The next morning began in the Hall of Oracles. Thirty students filled the chamber, each wearing identical white robes.
Every desk carried a glowing emblem, with the mark of Luminis. I took my seat near the middle, blending in quietly.
High Ordainer Celvayn stood at the front. "Only the obedient ascend," he said. "The Light judges not thought, but posture. Not purity, but performance."
Everyone bowed their heads in unison, and I followed. Echo guided the monk's divine aura slowly through my ring, carefully matching the seal's exact resonance.
After a tense pause, a gentle chime sounded from my desk. The seal accepted me.
"We barely arrived," Echo muttered. "You overslept. Three seconds slower and you would have been marked for review."
I hadn't meant to sleep in, but after chasing shadows through the eastern wing last night, I'd barely closed my eyes before the morning bells started ringing.
"Next time, I'm waking you with noise," Echo added.
I didn't answer. My mind wasn't on the lesson.
Around me, other students smiled, eyes closed, fully absorbed in devotion.
Last night still troubled me. After seeing that shadow near the stairwell, I'd chased after it through darkened hallways.
In the end, I lost track of whoever it was. They slipped away silently, leaving me with no answers.
I glanced around the hall, trying to seem casual. The city was still on high alert, searching for heretics. I couldn't afford to lower my guard.
Whoever had been watching me, they suspect something. And until I discovered what, I wasn't safe here.
I glanced down at my notes again. Mixed between the pages of copied prayers and chant verses was a list of names I had transcribed by hand.
I'd found the original last night, deep in the restricted archives beneath the east cloister. Echo didn't say much then, even when I asked.
Now, the names were in front of me again. Some from recent years, others from a long times ago.
I went over the names carefully. Most were younger acolytes from different sections of the Sanctum. There wasn't a clear pattern yet, but one thought kept nagging at me: Elara.
Her name wasn't on the list, but something told me she was connected. In my previous lives, she'd been important. That meant she'd matter again in this cycle. Whoever was responsible for these disappearances might target her eventually.
I folded the paper quietly and glanced around the hall again. Students continued chanting, unaware.
Priests walked slowly between the rows. Everything looked normal, but I didn't trust it.
Echo still hadn't said anything. I knew he was listening to my thought.
"Nothing to add?" I asked silently.
No answer.
I frowned, thumb pressing into the edge of the page. Maybe he didn't want to interfere.
Maybe it was one of those memories that had to be uncovered, not handed over. Or maybe it was dangerous even for him to talk about.
But If I waited too long, Elara would disappear too.
High Ordainer Celvayn paused directly in front of my desk, breaking the calmness of the class. His cold gaze settled on me.
"You seem distracted today, Klein," he said. "Is the lesson not holding your interest?"
I straightened my back, trying to keep my face calm. "My apologies, High Ordainer. I was reflecting on the deeper meanings of today's prayers."
Celvayn raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Reflection is commendable, but not when it disrupts your attention."
Echo whispered sharply, caution in his tone. "Be careful. Celvayn is one of the strongest mages under Luminis. If he suspects something and examines you closely, he could discover you're a heretic."
I quickly adjusted my posture and lowered my head slightly, adopting the proper look of humility. "I was reflecting specifically on today's recitation,"
I said carefully. "The verse, 'Lux superna, arde tenebras.' It resonated deeply with me."
Celvayn continued to watch me, his eyes sharp. "Indeed? And can you recall the rest?"
Without hesitation, I calmly recited the prayer we had just learned, my voice clear and confident:
"Lux superna, arde tenebras.
Lux intus, protege animam.
Lux ultra, iudica abscondita."
When I finished, Celvayn held my gaze a moment longer, then gave a slight nod, seemingly satisfied.
"Good," he said quietly. "Reflection should strengthen devotion, not distract from it."
As he turned to walk back toward the dais, I released a slow, silent breath.
Echo spoke softly, relief clear in his voice. "That was close. Keep your focus from now on."
After class, we filed silently into the prayer dome. The scent of incense filled the air, drifting slowly toward the vaulted ceiling.
Above us, circular runes carved deeply into the stone began to glow, awakened by the collective faith gathered in this sacred space.
Each rune represented a sacred verse of Luminis, arranged in concentric rings, inner verses closer to the goddess herself, outer ones forming protective layers around her divine presence.
The prayer leader stepped forward to the central dais, raising his arms to signal the start of the ritual. His voice echoed clearly through the dome.
"We stand within the sight of the Goddess, under the radiance of her watchful gaze.
Offer your mana; offer your voice. Let the verses of truth cleanse your soul."
Immediately, the chamber filled with voices chanting in perfect unison. Their words carried not only devotion but mana as well, streams of energy flowing visibly upward toward the ceiling, drawn into the waiting runes.
This ritual wasn't merely symbolic, it was a tangible reaffirmation of faith, a cleansing ceremony designed to detect and remove impurities within our souls. Each person's mana would blend with the sacred runes, resonating purely with the light of the goddess. Any conflicting energy would trigger a disruption, marking its owner as tainted.
Knowing this, I matched their rhythm carefully, controlling my breathing and voice precisely. I sent a gentle, steady stream of mana upward with my words.
But for just one heartbeat, my concentration slipped. Shadow energy stirred from deep within, mingling briefly with the pure, radiant mana that surrounded me.
A sharp heat rose in my chest, but Echo quickly intervened, stabilizing the clash before it could disrupt the flow.
"Careful," Echo warned sharply. "Your shadow energy nearly surfaced. Keep it under control or they'll sense it."
I tightened my focus, pushing aside the doubts and conflicts in my mind. My voice steadied. The dome's runes gradually accepted my energy, glowing brighter along with the others.
Yet, even as the ritual continued, I sensed eyes on me.
At the edge of my vision, I noticed Seren had turned slightly. She was watching me carefully, her expression calm but wary.
This time, there was no friendliness or curiosity in her gaze, only suspicion.