"Hmm, what to say, what to say," Ashka wandered aloud, scratching the side of his head, he wandered how much he should bother explaining to orion. Whne he spoke his words carried that lazy, casual rhythm of someone who spoke as thoughts came, without previous thought in them. "To be honest, not a lot of information has lasted the challenge of time," Ashka admitted, pointing with honesty and a sigh that seemed both genuine and annoyed. "There was just no great way of maintaining information that early in the Armageddon. So, about the beginning of the Sanctuaries, you can just assume they appeared from nowhere, and at some point someone studied them." He waved his hand dismissively as he finished, as though brushing the whole topic aside like dust.
"Unhelpful," Orion thought to himself, his eyebrow twitched and he gave a weak smile. He didn't know what he was expecting as a reply, but for sure it wasnt this half-hearted dismissal as a reply.
Ashka, of course, didn't care for Orion's inner complaints. "What you should know is, Sanctuaries are constructions made of an unknown material, that is basically invulnerable to all mundane weapons. They vary in size and shape, and apparent purpose. Like churches, museums, aquariums, bridges, and coliseums." As he listed them, he gestured vaguely with his hands, almost like he could see each of the buildings in his mind. "They seem to be made to adore some kind of 'God,' but nobody knows which god it may be. If it is a god we know of, or if its identity has simply been lost to time, it's completely unknown." Ashka shook his head at that, even he considered this fact a shame.
Orion blinked. A God, huh?... What's a god? Orion thought he knew the words but nothing came to mind when he searched for it, that was until Pawn reminded him a few people used to call the Monarchs Godly. was that another way of calling the Monarchs?
"Now about their function," Ashka continued, not noticing—or not caring—that Orion was staring at him with wide eyes, "Sanctuaries are divided into three 'tiers' or 'classes.' They're just named First, Second, and Third Sanctuaries. The symbolism of this 'God' seems to be more prevalent the higher the tier of the Sanctuary. The First and Second Sanctuaries depict him as a messy silhouette or a faceless figure at best, and the Third Sanctuary should show what 'God' looks like throughout their structures."
"You don't know?" Orion asked in curiosity, his head tilting like a curious pup.
"If I know?" Ashka repeated, his eyebrows raising high. His tone instantly shifted to one of shocked, almost offended disbelief, like Orion had just asked him if water was wet. "Kid, you think it's everyday people enter a Third Sanctuary?" He put his hands on his waist now, his casual posture turning into a stance of mock seriousness. "The number of people that have survived entering a Third Sanctuary can be counted on your two hands! How can that kind of knowledge be that freely available??" His voice carried weight, but not anger. It was rhetorical, almost theatrical, as if he didn't really expect a reply because there simply wasn't one to give.
Orion shrunk back a little at the response, his eyes darting down to the floor. "Okay, okay, sheesh, sorry for asking..." he thought. He sighed and nodded his head quickly, choosing not to push further.
"Hah, moving on," Ashka said, just as quickly dropping his fake seriousness, his tone snapping right back to casual, like flipping a switch. "As you guys must know, to start the Path to Radiance, one must spark their soul. Be it using a Runix Core, coming naturally, or having it ignited for you." Ashka said this while pointing casually to all of them, as if handing out labels. "But that's not enough to reach higher peaks of power. The rate at which a human develops Spiritual Essence is simply too slow. Sure, you can try, but you will most likely die of old age before you reach the next step. The best way to reach a next step is by entering a Sanctuary and visiting the Second Domain," Ashka stated, his voice steady and firm, but not overly dramatic.
"Huh? Visiting the Second Domain? Wait, wait, wait—didn't you just say there wasn't any way to enter the Second Domain?" Orion asked, his eyes blinking rapidly, his face twisting in the full, exaggerated confusion of someone who couldn't make sense of the contradiction.
Ashka's shoulders slumped at that, his whole posture drooping like he was already exhausted, like answering the measly two questions Orion had asked was the most arduous task in existence. "Haaaaah~ Yeah, it's impossible to reach there," he admitted, dragging the words out, "but you don't need to actually reach the Second Domain. All you need to do is visit it."
Orion's expression didn't change. His brows furrowed deeper, his mouth half open, confusion radiating off him like a lantern. Ashka glanced at him, then sighed again, louder this time. "HAAAAH~ Look, it is impossible to get there, yes, but there is still a pathway towards it that is available." Ashka raised a finger, like a teacher giving a simple point to a very slow student. "The Door, as we call it, is exactly that—a pathway. Inside the heart of every single Sanctuary is a room with nothing but a door connecting to nothing. That is 'The Door.' After defeating the Sanctuary and walking through the door, one will find themselves in an empty void, and in that empty void, your soul will be put under test."
Ashka pointed to his own chest with a thumb. "Inside the Pathway, the energy is too dense, so even standing there doing nothing will make your soul tremble. After entering the door, the most likely scenario is that your soul won't be able to bear the burden of the 'Pathway' trying to crush it."
His gaze became serious now, his green eyes glowing faintly, a quiet power flickering behind them. "And you will, most likely, have your soul destroyed." He said it without malice or anger. There was no mockery in his tone, no sense of scolding, only the raw weight of warning. The seriousness of his words pressed down heavier than any threat could have.
Orion understood it immediately, trembling in his seat at the thought of what would happen if his soul was destroyed. His imagination didn't need help—it filled in the horror by itself. "O-Okay, ty for the warning," he said quickly, his usual cheer dimmed by fear for once.
Ashka shrugged, casual again, as if he hadn't just explained something horrifying. "No problem. Any more questions?" he asked, waving his hand dismissively.
Orion shook his head with exaggerated speed. Nope. Not a single one.
"Good. So now, to our mission for the expedition." Ashka finally returned his focus to the paper he had conjured earlier, lifting it up and reading aloud in a steady tone, though without much emotion. "Following the path intended by the Crew Captain—me—the Crew Members are expected to eliminate as many monsters as feasibly possible without grave damage, and rendezvous at the assigned location, to assist the squad there in conquering the First Sanctuary located in the region. Sanctuary Codename: Laid Mist."