Ahhh... I needed this.
The sleep felt great, especially after the chaos that was the previous day. Riku could still hear the chatter, loudness, and venom from the words of all those who attended the hearing yesterday. He felt great now, but the residue of the previous day's experience was still in mind.
As he sat up, he knew there was no chance of slipping back into sleep. It's something that happened to him a lot and it always left him worse for wear.
Great... Awake for no reason. Just myluck.
He yawned, stretching until his joints popped, before dragging himself out of bed, making it to the bathroom to clean and freshen himself up. A splash of cold water jolted his senses awake, and he exhaled sharply.
Doesn't seem like anyone else is up and about... I don't have anything to do either. Might as well walk around for a bit.
The halls of the Ecliptic Vault were quiet, almost serene. For the first time since arriving, Riku had the leisure to really look around. He slowed his steps, letting his eyes trace the patterns carved into the walls, the muted glow of lanterns, the sweeping murals etched with unfamiliar constellations.
His bare footsteps echoed faintly against the marble floor as wandered around. The corridors expanded much further than he initially thought, a maze of navy and violet that felt ancient and alive.
The admiration of it all was cut short though. Voices. Faint voices reached his ears.
Riku slowed, straining to find out who it was.
"...he did what he did at the shrine, it's not safe for him to send him out on a case while he doesn't know the basics."
Renjirō's voice was low and deliberate, carrying the weight of someone discussing something important.
Are... they talking about me?
Another voice reached Riku's ears.
"I get that... but we're running short on time, aren't we? Not with the cases all the concords have been getting." Sayaka's.
Riku edged closer, careful to keep his steps quiet. The voices grew clearer.
Renjirō sighed. "Then we'll start with the fundamentals. First things first, we need to know what Domain Gradation he belongs to. Then the basic skills. Reinforcement and preventing leaks, along with his gate. It's a lot, but—"
Before he could finish, Riku accidentally brushed against a hanging lantern on the wall. It swayed with a faint slight clink.
Both voices stopped.
The silence pressed on him for a moment before Sayaka called out. "Riku? You're up so soon?"
He scratched his cheek, stepping into view with a sheepish grin. "Uh… yeah. Just woke up. Didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything."
Sayaka crossed her arms, sighing. "You kids always love to eavesdrop and snoop like toddlers. You have him, Renjirō. I need a drink." She walked off, presumably going to drown herself in some more sake, as she usually does.
Renjirō looked at Riku, a small smile creeping up on his face. "…Hmph. Then it seems you heard enough."
"And I get none of it." Riku replied.
"I know. But she has a point. We're overwhelmed with all the cases. Not just the Moonless Court, but the Sun's Oath, the Covenant, the Hollow Vein, and the Guards have all been drowned in more and more cases. You need to learn many things." Renjirō ran a hand through his hair, looking like he was trying to think of where to start.
"How much is 'many things'?" Riku asked. He felt a little nervous. This sounded huge. Important.
Renjirō patted Riku's shoulder. "Don't worry. Me, Akio, Mei, and Ms. Uro will guide you the best we can. You'll get this all quickly. First things first, we need to show you what it means to be among a concord. Follow me. You need to learn where you stand in this world."
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Renjirō led him through the winding hall, the lantern-light catching on and illuminating their clothes.
"Now that you're an official Mantrik, belonging to a concord within our order, you'll have certain tasks. Duties if you will. That comes with expectations... and pay."
"Pay?" Riku blinked. "We get paid for this kind of thing?"
Renjirō gave a low chuckle. "We're not monks in caves, Riku. We're given cases and your contributions will be measured based on if you complete it and how you go about doing so."
He paused, his eyes growing solemn and casting slightly downward. "Riku... The things we handle in our line of work are not easy. So, please exercise caution. We handle many investigations. From missing persons to homicides... we see it all. If something truly disturbs you, come talk to me. Got it?"
Riku noticed the concerned expression in Renjirō's eyes, as if this would've hurt him more than it would hurt Riku. "Yeah... Of course."
Renjirō exhaled, a slight tension receding from his shoulders. "Thank you." He smiled. "Now, back to the topic of discussion... Handle yourself well, and you'll see ten to fifteen Ryōban for a single case. That's on average. Lower-level cases will result in around five to seven."
Riku nodded. "And... if you don't mind me asking, how much is that worth here?"
"It'll help you get by. More than that, actually. And the more experience you have, the more you'll receive. Don't worry about it too much. However... depending on the case, if you fail..." His expression darkened, and the weight of unspoken stories filled the pause.
Riku didn't even need to respond. "...Right."
How is he so confident in me? I'm supposed to help him with all this?
