Cornerstone — Along the Streets.
Lumian walked along the streets of Cornerstone, the early air still carrying a faint chill. He adjusted the collar of his blue shirt.
Though he had thrown on a black coat and trousers, his outfit was far from formal—he had clearly just woken up.
After a few steps, he suddenly stopped in front of a house to his left.
Without hesitation, he approached and knocked lightly.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Just as his hand was about to knock again, the door swung open.
"Hunny, have you finally returned?" a voice called out eagerly.
But the moment she saw who stood outside, her expression shifted.
"…Lumian?"
She lowered her gaze slightly. "Good morning. What are you doing here so early?"
Lumian gave an awkward chuckle. "Good morning, Aunty Theresa. I actually wanted to speak with your husband."
At those words, her face darkened. "My husband?" she repeated softly. "I haven't seen him in days."
...
Lumian's smile faded almost instantly.
"For days?" he asked. "Did you two have an argument?"
Outwardly, his tone remained calm, but inwardly, his thoughts churned.
For days... Did he know I knew he had the text, or he wanted to do something else.
Mrs. Theresa turned slightly as the faint cry of her baby came from inside the house. She paused for a moment before looking back at him.
"We never fought," she said softly. "Three days ago, he told me he needed to get something… but he never came back."
Lumian let out a quiet breath, then lifted his gaze. "Where was the last place he contacted you from?"
"Near Hatcliff Street," she replied.
Lumian nodded. He knew the area—it was just behind the Hadgy residence in Blackhead.
He coughed lightly before speaking again. "Mrs. Theresa… I really want to help you. As you know, I work at the same faculty your husband did. Could you provide me with a picture of him?"
She blinked, then turned back into the house. A moment later, she returned with a photograph.
In it was a man wearing a white sleeping robe, with balding hair, and white full beard.
Lumian took the photo and tucked it carefully into his coat.
He let out a soft sigh. "Mrs. Theresa, you've helped us in our worst moments. I'll do everything I can to find your husband."
"Thank you…" she replied quietly.
With that, she gently closed the door.
...
Lumian's thoughts were scattered. He wasn't sure if Mrs. Theresa's husband knew he was coming. He paused for a moment and thought inwardly. Since the Pale Moon Goddess could still appear to me yesterday, that means the text was close by then… But she said he disappeared three days ago. Huh. I bet he might still be around.
With that, Lumian turned right and headed toward Blackhead. He passed Hadgy Residence along the way, then quickly entered a narrow road between two houses. This was Hatcliff Street.
He looked around carefully. There were no cameras, and only a few children and parents walked along the sidewalks as he moved forward.
Still walking, Lumian thought inwardly.
He doesn't seem to be here. Looks like I'll have to pass this street often… It'll be stressful, but if Kelvin helps me with the car sometimes, it won't be a problem.
After some time, Lumian noticed a towering building ahead. Its windows stretched high into the sky.
The Church of the Pale Moon Goddess… the main branch.
...
Under the breezy trees and the crimson sun, Lumian gradually stepped forward and entered the cathedral. His purpose was simple: he wanted to observe how the Church operated, not start a fight.
Inside, he noticed groups of people either kneeling in prayer or walking quietly, murmuring their devotions under their breath.
He moved forward and knelt near a table, slightly covering his face so he wouldn't be seen not praying.
After some time, the prayers ceased. Without a sound or disturbance, the congregation rose and then sat back down.
A man in a black robe slowly walked toward the podium.
Lumian fixed his gaze on him, curious and attentive.
The bishop began to speak. He recounted the history of the Pale Moon Goddess. According to him, 'She' belonged to an ancient bloodline that still thrived today—the Moses family. Their bloodlines were said to awaken special powers, granting them sainthood and allowing them to hear the words of the goddess and receive 'Her' grace. This honor was especially noted for the women of the family.
The bishop also described the Pale Moon Goddess as a being who had stopped a major calamity in the Age of Modern Preparation, known as the Hell Day. Though much of the details were left unsaid.
He continued, explaining that the current Pale Moon Goddess had taken the authority of the first—who had awakened from the Creator Fragments during the Age of Beginnings.
After several minutes, the congregation stood once more, their voices rising in silent prayer. Lumian joined them, murmuring some unintelligible things under his breath.
...
When the prayers ended, Lumian was about to leave when an old man in a white robe, leaning on a cane in his right hand, called out to him.
"Boy, where are you going? We haven't finished today's prayers."
"…Oh," Lumian replied, turning back and walking toward him. Judging by the white robe, he assumed the man was a priest.
