Late at night. Serena's house...
Wearing a red and black dress and tunic combination, Serena Williams took a slow breath and lowered the fountain pen, setting it down next to a yellow-covered notebook.
A cup of black tea rested next to a plate of toast, a small snack she had taken a liking to.
Taking it, she took a small sip as she looked at what she had written. The sentence lines in the notebook consisted of her thoughts of the day, what she had done, or what she had gone shopping for. A diary of sorts.
There was a moment of contemplation. Her reflection in the black liquid in the cup in her hands greeted her. Its eyebrows were slightly raised, and its eyes were a gleam of life.
"Write... I can write..." Light murmurs left her lips, her gaze becoming somewhat misty.
While her handwriting still left a great deal to be desired, she could now write, something she never thought possible to be capable of. Not only that, but she could now read and speak decent lenburg, no longer needing to be accompanied by Opera or Sasha to shop.
That she spoke lenburg naturally meant that she also spoke feysac, though her accent in this one was much more noticeable. In the short time she had been a Beyonder, she had learned two new languages.
Honestly, that wasn't too far from what she expected once she took the potion, but the choice of languages was. But once she asked the Scarlet Monarch why she wasn't learning Hermes or some language that is capable of moving nature, He chuckled and said:
'Children should learn to walk before they run.'
She never questioned the languages taught after that.
After finishing her simple but filling snack, washing the used silverware, and putting it away, Serena grabbed her diary and took it to her room.
Closing the door, she put the journal in the drawer of her nightstand. Then, she calmly walked to the corner of her room.
Once there, she pulled a bronze knife out of the sleeve of her robe. Pouring her spirituality into the tip of the knife, pointing it at the floor, she formed a wall of spirituality, sealing off the room...
Being a Secret Supplicant, she did not need tools such as silver or bronze knives to form walls of spirituality as others beyonders did, being able to create them with her hands alone.
Creating private places to request secrets from Great Existences was part of the Secret Supplicant's abilities. One could not always be in the best places to ask for secrets or information, so if necessary, they could create a secret space. But to avoid drawing too much attention to her pathway, she decided to use a bronze knife.
Serena never forgot what the Scarlet Monarch had ordered her to do; all she did was fulfill it to the best of her ability.
With a small sigh, she put the knife back in her tunic and walked to her closet.
Opening it, she gave a respectful military salute to the altar hidden within.
"Praise the Monarch!"
Followed by that, Serena repeated what she had been doing every day and night since she took the potion.
After forming another wall of spirituality around the altar, she knelt down in front of it, rubbed her fingers, lit the red candles with her spirituality, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and prayed in a soft voice.
"The Scarlet Monarch who burns depravity; You are the Calamity forgotten by time; You are the stranger who comes from the unknown.....
"Your faithful servant prays for your attention; I pray for revelation....
"Please reveal to me the history of the Fourth Epoch..."
The flames of the red candles took on a faint crimson hue, the air around them warmed and the chill from the low temperature faded with them, a warmth that warms the soul and clears the mind.
Amidst this sudden calm, a serene, yet powerful voice echoed through her, and He laughed softly.
"Let's start at the beginning, shall we?
"In this era, the Gods walked the land and frequently performed miracles.The Primordial Demoness, the Hidden Sage, and the God of Craftsmanship -better known as the God of Steam and Machinery- were born in this period, with the latter two towards the late stage of this epoch.Various current-day secret organizations were formed around this time, including the Moses Ascetic Order, the Secret Order, the Blood Sanctify Sect, and the Demoness Sect....
"The start of the epoch was 112 years after the cataclysm and before the founding of the First Solomon Empire, the Warring Era. The Second Blasphemy Slate appeared in this period, and many angels saw it. Later, it was taken by a particular spectator...
"The Solomon Empire once ruled over the Northern Continent, led by the Black Emperor in the Fourth Epoch...
As the Scarlet Monarch spoke more and explored the subject more deeply, Serena's eyes opened wider and wider.
For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. Not only was the information revealed heavy, but the implications beneath it were enough to make her heart stop beating.
The Warring Era, the First Solomon Empire, the betrayal of Trunsoest and Tudor, the founding of the Trunsoest-Tudor United Empire, its subsequent division....
More, what stunned by far the most were two words. Out of all that was said, two words stood out like thorns cutting into her flesh....
Sequence 0
Serena knew she was not bright or intelligent, but even someone as low as she was knew that this information should not be shared or spoken.
'Gods could be born? Wouldn't that mean they weren't always existences beyond mortal? This...'
Spreading this information would generate a war of its own. Beyonders of paths with Sequence 0 not yet occupied would fight even more fiercely for the position; innocent blood would be shed for the chance.
This knowledge was not to be spread to the common person; even Demigods were not to possess it.
