[Please don't make me play your little games, Clan Head. It's annoying.]
Vermas's lips twitched, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
[Hmm? I wonder what you are talking about.]
The Clan Head's face remained perfectly calm, but his fingers tapped his folded arms with suspicious innocence.
[You know exactly what I'm talking about, Clan Head.]
Vermas's brow furrowed, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
[How could I possibly know what you mean!?]
The Clan Head's golden eyes widened in mock outrage, though a faint curl tugged at the corner of his mouth.
[Don't try to act angry. I've known you since you were a child. I'm talking about that little message you sent me, telling me to pretend I was angry at the girl, like your authority has been challenged. Don't you act like you didn't say it; I have recorded it.]
Vermas's nostrils flared slightly, his stare sharp as a blade.
[Ah. That. Yes, I remember now.]
The Clan Head's calm smile froze, shoulders shifting just faintly.
[I want a bonus.]
Vermas's expression smoothed into icy calm, though a vein throbbed at his temple.
[!?]
The Clan Head blinked rapidly, his smile stiffening.
[I said, I want a bonus.]
Vermas tilted his head ever so slightly, his gaze steady, merciless.
[Why should I give you that?]
The Clan Head's eyes darted sideways, his hand curling into a fist behind his back.
[If you don't… I'll tell Lady Caelivisa.]
Vermas's eyes gleamed with the faintest spark of satisfaction.
[!!!]
The Clan Head's shoulders stiffened, his calm mask nearly breaking as his lips pressed into a thin, betrayed line.
Meanwhile, to the watching children, both elders seemed like nothing more than serene statues, wise, unshaken, and unreadable.
Caelrisu and Lunaris stood side by side at the edge of the Mirror Lake, the barrier of silence shimmering faintly around them. Everyone else assumed it was just for show; after all, all of them already knew the information about the Lake.
Vermas's gaze softened, filled with a mixture of helplessness and worry. His voice was quiet, almost fatherly.
"First of all, I am sorry. You should never have been dragged into the Clan's petty struggles.
Obviously, as heirs, Lunaris and Caelrisu, you both deserve to know of them… but for now, both of you should focus on your Awakening."
The siblings straightened, answering in perfect unison.
"Yes."
Vermas exhaled slowly, nodding.
"As for this so-called ritual… you must have noticed already, even I never bothered learning it. Just now, the Clan Head sent the information into my head. And I must say that it is pretty useless."
Caelrisu blinked.
"Wow."
"Don't be impressed." Vermas's lips twitched, his tone caught between sternness and weariness. "You two will eventually learn how to do the same."
Both nodded, obedient but curious.
"Now, about the ritual." Vermas exhaled through his nose, rubbing his temple. "It was created back when the heirs happened to be twins, and the Elder Council couldn't stop bickering about who should inherit. The Clan Head at the time got tired of the headache and pulled this dumb ritual out of thin air."
He paused, his eyes narrowing faintly. "And just so we're clear… that little 'dumb ritual' remark is not meant to be disclosed. So forget it."
Caelrisu giggled first, and Lunaris followed, muffling his laugh behind his hand.
Vermas sighed. "Brats."
He straightened his back, his voice regaining authority. "The ritual itself is simple. You only need to awaken faster and emerge from the Lake. That's the test."
Their eyes lit with relief for a moment, but Vermas cut it short.
"Before that, though, you must pray. To either [Time], [Reason], or [Light], whichever you believe in. That part matters."
He flicked his wrist dismissively. "Afterward, there are some… unnecessary steps. Things like sacrificing a living being and other nonsense that some elders still cling to. We'll skip all of that."
Caelrisu's nose wrinkled. "Sacrifice? Seriously? Who even thought of that?"
Vermas muttered under his breath, "People with too much time and not enough brains." Then, louder: "Now, pray to the one you believe in. After that, I'll explain the truth about Mirror Lake."
Both of them clasped their hands and prayed sincerely.
Caelrisu prayed to [Time].
'Dear Lord, I pray for your endless blessings. I wish to forever be accompanied by your grace and love throughout the River of Time.'
Lunaris prayed to [Light].
'Dear Lord, I pray for your endless blessings. I wish to forever be illuminated through your brilliance throughout the radiance.'
After praying three more times, they both stood up, their faces solemn, and looked toward Vermas.
Seeing this, Vermas began explaining.
"When you jump into the Lake, you will lose consciousness. And when you open your eyes, you'll find yourself in an empty white canvas. Some believe it is your mind, but the majority disagree."
"Why?" Caelrisu asked immediately, her eyes wide and curious, while Lunaris leaned forward slightly, brows furrowed, expectant for an answer.
"I like having such discussions, but we will discuss this later on," Vermas replied with finality.
Caelrisu grumbled and puffed her cheeks, pouting in frustration, her expression unintentionally cute.
'If it had not been for the ceremony, I would have given her a candy or something.' Vermas thought ruefully.
"Now, moving on. Within the canvas… you don't find your power; you get lost in it. Your mind becomes a vast, empty art [Endless Gallery], and you are a single painting: your true self. But the moment you step into this canvas, the '[Endless Gallery]' wakes up, and a huge empty portrait appears mostly in front of you."
Caelrisu nodded her head, understanding something. Lunaris folded his arms, listening with a nonchalant expression.
"The moment you see your own portrait, your 'true self,' millions of faceless figures pour into the other frames. Beware. These things are monsters; they are all the fears and hopes you hide. They all want to escape the [Endless Gallery] by stealing your life. At first, they are blank slates, but they instantly warp into your most personal hopes and horrors.
One becomes the Popular-You, surrounded by laughing friends, offering you a life without loneliness.