The two walked past an arch and entered a door to their right. It led into a spacious hall lit by flickering candles mounted along the walls. The tiles were pale white, while the ceiling above was dark brown, giving the place a muted, solemn atmosphere.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
As they walked, Lumian couldn't help but think.
The Age of Modern Preparation wasn't filled with Mysticism and no crimson sun… so how did the Pale Moon Goddess stop a calamity? Could she have broken the seal and interfere with mortal affairs.
Or could it have been the time of the Apex at that time?
His gaze drifted to the walls. Strange badges were embedded into them—each shaped like a crescent moon set against a starry night sky.
He frowned slightly. He remembered something Vincent once mentioned during a casual conversation, around last week.
That symbol had existed during the Age of Steampunk—but it didn't originally belong to this church.
It belonged to a small faction at the time. The Poflin Church. They also worshipped the Primordial Lord of Chaos!
If the Pale Moon Goddess is always in conflict with Aethera… and from this symbol, does that mean she's an evil god? Could she somehow be connected to the Primordial Lord of Chaos?
That same symbol… had also appeared in the St. Mary text. In the Book of Wisdom, it was referenced—linked to a hidden, obscure faction that worshipped the God of Beginnings, also in the Age of Steampunk!
The connections were starting to overlap. After a while, they stopped in front of a door, candles burning steadily on both sides.
Lumian lifted his gaze, and the symbol was there once more!
Vvbbam!
The old man slowly pushed the door open.
Darkness filled the room beyond. At first, Lumian couldn't see clearly. He adjusted his vision, focusing his eyes until shapes began to form within the shadows.
The figures were moving, some were kneeling praying intensely. While some were... rolling on the ground.
Lumian turned slightly, to the left, noticing the man once more.
The old man placed both hands over his chest and spoke softly,
"May the Lady be with you."
Then he turned and walked away.
...
Lumian stepped inside and, without hesitation, imitated the others—lowering himself into prayer and behaving just as erratically as the rest. It took hold for about ten minutes.
When it finally ended, he rose to his feet and walked towards the corridor, walking slowly down the hallway.
Along the hall, his gaze drifted across the walls, as his thoughts deepened once more.
The Pale Moon Goddess ascended during the Age of Steampunk…
That means she already had believers back then.
Those believers must have formed the earliest structure of a church…
But the current church… I'm not sure it was created by them.
A realization began to take shape.
The ones who truly served her in the past didn't establish this modern church…
Instead… it was others. People from the Age of Steampunk—those who had once served different gods but left thier beliefs, probably because thier gods didn't answer them. And that makes sense!
Since the God of Beginnings only comes during every first chapter of life, and the Primordial Lord of Chaos was sealed. It was probably the Pale Moon Goddess who answered them... and offered grace.
His expression turned thoughtful.
They took fragments of beliefs… reshaped them… and built this church themselves.
And now… they raise children and followers to be absolutely devoted—unyielding in their faith.
Lumian exhaled slowly. Which means… the higher-ups of this church…
…aren't even her true followers.
As he walked further in, something massive caught his attention.
It was a statue. A statue that loomed over him, tall and imposing.
The figure carved into it was strange—unnatural.
A half-moon rested above its head. Yet in its eight outstretched arms… it held a full moon.
Lumian furrowed his brows and frowned.
This doesn't make sense…
A half-moon and a full moon… shouldn't coexist like that in a single divine form.
He stared at it for a moment longer. Then the answer came to him.
This wasn't her true image, it was her Chaos.
The influence of the Poflin Church... They believe everything is chaos, and chaos is natural, so as the Holy Communion also.
So even their depiction of a goddess… becomes chaotic.
...
Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the another door, at the front of the hallway.
Lumian's body tensed slightly, but he quickly reacted—walking away as if nothing had happened. Lowering his head, he resumed his act, muttering incoherent prayers like a madman, walking in different directions.
As he passed, the bishop and a nearby priest glanced at him. Both smiled in satisfaction, one even giving him a thumbs-up.
Lumian forced himself to keep moving.
Only after turning the corner did he let out a quiet breath of relief.
He returned to the main cathedral and sat down once more. This time, a priest stood at the front, speaking about morality.
Lumian couldn't care less. His thoughts were elsewhere.
The emblem was seen with the Proflin Church and later also mentioned in the Book of Wisdom, relating to the hidden faction... that means those two group joined and became one, and publicly became a group or faction.