Renjirō saw the doubt in Riku's expression. "I'm not trying to scare you. But... do you remember the reaction of the Rajapāla when I confirmed the name of the case?"
"Yeah," Riku nodded. They were appalled, bewildered, and looked scared more than anything. It was an odd sight. "I do."
"They have every right to be. Apostolic is the greatest classification we can give to a Mantrik or a case. They've the capability to alter reality to suit their whims. You survived such an event with little knowledge of what we are." Renjirō said.
Riku looked down, a little flustered. When it was put that way, he couldn't help but feel like the confidence was warranted.
"Can I ask you something, Dr. Tsukimura?" Riku asked.
"Hmm? Sure, lay it on me." Renjirō replied.
"I know you explained Malevolent Mantra to me before. How it was affecting Tetsuya... but with the way people have been reacting to my survival and the case... I feel like I'm missing something." Riku said.
Renjirō's eyes narrowed slightly, lightly dropping low. "Malevolent Mantra isn't just rare, Riku. It's … unstable. Erratic. Spontaneous. It feeds on malice, on the worst fragments of thought. You can't control it, you can only hope it burns itself out before it devours you. Lucky for Tetsuya, he's being treated and monitored by our medical team."
"So... it appears out of nowhere?" Riku asked.
Renjirō nodded slowly. "It can appear out of nowhere, but because it's fueled by choices of impurity, it's something that can be felt by the aggressor as it builds up within them. That's why the Rajapāla were alarmed. For it to manifest on Earth… means something is terribly wrong."
He paused, as if he was contemplating on whether to say more.
"There was one man. An exception, long ago. He didn't just survive it. He harnessed it, without corruption." Renjirō said.
Riku's eyes widened. Someone, so long ago, was so vile to come into contact with it, and not only that, but they also harnessed it? The same force that incapacitated Tetsuya indefinitely? The thought made his stomach do somersaults.
"H-How long is long ago?" Riku asked.
Renjirō sighed, as if he didn't want to say something so heavy. He looked into Riku's eyes, before motioning to the nearby chairs. "Sit. I'll explain what I can."
They both sat down, across from each other, the weight of the silence almost crushing them.
Renjirō started. "Our history starts many millennia ago, split into three eras. The Primyth Era, the Scripture Era, and the Modern Era, our era."
Riku nodded, starting to follow.
"The man that I spoke of was from the Primyth Era, the first era in our history. This was when humans first discovered Mantra and when we tried making sense of it all. Power then was... undiluted, to say the least. It was the golden age of Mantra, so to speak." Renjirō said.
Golden age? They're stronger than the things that are here now?!
Renjirō continued. "Towards the end of the Primyth Era, people began to codify it. They understood how it permeated every living being, and how it gave rise to such esoteric abilities depending on the person. The foundation of everything we do today came from those fumbling first steps"
Riku tilted his head. "So, they just… made it up as they went?"
Renjirō chuckled softly. "In a sense. Trial and error. But that comes with the many progressions and advancements in life, no?"
Dr. Tsukimura's such an optimist...
Renjirō's expression hardened. "But this one man... he not only survived coming into contact with Malevolent Mantra but controlled it. Made it his own. He's considered a legendary calculating devil, with no Mantrik ever coming close to his level of power. Many stood up to him during his life and they failed. No grave, no cremation, and nothing to remember him by, our order has no clue what to make of him, other than his evil and his strength. Were he not contained, this universe would have been wiped out."
"T-The universe? He's that dangerous?" Riku couldn't believe what he was hearing. The same energy that plagued his dreams for the past weeks, could be used by one man, who threatened all of existence?
Riku tried to find his voice. "Is it possible for someone to get so strong without... doing what he did?"
Renjirō inhaled, looking like he was trying to think of how to approach the question. "I believe so. The manipulations some can do with Mantra are something that eludes us to this day. But... the era we live in now has laws and restrictions that bind us from doing things outside of jurisdiction. The Primyth Era was not such a time... and it birthed monsters the likes of which we pray never return."
Silence then took over the conversation. Neither of the two said a word. One couldn't because he didn't know what to take in. The other didn't because he was unsure if he said too much.
"Do you remember the words you had to repeat in front of the Shvara yesterday?" Renjirō asked.
Riku could tell Dr. Tsukimura was trying to change the topic of conversation. As curious as Riku was, he didn't want to make the doctor any more uncomfortable.
Riku nodded. "More or less. Why?"
"What you said wasn't just for the induction. But it was a prayer." Renjirō said.
"Prayer?"
Renjirō nodded. "Gods, Riku. You paid obeisance to the five celestial Gods of our world. To the three pillars of existence."
