Culture, religion and logic

Previously

…The whispers in the archives were growing louder, and Evelyn knew, with a certainty that transcended any logical proof, that she was on the verge of uncovering something far more dangerous than an ancient prophecy. She was on the verge of uncovering a carefully orchestrated illusion, and the abbot was its master architect. The spiral, she realized, was not a symbol of ascent, but a trap; a visual representation of a closed loop, designed to ensnare the unwary. And she was beginning to suspect that the disappearances were not accidents, but the ultimate consequence of falling into its embrace.