"Through veiled paths where shadows writhe and play,
A soul shall wander, led far and astray.
When truth dissolves in mists of gray,
Beware the steps, for they may betray."
The First Light of the eighth day of Anveth opened with a ceremonial reading of prophecy by the Seer. The Spirit-Talkers and the apprentices gather inside a little convent in Ethereal Spire. After the ceremony, I usually proceed to do my daily duties, but it seems like fate has another plan for me.
"Have you seen him? He's covered in lacerations again.""
I know. I wonder what kind of trouble he's got himself into this time?"
"He probably deserves it. I mean, look at him."
I heard the familiar whispers of others as I walked down the long corridors of the Ethereal Spire. Keeping my head down, my pace grew until I reached the end of the corridor, but what difference does it make? Their voices will still cling onto me like leeches. Closing the door behind me, I notice the light shining on the translucent walls of the spire. The reflective crystal casts a beautiful glow inside the building, but looking outside, the cold mist lightly covers the ground below. "I wish people were as beautiful as the spire, both inside and out," I thought out loud.
Little did I know, as I enviously gazed far away, someone carefully approached behind me. "You know that perfect does not exist, do you?" The voice of an old man echoed in my ear. I didn't turn around, knowing who it was. "What happened this time?" He continued, his voice laced with worry. "They were in the wrong, Adpnagr. They were misreading the stars, so I tried to show them the correct way to interpret—"
But before I could finish, Adpnagr interrupted me. "You forget that no matter what you share with them, their stature will always be above yours. As the children of wealthy families and, not to mention, of the Council of Faiths…" He hesitated and stopped himself from talking further. Instead, Adpnagr pulled me, more forceful than I expected, into the spirit-talkers' sanctuary, where we were safe from the Eyes of the Seer. "You know how the hierarchy works, and yet your foolishness and impulsiveness still get the better of you. You are a smart child, Elion. Act like one." Adpnagr scolded me. I looked away from his gaze, I already knew these things.
"Don't worry, Adpnagr. The law says—"
"The law says nothing when the Seer decides for you. You are only a kid; you are powerless, and as an apprentice, you need only to obey." He said harshly. I've never heard Adpnagr talk that way before. Then it hit me: powerless. "I thought you were on my side." He was supposed to be on my side. I looked at him with disappointment, rather than with the usual admiration and respect.
Frustrated, he sighed at my stubbornness. "I am, and I always will. But there are certain things that you cannot control once it gets out of hand. That's where I come in; to remind you and pull you back. Okay?" Adpnagr pats my shoulder. Nodding softly in response, I guess he's right. I'm only an orphan, and they're powerful nobles.
To cheer me up, Adpnagr insisted I should come with him to Mediora. He told me he has errands to run and even persuaded me that he'll let me wander off on my own for a while. "Fine, I'll go." I sighed as we followed the path to what seemed like the grandest temple I've seen in my life. Holding my breath, my eyes followed the outline of the temple with awe. It glowed like the spire, except this one's not made out of crystals. "Majestic, is it not? The Sanctum Solis; a temple perfect for worship and paying respect especially this remembrance of the fallen." He proudly stated as if reading my mind.
"Right. As promised, I will let you have your little freedom. You are free to roam around, but never beyond the boundaries of Mediora. I want you back with all your parts intact." He lightly chuckled to his little joke. I hugged him as thanks and went on my way. Walking around Mediora makes me feel at ease; the light breeze, light chatters of people, and the aromatic stalls that sell Sanctaran and Eryndorian delicacies tease my sense of smell. As if it were my sixth sense, my peripheral vision caught glimpse of the other children looking at me and heat crept up my cheeks, a flush of shame evident on my face. I quickly gathered myself and walked. This felt like déjà vu. Being judged in Aetheris is one thing, but in Sanctara? Am I going for a record?
A moment to catch my breath finally revealed the unfamiliar surroundings. In the distance, ruins stretched across a fog-laden horizon, shrouded in dusk and shadows. Could this be the afterlife? Glancing around, I hesitated, unsure if I'd crossed into another realm. Relief washed over me as the golden glow of the Sanctum Solis came into view, anchoring me back to reality. The sandy terrain felt rough beneath my feet, and the dusts obstruct a little of my view. Looking further and squinting my eyes, I saw some shadows being distorted by the thick fog. Did those curious onlookers follow me? How interested are they to see a fellow child from a different kingdom? I, myself, think I don't stand out too much. But it doesn't look like there's a lot of people on the other side either. Maybe Adpnagr was right, I shouldn't have wandered past Mediora. Hurriedly, my feet took me back to the capital city, and seeing Adpnagr waiting for me by the stalls washed all the worry within me.
"Elion, there you are. Did you have fun? Why are you sweating too much? Did you go out of Mediora?" Adpnagr eyed me suspiciously. "I know better than to disobey you, Adpnagr." I lied and kept a neutral expression. Adpnagr's face slightly wrinkled with my subtle deceit, but he nodded his head. In Aetheris, seeing shadows from peculiar places are often a bad sign. Mostly because shadows are seen as unknown dark entities. Unlike the stars, they are hard to interpret since their silhouettes are often misinterpreted. Many spirit-talkers connect shadows with bad luck or even death. And telling Adpnagr is never an option, as I'm sure he'll report to the Seer or maybe even the Chronicler of the Divine. If that happens, those snotty noble brats will make fun of me again for 'causing trouble'. So, I swallowed my fear, letting it fester, and followed Adpnagr back to the stalls, hoping the shadows wouldn't follow me.