Riku swallowed. There were existences out there that Mantriks pray to? That hold power over the insanity that he's seen up until now?
Renjirō leaned back in his chair. "The big bang isn't the scientific theory you thought it was. It's built off of principles beyond comprehension. We call them the Three Pylons of Yore."
"The Three Pylons?" Riku echoed.
"The Pylon of Passage, the Pylon of Accord, and the Pylon of Remembrance." Renjirō said.
Riku started to feel like his brain was melting, the complexities of this world's history already making him feel like he was lost in a labyrinth of books, lectures, and knowledge.
A faint smile tugged at Renjirō's lips. "Accord is the pillar of harmony. Makes sure that the universe and its worlds are balanced. Whenever something is to be born, something dies. That's what Accord oversees. Passage is the pillar of continuity. The reason one moment flows to the next, from one era to another. And Remembrance..." His eyes flickered, shadowed. "…Remembrance is what gives meaning. Without it, nothing lasts. No memory. No history. No identity."
Riku sat back, trying to process it. "So those three… made everything?"
Renjirō nodded. "The Three Pylons of Yore merged into the infinite expanse of what would be the universe. Their convergence birthed the fabric of what we call reality. Stars, seas, galaxies, the worlds beyond ours — all arose due to the Pylons assimilating themselves into being. But even then, the universe was... hollow. No will of its own." Renjirō's tone deepened, heavy with weight. "Born from the spirit and bodies of the Three Pylons, came five sovereign entities. Deities."
Riku leaned forward. "The ones I prayed to?"
Renjirō's eyes locked onto his. "Yes. The Five Celestial Deities. Each a fragment of the Pylons' essence, yet wholly their own."
He gestured his hands slowly, as if painting a large canvas with them. "The Lord of Scholars, The Mistress of the Abyss, The River-Mother, The Lord of Necessary Dread, and The Lord of the Timeless. These five deities actually control and manipulate the very concepts our Bhāṇḍa's revolve around. Every single one."
Riku swallowed hard, his chest tightening. He wasn't sure if he felt awe or dread. Maybe both.
Renjirō carried on. "The Lord of Scholars was born from Accord — the binding of thought and truth, knowledge given permanence. The Mistress of the Abyss came from Passage. She is silence and entropy incarnate. Then there's the River-Mother, born from Remembrance. She's the epitome of life, nourishment, and fertility. Then the Lord of Necessary Dread. Born of Accord, He is the embodiment of oaths, misdirection, and sacrifice. Finally, there's the Lord of the Timeless. Born from Passage, He is time, causality, and inversion."
The lantern light seemed to dim around them as Renjirō finished, the silence pressing heavier now.
"We owe Them our creed, our rites, our very survival. The words you spoke at the hearing weren't just for the initiation, Riku. You paid your respects to the beings that created this world. The beings who have blessed you with life and a second chance. And in return…" His gaze softened. "…they will be watching you."
Riku exhaled shakily, feeling as if he was in front of their very splendor. He felt a chill travel down his spine, along with the emptiness in his stomach.
"But your Bhāṇḍa is still unclassified. We still need to know which Domain Gradation you fall under." Renjirō said.
"Domain... Gradation?" Riku asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Renjirō inclined his head a tad. "Think of it as... a classification system, but it's more than just that. It reveals the core philosophy of your Bhāṇḍa and your existence. A refinement of it, if you will. It's the very shape your soul carves into the world. Every Mantrik can call upon their Bhāṇḍa, but the Gradation dictates how far that Bhāṇḍa can truly go."
"So, stages?" Riku asked.
"In a sense. But it's more than that. They determine the doors you may open, and the prices you'll never escape. It's what separates an initiator of a Domain... against one who can control reality. An apostle."
Riku's eyes widened. He thought back to the name of the incident.
"The Silent God Case: Apostolic Level"
"I can tell what you're thinking. Yes, what you went through back at the shrine was the apex of danger." Renjirō said.
He motioned to a door that led downstairs, but before going down, Riku heard three voices.
"Wait up! We need to be there, right?" Mei's.
"The mirror should be prepped... I think." Ms. Uro's.
"You look a little nervous, Riku. You alright?" Akio's.
Riku turned around. "Huh? What're you guys-"
Akio interjected, placing a hand on Riku's shoulder. "What you're about to discover is a rite of passage amongst everyone. All members of the Moonless Court need to be there for you. We're sticking by you when this happens, so don't feel so anxious. Okay?"
Riku looked into their eyes, each of them showing encouragement, and soothing the perturbation within him.
"Thank you..." he said.
Renjirō grinned, crossing his arms. "Good," he said. "We'll need all of you for this."