On the eve of that mysterious night, the public was in the grip of a massive mobilization, like a prisoner meticulously preparing for her own execution. In the very center of the square, massive logs cut from birch trees rose like an ominous pyramid toward the sky; the ancient and sacred water, Zephyra, shimmered in silver vessels beside the wood, waiting to reflect the coming flames. This was the Night of Exposure; the relentless turning point where the secrets in the deepest reaches of every soul would be shouted in a language of fire, and the hidden would be revealed to seal fates.
Adeline walked toward her home with a weariness that pulled her arms down under the weight of her vegetable basket, a restlessness taking root in her heart. The preparations in the square further fueled the silent cry accumulating in her soul. If she did not climb to the top of that woodpile tonight and present the mirror of her soul to society, she would be condemned to the judgmental and suspicious glances of the townsfolk. Johann's philosophical inquiries and Elora's endless, lighthearted yet exhausting chatter only added to the burden. For the young girl, there was no way out but to go; the rules of Arcadia were driving her toward the very heart of that fire.
When she arrived home, she left the vegetables—symbols of the day's mundanity—on the kitchen table as if they were the last remnants of this world. When she took the heavy cauldron from the bottom cabinet and lit the stove, the first flicker of the fire felt like a small rehearsal for the great conflagration in the square. As she began washing and chopping the vegetables, the door began to be hammered so violently it felt as if it would fly off its hinges. When Elora ran to the door with her usual childish haste, she saw Johann standing on the threshold with a basket of fruit. Elora's previously tense face instantly transformed into a radiant look of admiration. From the humid air of the kitchen, Adeline's voice rose:
"Elora, who is it?"
Elora, with that excited tone in her voice, heralded Johann's arrival and slammed the basket onto the table. When Adeline joined them, Elora was impatiently snacking on the fruit, while Johann appeared lost like a sage completely detached from this world, buried in the pages of a thick, worn-edged book he had pulled from his bag.
"Welcome, Johann," Adeline greeted him.
Johann looked up and responded with a friendly smile, then turned to Elora with a mischievous expression. Noticing the two of them smiling, Elora took another huge bite of her fruit and looked at them with questioning eyes. "I wish you had washed them first, Elora," Adeline teased. Johann immediately raised his hand in defense: "I washed them by the creek right after I gathered them anyway. I knew a monster like her would pounce on the fruit the moment she saw it."
As the laughter of the three friends echoed in the kitchen, Adeline sat down beside Johann. The conversation reached such depth that, for a moment, not a single fragment of anxiety regarding the Night of Exposure remained in the young girl's mind.
— Hohenberg Manor —
In the heavy and dignified atmosphere of his study, Erhard was scrutinizing a mountain of documents piled upon his desk with great care. He looked up at the gentle tapping on the door and heard his father's imposing voice: "Erhard."
The young man looked at his father with respect and moved to stand, closing the file before him. "Please, Father," he said. His father gestured for him to remain seated: "No need, no need, stay down," he said, his voice carrying its usual unshakable authority.
The old man looked at his son with eyes full of pride. "With both my sons being so determined, our reputation will not falter for years to come. You work even harder for our family than I do, Erhard; sometimes I envy you."
Erhard replied with a modest smile: "I plan to handle most of the work before my brother Tobias arrives, that is all."
His father raised his hand in approval: "Well done, my son, well done. I am sure you will make me proud once again tonight. You will possess a sacred Side Spirit just like Tobias and carry our name to the farthest lands."
Erhard turned his gaze toward the window, to the swallowing darkness of the forest. Inside him, a difficult-to-describe restlessness germinated like a poison. "Father," he said, his voice trembling in the marble room, "What if my soul has not reflected? What if I do not have a sacred Side Spirit?"
His father met this question with a laugh, as if he had heard the most absurd joke in the world: "Do you think such a thing is possible, Erhard? Every individual in our lineage is blessed. Your brother Tobias is the greatest proof of that. There is not even a possibility of you not having a sacred Side Spirit."
Erhard looked out into the uncertain darkness again. His father's sarsılmaz (unshakable) confidence had not been enough to soothe the silent storm in Erhard's heart.
— The Square —
Night had descended over Arcadia like a black veil; the moon was perched upon its magnificent throne in the sky. The townsfolk gathered before those ominous birch logs, their whispers mingling with the howl of the wind. "Is the King not attending the ceremony again?" someone asked. The other sighed in response: "No, as always. Has anyone even seen him mingle with these people?" As a guard passed before them with the clatter of his armor and cast a sharp look their way, the whispering stopped as if cut by a blade.
With a primordial voice rising in the square, the Enchanter moved beside the Zephyra vessel, in front of the woodpile. Her voice reached the crowd, echoing:
"O companions of ancient spirits! We are gathered here today to discover our sacred bonds and descend into the depths of truth. The night is ready to whisper its secrets; the stars wait to illuminate our souls. Are you ready to pry open the heavy door of your fate?"
