"I-Izel! Wait! Wait, I'm sorry! Please!"

Leaping up from the ground, Alicia attempted to pursue Izel, who intentionally cut through the dense trees and vanished into the fringes of foliage. But the chase soon degenerated into a lost-in-time odyssey as the noise of a waterfall and temple ruins spilling down its banks caught her attention.

Alicia braked her feet on the ground and tilted her body backwards. The towering walls of Takamagahara had disappeared from view, but she swore she had not been away for such a span.

"A temple, Orb," Alicia mused, averting her gaze again. "Wonder if she's there?"

That I doubt. Izel wouldn't be hiding anyway. She just wants to be alone, Orb hummed.

Through her ballmate's words, Alicia's countenance grew overcast. "What was I thinking?" she regretted, gently patting her shaking forehead. "I'm a pure scunner, aren't I? If the Eternal Sun is something foreign or trivial, there should be no need for her to get angry."

Yet you persistently prodded her.

The bespectacled lass' visage darkened further. Following a moment of silence and a sequence of deep breaths, Alicia steeled her resolve again. "How stupid of me. Ye're right, Orb. I'll apologise to her when I get home." However, her ruby eyes lingered upon the gilded temple. "On the other hand, the temple seems quiet. Maybe I can learn meditation there. What think ye, Orb?"

I cannot say.

"Why so? Is it because it contains idol worship?"

Not precisely. Not my preference.

Alicia's eyes widened quite a bit. "Protos particles?"

Can you even feel it?

The lass shook her head.

It is entirely at your discretion, Alicia if the ambience aids in the alignment with your subconscious.

"Well, I dinnae plan on lingering too long either. I promise."

If temporal currents had unwound to at least a bygone century, Alicia believed there would not have been a giant tree jutting out of the temple's gable and the golden dome structure behind it would remain untarnished. The arrays of headless statues, some crushed by moss, stood as poignant tribute to the unyielding ferocity of the cascading water, despite its brevity.

The lass dared to step over the large portal where one door hung ajar and the other lay in ruin. There was not much to offer but total darkness.

Inside, light struggled to permeate, with only the feebles ingress through the door and the holes created by the giant, deceased kampor tree. How the kampor tree had managed to sprout through the temple's floor onto its roof, was an enigma that eluded Alicia. Despite the dimness enveloping the interiors, as she had expected this place was deadly silent.

Orb appeared as a beacon, and the walls reveal a new tableau for Alicia: three monumental bronze statues that seemed to cast their benevolent shadows over the golden altar, and rows of smaller statues standing sentinel, delineating a barrier between the altar and the laity’s realm. The Kagatsean characters etched onto the crossbars at each side of the building were worn and barely legible, and the zig-zagging paper ribbons hanging from the ceiling ropes were mostly in shreds.

Alicia swept away the dried leaves that had gathered on the ground, exposing damped mats fashioned from woven bamboo. Still uncomfortable about dampening her tights, she suctioned all the liquid and sediment from the floor's fissures with Arcane might, then flung it towards the entrance.

Seating herself once more, Alicia drew a deep breath and redirected her focus. A brief moment of silence, and the pseudo-scape within her mind began to reconstitute itself.

Alicia could see the reflection of her serene self again. But somehow, this ethereal entity began to distance itself from her. Her hands appeared to sweep forward as if navigating the depths of the sea, chasing what she believed to be her subconscious entity. But then, a wave of despondency struck her: she might never attain the complete manifestation of herself.

Alicia, however, had not been expelled from that thought. She could still fight. She kept pedalling her imaginary legs, arms, back, and hips until a glimmer of light beckoned. She imagined herself smiling as she strove to close the gap, only to be knocked down by yet another interloper.

Mauve vines came from behind and entangled Alicia's subconscious form, plunging it in viscous ink until it formed an eye. Again, the violet lids opened wide; the Eye of Khaos had returned, and with it, its ear-splitting scream. It was far greater in size. The uncomfortable atmosphere it offered resonated so deeply Alicia could hear the echo of her racing heartbeat. She knew not what she wanted to do. The creeping fear pushed her back instinctively, but adrenaline seemed to permeate her inner world until a glimmer of optimism came to confront the Primordial Opposition.

Regrettably, Alicia spent too much time in a dilemma—the opportune moment for the Eye of Khaos to leap at and ravage her! A shockwave that catapulted her back to the perception of the real world, so much so that she lay sprawled on the mats.

"Clipe!" Alicia rose abruptly. "The Eye of Khaos is stronger than before—"

Someone's behind you!

