Faster than Valentine could react, Noah had vanished.
Not simply leaving him there, but quite literally disappearing without a trace from where he stood a second ago. Even the sparks had vanished faster than he could blink, not crackling with their familiar lightning in Valentine's ear.
On the patch of grass next to him, only the knight's footprints kept him company, a reminder that he had actually been there.
I don't even want to kick his ass anymore...I'll spare him for now.
He rubbed his eyes sheepishly, looking up at the broken chapel that stood there with its doors ajar.
If it was his new home, then who was he to decline the offer? There was nowhere else for him to go and, quite frankly, he had no idea where to go from here.
The cradle was vast - bigger than anything Valentine had ever seen before. - enough to fit countless cities and have more room to spare. Inside could be things he would have to know eventually; trivial or not, he had to stay here to memorize them.
It was better to learn about this world little by little before actually setting goals for himself.
I should start with finding a proper place to sleep first.
And finding a safe place would be the best decision at the moment since outside the grand dome, the faint rays of sunlight were starting to go to rest behind the vast mountain range.
Valentine walked over to the aged wooden doors of the chapel, hesitantly reaching for them with his hands.
They cracked faintly under his touch, but they did not break, to his relief.
Carefully, he pulled on them enough to make an opening for himself before going inside, not bothering to close them.
As the cold breeze was cut off at the entrance, the smell of something ancient reached him, something one would feel when walking into a run-down library or a really old building.
It was not a bad smell. He liked it.
I see...
He hummed at the sight before him.
The chapel was... not in the best state.
Honestly, it looked worse inside than outside.
Passing the doors, Val stepped over a dusty red carpet, leaving a footprint after each slow step taken forward, watching the chapel's interior appear before him.
The walls weren't as cracked as outside, with hardly any visible from where he looked. But they were lighter and somewhat cleaner, which was surprising when a giant hole was present on the ceiling, opening a path for all natural phenomena to ruin the interior.
Even the tall rosy windows seemed useless when the sunlight crashed through the roof, lighting up the place with gloomy rays of light.
I thought I would make more noise.
Huh, guess that's a good thing.
The floor was made of dark wooden planks; though old and even moldy, they supported his weight without making any sound.
What caught him by surprise was that there were no benches.
Well, some benches were still present, but instead of being neatly lined up in rows, they stood sideways against the walls, still in perfect condition.
It looked like someone had deliberately stacked them next to each other, clearing up the space.
Valentine walked up to one of them, trying to move it with his hand to no avail.
It was too heavy.
He did mention there was someone else here...
A she, if his memory was not failing him.
Valentine scanned his surroundings once more, not sensing any presence beside him.
"...I hope she looks good." He mumbled under his nose, walking towards an altar at the end of the chapel.
So far, the beauty standards in this world were decently high.
Sunday, despite his build, looked like a nice and caring guy, while the female knight Valentine briefly met looked like a model from the magazines with smooth skin and a sculptured face.
Even Noah looked like a knight from a fairytale, which Valentine could hardly deny.
Maybe I can ask for some tips later.
He suddenly stopped for a moment, spotting a full-body mirror that stood next to a few benches and a tall bookshelf with barely any books in it.
It was hidden under a long, dirty piece of cloth that came off as soon as he stepped closer to it.
Dust scattered from the old rag, flying straight into his nose and eyes.
After coughing and waving his hands in a panic, he took a step to the side, bumping into something before hearing a loud crash beside him.
Blinking and opening his eyes, Valentine gaped at what seemed to be the remains of a ceramic vase, now shattered beneath his feet, which were accidentally stepping on and destroying it even further.
Shit!
He fell on his knees, collecting the pieces in his palms as fast as he could before throwing them behind the bookshelf and sweeping the rest under the rug.
With a grimace, he looked down at the obvious lack of dust and dirt on the floor where the vase was.
Hopefully no one notices...
While gathering the pieces, the vase looked like an old piece of decor. Too expensive for him to ever think of owning.
Valentine glanced at the mirror briefly, for once getting a clear look at his face, which did not seem to have changed much after Sunday's healing. He still had his tired blue eyes and unkempt dark hair, but at least there were fewer impurities on his skin.
What puzzled him was the state of his clothes, which were always restored whenever he actually paid attention to them.
Did they get restored when I came back?
Maybe.
At least he could wear them for a while without looking for replacements.
Brushing off the filth staining his sleeves, he threw the dirty cloth back on the mirror, trying to make it look just like before he touched it.
He didn't want to ruin any more expensive accessories.
With a sigh, he stepped toward the last part of the chapel.
Where the red carpet ended on the other side of the building, a small pearly altar was lit up by the circular window behind it, split into two parts that barely held eachother.
Caught by its sharp edges was a torn crimson cloth that looked more like a rag in its current condition.
Inspecting it, Valentine noticed something akin to a scepter wedged in between the two sides of the altar, held by the shattered stone and wrapped with a white, dusty fabric.
Something at the corner caught his eye, blinking instantly with a pale glow.
"A Spark?"
He looked both ways, not seeing anyone or anything connected to it.
The wrapped tip was lit up by the faint light of a spark circling it, revealing a metallic gleam on its surface.
What does it mean?
Valentine wasn't well-versed in his new 'powers' received for being saved by a goddess.
A similar spark also appeared when he tried to fight off the anglerfish monster, guiding him to its weak spot.
Is that what it is?
Would following the spark's advice lead to him pulling out the scepter effortlessly?
But the instinct that previously told him to follow it was as quiet as the night.
How mysterious...
He decided to let go of it for now; he didn't know if it was some dangerous magical artifact or a useless lump of metal.
His hands retreated back into his pockets, hidden from the cold that infested the chapel ever since he entered it.
The night was approaching, and he had yet to find a place to sleep; this chapel was empty, with no one living inside it.
It made him look back at the doors, thinking that Noah could have just gotten rid of him in a polite way without causing a ruckus on the street.
However...
"Huh?"
As he turned to the doors, he noticed the lack of wind blowing from the entrance.
His whole body tensed.
An uncanny feeling settled in his chest while looking at the wooden doors.
Doors that were old and flawed, beyond repair in their current shape.
But fully closed without a single sound.
From the ceiling, a cold gust of wind washed over him whilst the sound of tapping glass resonated within the thin confines of the chapel.