After about five seconds of contact, the soulglass seemed to start fogging up from the inside. Within moments, the clear transparence had become more and more clouded, until it was entirely opaque.
Then, there was a flash of colored light on the inside, a kind of bright silver that immediately gave way to a bright, rich gold, as though the sun itself was trapped within it.
Rin wasn't looking anywhere else anymore. Still cross-eyed, he was transfixed by the color.
Still, the woman did not pull the tool away.
'What is it? What is it?' came the sudden, piercing voice of an excited child, again from somewhere beyond the range of his sight.
The man who had spoken earlier laughed, and seemed to have knelt to be nearer to the child who had spoken. 'Princess, you must be patient. Your brother's soul possesses the same sovereign talent that both you and I have. But it will take a little longer for us to determine the exact nature of his magic. In the meantime, can you tell me what it might be?'
'Yes! For one, prohibition! Like mine!'
'Oh? And pray explain what that is?'
'When I say that something must not be done, it will not happen!'
'But does that not mean your magic is a kind of binding talent, then?'
'No! A binding talent had structured or-or constructed resti-restwi-'
'Restrictions.'
'Restrictions! With rigid consequences in place. But with prohibition, the events and conditions themselves will change. If I create a rule that prohibits something, the cir-circum…stances will make it so!'
The man hummed in agreement. 'My princess is so very powerful! But is she also knowledgeable? Does she know why she cannot use her powerful magic for everyday events? For instance, to prohibit her nanny from taking away that cake –'
The man's words cut off abruptly at the sound of a gasp from the woman.
'Darling-?'
Rin's eyes refocused as the woman pulled the soulglass away. She held it up towards where the man was probably standing.
Right before she'd taken it away, Arin had gotten a clear look at the symbol that had taken form, right in the middle of the light in the soulglass.
It hadn't been anything too impressive.
It was a robustly-outlined circle, with only its upper half patterned with spoke-like lines that radiated from center to circumference. The lower half was empty.
Clearly, what he couldn't appreciate had found an enthralled audience in the man and the little girl who accompanied him.
There was silence for a few seconds, in which Arin strained his ears.
'This is…' The man started laughing, sounding overjoyed. 'Absolute pronouncement!'
'Ohhh! Just like father! Just like father!' the girl cheered.
The woman stood up slowly, reaching out her arms and slowly walking out of Arin's view, presumably to hug the man. Unshed tears of joy glimmered in her beautiful eyes.
Arin wanted to cry too.
Absolute pronouncement? What does that mean?!