The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.

Zane was in the confession box in front of everyone present in the Cathedral.

But instead of everyone, he only looked at the Emberlord Coin in front of him.

And while looking at him, Zane revealed what he wanted to confess:

"All of it. From all the Gods laughing in heaven down to all the maggots rotting in hell. I want to and I will confess all of it."

Zane said that while peering inside Coin’s blue eyes and for a moment, the Emberlord felt the boy was possessed.

Nevertheless, he was a Priest. Possession was the last thing he would be afraid of.

"Move back." He said.

Zane listened and slowly leaned away from Coin.

But his eyes remained on the Emberlord’s face.

"You want to confess all of it? So be it." Emberlord Coin faced the audience.

"Tell me, Zane Atlas..." He asked while not looking at Zane.

"Are you guilty?"

Everyone waited with bated breaths for Zane to speak and Xavier mumbled only one phrase under his breath constantly:

"Say no. Say no. Say no. Refuse it. Refuse it. Tell it is a lie."

Tesla let the man be and focused on the stage like everyone else.

But instead of an answer, Zane shook his head.

"Not like this, Emberlord. I will not speak like this."

Coin frowned.

He turned to Zane.

"Then how will you speak?"

"Whatever I say now will be considered a lie. I need an undeniable proof."

Zane jerked his head at the Priest standing in the corner of the stage.

"Bring me the Bright Dichotomy."

GASP!

Each eye widened at Zane’s words.

Mouths went agape as the gutterborn asked for something holy.

The Bright Dichotomy was something known by many people.

Something that was used in the Halojustice department and in Glory Order churches. Not for Confessions in a Cathedral.

Zane jolted his head at the crowd.

"Yes. I asked for that book. I asked for the Holy Book of First Flame. I will confess under the oath of holiness of God."

The crowd went silent under his open demand.

"Why?" Coin asked.

"Don’t you know why?" Zane asked in return.

"Answer my question." Coin remained stern.

Zane slammed his chains on the barricade.

"It is impossible to lie under the oath of the Bright Dichotomy. That is why I am asking for it. I am asking for it because I know all of you will deem my confession as a lie made by a filth. Now bring that to me."

Coin’s hands remained behind his back.

"Someone with the likes of you isn’t allowed to touch the holy book."

Zane laughed but it came out as a cough.

"Are you afraid of the truth that will spill out of my mouth, Emberlord?"

Coin’s fingers twitched.

The Gutterborns standing at the end of the hall felt their blood rushing in veins. As Zane argued with the Emberlord, their heads kept rising.

Someone from their kind was speaking his mind in front of authority. Not once did they think they would see such a day. Not once did they think that it wasn’t impossible for them to speak.

Zane Atlas showed them that their heads also deserved to look at the vast sky. Zane Atlas showed them courage.

On the stage, all eyes were glued to the Emberlord who stood in silence.

Zane and Coin locked eyes with each other and neither one of them backed down.

They were so used to seeing gutterborns with their heads low that one of them simply making eye contact felt rebellious and courageous and outrageous to them.

The Halocrats gritted their teeth as they wanted the Emberlord to remind Zane his place.

The Enforcers and Kairon were ready with their spears waiting for Coin to order Zane’s death just once.

But among such a crowd, there was someone who had the guts to shout.

And he did.

"Bring the Dichotomy! What’s the point of Confession if it isn’t true? He will die if he lies anyway. Bring the holy book!"

All heads moved to the voice.

The voice seemed familiar to them and when they saw the source, they got to know why.

It was the same man who was shouting from the start between many things.

It was the same man who wanted Zane to be detained.

The man with an alias of...

Xavier Reviax.

The Emberlord also stared at Xavier with no expressions but the people somewhat agreed with the currently sick man.

"Yes. If he lies, he will be burned alive."

"Yes. Put him in the oath."

"We want to see him burn!"

"Then his maid too!"

Each voice rang for the holy book to arrive and Zane glanced at Xavier.

Xavier slightly nodded his head but Zane was in no position to return the nod. The chains around his neck were already trying their best to pin his head down.

The Emberlord took in the shouts of everyone as the Priest watched Coin for his next order.

And the next order arrived.

"Very well then." Coin accepted.

He looked at the Priest. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Bring the Bright Dichotomy here. I will treat this as a proper trial from now on."

The Priest nodded like a chicken and went inside the door on the right of the stage.

In a few seconds, the Priest came out with a thick book pressed to his chest.

He handed it to the Emberlord and Zane finally saw it.

The book shone in orange as a bright yellow sun was printed on its cover.

The name of Four Crowns was printed beneath the sun in small letters but one name of the Crown had a black like running in the middle of it. One name was cut. But Zane wasn’t in the mood for reading.

It was his first time seeing the book.

He didn’t even know such a book existed until Horum had mentioned it when he was explaining about hiring Jaryun.

Zane had somehow remembered it and also the fact that it was impossible to lie after taking its oath.

The Emberlord extended the book towards Zane.

"Place your right hand on it and take the oath of speaking only the truth." Coin said.

Zane wasted no time and instead of his right hand, he placed both his palms on the book.

And while looking inside Coin’s blue eyes, he made the pledge:

"Under the witness of everyone and the First Flame, I, Zane Atlas, pledges to speak only truth and what isn’t truth, I shall not speak. If I break this oath, all of you shall gladly burn me to the ground."

Silence reigned in the Cathedral as the book glowed in golden light and wrapped itself around Zane.

The Emberlord waited for the light to vanish and when it did, he handed the book back to the Priest.

Now everyone waited with their whole being for the confession to start.

The Emberlord removed his white robe and stood with his black shirt on the stage.

He then snapped his fingers and from thin air...

SWISH!

An abyssal black scythe, taller than the Emberlord himself, manifested on his hand.

"The preparations are complete. The conditions have been set. The oath has been taken. In the Glory Order Cathedral, in the dearest home of the First Flame..."

The Emberlord Coin raised the scythe and with a...

THUMP!

He slammed the scythe on the stage.

"Let us begin the trial of Zane Atlas."