Lumian had always held the belief that the lizard-like elf he saw was merely a figment of his dreaming mind. Symbols and metaphors held a deeper significance than the tangible reality.
Yet now, before his very eyes, the diaphanous and elusive lizard-like creature revealed itself in all its existence!
It was undeniably real!
Moreover, it had appeared in Paramita, emerging from the deep chasm left by the Tree of Shadow—a most peculiar event involving formidable powers!
Could it be that the lizard crawling out of Aurore's mouth was not a fabrication? What did it symbolize, and what were its intentions? Lumian's brow furrowed as he contorted his expression, experiencing a mix of pain, shock, confusion, and withdrawal.
This agitation stirred something within Lumian, making him feel that he could regain some of his memories and determine their authenticity. Yet, this time, the scenes didn't flicker through his mind as they did during psychiatric treatments or after hearing Madame Pualis's words. The dream still lingered in his memory.
In that moment, Termiboros's resonant voice echoed in Lumian's ears.
"Do you truly believe that I am responsible for all the anomalies and misfortunes surrounding you?
"Do you think you can escape Susanna Mattise, who is nearly a demigod with a backup plan, by relying solely on the efforts of the sealed me and a Sequence 7 Beyonder like yourself?
"Do you believe that Susanna Mattise's failure is solely due to her being an evil spirit, extremism, impatience, and lack of preparation before the ritual? Is there no other underlying reason?"
These words overlapped and resounded in Lumian's mind, allowing him to grasp their meaning within a short span of time.
Lumian was taken aback, feeling as if he had been plunged into an icy lake, experiencing the transition from early summer to winter.
He blurted out, "Then what is it?"
Termiboros remained silent, as if sensing and comprehending something.
In an instant, Lumian's joy surged. He felt the heavy burden on his shoulders dissipate significantly.
Does this mean that Aurore truly fell under the control of that peculiar lizard-like creature?
Was that why she remained oblivious to any abnormality when awake, seeking assistance from the outside world alongside me?
No, perhaps she sensed that something was amiss. The correct interpretation of the letter's order should be: "We are getting weirder. The people around us need help as soon as possible!"
Franca nudged Lumian.
"Why are you lost in thought? Hurry, let us leave this place swiftly. The official Beyonders and clergymen have arrived!"
Lumian shook off his daze and dashed with Franca to the far end of Rue Anarchie, his singed clothes clinging to his body, along with the tree trunk originating from the Tree of Shadow—not Susanna's later creation.
During this process, two revelations suddenly dawned upon him.
As an angel of Inevitability, Termiboros also displayed an astute understanding of various matters. It is inconceivable for Him to remain oblivious to Susanna Mattise's offering Him as a sacrifice to the Mother Tree of Desire with me as the primary vessel without unsealing the seal. He is no novice to the mystical world like me!
Therefore, He never anticipated the outcome of Susanna Mattise breaking the seal from the very beginning. He made those claims purely as a bluff, coercing me to seek His aid and agree to certain unequal terms, creating an opportunity for Him to truly escape.
What He didn't foresee was my choice to deceive Susanna Mattise, compelling Him to provide me assistance based on the information she provided. No, He must have considered this possibility, but he had nothing to lose by attempting it. What if I had not devised a swift solution at that critical moment?
Dammit, His intentions are far too sinister! I could have fallen victim to His deception with the slightest carelessness!
Likewise, Susanna Mattise is no paragon of honesty.
Since she sought guidance from the Mother Tree of Desire and acknowledged the possibility of an angel being sealed within me, why wouldn't she contemplate the potential transmission of power through the seal? Subsequently, she prayed for power capable of withstanding the influence of Termiboros's leaked power, or even surpassing it. I failed to perceive it then and came dangerously close to corruption despite being distant.
Had I not escaped the Tree of Shadow in the nick of time, I would have succumbed to corruption.
Why didn't Susanna Mattise seek assistance right from the start? Could it be that corruption poses a threat to her as well?
Indeed, despite unforeseen circumstances during the Cordu ritual, the padre, as the host of the sacrificial ceremony, was shielded by the power of Inevitability. He did not transform into a monstrous entity or merge into the three-headed giant like the others and successfully escaped… Susanna Mattise also planned on relying on the protection of the ritual to resist corruption?
Hence, she bought time, awaiting the completion of the ritual's preparations!
She did not target and control me initially because she knew that pushing too hard would prompt Termiboros to intervene prematurely, introducing too many uncertainties.
Thus, she endeavored to create an illusion for me, fostering the belief that resistance and escape were within reach. Only when I broached the subject of the angel did she stall for time, stringing together a series of seemingly revealing words. She concealed her true trump card, biding her time for me to make the wrong choice with Termiboros's aid and fall into her prearranged trap.
Although she did not anticipate the attack from the Montsouris ghost, had it not been for an external intervention exploiting the crack created by the ghost, I would have remained trapped within the Tree of Shadow's depths. Moreover, she was on the verge of officially activating the ritual and gaining protection.
Dammit! Beautiful Actors truly possess the knack for deceiving others!
As Lumian and Franca sprinted ahead, their surroundings suddenly transformed into a surreal spectacle. Vibrant layers of colors intertwined with indescribable, fantastical creatures.
His head spun, and his vision became hazy.
When his sight cleared, Rue Anarchie was nowhere in sight, and the vibrant palette had vanished.
