"You do not know what an Elegian Sphere is, do you? It is made out of pure chaos and while it can react to spiritual power, it cannot be destroyed. Chaos is a primordial force that simply...is," she says as she sputters more blood. "These writings..." she says, suddenly grabbing my torn dress and pulling me closer. She splays her bloody hand over my skin, tracing the marks. Ze immediately flashes himself next to me, ready to act. I put a hand up to stop him, curious about what she has to say.

"They can only mean one thing...doom," she utters in a low voice.

Turning her gaze to Ze, she addresses him, "You are concerned about demons, but you have brought danger within Aperion. The enemy might be closer than you think, God Killer."

"I advise you to choose your words carefully. Any insult to her is an insult to me, and I will not let it slide," Ze adds in a harsh tone as he fiddles with the handle of his sword.

I put a finger up.

"I am not the enemy, and regardless of what you may think of me, I only want to help. These demons...they've already infiltrated the intermediary realms, and from what I'm told, it's not long before they'll be able to jump freely between worlds. That means my world is in danger," I tell her. To Ze, I turn to ask, "How do I go about making a vow like hers?"

"You will do no such thing!" he immediately thunders.

"How, Ze? Tell me."

"You vow three times to our Vestal Ladyship and give a drop of your blood as offering."

"You will do no such thing," he growls.

I ignore him as I grab a pin from my hair, pricking my finger as I say the words.

"I vow to the Vestal Ladyship that I do not have any nefarious purposes planned for the vial." I repeat it three times just as a drop of blood falls to the ground, evaporating into the hard stone.

Ze continues to grumble in the background while the priestess merely stares at me.

"You foolish human," he says as he crouches next to me, grabbing my finger and bringing it to his lips to lick the wound. His words speak of his disapproval, but his eyes express the opposite, a fiery warmth enveloping me as he caresses me with his gaze.

I gulp down hard, barely wrenching my eyes from his.

"It is done. You can see that I am in earnest now. Will you help us?" I put on a smile as I address the priestess. Her lips tremble as her gaze moves from me to Ze, who's greedily sucking on my finger. I pull my hand away, my flesh healed. He grumbles a small protest under his breath.

The priestess is quiet for a moment before she nods, her shoulders slumping down in defeat.