I was already at that time of the year, the weather was so warm and sunny, which I found disturbing even at that point, in my world there are seasonal cycles that can extend the equivalent of two Earth years, but none of them are similar to summer, nothing resembles that a period so dry and infertile that scourged the starving without having the slightest benevolence. Italy was hot these days, some had already told me that it was the hottest country in the European continent, I was in the heart of the Vatican waiting for the approval of His Holiness for a project that the missionaries of peace had in mind.

I walked in one of the most important churches in that world, the famous Sistine Chapel, which had one of the most beautiful architectures I had seen on planet Earth, from the entrance to the stairs you could see different ornaments of gold and glass of bright colors, many times I was astonished to contemplate the sublimity of the masterful artistic works that were scattered all over the ceiling, someone told me that they were hand painted by one man, he was named Michelangelo, –I would’ve liked to know him –I thought.

Everything related to the religions of this world was familiar to me, on my planet I served as a high priestess and together with my sisters we made offerings and entertained feasts in honor of the one and only God, the Great Xafra, which gave us eternal life with just have the luck of living in it. On this planet the offerings were much simpler, a few tithes that served more than anything to maintain the ostentation of the abbey, and, after each offering, we would have to receive the body (a symbolic food for his faith, made on the basis of wheat, they call it "consecrated host", it symbolizes the body of the son of God) and drink from its blood (a pretty aged liquid, crimson red color, made with fresh grapes and enough alcohol, they call it "wine" and it symbolizes the blood of the prophet and the "descendant" of their God, they say that just drinking it atones you for all sin). The missionary Hipólita was by my side, she seemed more fervent than any of us, her devotion was even disturbing, and her look seemed to evoke those terrible stories of the Christian Inquisition that I had read some time ago. Hipólita broke the tense silence that was falling between us.

“Indifferent way, Sister Agnes, have you gotten bored by the sermons of Bishop Luca?” She expressed in a sharp tone, despite treating me with euphemisms, I could notice her intentions.

“I’m a little indisposed, I'm afraid I'm sick, I guess it’s just some illness that I got in Calcutta,” I replied in a hoarse voice, I had to pretend that I had a respiratory condition.

“It is never indisposed for the Lord, I thought you was clear from it, do not make me think that you are not really a devotee of heart.

“I suppose we all have different ways of assuming our faith, yours is really admirable, but my devotion does not differ from that of any other sister, I assure you.

"I hope so, we will see how devoted you are," She said, frowning and looking at me out of the corner of her eye, her plump hands crossed as if showing a certain defiant attitude.

I was already accustomed to the reprimands of the Sister Hipólita, but I always tried to get out of her intense speech. We used to pray in communion and listen to the word of their "God", today the bishop preached the story of Moses and the Exodus, I had already read the sacred scriptures long before arriving here and they tell many interesting stories about what it would be the ancient world of this civilization, but Moses’ story always reminded me of one of the oldest songs ever sung by the forest spirits that inhabit the highlands of Hykhave, the song that is said to date from thousands of xerves back (xerf = hundreds of terrestrial years) is well-known by all xafrians and has transcended generations until arriving at ours, in it is told the crossing of the avatar "Kyet", which traveled from its remote village located in the leafy forests Tyarré until the distant Hykhaven mountains for a whole xer (a dozen Earth years), facing an extremely cold weather, Kyet set out to climb the summit of Mount Hykil (the highest mountain of all Xafra), being at the top of the Hykil, he was the first xafrian to contemplate the revered lake Hyk, it is said that the Great Xafra gave him the mission to split the lake in two to show his worth as a distinguished avatar would do it, from that anthological moment in which he managed to show his particular skills, Kyet joined the Brotherhood of the Pillars of Xafra, becoming the eleventh of the twelve avatars of Xafra, and from that day until today, Kyet turned away from the xafrian society to devote his whole life to the Great Xafra.

At the end of the Sunday Mass, I began to prepare myself for a pilgrimage that would last for more than 6 months, crossing a large part of India to provide food and medical assistance to the sick, it would be an exhausting trip, but I had to fulfill my role as a missionary of the peace. When I left the Sistine Chapel, the Sister Domitila came up to me and then she took my hand, she looked fearful and her pulse was trembling, in fact, during the whole Mass she seemed worried about something I did not know, –it has to be a issue –I supposed.

"I need your help, Sister Agnes, and for our friendship, I ask you to be as discreet as possible," She said while touching her belly.

"Tell me, although I suspect what you're going to tell me," I replied soberly, Domitila nodded as she held my hand tighter.

“I am afraid your suspicions are right, sincerely I do not know who can help me, I ask you with all my heart Agnes, could you do something about it?” She asked me as he pressed her belly as if she wanted to shake off something of her womb, the girl was a bundle of nerves, and tears ran down her cheeks.

“I am sorry Domitila, but I can’t help you this time, that would go against my principles. I save lives, I don’t end with them," I retorted bluntly.

Domitila broke down in tears at noticing my expression of repudiation to such acts, I couldn’t help it, in Xafra all life found its purpose, every life came predestined with a reason of being from its very conception, ending a life in development is an insult to the Great Xafra, the one that gives being to things.