The Enchanter pointed to a young girl from the crowd. The girl stepped forward. The Enchanter took her hands and looked into her eyes: "Tonight is no ordinary darkness. This moment, when you shall see the mirror of your soul, is a journey only for the brave. Silence your fear; the soul's choice never misleads."
The young girl bowed her head with respect. The Enchanter dipped her hand into the Zephyra and poured the sacred water over the girl's head. The water, shimmering like diamonds, trickled down the girl's forehead and dripped onto the earth. The girl climbed to the top of the woodpile, cast one last look at her family, and closed her eyes. The flames first encircled her gently like a lover's touch, then grew like a roaring storm. The wind-blown leaves and sparks took the shape of a majestic deer silhouette above the girl.
"Agros!" the Enchanter cried out.
When the fire died down, the girl descended excitedly. When Elora stepped forward, Johann's gaze fixed on the Hohenberg family as they entered the square like a shadow. He nudged Adeline sharply with his elbow: "Look, the Hohenbergs have arrived." Adeline looked at Johann's untimely tactlessness in surprise, silenced him, and focused on the ceremony. The flames rising around Elora, along with the leaves floating in the air, formed the shape of a color-changing chameleon. "Shaedon!" the Enchanter shouted.
When it was Adeline's turn, the young girl swallowed and advanced toward the Enchanter with heavy steps. Two old and wrinkled hands grasped Adeline's hands with maternal tenderness. "Fear and hesitation must be left behind, Young Lady..." the old woman said with a smile. As she poured the Zephyra over Adeline's head, Adeline climbed onto the logs. In that moment, an absolute peace she had never felt before enveloped her being. She closed her eyes. The flames, which began as orange, suddenly transformed into a supernatural blue and a shimmering pink light. The Enchanter's eyes shone with admiration at these unique colors. At the very peak of the flames, a rabbit silhouette formed from stars appeared. The Enchanter raised her hands to the sky with joy and awe, shouting:
"Supreme Seraph!"
When Adeline descended, she embraced the Enchanter with gratitude: "Thank you." The Enchanter returned Adeline's embrace with the same warmth and gently pushed her back by her shoulders. "A life blessed under the guidance of the Supreme Seraph… There is a nobility in your blood that the earth has not forgotten." Adeline, her eyes filled with tears of joy, smiled and joined her friends.
It was Erhard's turn. He passed through the crowd like a silent and dignified shadow, as if walking to his own funeral, and stood before the Enchanter. The old woman repeated the same ritual for him and poured the cold Zephyra over his head. When Erhard climbed onto the logs, he first looked at his father, at that face full of expectation. The moment he closed his eyes, his heart accelerated like a war drum; he opened his eyes one last time and looked at Adeline. He saw Johann beside her, affectionately pinching her cheeks. He closed his eyes again and abandoned himself to an absolute darkness.
The moment the flames engulfed Erhard, a blood-curdling, superhuman scream tore through the silence of the square. Erhard was screaming at the top of his lungs, as if his soul were being torn apart. Unlike the others, the flames did not offer him comfort, but an unbearable agony overflowing from the gates of hell; his body was truly burning, inch by inch. The pitch-black ash rising from the wood, the dark smoke leaking from Erhard's lips, and the sparks flying from the fire collided in the air with a terrifying clash, taking the shape of a massive, savage wolf silhouette. The people in the square froze, stepping back in horror at this terrifying sight.
When the flames suddenly died down, Erhard was stumbling down within his charred clothes, having no strength left to stand. When he noticed Adeline's pitying, horror-filled gaze, the pain in his soul surpassed that of his body. He looked at his father; the man's unshakable pride had been replaced by deep confusion and terror. Erhard pressed his hand against his chest; the fire within him refused to be extinguished. He approached the Enchanter with difficulty and managed to whisper, "Help me..."
The old woman closed her eyes; a single tear rolled down her cheek and fell into the ashes on the ground. She parted her lips to offer a consolation or to shout the truth, but she paused without being able to utter a single word. In that moment, Erhard's body could no longer withstand this supernatural pressure, and the young man collapsed to the ground like a tree falling upon the snow, a lifeless body.
Everyone in the square remained frozen like statues; no one moved, no one dared to come to the aid of this "cursed" looking youth. Only Adeline and Johann broke through the invisible barriers of society and rushed forward. They poured the water they took in their palms from the Zephyra onto Erhard's wounds. However, Erhard's body was so hot that the water evaporated as if hitting a hot stone, and their hands burned when they tried to touch his wounds. Adeline looked at the Enchanter, who was petrified in shock, and at the youth in agony on the ground; in that moment, she was forced to retreat in tears, surrendering to a great despair in the shadow of Arcadia.