Ever since the God of Light disappeared, the position of pope had remained vacant. By a twist of fate, the atheist Nikes gets caught up in the selection of the next pope and becomes the new pope's cardinal.
"From now on, you'll work at Wright Cathedral as my cardinal. Your name is already on file. Your first day is tomorrow."
Nikes sighed. "But I don't believe in religion..."
The new pope, Moise, said, "Neither do I."
And so, she got a job as a member of the clergy and began her summer internship. She worked while preparing for the start of university, including posting on the campus confession wall to find a boyfriend.
The top comment read: So competitive? You haven't even started your first year, and you're already interning? At a god-tier company, no less???
She didn't find a boyfriend. All the comments were just begging her not to be so competitive.
One day, the pope summoned her to his office and pointed to her personal ad in the newspaper. "Are you looking for a boyfriend?"
Nikes: "...Yes."
No wonder the Church was the Church. They really did keep a close eye on everything. I'll take it down right away. But before she could say that, her boss, Moise, spoke up: "How about me?"
Nikes: "...?"
When she realized the pope seemed serious, Nikes began to tremble. "The pope dating... I mean, us having an office romance, isn't that, well, inappropriate?"
Vessel of the God of Light x False God of Darkness
Moise: "It was like this from the beginning. I was a bastard child and couldn't inherit the throne. The same was true on the night of the sacrifice. The God of Light didn't choose me. He chose you, because you were by my side. A vessel? I'm just a vessel. In the end, even my body and thoughts will be taken over."
Nikes: "Instructor, I believe our experiences shape us. The God of Darkness loves the God of Light. I truly felt that longing, so I'm a fragment of the God of Darkness's soul, naturally attracted to Moise, who looks like the God of Light. But that's all."
PS: This is a prequel to The Princess of the Apocalypse. It's a draft, so the plot moves quickly, but the story is complete and can be read on its own.
When I have time, I'll combine the plots of the two books.
Theme: Even if we're both false, we can still love each other.
