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There is a certain element of tranquility and peacefulness that emanates in settings such as churches; the Basilica is no exception to this rule. It’s difficult to resist being overwhelmed by an almost irrefutable, loving embrace within these places of worship. Even nonbelievers who are filled with skepticism can recognize that these places of worship emit a heavenly aura—an otherworldly atmosphere. Those unfortunate enough to enter the Church this morning would be confronted with a dreadful sight: the peace and tranquility that once prevailed within the walls of this House of God no longer existed; instead, all that was left was putrid sin.
From Balian's town square, a torrent of blood led directly to the Basilica, accompanied by tufts of matted hair along the way. When one entered the Church, they were met with a massive crimson streak that extended the full length from the entrance to the altar. A dismembered dog's body floated in a pool of blood-red water at the end of the crimson path. Fragments of stained glass were scattered over the floor. Worst of all, splashed in blood over a massive stained glass panel just behind the altar was the word:
Desecration. The Creator’s temple was repugnantly slandered and defiled. An act of such blasphemy is practically unimaginable and completely incomprehensible to the vast majority of witnesses, with the exception of Euthrymandis and Trenamez. Their brains were so poisoned and deceived by their toxic beliefs that they could not see anything wrong with the heinous destruction. There were no consequences to their actions, and even if there had been, would that have stopped them? Unlikely; they embraced the concept of death as a means of escape from their "dream" world.
The two departed, leaving behind a mess of sickly chaos.
Euthrymandis and Trenamez were neither freaks of nature nor demons of Hell—no, it was much worse than that: rather, they were regular, typical people; or, at least it appeared that way. They coexisted with the rest of society, keeping their beliefs hidden within the shadows. Much like everybody else, the two awoke in the morning, ate their porridge, went to work, came home, and socialized with their friends among other things—no different than what “normal” people typically do. That's the scariest part about this all:
There was no way of knowing who Euthrymandis and Trenamez were; they could've been anybody. Your neighbor could be Euthrymandis, your local barkeep could even be Trenamez. Who's to say? The only thing that is for certain is that wherever the two went, sin followed closely.