But at the time, how would they get connection to understand the old beliefs and interpret them now. Surely one couldn't be preaching wrong words to the believers of a church. It would certainly cause wrath from the Goddess!
Lumian faced looked completely lost as he continued.
Skywalker... this doesn't make sense!
Wait... at the time, which organization had the highest closeness to the church? Hold up a minute, it's the Obstaque Order!
So since they are the ones closest to the Church and have the doctrines, they are the believers of the Primordial Lord of Chaos and the God of Beginnings! The Poflin Order and hidden faction! Since they the closest!
Probably, when the Church collapsed, the new generation of the Obstaque Order were losing faith in thier gods from not getting any empowerement. So they turned to the Pale Moon Goddess, and using their past knowledge, created a church and hence gained some kind of "divine grace" from the Goddess.
They must have built it in the Age of Modern preparation, and turned to the Pale Moon Goddess during that time. And the old believers, hearing of the goddess's return, would naturally flock here… and unknowingly follow the structure already set in place.
So technically people would still say the Order and the Church are still aligned, that's because the Order became the Church!
But the real question is, why did they align with the church before in the first place... yes I think it could be because of connection and numbers rather than faith or belief.
At that exact moment—
A loud voice echoed through the cathedral. "This is all a joke! This is nonsense! They're deceiving you! This is not our goddess! These teachings don't match what my dad told me!"
The entire hall fell silent.
Moments later, a man was dragged away by two figures dressed in black, struggling as he was pulled toward a side room.
Lumian watched carefully.
The priest's expression turned solemn. He lowered his head slightly and spoke in a soft voice,
"Lady… forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
Then he raised his gaze and turned back to the congregation.
"Can you believe this?" he asked calmly. "To go against the Lady's words…"
He paused briefly.
"Such actions deserve punishment, do they not?"
Around Lumian, the congregation responded in unison—
Shaking their heads.
...
After that brief intervention, the preaching continued until two in the afternoon. Outside, the crimson sun shone brightly, casting long shadows across Hatcliff Street.
Before leaving, Lumian approached a girl with black hair who was also stepping out of the church. Quietly, he asked if she knew anything about a particular Mr. Alfore. The girl shook her head, looking confused.
With a small sigh, Lumian imitated the priest, bringing both arms to his chest. "May the lady be with you," he murmured, before stepping out into the street.
"Ffffffff," he breathed softly, scanning the surrounding houses as his mind drifted elsewhere.
Suddenly, he realized one more thing. The Bishop said that The Pale Moon Goddess took the authority of the one who awakened from the Creator Fragments. That explained why she was so intent on acquiring the St. Mary Text. She likely sought to elevate herself further—to solidify her power and remained unchallenged.
Lumian chuckled inwardly. Even gods can lose their authority… and she started as a human, climbed to godhood, defeated her predecessor, and claimed that power in the Steampunk Age. Gods themselves are constantly seeking ways to strengthen themselves.
He adjusted his pace, walking briskly. Soon, he found himself in another neighborhood: Pleasure Land. It was a small cluster of houses, just ten before the street turned sharply to the right.
He continued onward, eventually reaching Lamenti. The crimson sun glinted off the rooftops, and in the distance, he spotted a figure near the Moonlight Watchers Faculty.
...
Lamenti, Moonlight Watchers Faculty.
He kept his hands above his eyes like a visor and quickly approached the figure. As he drew closer, the face became clear—silver hair, blue dress. Alice was casually scanning the surroundings.
Lumian flashed a friendly smile. "Lady Alice! Long time no see. I haven't spotted you at the faculty these past few days."
Alice smiled back, meeting his gaze. "I was transferred to the Celestial Brigade in Montmartre Heights, so I'm just returning. Heh. And you… it's not normal for you to be showing up this late."
Lumian raised an eyebrow. "Wait… were you looking for me?"
"..."
Alice didn't answer. She simply took his hand and started dragging him toward the building. Lumian blinked in surprise and pulled back, chuckling. "Alice, before we go… I actually wanted to buy something first." He tried to walk away, but she frowned, turned, and grabbed him, pulling him forward again.
What does this girl want with me now… Lumian thought inwardly, feeling himself dragged closer and closer.
He pulled once more as they reached the door, but Alice grabbed him firmly and opened it, pulling him inside. His heart raced for a moment, a flicker of fear crossing his mind, until he regained his senses.
Pa! Pa! Pa!
He saw a lot of banners, and balloons in the air, as confetti quickly splashed on his body. In front of him were Hargreaves holding a cake and the other members beside him.
"Happy birthday!"