Her family stared at her with a mix of shock and betrayal.
They were now convinced that she had been corrupted by the Fool's power.
"Audrey, you are going to follow the Archbishop to the Church. It's for your own good," Earl Hall ordered.
To protect her from that secret existence, and to prevent others from being harmed by her.
There, Audrey could be purified from the corruption thanks to the Church's aura. Listening to the Evernight Goddess's scriptures, she would eventually go back on the right track and stop believing in the Fool.
There was no way their precious daughter could believe in an existence that committed human sacrifices of her own free will. They were convinced that, as long as she fully regained her judgement, she would recognize the 'truth'.
"You will be safe there, my dear. If you change your mind, you will also be able to come home faster," her mother reassuringly added.
It broke their hearts to have to separate from their daughter. However, it was necessary.
The Evernight Church was already aware that Audrey was a demigod.
Deprived of her Beyonder abilities, she stepped back.
'I can't use Psychological Invisibility.'
The Evernight Church member walked toward Audrey, ready to bring her with force, but she resisted.
"Mr. Fool won't harm me. I don't need to be protected!"
She tried to break the handcuffs, but it didn't work. The official Beyonders struggled against the strength of the demigod.
Despite appearing as a frail young lady, her raw strength as a dragon remained.
"Audrey…"
Their gazes full of pity made her choke.
It was suffocating.
"Mr. Fool isn't an evil god!" She yelled.
Don't look at me like that.
I am your daughter. Why don't you believe me?
The side effects of the handcuffs heightened her emotions.
She felt betrayed and hurt.
Audrey tried to escape. As long as she could avoid the current situation, she could recite the Fool's honorific name, and then-
She pushed the one holding her aside and ran down the corridor.
She would find a way with the Tarot Club's help.
At that moment, a poem resounded behind her. Hearing the voice, her body suddenly lost strength.
Anthony Stevenson, a Sequence 3 Horror Bishop, walked toward Audrey who had fallen to the ground.
He watched Audrey's eyelids progressively get heavier as the melody continued, the young lady powerlessly brought into a deep sleep. Then, he sighed.
He would have preferred bringing her without having to use force, but at least, capturing the demigod had been easier than expected.
When he had come to the Hall manor, he had explained to Audrey's parents the reason for his visit.
Not long before, the higher-ups of the Evernight Church had received an oracle from the Evernight Goddess herself, pointing out the identities, Pathways and Sequences of the 'Tarot Club' members believing in the existence called the Fool.
They were to detain these evil god believers for 'protection reasons' right away.
If it had been believers of the True Creator, they would have been killed, so they were lucky to only be detained. Fortunately for them, the Evernight Goddess had judged that these Tarot Club members were merely 'victims' of the Fool and weren't in the wrong.
Anthony gestured at his subordinate to carry Audrey. With her family having witnessed the scene, they now had a legitimate reason to take her away and keep her in the Church's basement.
Or else, with the Hall family's contributions to the Church and all the money they usually donated, having to deal with the complaints of such an influential family and losing their financial support would have been a huge blow.
It was better to have their permission and understanding before detaining the noble lady.
Anthony praised the goddess before departing.
How unfortunate that Backlund's Most Dazzling Gem turned out to believe in a secret existence.
However, it wasn't her fault. The evil god had simply taken advantage of the pure young lady's naivety.
***
When Audrey regained consciousness, she wasn't at home.
Greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling, she started to remember how she arrived here.
'Ah.'
She sat on the bed, looking around blankly. She was currently 'detained' in the Church's basement.
Although it was a detention, the environment was quite luxurious. As she was raised as a spoiled noble lady, they had made sure to furnish the room with the best items—the money had been sent by the Halls to make sure their daughter did not suffer while confined.
The bed was also comfortable. The meals were bland, but she was fed enough. She gave her books as well to pass the time.
Like a pretty doll trapped in a cage.
Audrey raised her hand and noticed she was still handcuffed. Experimenting, she discovered that her observation abilities were still present, that was why she did not immediately find out that her Beyonder powers were suppressed.
However, any ability that could influence other people didn't work.
She knew, since there was always someone else watching her.
Being a Spectator yet she was the one being watched, how ironic.
Audrey attempted to use her abilities again.
It seemed that it couldn't work on herself either. She couldn't exploit this loophole.
Thanks to the Tarot Club, Audrey knew that continued spirituality depletion could bring about loss of control, so she was certain that this Sealed Artifact used another principle to suppress her Beyonder powers.
After all, her spirituality was full.
Unknown to her, Chanis Gate's soothing aura also offset the handcuffs' side effects.
Audrey stood up, taking a few steps forward.
The room wasn't very big.
3 normal walls, the last one made up of bars.
This was like a cell.
And no matter how well-decorated it was, it was indeed a cell.
Was it because they were underground? It was cold there.
With goosebumps on her arms, Audrey grasped the bars in front of her.
As expected, they were too sturdy to break. The Church had already been prepared for that possibility.
As a prisoner, with the only inconvenience being to be constantly monitored, it could be considered a luxury treatment.
She hands trembled, barely maintaining her calm as she bit her lip.
However, due to the observer, she was unable to call the Fool for help.
If she tried to recite His honorific name, she would be stopped immediately. That was the main reason she was watched in the first place.
Nevertheless, as He answered her prayer, she had once heard of a method from the Fool.
Since her spirituality itself wasn't sealed, there was still hope.
As long as she activated the four dots on the back of her hand, it could replace the effect of reciting the Fool's honorific name.
She injected spirituality into it and saw the symbols appear. She had been told it wasn't visible to others.
Then, she waited.
She waited, and waited.
Yet, even after 15 minutes or 30 minutes passed standing there, no answer came.
'Why…?'
It's fine. As long as she was a little more patient, He would answer.
The Fool always answered.
…
…
…
Did a problem occur on His side?
The Fool was probably busy.
Or did this method not work? But she had tested it before.
Maybe she was too impatient. Activating the dots for the third time was rude to the god. She wasn't in a life-or-death situation either.
Audrey desperately tried to gather her thoughts. She needed to search for a way to leave, then…
Then what?
The weight of it all started to dawn on her.
Her heart sank.
The faces of her family as the official Beyonders attempted to take her away came to mind.
Holding the bars, her pupils shook.
Even if she went back now, she wouldn't be welcomed as they thought she believed in an evil god. They would send her back to the Church's basement right away.
Slowly, she dropped to her knees, losing the strength to remain standing.
What did she have left now?
'Susie…'
Susie was still at home.
She hadn't even been able to tell her goodbye.
Audrey missed her companion.
The observer hadn't moved since earlier either, seemingly indifferent to her plight.
Bowing her head, Audrey only felt the cold air of Chanis Gate.
'I… I don't want to be here.'
Staying trapped everyday in that place from now on, unable to contact her friends, yet with nowhere to return home even if she left…
Why couldn't my family accept me for who I am?
Even if she could change their thoughts with Hypnosis, the reactions of her family members left the deepest blow in her mind.
'Mr. Fool, please, save me…'
If the dots actually didn't work for some reason, she would eventually find a flaw in the monitoring and use that opportunity to recite the Fool's honorific name.
No matter how much time passed, Audrey didn't give up, waiting for an answer.
A tear fell on the floor.
However, the answer never came.
Yet, Miss Justice believed in the Fool until the end.