Kairo learned first-hand the terrifying might that this world has in store.
Kairo sees a group of priest running towards him, he tries to invoke a spell but the pain in his eyes intensify. The priests flank him without touching him, they calm him down, "We merely want to lead you to our temple. Kairo hesitates for a moment but ultimately, as he sees this as a chance to gain more intel. He was escorted from the god's appearance with excessive courtesy, the kind that felt rehearsed. They guided him through the street towards the Central Temple Complex. No chains, no threats, just an unspoken assumption that violence would be useless, after seeing the god's interest in him.
The Temple welcomed him, it's doors stood open, marble warmed by the sun, inscriptions so detailed that even centuries, they would likely not fade. The air smelled faintly of oil and old parchment, candles burned just like in his world. "Magic flows normally here?", Kairo asked. "You will wait here, someone will be with you soon", so Kairo sat and waited. He studied the walls, the drawings depicted miracles, scenes of healing favored the moment of pain after, victories showed the aftermaths rather than the battles themselves. Kairo noticed that every carving emphasized on the outcome, instead of the effort. "Perhaps it's a lesson in disguise".
A woman enters, her robe is marked with the pattern of a spell, a spell for record keeping. "You cast without permission or invocation" she said, sitting across from him, "That is… rare, to say the least. "The spell did not require an incantation", Kairo replied. She nodded, "And yet you attempted the impossible", "I attempted a spell, there's a difference".
She asked for a thin slate and traced a symbol Kairo did not recognize, the slate responded to it. "I don't know where you're from but around here, Magic favors familiarity. Kairo thought of the weave unraveling, "It felt like my magic was deciding whether to work or not. The woman paused just long enough to matter, "Magic always decides, life and death, the weak and the strong, the rich and poor, it decides it all", "The question is how well it knows you".
She dismissed him shortly after, with her words being vague enough to be binding, as Kairo wondered what she meant. Kairo was assigned quarters near outer region of temple, being watched politely, allowed to wander specific paths at specific hours. Every night Kairo tried, again and again, alone in his room. He attempted a simple illumination charm, a ball of light formed and held for three seconds, then the glow sputtered, then slowly dimmed. "Progress?", he wondered. The light thinned out, it didn't just disappear, as if it was stretched out. Kairo sat back, with his heart pounding, "My magic still works" but it is like having a car but no keys, you must either get a new pair or find the old key. Kairo began his hypothesis, "If magic needs permission and familiarity, how did she use magic?, who does she serve?". All these unanswered questions puzzled Kairo. He's shocked at himself, why, because he has forgotten about his world, his family, friends, he forgot about them all. He thought, maybe the Chronal Reliquary worked, maybe this is actually what I wanted. But why another world, "I need to know more". Kairo takes it upon himself to learn more, so he leaves room while dodging the guards stationed to watch over him, he goes back to where he meet that lady. He tries to study the carvings on wall, but sees nothing he doesn't already know. It still bugged him, why do they always show the outcome rather than the effort. In that moment, Kairo remembers what the witness said, "I remember outcomes". "Why is did he say that. Unknown to Kairo, somewhere beyond the walls, something noticed.