WHOOSH.

The world outside the window was a green and brown blur. Jonah sat in a plush seat, watching the untamed wilds of the Academy territories streak by. The high-speed mag-lev train hummed almost silently, a stark contrast to the rattling carts of his childhood. Everything about this journey felt like a different world.

Across from him, Vanessa fidgeted. She was trying to read a thick book on advanced mana theory, but her eyes kept darting around the luxurious train car. "I still don't understand why I'm here," she mumbled for the third time, snapping the book shut. "My official title is 'Runic Support Specialist.' What am I supposed to do? Run a diagnostic on the Cardinal's holy aura? Is that even allowed?"

Next to her, Seraph sat ramrod straight, a statue in her crisp military dress uniform. Her eyes weren't on the scenery or on a book. They were on everything.

The doors. The other passengers in the distance. The smiling attendant who had brought them tea. She saw threats everywhere.

"You are here because I trust you," Seraph said, her voice a low murmur. "And because 'Saint Jonah's Personal Research Assistant' is a plausible cover story."

Vanessa winced at the title. "It sounds like I'm supposed to be cataloging his toenail clippings. I'm a researcher, not a groupie."

Jonah couldn't help but crack a small smile. The pressure of the last few days had been immense, but Vanessa's nervous energy was a familiar comfort. He was glad she was here. It made the whole terrifying ordeal feel slightly more normal.

As the hours passed, the landscape began to change. The wild forests and scarred mountains gave way to manicured fields and orderly towns. The air itself seemed to get clearer. Soon, on the horizon, a city of impossible beauty rose to meet them.

It was the capital.

Tall, white towers touched a sky clear of smoke. Gold spires shone in the sun. The buildings were clean, the streets wide. The people looked soft. They wore nice clothes and moved calmly, like they had no fears.

"It's like they don't even know there's a war on," Jonah murmured, his face pressed against the cool glass.

Seraph's expression tightened. "They know. They just pay others to fight it for them."

The moment they stepped off the train, the trap snapped shut. A delegation of ten Temple Knights stood waiting for them. Their silver armor was so polished Jonah could see his own reflection in it. It was gleaming, perfect, and probably useless against a charging Raging Boar.

"Saint Jonah," the lead knight said, his voice smooth and polite. He bowed, but it felt more like a formal declaration than a sign of respect. "Cardinal Evangeline sends her greetings. We are to be your personal escort. Please, come with us."

They weren't asked. They were told.

The knights led them through pristine streets, their armored boots echoing with a sharp clank, clank, clank on the white stone. People stopped to stare, whispering and pointing. Jonah felt their eyes on him. He kept his face calm and neutral, but inside, he could feel a knot of tension tightening in his gut. He also felt the faint, uneasy stirrings of Sylva, hidden away in the quiet of his Beast Space. The creature could sense the psychic weight of this place -the ancient power, the old money, and the suffocating layers of political games.

Their escort led them not to a hotel, but to a guest tower attached to the Grand Cathedral itself. It was called the "Pilgrim's Spire," a name that sounded far too humble for the place.

Their suite was bigger than any house Jonah had ever been in. The carpets were so thick their footsteps made no sound. The curtains were made of deep blue silk, and a bowl on the table was filled with strange, colorful fruits he didn't recognize. A balcony overlooked the entire capital, a breathtaking, dizzying view.

"Wow," Vanessa breathed, her eyes wide as she poked a ridiculously soft pillow. "Okay, so this part isn't so bad. I wonder if they have a library."

While Vanessa was distracted by the sheer luxury, Seraph was already at work. She moved through the rooms with a predator's quiet intensity, her eyes scanning every corner. She ran a small, military-grade device over the walls, checking for listening runes.

"It's clean," she announced after a few minutes, though she didn't look any more relaxed. "But don't say anything you wouldn't want the Cardinal to hear anyway."

Jonah didn't need the warning. He knew this luxury wasn't a gift. It was a cage. A beautiful, comfortable, gilded cage, but a cage all the same. The high walls, the attentive guards, the opulent surroundings - it was all designed to disarm them, to make them feel like honored guests while they were being watched from every angle.

A sharp knock came at the door. Knock. Knock.

Seraph opened it to find the lead Temple Knight holding a rolled-up scroll tied with a golden ribbon.

"Your itinerary, as requested by Her Eminence," the knight said with another polite smile.

Seraph took the scroll and closed the door. She untied the ribbon and unrolled it on the polished wooden table. Jonah and Vanessa gathered around to look. The script was beautiful, and the words were simple.

Evening: A private audience with Her Eminence, Cardinal Evangeline.

Tomorrow, High Noon: A public demonstration of the divine gift in the Cathedral's main nave, for the spiritual edification of the faithful.

Jonah stared at the words. "A public demonstration." It sounded so official, so neat. They were framing it like a festival, a religious celebration. But Jonah knew what it really was. They were going to put him and his creations on display, to be judged and claimed by a power he never asked to serve.

He looked out the window again, at the perfect city sprawling below.

Vanessa looked from the scroll to Jonah's grim face. "This is… a lot," she said softly.

Jonah nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the distant, setting sun.

"We're not guests, Vanessa," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "We're exhibits."