I took the first taxi that crossed the avenue; I needed to get to the airport as soon as possible. The flight was before noon and the pilgrimage had been approved by His Holiness.

The streets of the Vatican were dissonant to the complex that housed its nucleus, so different from the ostentation of the great basilicas, they were a bit disappointing; the airport, on the other hand, was a waste of neat white from the entrance to the exit, its design was minimalist enough to capture my taste for simplicity, I walked with pleasure through its long lobbies until arriving at the reception of the place, the receptionist attended me with the formality of the established protocol.

“Hello Mss., may I help you?” The receptionist asked politely.

“I need to take the next flight to Calcutta, here is my ticket.

“Your flight will take off in 20 minutes, have a good trip.

When I arrived in Calcutta, I immediately went to the St. Rose White charity hospital; I had to finish the procedure to start the pilgrimage.

“Hello Dr. Denzel, how was everything during my absence?” I vociferated it with a tired tone; I was exhausted due to the long trip.

“We have missed your presence in this hospital. You do not know how much we needed you!” He replied with a smile on his face. Dr. Denzel and Sister Domitila were among the few humans who achieved an affinity with me.

“I imagine you have worked very hard to save the lives of these people, seeing the good condition of the patients, it seems to me that they have not needed much of me.

“You are so modest, it is well-known that you are someone fundamental in this hospital, we will miss you very much in these 6 months.

“It is for the common good. You are an excellent doctor, having you, I realize that this city does not need much of me; I need to help people from other lands that are most affected by the scourge of hunger and plague.

“Well, I guess this is a temporary goodbye, but I want you to know that I will miss you a lot” He answered with a mellifluous voice while holding my hand, Dr. Denzel has always been a very respectful and admirable person, he was household man very dedicated to his home and his work: to save every life no matter what’s the cost. –Undoubtedly, a very peculiar human –I thought.

I entered my rooms and when I was willing to perpetuate the sheevha ritual, I decided to light my punf and then I contacted Krysshua to know if everything was going well in Kaldria.

“Krysshua, just tell me everything about Kaldria and, more importantly, everything about the Zhortisce Shrine, I need to know how my Zhor Sisters are.

“As you order High Priestess Lysanna... Processing and analyzing data from all Xafra,” It replied with its synthetic voice. I am afraid that the Sacred Kingdom of Kaldria has been desecrated; apparently, the Zhorstice Shrine has been destroyed by the sixth avatar of Xafra.

“But how’s that possible? Lyfa would never destroy an altar of her beloved Xafra, much less a place as sacred as Zhorstice,” I replied, stunned, knowing that a familiar is never wrong.

“I'm afraid that Lyfa has betrayed the Great Xafra. Apparently Kyet, Phey and Lagantha fought against her to safeguard what have been left of the Zhorstice Shrine, but apparently, the sixth avatar disappeared from the place and no one has known about her since that fatidic night.

“Thank you for informing me of everything that happened, I need to connect with the astral networks, I have to know how my Zhor Sisters are.

I lay back on the bed and after a few minutes I was already asleep, but I was actually wandering in the immense networks of the universe, I traveled all over the cosmos without finding any trace of my sisters, –they must be disconnected, but why all of them? –I thought. When I arrived in the vicinity of the dark zone, I managed to see in the distance a strange woman who apparently wandered in the gloom, despite the terror that she caused me; I decided to approach her to find answers.

I found myself face to face with the strange woman, she had beautiful crimson red hair and wore a silver robe with golden brocades, and then she stared at me with her golden eyes in a few seconds that seemed to me as eternal as terrifying.

“So you are Lysanna... Well, you are more common than I had thought. Analyzing your profile, I see that you don’t even have any particularity; I do not understand how Xafra became infatuated with you,” She vociferated it in a throaty and grave voice that showed her petulance.

"And you are Lyfa, the treacherous pillar of Xafra," I replied sharply.

“Treacherous? If everything I do is for Xafra.

“Well, it doesn’t seem like it, I suppose destroying the most revered Shrine in all Xafra isn’t a good way to show your ineffable love to Xafra. Now tell me, what have you done to my sisters? I haven’t found them in the entire astral network and that’s very strange.

“All the Zhor Sisters were traitors, including you, that’s the reason why I annihilated them. My brothers didn’t understand that everything I did was for the good of Xafra, now they have detached me from my soul and cloistered my spirit, condemning me to wander in these shadows everlastingly.

“Now I can see so crystal clear that you are an ominous being, and to think that you were the most loved pillar by Xafra, why did you pay it that way? You are a disgrace to all the Xafrians!

“You stole what must be mine, what I deserved by right. You... A vile mundane! That's why you would never understand what I’m saying. You will crave for mercy, I can assure you that.

Lyfa moved slowly away from the place, but just pronouncing those horrid words caused my worst fears to settle on a dark flint, becoming so real that they began to gnaw me inside, it was an irremediable feeling of disquietude. I had already heard in the old Osmosian songs about the hexes of the legendary Princess Ominus, but I never imagined what it would be like to live under that terrible condemnation.