Another becomes the Grieving-You, weeping over the coffin of someone you love, whispering that this future is real if you don't accept it.
One becomes a monstrous version of you, representing your deepest fear: being a failure, being forgotten, becoming like someone you hate. Whispering how it can protect you."
Caelrisu trembled and stopped nodding her head and instinctively reached out, brushing her fingers against Lunaris's sleeve. Lunaris didn't pull away, his expression remaining calm.
"They all start to speak at once, each one getting a single, most hopeful chance to lure you out."
"The horror isn't in being chased; it's in wanting to say 'yes.' The 'Popular-You' doesn't just offer friends, it shows you a perfect, detailed memory of a party you were never invited to. The 'Brave-You' shows you standing up to your fears in a way you never could, and the world cheers. These aren't just lies; they are your own deepest desires, weaponized against you.
Terror gripped their hearts. Caelrisu's eyes widened, glassy with dread, while Lunaris's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his face shadowed by understanding.
"If you speak, if you reach out, you lose. That portrait becomes real, and you are erased. Your body in the real world would wake up, but you would be gone, replaced by a hollow and mad copy born from that single temptation."
Both siblings froze. Caelrisu bit her lower lip until it whitened, her hands tightening into trembling fists at her sides. Lunaris's eyes lowered, shadows falling over them, his face set in grim determination even as unease flickered in his gaze.
"To win, you must sit silently in your own portrait and watch your greatest dreams and worst nightmares parade before you, offering you everything you've ever wanted, and let them all fade away.
"One by one, as they fail, they shatter their frames and dissolve into dust, often letting out a final, tragic sob or a scream of rage. You are not fighting them; you are rejecting every dream that could have given you happiness."
"When the last one is gone, the [Endless Gallery] is empty again, save for you. You awaken with power, but the true cost is the memory of all the beautiful, happy lives you had to let die to remain yourself."
A heavy silence followed.
Caelrisu's face was pale, her shoulders trembling slightly, but she lifted her chin up. Lunaris looked a bit shaken but managed to retain his calm. Then he turned and noticed his sister's struggle; he brought forth a faint, steadying smile, thin but meant to reassure her.
"If you have any questions," Vermas said, his voice heavy and deliberate, "ask right away. Symptoms will start showing if you delay more than five minutes."
Caelrisu drew in a shaky breath, pressing a palm lightly to her chest to steady the frantic rhythm of her heart.
"What… what are these symptoms?"
Lunaris turned toward her, his brow furrowing in disbelief, an exasperated sigh escaping him.
"Really? Right now?"
Caelrisu shot him a glare, her eyes hard even though her lips quivered.
"Shut up, Lunaris. If you're scared, jump into the Lake. Please, Elder."
Her voice was pretty much steady, with only minor signs of fear.
Vermas exhaled slowly through his nose, rubbing the bridge of it as though trying to massage away a headache.
"Well," he said at last, his tone darkening, "the symptoms are what we call the Partial [Endless Gallery]."
"If you don't awaken after receiving this knowledge, the [Endless Gallery] begins to wake up on its own," Vermas continued, his eyes narrowing, voice now a low, measured growl. "Not fully, just enough to tear at the edges of your sanity. You'll see all those temptations, all those lies, but you won't be inside your portrait to resist them. They'll whisper to you day and night, slithering through your thoughts. You'll start to forget who you are."
He glanced between them with something like pity but didn't soften his tone.
"And unlike a full Awakening, there's no winning. No ending. You simply… rot. Slowly. Until you're nothing but a hollow shell screaming at things only you can see."
Caelrisu's fingers dug into her own arms as goosebumps rose across her skin.
Lunaris's expression remained neutral, but then he thought of something and asked in confusion.
"What about repeaters… like Fremileo?" he asked, genuine confusion in his tone.
Vermas gave a short, dry chuckle that carried no humor.
"Ah. That." His gaze flickered toward Fremileo for the briefest of moments before returning to Lunaris and Caelrisu. "You don't have to worry about him."
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.
"Even if you awaken, you only remember fragments of the empty [Endless Gallery]. Small, broken pieces, shards of temptation and horror. These fragments resurface gradually until you reach the 3rd Rank Verdant Soul. Only then do you see the whole picture… and by then, you are strong enough to handle it. So, there is no worry."
Caelrisu's breath hitched, but Vermas pressed on.
"And if you don't awaken even after all three attempts…" His tone darkened, every word deliberate. "Then all those memories, the whispers, the faces, and the lies are wiped away using the power of Eternity Butterflies. Why do you think that Clans let them here? The entire lake has a giant formation that uses Eternity Butterflies to wipe out specific memories."
As Vermas leaned forward, ready to deepen the terror in their young hearts, a firm voice cut into his mind.
[Vermas, just how much are you planning to chat with the children? Enough. Just let them go.]
Vermas's lips twitched, annoyed.
[Fine. Fine. You're no fun, Clan Head.]
He straightened, brushing invisible dust off his robe, and let out a sigh that sounded more like mock disappointment than relief.
"Now then, children, off you go."
Before Lunaris or Caelrisu could react, Vermas flicked his wrist. A sudden gale rose from nowhere, curling around the twins like a living serpent. The wind howled, sharp as knives, lifting them off their feet.
"What!" Caelrisu yelped, arms flailing.
Lunaris gritted his teeth, trying to keep his balance, but the gust had no mercy.
The barrier shimmered as the wind howled louder, and in the blink of an eye, both of them were hurled forward. Their bodies hit the mirror-still surface of the Lake with a soundless splash, like glass swallowing stones, before vanishing entirely beneath the reflection.
The waters calmed instantly, unnervingly smooth, as though nothing had ever disturbed them.