Morning arrived quietly in the Akivil household.
A pale gray light filtered through the thin curtains, mixing with the familiar fog that hung over Backlund's streets. The air carried the faint smell of coal smoke drifting in from the factories farther east.
Shen opened his eyes slowly.
For a few minutes he simply stared at the ceiling.
The events of yesterday drifted back into his mind— the pathway, the cloaked man, the books, the five hundred pounds.
He sat up and rubbed his face.
"…Still feels like a strange dream," he muttered.
He closed his eyes for moment and saw those same golden words appeared again in his mind.
Pathway: Unbonded
Sequence 9: Rising Star
Formula:10 grams of Sun-patterned Crystal dust. The eye of a Light-seeking Bat. Pure water collected under starlight.
He opened his eyes, look around his room and saw the stack of books on his desk.
"Sigh....looks likes everything was real."
After making sure the wallet was still safely hidden inside the drawer of his desk, Shen stood and stretched before stepping out of his room.
Arthur was already awake.
He sat at the dining table with a stack of papers, though this time he looked less busy and more like he was reviewing something carefully.
Sera stood near the stove preparing tea, while Elara was tying the ribbon around her hair.
Shen walked in and greeted them.
"Morning."
" Good Morning Shen," Sera replied cheerfully.
Arthur glanced up briefly.
"Morning, Did you sleep well last night?"
"Well enough," Shen said, stretching a little more.
Arthur nodded and returned to his paperwork without asking further questions.
Shen suspected Arthur was still thinking about yesterday's story, but from the looks of it, his brother believed his excuse somewhat and seemed willing to leave the matter alone.
Breakfast was simple—bread, tea, and a bit of jam.
After the sisters left for their classes and Arthur also left to go to his work, the apartment became quiet again.
Shen returned to his room and closed the door behind him.
The stack of books rested neatly on the desk.
He picked up the occult book first.
Compared to the other books, this one looked clearly older. The pages were slightly yellowed, and the ink had faded in some places.
Still, the writing was clear enough to follow.
Shen opened it to the section he had been reading last night.
The chapter described the basics of spirituality.
According to the book, every person possessed a certain level of spiritual energy, though most people never noticed it.
Through practice, meditation, and rituals, that energy could be sensed and used.
Shen leaned back in his chair.
"So that's the foundation of mysticism… spirituality."
The next few pages described simple exercises meant to help beginners sense their spirituality.
For example, breathing techniques and focusing exercises.
Shen glanced at the door, making sure it was closed before trying the first method.
He sat upright in the chair, closed his eyes, and slowed his breathing.
The instructions were simple.
Relax the body.
Focus the mind.
Pay attention to the subtle sensations around you.
At first, nothing happened.
The room remained silent except for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall.
Shen waited patiently.
Then, after nearly thirty minutes, he noticed something faint.
A small tingling sensation near his temples.
It was very small and subtle, almost easy to ignore.
Shen opened his eyes slowly.
"…So it works," he said. "Was that spirituality?"
The sensation disappeared almost immediately.
He sighed. Looks like it's gone now.
Still, it was enough to confirm the book wasn't all nonsense.
"Looks like this book is genuine. It is that cloaked man's, who could be a Beyonder."
Shen flipped through the next few sections.
Several pages described how to identify common mystical ingredients that could be used for rituals or charms.
Some were minerals.
Others were parts of creatures.
Each one had its own unique properties.
Shen paused when he saw a familiar name.
Light-seeking bat.
The description was short.
A small nocturnal creature attracted to bright sources of light. Their eyes retained a trace amount of spiritual sensitivity and have a high level of observation of their surroundings.
Shen tapped the page lightly.
"It looks like there is not much information aside from the fact that they are attracted to light and have strong observation of their surroundings."
He continued reading until the sunlight outside had shifted noticeably.
Eventually, Shen closed the book and stood up.
Studying this book had proven to be useful, but he needed information on a Beyonder gathering.
The bartender mentioned yesterday that the gathering might not happen every day.
If he wanted to attend, he needed to learn when and where it would be.
Shen got up, put on his coat**,** and stepped outside.
The streets were busier than the previous evening.
Vendors had already opened their stalls, and the sounds of carts and voices filled the air.
Shen walked toward the eastern docks.
The buildings gradually changed as he moved closer to the harbor.
Shops gave way to warehouses.
The smell of salt and fish mixed with the usual coal smoke.
Workers carried crates between ships and storage buildings, while others argued loudly about delivery schedules.
Shen walked slowly, pretending to observe the harbor while quietly listening to nearby conversations. Most of them were useless.
It took nearly an hour before he finally heard something useful.
Two men stood near a stack of wooden crates.
"…heard it's happening tomorrow night."
"Are you sure?"
"That's what I was told."
"That same warehouse?"
"Probably."
Shen didn't stop walking.
But his ears stayed focused on their voices.
"Just don't be late," one of the men said. "They don't like people showing up after things start."
The other man nodded.
Their conversation ended there.
Shen continued walking until he turned a corner.
Then he allowed himself a small smile.
"So it's tomorrow night."
That gave him time to prepare.
He spent another hour wandering the district before returning home.
Back in his room, Shen placed the occult book on the desk again.
"Looks like the gathering will be tomorrow."
He would finally see what the Beyonder world looked like up close.
Shen leaned back in his chair.
"It looks like I have to buy a cloak or gear up for the gathering."
"I can't go in with my original face when I know so little about these things."
Tomorrow night would be his first step into the hidden side of this world.