Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power-Chapter 46: A Smile of Sorrow

Chapter 46 – A Smile of Sorrow

Inside a beautiful church, a girl knelt in front of a statue.

But to call it merely beautiful would be an insult.

It was a stunning structure—a perfect blend of ancient architecture and modern construction, both divine and oppressive, sacred and suffocating. A place carved from reverence and something darker.

The walls were painted a dull, lifeless grey—a color so bland, so cold, so utterly wrong for a church that it felt like a mistake. Like a void. Like something that had been drained of soul.

But then again... it all depended on what kind of church it was.

And what a funny question that was, really.

A church, after all, was supposed to be a place where people came to find peace. Where they could stand in the presence of their god and find clarity, comfort, and meaning.

That was what a church was meant to be.

So what, then, was the purpose of the Church of Sorrow?

’Bunch of lunatics,’ Rea thought to herself, head bowed beneath the statue of a woman with a weeping mask and shadowed eyes.

Anyone looking at her now would think she was deep in prayer. That she was a loyal worshipper offering reverence to her goddess.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Rea was not a woman of faith.

She didn’t believe in gods simply because others did. She didn’t kneel for the unseen, didn’t pray to the unknown.

She believed in what she could see. In what she could understand.

Was that wrong?

It depended on the context.

But that wasn’t the point.

The point was—

’How can this even be called a church? This is a damn masochist cult,’ Rea thought bitterly as she stood up, having finished her so-called morning prayer.

She began walking slowly through the halls.

And as she did, the air was split by screams.

"Aaahhhhhh—!"

"No... no more! PLEASE!!"

Pain. Fear. Sorrow.

That was all you could hear in this place. That was all you could feel.

And what she saw...

Disturbing didn’t even begin to cover it.

You’d think all these people were here against their will.

But no.

You couldn’t be more wrong.

’I don’t understand,’ Rea thought, gaze sharp. ’How can you believe in something like this?’

’How can you willingly subject yourself to pain and suffering just because some god said it was the path to salvation?’

She couldn’t grasp it.

And yet...

That wasn’t even the most disturbing thing about this place.

Because then—she saw her.

Rea froze.

An old woman stood ahead of her, dressed in the same grey garb as the others, her hair grey and long, her eyes just as grey—lifeless, bottomless.

She looked frail. Wrinkled skin, curved back, leaning heavily on a wooden cane inscribed with faint grey runes.

You’d think she was just a sweet, old grandmother.

But every time Rea saw her...

She shivered in fear.

And that was saying something—because Rea was someone who manipulated fear itself. And yet, in this old woman’s presence, a deep, instinctive dread bloomed inside her chest.

That alone was enough to set every mental alarm off.

The old woman turned her head.

And she smiled.

It was a smile Rea had seen before—and still couldn’t get used to.

A smile made entirely of sorrow.

"My child, Rea," she said, voice as soft as paper.

Rea bowed her head immediately. "Mother Esmere," she answered respectfully.

Esmere’s smile deepened. "You are always so respectful, my child. I like that. I like you."

Rea offered a small, polite smile.

"Tell me... how are you enjoying your work in the church?" Mother Esmere asked, turning slowly as she began to walk.

Rea followed behind her, keeping just enough distance—not too close, not too far.

"I enjoy it, Mother Esmere. The job is easy, the pay is generous. I’m grateful for the opportunity... Mother."

And she meant it.

The job was easy.

She just had to accept the donations from the believers, keep the ledgers clean, sweep the grey floors. It wasn’t the kind of job a noble girl from another world was supposed to be doing.

But Rea didn’t care about her reputation.

She didn’t believe in gods.

She believed in money.

Money was real. Tangible. Powerful. It could feed you, clothe you, protect you. It could kill. It could save. And if she had to sweep bloodstained floors in a creepy cult to earn it?

Then so be it.

Mother Esmere smiled softly.

"That’s good. That’s very good."

She paused.

"You haven’t been with us long, but I’ve watched you closely. You work with seriousness. With devotion. And it just so happens... we have a special role that needs filling."

She stopped in front of a black door—tall, featureless, silent.

She turned.

And looked at Rea.

Rea, dressed in plain grey robes. Her white hair tied simply behind her back. Her red eyes glowing like twin ruby in this colorless place.

There was something about her.

Something that intrigued Mother Esmere deeply.

"You mentioned in your application that your Origin is fear-based," she said.

Rea nodded once.

"And that your first skill allows you to influence the fears of others."

Another nod.

"Then this job will be perfect for you."

Mother Esmere placed her hand on the door. Grey light rippled from her palm.

Click.

The door opened.

Rea stepped in behind her.

And what she saw made her blood run cold.

Dozens of people.

Men. Women. Children. Old. Young. Human. Elf. Dwarf.

Every race.

All chained. All shaking. All staring forward with eyes wide in horror.

Their eyes... glowed with madness.

"This," Esmere said, voice hollow, "is what happens to those who succumb to fear. Those who run from it. Who reject it. And in doing so... reject the teachings of our Goddess."

Her voice was like ice. Cold, sharp, merciless.

"These people have strayed."

"But our Goddess is merciful. She wants them to return."

Rea’s throat was dry.

"And... how do you bring them back?" she asked carefully, heart pounding in her chest.

Esmere turned to her. The cries still echoed. The silence between each scream more haunting than the sound itself.

"That’s where you come in, my dear child."

"If they flee fear..."

"Then we make fear their world."

She tilted her head, a movement that would’ve been cute—if it weren’t being done by a grandmother in a room filled with chained lunatics.

Rea didn’t even have time to process that before Esmere spoke again—

"So, Rea... use your skill. Make them feel their deepest, darkest fears. Over and over. Until they stop running. Until they face it. Until they are... enlightened."

"That will be your role from now on."

Her voice was soft.

But her gaze left no room for refusal.

"Can you do that?"

Rea stood there for a long second.

She didn’t have a choice.

She looked like she did. But she wasn’t stupid.

That look in Esmere’s eyes said it all.

Refusal would mean death.

And Rea?

She wasn’t ready to die.

So she smiled.

A perfect smile. A practiced smile.

A smile of sorrow.

A perfect replica of every other damned smile in this place.

"Yes... Mother Esmere."

—End of Chapter 46—

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