Instead, he found himself standing on a verdant hillside, facing Madam Magician, adorned in an orange dress.
She's here too… Lumian glanced around but couldn't spot Franca.
As if sensing his unspoken question, Madam Magician smiled and spoke, "The Two of Cups departed with her Major Arcana card to attend to some matters."
"The Two of Cups?" Lumian was perplexed.
"That's Franca. She is one of us. Her code name is Two of Cups, just as you are the Seven of Wands," Madam Magician casually explained. "You have officially joined our ranks. Speak to the Two of Cups later and have her introduce our organization. I won't say much."
Not only is Franca a member of the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society, but she is also part of the secret organization utilizing tarot card codenames? Lumian felt a mix of surprise and elation.
This meant that he and Franca were true comrades.
Madam Magician scrutinized Lumian's charred countenance and fragmented attire. From somewhere, she produced a simple brown suit tailored for a man and tossed it to him.
"Change into this later. While it's not particularly scandalous for Trieriens to roam the streets nude, one mustn't entirely succumb to the surroundings. You must maintain your true self. Only then can you resist the potion's corruption and minimize the risk of losing control."
Lumian caught the clothes, and Madam Magician pondered for a moment before speaking, "Tell me in detail what has transpired recently. Although I knew you would encounter followers of the evil gods and become entangled with them, I did not anticipate you getting embroiled in such weighty matters directly."
Lumian recounted the events, starting from his arrival in Trier to his use of the Summoning Dance to lure Susanna Mattise. He focused on the sacrificial ritual, Termiboros's involvement, and the enigmatic lizard-like creature.
As Madam Magician listened, her expression grew solemn. Once Lumian finished speaking, she nodded slightly and said, "This is highly abnormal. Both Termiboros and that elf are far from ordinary."
She gazed at Lumian, speaking in a direct manner, "It wasn't Termiboros who aided you in enhancing Fallen Mercury's abilities within the Tree of Shadow and allowed the Montsouris ghost to arrive early."
"Not Him?" Lumian had speculated the issues that Madam Magician might uncover, but he never expected her to address this matter so clearly.
If not Termiboros, then who else could it be?
Moreover, the subsequent changes only occurred after the compromise of the Inevitable angel.
"I don't have the answers either." Madam Magician shook her head slowly. "What I can affirm is that the seal of that great existence wouldn't allow Termiboros to unleash such power. If that were possible, He would have long manipulated you to assist Him in breaking the seal."
Observing Lumian's perplexed expression, Madam Magician continued, "All Termiboros can do is influence your judgment and choices. After all, He is sealed within you, and your fates are intertwined to a certain extent.
"To put it simply, concerning Charlie's situation, Termiboros couldn't expedite Susanna Mattise's recovery. He couldn't dictate when or how she planned to find Charlie. He could merely utilize this situation to instill in you the intention of employing the Luck Transference Spell to alter Charlie's fate and augment the corresponding likelihood.
"From this standpoint, do you believe He possesses the capability to enhance Fallen Mercury's abilities and allow the timely arrival of the Montsouris ghost?
"However, it is plausible for Him to aid you in shouldering the burden of the past scenes within the Tree of Shadow.
"Hence, I have consistently advised you to seek my counsel beforehand on critical and perilous matters rather than making decisions on your own."
Lumian's heart surged like a tumultuous ocean.
He recollected the incident where Rentas took Charlie underground and realized that Madam Magician's words held truth.
Charlie's gruesome plight and destiny stemmed from two factors. Firstly, the threat posed by the Bliss Society through Rentas, and secondly, Lumian's own choice at the crossroads of fate. Thus, once Rentas was slain by their hands, Charlie's fortune merely improved marginally. Only when Lumian made the correct decision did everything revert to normalcy. There were no indications of Termiboros's influence.
If He could sway Charlie's path in the same manner He manipulated the Montsouris ghost, Lumian would have fallen victim long ago.
Moreover, why would Susanna Mattise entertain the idea of capturing me alive, knowing that I can receive indirect assistance from an angel after she departed from the Tree of Shadow and was in a weakened state, despite being aware of Termiboros's limited influences?
Unless Susanna Mattise, who possesses a trace of godhood due to the Tree of Shadow, had already deduced that Termiboros was impotent in exerting influence and remained tightly sealed following the internal conflict within the Tree of Shadow. There must be another origin to this quandary! And that origin did not depart alongside her! Dammit! I had presumed that even if my judgment faltered or the fate exchange prolonged, Termiboros would never allow Susanna Mattise to capture me alive, as it would render Him a sacrificial pawn. Little did I know, He lacked the capability entirely… Lumian postulated, obtaining a more rational explanation for the recent turn of events.
"What exactly happened?" he inquired, a tinge of anguish and anger coloring his tone.
Madam Magician pondered for a few seconds before responding, "Taking into account those misfortunes, I suspect that Termiboros has allies in the outside world. In other words, there may be a Beyonder lurking around you who possesses the ability to influence fate. He secretly accomplished tasks in accordance with the ideas transmitted by Termiboros, but he did so with subtlety to avoid exposure."
A word suddenly flashed across Lumian's mind: Sufferer!
In his dream, after entering the underground altar with Ryan's team, they had become tainted by the aura of a Sufferer!
As for the owl and the other "him" within the Warlock's tomb, prior to their unveiling, they always gave him the impression that they were the root of the problem and the mastermind behind it all.
Could these be symbolic as well?
