"I'm telling you, sweetheart," she said, leaning closer, "if you want a safe and steady life here, you can't count on the government." The more she talked, the more excited she became. "What is the government, really? It's just people! Even the smartest leaders are still human. They're afraid of the apocalypse too! Look at this strange weather; aren't they freezing just like the rest of us?" Natalie followed her train of thought. "Then who should we rely on?" "Of course, we rely on..." Martha lowered her voice and slowly raised one finger, mysteriously pointing up at the sky. Natalie didn't know which god these people believed in, so she answered in a general way, "God?" As she said it, she almost laughed. She quickly reminded herself to stop. Martha was a good person. Laughing would be rude. People's beliefs should be respected. Additionally, Natalie herself wasn't a firm atheist. She had no right to mock anyone. Cassian was different. Even knowing she had lived a past life, even knowing about the storage space, he still believed there were no gods or ghosts. To him, everything was just science that humans didn't understand yet. Martha seemed pleased with Natalie's response and went on. "You're close. But you can't call it God. That name is an insult made by ignorant people." Jesus? Natalie suddenly understood. "Oh, so you believe in Christianity?" Thinking back, that white chapel really did look like a church. The cross on top even seemed to be covered with white cloth.Martha gasped and waved her hands. "Oh no, no! Don't say that! I don't believe in that." She took a deep breath, lifted her head to the sky, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Gods? They're all fake! Only the Dawnmother is real!" The Dawnmother? Natalie's mouth twitched. What kind of god was that? She had never heard of it. Before she could say anything, Martha's voice faded. Everyone nearby who had heard her froze and turned to look. Dozens of people stood straight. They crossed their hands over their chests, lifted their faces to the sky, and spoke together with calm devotion. "Blessed be!" The sound hit Natalie like a wave. She shivered. Then the people smiled at one another, nodded politely, and went back to their business as if nothing had happened. Natalie felt goosebumps rise all over her skin. She had a sudden, uneasy thought. Am I surrounded by a group of lunatics? Cassian felt uneasy too. He glanced at Natalie, and both of them frowned. Natalie asked Martha at the window, "What are they doing? What are they talking about? Basilisk?" She knew what that meant. A massive, snake-like monster. One of the deadliest creatures ever recorded. Strong enough to level entire cities. Could the Dawnmother they believed in be a monster? And if not, why did all of this feel so strange? Martha quickly shook her head. "No, not that monster. They're shouting, "Blessed be." She explained patiently, "Blessed as in blessings, be as in from the west. It means the Dawnmother's blessings come from the west," Martha went on. "When believers shout, ‘Blessed be,' they are showing respect to the Dawnmother." Then she added, very seriously, "When someone mentions the goddess's name, you must stop whatever you're doing. You place your hands together and greet the goddess in the sky." The west? A ritual salute? A goddess? What is she even talking about? Natalie twitched her lips. Every word Martha said was in plain Drakoric, yet when put together, it sounded like nonsense. Seeing Natalie's stunned expression, Martha waved her hand, not bothered at all. "Newcomers like you never understand at first. You'll get it later." Then she lowered her voice and put on a mysterious look. "Once you understand why the apocalypse happened, you'll naturally come to trust the goddess." The reason for the apocalypse? Natalie raised an eyebrow. She had lived through two lifetimes and had never heard anyone truly explain where the apocalypse came from. This woman certainly sounded confident. Cassian finally couldn't hold back. He spoke up, sharp and rare. "You actually know why the apocalypse happened?" Martha didn't catch the sarcasm at all. Instead, she looked proud. "Of course! Not just me. Everyone here knows." Everyone? Then it clearly isn't a serious answer. Natalie and Cassian exchanged a look. Then Natalie turned back to Martha. "Alright. Tell us." "It's not a secret," Martha said, suddenly sighing. "This apocalypse... when you get down to it, it's all because of our sins." Natalie lifted her brow. "Your sins?" Martha clicked her tongue. "Not yours. Ours." As she spoke, she gestured with her hand, pointing at Natalie, then Cassian, then herself. "All of us." Natalie pointed at herself. "That includes me?" Martha nodded without hesitation. "Of course." Then she looked at Natalie's face more closely. "But yours are lighter. Your redemption will be easier than ours."