Alicia instantly sent Orb spiralling in the opposite direction, passing through the intruder's face with a trail of energy that brought a sensation of heat to the bridge of their nose. It barely splintered their head. The stranger fell butt-first, then thrust out their palms. Their groan signalled unbearable pain.

"Who are you? " Alicia chastised, regarding the groan as a mere cheap ruse.

The silhouette of the human in the long cap unveiled its true hue as Orb's light bathed the entire room again.

Successive groans and gasps still escaped their lips. "It's me," begged the mysterious figure, one hand trying to fan their nose, while the other muffled the agony that burned their ribs.

Alicia's eyes popped out of her head at the visage before her. Curses abounded inside her for nearly killing a dignitary. "I'm sorry, Lord Domen!" She rushed over and held out her hand.

"Don't worry. I'm unharmed," Toyoshige Domen, the priest, accepted the hand. Yet, he proffered a falsehood shortly afterwards; a faint but long groan ensued as his body shuddered to its feet.

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"Tis an issue, Lord Domen!" exclaimed Alicia. "Did you bring a servant?"

"On my own."

"Why did you come all the way here without a servant—especially with yer ribs still broken!"

While swishing around his regalia—which apparently he refused to take off even if in the precints of a seedy temple—Domen deflected the question, "It is unusual to find you here, Kiseko."

"Ye've not answered my question. Yer situation is more precarious," Alicia replied shyly with a modest bow.

The middle-aged man plastered a smile. Passing by Alicia with a limp, he raised his head at the still mighty bronze statue of the Trinity. "You seem to have stumbled upon my clandestine place of contemplation."

"A place of contemplation?" Alicia stood perplexed. Of course there were always those who chose to seek solace in ancient temples. "I thought Kagatse already had many temples for private meditation."

"Oh, sure. But contemplating yourself here evokes a different feel, wouldn’t you agree? I suspect your curiosity led you to enter unabated."

"Different because it's ancient?"

"And also owing to the profound spiritual resonance within these hallowed walls. But of course, each surface bears a plethora of tales from bygone eras.”

Orb chirped a remark, A profound resonance in the dark and stuffy ancient temple. Of course. I told you I don't like this place.

"Orb! Don't be like that!" Alicia's reprimand echoed in the temple. She then directed an apologetic nod to the high priest. "S-sorry, Orb is not a fan of religious sites."

"I surmised as much," the priest's warm smile lingered. The look in his eyes was so gentle it almost rivalled Alicia's own. "However, I feel more at peace here than in even the most grandeur of my central shrine. It's as if remnants of the history of the gods and stories of magic still linger here."

"Stories of magic?" Despite her confused face, Alicia's inquisitive tone could not give a lie.

"Oh, you're likely the first tourist here in years!" Domen replied enthusiastically "This temple was once known as Tenkū no Senkusha—Heaven's Pioneer. Right on this very ground, Seimei imparted the art of Ninshu to his first five disciples: Toyoko, Kunino, Kumano, Hinjin, and Ōtomabe. They were also the founders of Takamagahara."

"So Seimei's five disciples were the first five to pass down the art of Ninshu?" the lass repeated. Domen was bemused to realise that Alicia had already scribbled in her book. "That means the five statues at the waterfall are them?"

"It is believed that the five Seimei disciples sat and meditated at the exact positions of those statues... the activity that much like I intend to do now."

"That's an interesting trivia. The Encyclopedia of Magic only says Seimei was the first practitioner and taught it to many," Alicia responded as she closed her book.

Now it was Domen's turn to interrogate the girl. "Well, as for you, did you enjoy the atmosphere of the shrine as much as you sat down and stayed for a while?"

"N-not really, Lord. I just thought here was a suitable place to meditate."

"Meditate? How soothing to hear a young Western lady such as yourself meditating, Kiseko. Such a sweet coincidence. Are you alone like me? Because on my way I found a charred woodland."

Alicia fidgeted. Her mouth was twitching while her brain was busy stringing together sentences with neither Izel nor her fiery anger included.

In the end, she chose to prevaricate. "I don't really understand what that means—"

"It must be magic. The magic of the Tamoanchanese. The Kagatsean summer can't possibly ignite a wildfire."

And with that, the lass's heart dropped. "J-just a moment Mr Domen! It was me, my fault. I grated on a Tamoanchanese's nerves in the middle of their meditation so they got angry and accidentally ignited the forest."

"Hearing your explanation, their meditation proved less effective."

"Please, dinnae put the blame on them; it was unintentional!"

"I see. But lies following meditation don't seem prudent, do they?"

