I lied

"Observing your desperate need for information, I'll surmise that your venture inside yielded little of value," remarked the skinwalker, idly running his fingers along his whip.

Adrian remained silent, waiting for the skinwalker to continue. He understood that if the enigmatic entity intended to divulge information, it would do so without Adrian pressing further.

"I'll tell you, but on one condition," remarked the skinwalker as he rose from his seated position. "You must allow me to enter your soul."

Hearing this, Adrian couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the absurdity of the proposal. "My assumption was correct. You haven't attempted to possess my body, not because it was a game to you, but because you're incapable of doing so," he remarked.

Pausing at that point, Adrian sat down on the stairs and continued, "I'm curious. What sets me apart in your eyes?"

The skinwalker approached the barrier, fixing his gaze on Adrian. "Your soul has already been consumed. I have no clue how you're still in control, but to enter it, I need your permission, as you are the one currently utilizing this soul," he explained.

The skinwalker fell silent, seemingly expecting a reaction from Adrian. However, Adrian maintained his poker face, revealing no signs of disappointment or surprise.

'Already consumed... does he imply it's already claimed by someone else? In that case, it would make sense, considering She is the one to whom I pledged my soul.'

"Setting these matters aside, which deity does this temple belong to?" Adrian inquired, eager to move past the uncertainties. The skinwalker appeared to be in a good mood, which presented an opportune moment for gathering information.

The skinwalker, his gaze fixed on Adrian, continued the enigmatic tale of Arcanara, the Nightseamstress. "From what I know and from what I've learned from other people, this temple belongs to a deity named Arcanara, the Nightseamstress," he began, his words hanging in the air like an elusive melody.

"Learned? More like read through memories after you consumed their souls," Adrian thought to himself, but he refrained from voicing his suspicions and allowed the skinwalker to continue.

He recounted the mysterious arrival of Arcanara, a deity emerging from nowhere to weave her own sanctuary in the fabric of existence. "She had been here before me, so I'm not sure about the exact details, but what I know is she came out of nowhere and made this temple."

As the skinwalker delved into the whispers of the cosmic winds, he unveiled a narrative of awe and skepticism. "People started coming to her because she had some otherworldly powers. She was able to do almost everything related to every field, but I don't believe this, as it's not possible for a single deity to possess what other deities are capable of."

The skinwalker paused, a silence lingering between his words, as if the very air was pregnant with secrets. It was as if he expected Adrian to unravel the enigma, to peer beyond the veil of mysticism that shrouded the temple.

Adrian, absorbing the mystique of the narrative, found himself at the crossroads of skepticism and intrigue. "Let's assume it's speaking the truth," he mused internally, his mind delving into the depths of possibility, "but if that is so, how am I related to her?"

Setting aside his thoughts, Adrian inquired, "What happened to her? Where is she now?"

The skinwalker gazed at Adrian, contemplating whether to continue answering. "I don't know. She seemed to have vanished suddenly. The memories didn't contain anything specific," he replied, leaving Adrian with more questions than answers.

Hearing this, Adrian sighed, but the lingering questions prompted him to inquire further: "What about the sacrifices? Where were we being taken?"

This question held great significance for Adrian, as he wasn't certain of his exact location or purpose in the first place.

"You don't even know this?" remarked the skinwalker, his tone laced with genuine disbelief.

"Just answer if you know."

"I lied to you about it being sacrifices."

Adrian found himself truly speechless this time. The information about being taken to the temple for sacrifice had come from the possessed twins.

'How much of what he told me was true?'

Ignoring the skinwalker, Adrian rose to his feet and returned inside the temple, closing the door behind him. "It was foolish to ask him anything," he reflected.

Adrian retraced his steps back to the altar, hoping to find some hint or guidance in the inscription that might shed light on what he should do next.

'Should I kneel as well?'

This thought inevitably crossed his mind as he found himself at a loss for words, grappling with the mystery that seemed to elude resolution despite his persistent efforts.

'Sigh'

A sigh escaped from his lips as he descended once more, contemplating whether the dead man had any tales to tell. 

In the chamber, confronted by the sight of lifeless bodies arranged before the statue, Adrian shook his head in dismay before immersing himself in the shadows.

Approaching the man he had initially spoken to, Adrian observed him, realizing that any hope of movement or further conversation from the lifeless figure was futile.

"Can you hear me?"

"..."

"We talked a while back. I know you can hear me."

"..."

The man either chose silence, or perhaps the surreal environment of the temple was pushing Adrian towards madness; he couldn't be certain.

Emerging from the shadows, Adrian directed his gaze at the statue. The apparent boredom etched on her expression infuriated him.

"Why is she bored when she's making me move around so much? Shouldn't she be having fun?" Adrian pondered, frustration growing within him.

"I really miss my previous life. I was bored, but I didn't have to rack my brains this hard ever," Adrian mumbled to himself, a hint of nostalgia and weariness in his words.

'I'm her shadow.'

'I was sent here as punishment.'

'She told me I will receive a gift.'

'The temple that can't be accessed by the skinwalker even, I was able to do it.'

'The skinwalker said that I was a foolish for entering here without knowing anything but he could be lying.'

'There's a statue here.'

'The dead man mistaken me as her.'

These were the key points of Adrian's experiences that he had summarized for the second time now.

'If it's a punishment, then it shouldn't be pleasant.'

As soon as Adrian had this thought, he positioned himself in front of the bodies, all kneeling in prayer, and directed his gaze toward the statue.

'I really don't want to do this.'

With contemplative thoughts, Adrian took a deep breath, closed his eyes, clasped his hands together in a prayer-like gesture, and bowed down, joining the kneeling figures.

As soon as his knees touched the ground, Adrian sensed something unfolding. Refusing to open his eyes immediately, he hesitated, not ready to face potential disappointment once more.