But she now possessed this blasphemous knowledge. The weapon had been given to her, and whether she used it or not was up to her.
When the crimson tinge of the candles disappeared and darkness returned to the room, Serena did not rise from her place in front of the altar.
Her eyes stared deeply at the symbol of the Scarlet Monarch, trying to understand why she was being told that information.
Her potion was almost completely digested; only a small remnant was left that refused to leave.
'Secret Supplicants pray to hidden existences for information and secrets... But perhaps there's more to it, it's not that simple...'
Her frown furrowed slightly, her mind repeating over and over.
'Secret... Secret...
'We pray to existences for information and secrets... And it becomes our responsibility to keep them a secret once received... yes, yes!'
The 'Secret' part refers to the fact that one must keep one's status hidden and the revealed information a secret. No matter how horrible or burdensome it is, it is one's duty to keep it a secret.
Take the consequences that knowledge brings and carry them on their backs without saying anything, complaining, or revealing what weighs on them.
That was the true core of the Secret Supplicant, the secret seekers and protectors!
At that moment, Serena felt something inside her break and melt, merging completely with her being.
The woman closed her eyes and enjoyed the incredible sensation, a realization that came with a better understanding of what it is.
After five seconds, her lips lifted into a hugely happy smile.
'The potion! I have digested the potion!'
She could now advance to Sequence 8!
Quickly, Serena took advantage of the fact that she was still in front of the altar and closed her eyes.
"The Scarlet Monarch who burns depravity; You are the Calamity forgotten by time; You are the stranger who comes from the unknown;
"Your faithful servant prays for your attention...
"My Lord, I have digested my potion completely..."
After finishing her prayer, Serena held her position. With her hands clasped and eyes closed, she waited for God to speak.
She didn't have to wait long; the familiar crimson ink in the red candle flames returned along with the voice.
"I'm glad to hear that, Serena, good job.I'm proud of you."
'My lord...' Serena pursed her lips tightly, but before she could thank or say anything in respect, the God continued.
"Adryan is already about to collect all the ingredients for the Listener's potion.While he finishes with that, use these days to rest and prepare your condition to drink it."
"By your will." Serena prostrated herself and made a faithful bow to the altar.
With the candles finally extinguished, she carefully cleaned the altar. Once she was sure it was free of dust, she released the wall of spirituality and closed the closet.
Releasing the wall of spirituality in her room, the woman did not rush out but sat on her bed, her gaze on nothingness.
The following sequence to Secret Supplicant, Listener, was a dangerous one. The Scarlet Monarch had warned her about it, and the priority would be to digest it as quickly as possible.
'If the Lord saw fit to warn me, then it is very certain that I could die if I make a mistake...'
Sighing a little, she raised her hands and looked at them. Her fingers were trembling, and her heart was squeezing.
She didn't want to die without giving back everything her hero had done for her. That was not the way she wanted to take her last breath.
Clenching her fists tightly, she clenched them together and prayed fervently. Whenever her will trembled, there was always a pillar she could lean on...
"Give me strength, Monarch, give me strength to rise and face a new day."
...
Closing the flame that showed Serena, Adryan let out a small sigh. Turning and looking at the soldier who had tutored the woman, he slightly nodded.
"Good job."
With the praise done and giving him the directions of what was next, the red-haired man walked away from the spot and, summoning his beach chair, took a seat.
Resting his chin on his left palm, he tapped his cheek with his finger a couple of times.
'It's been almost two weeks. Little Sun should have already managed to get the remnants of the shadows from a Forsaken, so this monday, I will get the material, and Serena can advance to Sequence 8.'
This was the moment he had prepared for, once he had chosen the path for Serena. Listener was a dangerous sequence, so the goal was that Serena would advance to Sequence 7 in two weeks at the latest. But he would try to make it sooner. If it went well, the woman could digest her potion in less than 10 days.
'Having a sefira and soldiers makes this so much easier. If I had to rely on myself, my cover as the blessed of the Scarlet Monarch would be broken...' Adryan held out his hand, and something flew out of the yellowish smoke.
Colliding with his hand with a satisfying Pa! He opened it and looked at it with slightly pursed lips.
Not wanting to end up like Klein, for whom believers wrote his Bible for him and who ended up including his mortal enemy as one of his angels, Adryan went ahead and started writing his own Bible in his spare time.
After all, wise men learn from the mistakes of others. His dad always told him that.
'Adryan Kenway will be the one to show the glory and power of the Monarch, while Serena Williams will be the one to spread the word of the Lord...' He looked at the dark red cover of the notebook and sighed a little.
Opening it, he grabbed the pencil in the middle and began to write.
'Beyond the corners of the physical world, separated from the spirit world and uncontainable by the astral world, the Scarlet Monarch awoke in the unknown...'