"L-Lord Domen—"

"Be careful Alicia." The priest's hand resting on Alicia's shoulder was warm and nurturing, with a hint of firmness and demand. What should have been a comforting touch instead prompted the bespectacled lass to wince. "Lying may thwart your meditation. A bad secret that you don't want to overcome let alone reveal is a big imperfect stain that blocks your path to enlightenment. Instead, it births unsightly inspiration."

No matter how gentle the rebuke, it always inflicted a pang on the heart. "Aye. I am terribly sorry, Lord Domen."

"But as I said, a young Western lady like you meditating is a rare thing to see, but soothing nonetheless. Perhaps you have converted?"

"C-converted?" The priest's question sounded simple but her tongue froze for words—not that her brain could produce a reply because it was just as frozen. "I learnt meditation from Wisesa, my friend. But of course, going deeper into one's self doesnae mean abandoning my old beliefs, does it? I mean, I don't see any contradiction there."

"Maybe not, but you might as well consider it. If you have to rely on teachings outside your faith to enrich your spirituality, something must be awry with your beliefs, must it not? A good belief complex not only guarantees one's magical abilities—not even that is the point of having faith. What's important is that one’s belief offers guidance to those adrift and confused when needed."

Alicia's mouth hung agape at those words.

"I assume you have travelled to many places to at least learn this. Now in your heart of hearts, do you still consider your belief in the Silent Divine to be a belief? The absence of guidance as a fulfilment of spirituality? The absence of rituals as a symbol of self-sufficiency?"

Listening to Domen's words felt like a suggestion that stirred something within her, fit to fall apart. The man's mellow tone of voice too served as a catalyst that coaxed Alicia to entertain the idea.

However, at least the warm vibration in the stomach by Orb's snoring dissuaded her from rashly thinking. "That... I dinnae think I can agree. Precisely because the lack of instruments to believe in the Silent Divine means that I can coexist with an appreciation of diverse practices. I think as long as I believe that the Silent Divine is watching over me and others, then it is already a belief and faith, don't you think? The absence of religious guidance doesnae make me an unbeliever and make me... unable to hope."

"But even faithless ones can hope, Kiseko. They can because they have the right measurement guide from careful calculation. Or as simple as believing in themselves. That's the pinnacle of their value hierarchy. Their 'God'."

Then I'll be Alicia's guide! Orb in its drone interrupted. I will guide her and the rest of the world.

A smile graced Alicia's face. She held up her ball mate. "I have friends who will help me, and Orb, who will help me weigh all offers and uncertainties. I have ample guidance."

Domen gave a placid nod. "If that is your opinion, Kiseko, if that is the statement of your Arcane orb, then be it so. Please forgive me if my words were somewhat piercing. Faith, like a fortress, must always face challenges and be patched to keep it strengthened."

Having uttered those words, Domen’s cane-guided steps carried him towards the altar as if he had lost sight of Alicia. Looking at the detailed faces of the god's statues glazed by the azure light, Domen turned to a new topic, "Why do you meditate?"

Why did she medtitate? Should she respond it at all? Because this was the moment her vulnerability laid bare. Even in the company of a gentle priest, Alicia, once more, had to tread cautiously with her choice of words—without falling into another pitfall of falsehoods.

Although on second thought, after all, Domen could be her other, more competent guide.

"People meditate to know themselves," Domen did not wait for Alicia's mouth to unfold. "To know oneself is to be able to control oneself. And to control oneself is to choose their life path towards self-actualisation. The perfect self."

"So everyone's answer should be the same, yes?" Alicia asked back. "Ultimately people meditate to harmonise their consciousness with the subconscious."

"To harmonise with the subconscious—indeed. One reason among many. Another is to cultivate one’s powers. Now, the conscious and subconscious usually work together without people realising it. To really need recognition and attunement with the subconscious implies a significant interest that can only be achieved by doing so." Domen turned back toward Alicia, slowly advancing. "I observed you flinch during your attempted meditation.”

"I-I..." Alicia bit her tongue. Her current status as an Arcane power wielder was on the verge of exposure. She refrained from further explanation.

"Want to meditate together?" Domen offered.

Alicia blinked. "P-pardon, Lord Domen—"

"What you experienced earlier indicated an obstructing force, didn't it? I have a trick or two for that."

Without hearing any further reply, Domen carefully assumed a cross-legged position beside Alicia. "How cosy," he said, noting that the bamboo mat floor around him was unusually dry. "Come, sit . I will teach you the Kagatsean approach to meditation for cultivating your potential.” []