Crows are known as most intelligence bird in seen world. In the world of miracles, crow basically means bad luck or curse.
Having blessing from Gods nowadays is like having sea in open desert. They stopped responding to the worshippers. Some says they are dead.
In the home, Henry feeds medicine to Mimi. Jeena and Marsh are on the roof. Mimi's eyes were filled with unknown fear.
Henry couldn't see it coming. He does everything to make her happy but she was frightened of something. Looks like another miracle is landing on his head soon. He need blessings to manage these terrors. It will give him both mentally and physically advantage.
Henry is now reading on miracles basically. Revising the notes he took from Vain.
Miracles naturally comes from nowhere. Not all miracles are gift of Gods—they are echoes of broken cosmic law from an ancient war between creation and nullity. Every " Miracle " is a fragment of these shattered law, leaking into reality. These miracles will haunt weaker spirits, unless, these miracles are inescapable. Touching a miracle grants you power, but forces you to obey underlying broken rule.
They come as blessings like— golden rains healing corps, singing voices in the sky, erasure of disease, rebirth of dead and more.
Miracles manipulates perceptions in every way possible. Rewrites memories, making people believe these miracles were always good. Amplifies joy, awe, gratitude to unnatural levels. Conquers emotions silently. Reshape local reality to imitate the observer's deepest desires—but only briefly, to lure more attention and dependence.
Henry took a pen in hand. Tries to memorize some examples Vain narrated.
Name of Blessing: The Lantern Choir.
False Blessing: Sing peace in the world.
True horror: Song corrodes thoughts. People lose self - awareness, becoming just a " Instrument " themself. Becomes a dependent puppet or dummy.
Name of Blessing: Well of second birth.
False Blessing: Revives the dead.
True horror: Revived are hollows in shell. Mutating into brood-masses for miracles.
Name of Blessing: Hand of endless mercy.
False Blessing: Heal all sickness.
True horror: Turn bodies into porous sponges for harvesting thaum.
At this point he just recognised these three examples.
Love, prayer, gratitude are weapons they use. Thrive on positive energy, not hate or fear. Miracles exist in a high order physics where consuming lower beings is instinctual, like breathing.
They want to fold all sentient life into themselves — an endless sea of awareness fueling their eternal, unknowable growth.
There are some ways to avoid them.
*Hide in a place of total logical contradiction. Cause, paradoxes confuses miracles.
*Construct artificial religions, fake prayers, dummy worshippers.
*Contract a divine act or be blessed by any God or Pillar.
*" The Chosen One " can escape ' Miracles ' but lose their identity and race.
*Use ancient oath, charm or artifact.
Truth is you don't escape it. Just delay it, confused it or exile yourself in deep madness or non-existence that it can't easily follow you anymore.
If they are not kept in balance, it can harm reality.
And therefore, here is, The Miracle Invokers for the rescue....
Henry exhaled deeply thinking of his little family. The sun was burning the earth apart from each direction. Henry washed his head all over.
Henry swore that he will not let anyone out a nail on this little family as long he is walking on this planet. Now it's his duty to protect everyone.
Henry learnt a ritual yesterday. He found it in a bookshelf of Church of Hazaya. Father Vain saw him but didn't interfere.
No wonder where these curses come from. Wait..... Is that Martin? Suspicious.....
Henry stood in the center of the room. His hands poised, fingers tracing an intricate pattern in the air as though he was weaving invinsible threads.
Mimi lay before him, her once vibrant fur has turned dull. The curse twisted her essence, fractured the spirit by a dark, unseen force. Her fur burned unnatural and eyes gloomung in fear. Henry's heart clenched at the sight of her, but he knew he could save her. The ritual he is going to perform is a dangerous one. Only lost art could undo such a affliction.
Henry took Mimi near him. He stood straight putting candles around him in a circle—ironroot flames, each flame burning a deep, shimmering violet that flickered like ghosts in the wind.
The circle was drawn by powdered moonstone which he earned negotiating some Ruta Graveolens to Vain.
With his hand raised, Henry murmured a prayer in old tongue, words rising like a call of something unseen.
" By the spirits who walk the thin between the worlds, by the bones of fallen stars I summon thee. "
As he spoke, a faint hum filled in the air, and the ground seemed to tremble beneath his feet. The room became darkened very soon.
He threw a drop of Obsidian nectar in each candles. By whom the flame enraged more and turned blue. After some seconds, a red stone appeared in front of him. Which is basically known as " Heartstone " in herbal world. Which an ancient talisman still used by many Miracle Invokers.
The flames turned off automatically. Henry took the Heartstone floating in front of his face and sighed. He pressed it gently against Mimi's chest. He slowly performed an incantation. The Heartstone brightened Mimi's body in red spark for a second and then turned ash. Genuinely sat beside Mimi.
He smiled, exhausted but triumphant. His hand resting on Mimi's small, peaceful form.
" It's done, little one. Hope you feel better.... "
He was thinking for a nap. Took his heavy clothes off first. Binding yellow and black ribbon in both hands so that Death can't bother him in sleep.
...
After opening eyes, he found himself where he didn't wanted to be.
A guy having a star shape appeared.
" Looks like a supernova happened somewhere. How many died recently? "
Said Henry with a smirk.
That guy, " Death " casually replied, " Not much. There were total thirteen planets in the system. Five of them were dead planets. The death count could be near eight or nine trillion. "
Henry tried to look here and there. Observing the place quietly. Something was distracting his focus from the center.
" Hey, hey, hey! "
Death called up for Henry.
" What? "
" Nothing, just checking if bothering you still works. "
" You scum bag! Yes, it flawlessly does. "
" By the way, do you want to know about some divination like Crow Counting? You can do this alone at home. "
" Okay, teacher. Tell me then. I will test it tomorrow if it works or not. "
" Okay. Crow Counting is a rumor, thought by many saints in current era. It actually works due to miracle's activities and nature. Bind a black ribbon and sleep at night. When you wake up and open the window you might see crows on branches or anywhere it gets free space. Different quantity of crow leads different results. Just like—
One - Back luck. But it also represents death of your beloved ones if it shuts before you leave.
Two - Good luck or a major change in life.
Three - A child or wedding news.
Four - Same as yesterday
Five - Good in business or job, better earning.
Six - Fall or gain/promote. Sometimes tells that you are going to be a victim of thiefs.
Seven - A secret or a curse upcoming.
Eight - Unexpected thing, life's biggest turn.
Nine - Love coming. Doesn't mean girlfriend only. It can be your lost brother too.
Ten - Luck will change. Bad to good, good to bad.
Eleven - Surprise hid and unravels.
Phew! That was too easy to explain. Oh! I forgot to tell. Sometimes you may see zero amount of crows. Be sure something really special is going to happen. No idea it's a blessing or curse bad. "
Henry sat on the sofa that appeared behind him.
" Damn! I shall never open the window! "
" It still works when you go out. If you don't open window, you might see it coming when you go out. "
" Damn! What was that, again? "
" I said to wrap you in a sack and throw it in the Pacific Ocean. "
" Wait..... What? Pacific Ocean? From which planet? It doesn't belong from our earth if I remember correctly. "
Death slightly smiled at the fourth wall.