and just as he thought she would take his hands, she grabbed his neck, staring straight into his eyes. He watched in horror as her grip tightened, cutting off his air, yet he could only stand there, mesmerized by her long golden hair flowing in the wind. She remained completely unfazed by the violent storm around them.
She reminded him of Lord Ezra; in some ways, they were alike, though Lord Ezra was far more terrifying and destructive
"You had the nerve to drag me out of the cell, knowing fully well I'm meant to be at the altar. Are you not scared of what the Almighty would do in anger?" she said in a low, deadly tone. But as Elric continued to gaze into her unnatural eyes, he saw a flicker of an emotion he had never seen before—a flicker of guilt and sadness. He could see how much she wanted to hide her tears.
"Do you think I'm scared of dying? I committed a grievous sin, and I must pay for it, even if it costs me my life. Elyon is the Almighty, and I will always serve Him till the end of my days in this world... and this day has finally come."
She released her grip on his neck and turned back, walking toward her cell. She felt a kind of anger she had never felt before; her anger was directed at no one else but herself. How could she leave her family so soon? The faces of her foster parents came to mind, and she could only pray they would forgive her. But Elric reached out to her again and grabbed her shoulders. At that moment, it seemed to him like time froze in space and moved in slow motion. Levi turned and seized his hands with unnatural speed.
"Touch me again and I'll rip out your heart from its chambers!" Her words echoed in his head. Simultaneously, the tolling of the temple bells and the powerful wind ceased at once. Before he could realize what was happening, Levi pushed him away with a powerful force he couldn't fathom. He landed harshly against the wall and fell to the ground, spitting out blood.
Elric groaned as he struggled to steady himself, he could literally feel his bones breaking into pieces from the impact. In all his years of fighting as a warrior and a priest, he had never felt so weak and powerless—definitely not over a woman whose weirdness and mystery had started to frighten him. What he had experienced that day was something he would never forget in his lifetime.
"Levi... ahhh!" he groaned in pain, raising his head to look at Levi, who just stared back at him as though a different soul had taken control of her. Her eyes were so distant... so empty. He couldn't understand what had gone wrong.