CHAPTER 5″CORDELIA”

©️ Opeyemi Akintunde
As Inspired by the DEEP ONE

I tried to move close to Cordelia stylishly, but a tall lady blocked me and whispered

“New disciples are not allowed to mingle yet” she said with a half-smile. “You’ll have access once you ascend.”

Ascend?

I smiled. “Of course. I’m ready to ascend.”

Nothing prepared me for what I saw next…

At the climax of the service, the P.A. of the ‘Father’ brought in a golden bowl and called on us to take The Covenant of Allegiance.

“Just like our Lord gave His blood for us, so must we give ours to Him,” the P.A. said.

My breath caught in my throat.

One by one, sisters came forward, pricked their wrist, let a few drops fall into the bowl.

My heart could not handle the heresy …In scriptures, slashing of wrist was linked with demon possessed people, so how did it become a holy process?

Their blood dripped into the bowl.

I froze.

I looked at the bowl. It wasn’t red with one blood…it was dark. Mixed. Thick. and it was Bubbling like it had a life of its own.

Then came another twisted scripture.

“This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” one of them read.

I knew that scripture. Jesus said it before His death. But something about how they said it…so cold, so forceful…twisted it into something unholy.

Then came the cup.

They dipped a silver chalice into the bowl and turned to me.

“Drink, and you become one with the eternal family. Refuse, and you remain outside the covenant.”

I managed a fearful smile. “I understand, but… I don’t think I’m ready. I’d like to seek more understanding first.”

The P.A’s smile never cracked.

“If you do not drink My blood, you have no part in Me,” she said, quoting John 6:53.

” God! They have twisted the entire Bible” I said to myself

Suddenly, the screen on the wall flickered on.

A digital lake of fire. CGI, probably. But it looked horrifying. In it were girls screaming. Some looked like they were wearing school uniforms.

“Everyone who has refused this holy cup,” an unknown voice thundered, “burns in eternity and eternity starts from here”

And then I saw her…Cordelia walking towards me looking frightened and pleading.

“Mabel,” she whispered. “Please. Just do it. It’s just a sip. Just do it. If you love the Lord…”

My knees buckled.

Love the Lord? What does loving the Lord look like in a place like this?

But I could see the desperation in her eyes…the kind of desperation that wasn’t just brainwashed… it was crying for rescue, for me and her.

So I did it.

I took the cup. My hands shook as I brought it to my lips. I sipped…barely letting it touch my tongue.

The room erupted in a strange spiritual song and prayer chant…low and fearful. Something about eternal oneness and sacrifice.

I forced a smile and bowed my head, pretending to be overwhelmed.

But in that moment, my spirit was screaming.

I had never felt more distant from God than I did in that moment, even though I was supposedly doing something “spiritual.”

Inside me, I whispered, “Lord, forgive me. I’m still on assignment. I will not lose myself here. Help me bring Cordelia and myself out.”

Because this… this wasn’t just cult-like. It was a cult not a church…I could tell I was in the Lion’s Den.

And I had just signed in with my mouth.

“But not with my soul” I encouraged myself

And just like that, that Evening I became a part of Kairos Christian Household.

I thought I had seen strange in my life, but nothing prepared me for the weird elegance of Kairos Christian Household.

The moment I was “accepted,” I was escorted into what they called the Sanctification Quarters. Rows of tidy rooms, cold air, and a smell of lemon and rose incense. I expected singing or at least some whispers of excitement from the other girls. But no one spoke. Not a soul. Was this prison or hell?

My heart began to pound ..

I was handed a white garment and assigned a room. The girl who handed it over didn’t speak…she simply bowed three times and gestured for me to follow. We walked in silence, every step echoing like it was counting down the seconds of my sanity.

I was led to a hallway called The Path of Sanctity…walls whitewashed with inscriptions like “Die Daily to Be Truly Alive” and “Silence is the Language of the Spirit.”

Then, the room.

Room 3: Saints’ Rest. It was dreamily beautiful…

Five other girls lived there…each with the same strange peace stamped on their faces like it had been tattooed. They all turned to me when I entered, bowed slightly, and went back to staring straight away into empty space…

” God, where am I?” I pinched myself hoping to wake up from the nightmare I had walked into …

I asked softly, “Is Cordelia in this room?”

A firm voice came from behind me.

“Cordelia walks her own path, Saint Mabel. Heaven is a personal race. You must not entangle your consecration with another’s. I am MS Laura. I am your Mentor Saint”

“Mentor Saint?” I echoed, trying to stay respectful but confused. “Is that like a discipler or house leader?”

She tilted her head like I’d just asked if Noah built the ark with concrete.

“We don’t use ordinary terms. You’ll learn. For now, go to your bed for Silent Grace.”

“Silent Grace? (God! ABEG What is that again?)” I asked the first part loudly and the later part in my mind…

She titled her head in the direction of the other girls so I could understand Silent Grace…

” Oh! No wonder they didn’t say a word when I entered” I muttered under my breath.

That was the first time I heard the title: Mentor Saint. She was to “oversee my sanctification progression.” She was a tall, stern Lady with a voice like marble grinding against marble.

The next two weeks was… spiritual chaos dressed in discipline.

We prayed. A lot. But not like normal people.

Here’s a glimpse of what the discipline of devotion looked like:

Midnight Drenches …Waking up by 12 a.m. every night to lie on the cold tiles and whisper “I am nothing” for 45 minutes straight.

Silencing the Flesh … Fasting without water and food for three days and not talking to anyone …not for repentance, but to “mute the mouth of the body.”

Gaze Cleansing… Sitting in front of a candle flame for an hour while chanting “Purge me, O God.” If your eyes watered, you were said to be “shedding unclean sight.”

One day, we were given a bowl of rice. Just rice. No stew. No meat. Not even salt.

When I asked if it was a fast, MS Laura smiled like I had just failed a test.

“This is not a fast. This is a feast without distractions.”

Cordelia? I only caught glimpses of her…mostly in passing. And every time, she looked… drained. Like joy had been crucified and buried six feet beneath her robes.

She mouthed, “Stay strong” once. I almost wept. I really wanted to talk to her, she was the reason I was there. It felt like they deliberately didn’t want us to talk to each other. I was beginning to feel weak. I wanted out , I wanted to go back to my church…
But I couldn’t show weakness. In The Fold, weakness was rebellion.

The place wore holiness like a crown, but its throne sat on fear and silent torment.

Each night for the first two weeks, I would lie on my bunk, eyes wide open, whispering, “Lord, I’m still Your daughter. Don’t let me forget who I am.”

Because if I didn’t hold tight to the cross… I would drown in this sea of strange sanctity.

There was however someone I was yet to meet…

Father…

The General Overseer.

We were told he had gone into hiding for two weeks just like Jesus did in His days…

Like Jesus indeed! To be continued…. Good News💃..Have you seen our Latest Movie release ” SOLD” . IT’S HOT AND TRENDING… Watch it here …
We celebrate you our readers, thank you for joining us on another journey, feel free to share to enlighten others. God bless you. Follow Us:
🌐 www.deepthoughtsintl.org
📘 Facebook: @Opeyemi Akintunde
📸 Instagram: @OpeyemiAkintunde
🎥 YouTube: @Deep Thoughts TV

✍️ DEEP THOUGHTS NOVELS
Inspired by the TRUTH REVEALER
Written by Opeyemi Akintunde
📞 +234-8151103646