Johanne Green is a 15-year-old girl who lives in Golden City, the capital of West Land, the place where everyone has a guardian angel to protect them and guide them towards purification.
Johanne's mother is the mayoress of Golden City, Linda Black...
Since he became a High Priest, Cedric had to break his promise - he was taken to the upper parts of the Golden Tower, in the High Priest chamber, so he was no more able to stay beside Joan who was but a simple monk since she was a Former Host and there were limitations to how high she could be promoted. Healer monks were never high rank, after all - those without Angel Craft couldn't make it higher than ordinary positions, and as a result, couldn't be near the High Priest. Joan greatly grieved, but her heart was put at ease in another, more important matter - even though Cedric became a High Priest, he still did not disclose her secret and kept at least that promise.
On special occasions when the High Priest conducted public sermons, Joan could see him from the crowd, and that too, brought relief to her heart - at least, Cedric lived in the same building as she, so they weren't that far apart. But it still felt like miles of distance since they were never able to properly see each other.
As time passed, Joan resumed her searches for Tsukishiro, since she was no more distracted by hanging out with Cedric. Little by little, times with Cedric were forgotten, to be replaced by new concerns since she sank into libraries once more, thoroughly researching all the material. As years passed, she understood that in common monastery libraries there was nothing more for her to explore, and she still hadn't found the answer. Hence, all that was left was to read the books of the Golden Tower - the forbidden archives.
Only a High Priest is allowed to look in there.If one is caught breaking that law, the High Priest will judge them on their own. In most cases, High Priests sentenced such people to death, as they had accessed information which was forbidden for anyone to read save for the oracles of the High Forces, according to the High Forces' orders. In other words, if I am caught there, I won't make it out alive... But then again, Tsukishiro did tell me to pursue my own happiness. In its pursuit, there will be a lot of risks. If I am scared, I will never make it to his abode of perfect peace and absolute happiness. I must overcome this obstacle too, and meet him at last!
She made up her mind to sneak into the forbidden archives and gather the information she needed.
One night, she covered herself with her black frock, slipped out of her chamber and then out of the monastery. She walked towards the Golden Tower that lay across the yard. She carefully looked around to avoid any third parties spotting her, and advanced in silence. Soon, she reached the Tower without any problems.
She opened a secret underground passageway by pressing the brick combination she had observed some High Monks perform many days ago when she was still planning her operation. She sneaked in and let the door close behind her. She descended spiral staircases and reached the bottom of the tunnel. She followed a stone corridor and came up to a sturdy wooden door. She burst it open with her light energy and walked in.
She lit a set of flambeaus on walls. She was in a large stone hall full of bookshelves filled with books and scrolls that dated back to eternity. Her eyes shimmered with excitement:
Finally...
She accessed the first shelf, grabbed a certain scroll and began reading without even taking a seat. She got so engulfed in this new forbidden information that she completely forgot the situation she was in. The result soon followed - she heard some voices shout in wonder:
"Hey! There's an intruder!"
"He's not His Holiness!"
"Get him!"
It was the guards. Unfortunately for her, it seemed that she hadn't noticed this giant hall had a tiny window on the top, whence the Golden Tower guards easily spotted the light she had set up.
She quickly abandoned the library and ran out of the hidden cave. However, the guards were waiting for her exactly outside, so they seized her. They subdued her and tied her with light-energy-supplied chains so that she wouldn't use her powers. They brought her to one of the High Monks. He, as an old man who had been serving there for ages, instantly recognized her:
"Ah, it's Brother Joan!"
"What should we do with him, Your Highness?"
"He has broken one of our most sacred laws. To be fair, I always suspected this bookworm was up to something... Your greed has completely blinded you, eh, boy? Take him to the dungeon! His Holiness is yet to return from a sacred trip he went on four days ago. In three more days, he'll be back. Until then, let this insolent brat rot in a solitary cell without food or drink, so he shall think upon the sin he has committed! When His Holiness is back, we shall hand this sinful boy to him for judgment."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"Eh? Put me in a dungeon just for reading some scrolls? How low can you stoop?!"
Joan's eyes shimmered with fiery rage. The monk was about to explode in anger when the guards slapped Joan themselves:
"Don't you dare talk back to His Highness, you sinner!"
They dragged her away. Before she would even cool down from the rage that flamed in her heart, she was thrown in a dark, dirty cell in the monastery dungeon, to remain there for three days without food or drink. Then, later, she would most likely be sentenced to death.
Ugh, all of them are such fools! I hate them!
Her heart burned with wrath and anguish. Tears came to her eyes:
They call themselves holy and the next second they sentence people to death just for reading some stupid scrolls! I hate this world so much!
Sadness embraced her heart. She folded her arms around her body to warm herself up in the freezing cell.
I... I wish I could see him again... Back then, when he consoled me, I felt the happiest in my whole damned life! Tsukishiro... So many years have passed... Maybe it was all indeed a dream? Maybe he never even existed, and I've just been delusional like some hopeless human, doomed to remain unhappy forever..?
As these evil thoughts embraced her, more tears poured down her cheeks. She hung her head in her hands and let out heavy sobs.
"One who gives up on the goal they have set for themselves shall never reach me, child. Think twice before making such hasty decisions."
This voice... She glanced up, to grow shocked - the very familiar divine spirit stood before her, with those soft white clothes, that fragrant long lunar white hair, shimmering yellow eyes, and that heavenly, fluffy white fur shawl... Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at him in a daze:
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"Y... You're real! And you've indeed come for me, Tsukishiro..."
