As the situation momentarily calmed, Samuel cleared his throat lightly to redirect attention and began speaking. “Let me formally introduce myself again,” he repeated in a low voice what he had said thirty minutes earlier. “I am a humble servant of God, and the Twelfth Candle hidden under His hand…”

“I am Samuel, the Prophet.”

When Samuel introduced himself, his eyes briefly met Catherine’s. He continued speaking while looking at her, clearly trying to prove that he spoke nothing but the truth.

“More accurately… it might be better to say ‘Samuel who was once a Prophet.'”

“It’s been decades since I last prophesied…” he murmured, almost like a lament. Catherine didn’t understand what he meant, but before she could ask, Samuel spoke again, seemingly aware of her curiosity.

“Do you know anything about prophecies?”

Catherine hesitated briefly before nodding instead of answering verbally. She knew that prophets had rarely appeared throughout history, but she had never heard much about what kind of beings they were.

However, she had heard one story about prophecy—an ancient tale about a girl who was prophesied to become king.

“In the temple, prophecy is considered God’s arrangement.”

“We cannot know its full meaning, but it is prepared for what God deems necessary. Though we may not know when or how it will come to pass…” Samuel continued, “One thing is certain—it will definitely happen.”

At his words, Catherine recalled the conclusion of the ancient prophecy she knew. The reason she knew this story was simple: its ending was tragic. Tragedy had always been one of the most beloved artistic subjects across all genres.

The girl prophesied to become king did indeed become one, though not during her lifetime. She was only honored as king after her sister completed a bloody revenge. That was the nature of prophecy—it would come to pass in one way or another.

The only prophecy Catherine knew was the story of the girl destined to become king, but countless other prophecies she didn’t know must have also been fulfilled.

Catherine stared at the man who called himself a prophet, observing his face marked by the passage of time and the clear hazel eyes that shone brightly within it. She opened her mouth.

“Then you too…”

Her throat caught from dryness, and Catherine paused briefly. In response to her unfinished question, Samuel nodded, easily guessing what she was about to ask.

“I too received a prophecy.”

Speaking with a solemn voice, Samuel blinked slowly, his expression suggesting he was recalling days from long ago. His eyes, though meeting hers, seemed strangely distant… Catherine shuddered slightly with a sudden fear. She felt a warm presence gently wrapping around her shoulders, almost like a grip.

Just as Catherine was about to turn her head toward that touch, Samuel’s gaze, which had seemed so distant, returned. Looking at Catherine once more with clear eyes, he continued. 

“Each prophet receives prophecies differently. Some through dreams, others through sudden revelations or enlightenment.” His voice continued softly.

“In my case, it was a voice.”

“I heard a strange voice. When I was still young, during my morning prayers as usual. I heard someone calling me.”

Recalling that moment, Samuel interlaced his hands in prayer and briefly closed and opened his eyes.

“Oh God,” his lips moved momentarily in prayer. “When I answered, the voice said this,” Samuel whispered.

“You shall meet one who will come close to me.”

“One who will come close to me…”

Catherine unconsciously repeated those words. At the same time, Samuel’s gaze shifted slightly. Catherine noticed that he was looking behind her, at David who was supporting her almost like an embrace. 

Catherine followed his gaze and turned her head, meeting David’s intense eyes looking down at her.

David’s expression as he looked at Catherine was unreadable. The overflowing vitality that had been rippling from him seemed completely subdued.

The warmth enveloping Catherine’s shoulders felt strangely alien. What remained felt like only the calculated beauty of a meticulously carved artwork.

“What does that mean?”

When David whispered this, Catherine only realized he had spoken aloud several seconds after his question ended. For a moment, as David blinked, she saw his gaze shift toward Samuel. Catherine frowned as she looked up at David’s pale cheek, which had turned away from her. She felt something strange but couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

“‘One who will come close to me’—what does that mean?” David’s voice was heard again, urging Samuel. His voice was calm, but Catherine felt that this calmness masked extreme anxiety. She seemed not to be the only one who sensed this.

Samuel remained silent for a while, assessing David’s state. The red glow had almost completely faded, and a thin darkness was settling in. They needed to light candles before it became completely dark, but no one seemed likely to move.

Catherine watched the two men gazing at each other in that subtle standoff, slowly examining each other’s thoughts. Fortunately, the confrontation didn’t last long.

“Samuel,” David called again, prompting him. Samuel suddenly exhaled deeply. Catherine saw his shoulders slowly sink, and his gaze briefly rose diagonally before settling down again.

“In my humble understanding, I cannot fully comprehend its meaning…”

Following Samuel’s gaze unconsciously, Catherine bit her lip as she realized what Samuel had been looking at. The final destination of his gaze was David, but before reaching him, it had pointed toward Saul’s bedroom.

“I believe it refers to powerful divine grace, close to God.”

Samuel was speaking with the two Cavendish brothers in mind…

Suddenly, Catherine realized she had heard this story somewhere before. Not exactly this story, but she was certain she had heard something similar that followed the same pattern. A prophet, powerful divine grace… where had she heard it?

Catherine gently rubbed her throbbing eyes, trying to recall. It was definitely something she had heard in the not-too-distant past, something that felt so immediately accessible…

“That child doesn’t remember, but when we were very young, we met a certain man.”

Catherine suddenly remembered Saul’s voice saying those words. It was a story Saul had told Catherine during what might have been a hallucination. She couldn’t remember clearly, but she could recall the general story Saul had told—about the young Cavendish brothers and the strange man they had met.

“The man who identified himself as a prophet said that the brothers had received God’s blessing side by side.”

Prophet. Catherine’s gaze turned toward Samuel.

“…Divine grace?”

David’s questioning voice, unable to understand the story, seemed to fade into the distance. Catherine intuitively realized it was Samuel. That person who had supposedly visited the two young Cavendish brothers when they were children was undoubtedly Samuel.

“So he said he would take one of us.”

As one piece of the scattered puzzle fell into place, another followed.

“He assured us that he would teach well, and that one would possess divine grace so powerful that no one would dare challenge it…”

Catherine turned pale with the sudden realization.

“But who would want to hand over their child to someone whose identity they didn’t know?”

The prophecy Samuel had heard was clearly related to the Cavendish brothers. Catherine recalled that prophecies would come to pass in one way or another. An ominous feeling crept up her spine. If that prophecy Samuel received truly concerned the Cavendish brothers…

Catherine trembled helplessly, looking toward the direction of David and Saul’s bedroom. That childhood day which David couldn’t remember but Saul did… Perhaps because what should have happened that day didn’t occur… all of this was happening now.

“Catherine?”

David’s puzzled gaze fell on Catherine, having felt her trembling through his hands. 

“Catherine?”

He noticed her suddenly turning pale and called her again in alarm, but his voice didn’t reach Catherine’s ears. Her unstable gaze wandered around the direction of David and Saul’s bedroom. Even though she hadn’t heard anything definitive yet, Catherine couldn’t shake the ominous feeling swirling in her mind.

“That prophecy.”

Suddenly, her eyes met Samuel’s. He seemed to notice that Catherine knew something, looking at her with a calm gaze. Catherine moved her trembling lips to barely utter those words but couldn’t continue. She looked at Samuel with desperate eyes.

Catherine silently prayed. Please, if God is truly merciful, tell me that prophecy isn’t about the Cavendish brothers. She prayed while clutching her trembling hands.