The hospitalization of Piso did not dampen in any way the reception of Dalreida for yet another victory abroad, albeit Excalator did not figure as much in official reports that creeped into the public as Kabalenus, the last Beretan king, did. The fall of Bereta further secures Dalreidan borders, with Cingis remaining as the only large nation in the north not yet incorporated into the Dalreida sphere of influence. Of course, between Dalreida and Cingis lay the large expanse of territory occupied and fought over by numerous tribes.

Also, it provides yet another gain for the economy as another province is up for development, wherein a metal rush is being expected to pour into Bereta. As Piso travels from Bereta to the Dalreidan capital, news of his swift victory spread with rapidity from Dalreida to the provinces. It did not take long before the Order of Cashera hears of this latest outcome.

“Lady Cashera,” the old cleric opened, “We’re already approaching Baros. And I’m sure you’d be glad to know that, as expected, Piso’s officially concluded his Bereta campaign.”

“Really?! That’s another check in your list now,” she joyfully said, “Full speed to my temple!”

Upon reaching port, a colossal statue made of marble can be seen towering behind the tripod. This is not the only thing that caught the presumptive avatar’s attention. Her welcome was not as large as it was in Deiroc, or in any other island in Triskaide that they earlier visited.

“Great Priest,” she asked after greeting the followers, “The Barians don’t look too enthusiastic.”

The Great Priest frowned, “I can imagine many of them celebrating Piso’s victory, which is why we didn’t want you to go to Telo yet. But another reason could’ve been that.”

He points to the statue at the harbor, as well as the statuettes and souvenirs being sold in the nearby markets.

“Hmm. Some bigshot guy, huh? Who’s he?”

“The great man this island’s named after, Baros.”

“That explains it. He seems more of a cult icon here...”

“Shh! My lady, there may be followers of Cashera here, but Baros is more like this island’s universal hero who the people are willing to set aside religious and non-religious differences with. He’s the first magistrate of Dalreida from anywhere in Triskaide, and he’s born here.”

“Magistrate? I thought Dalreida’s being ruled by a dictator?”

“For now, yes. But in normal conditions, magistrates are elected to rule for a fixed term. Not that those normal conditions are being met for most of Dalreida’s history, but it’s there.”

“When I was in Dalreida, dictators like Piso seemed to be much loved by many. I mean, what’s up with supporting authoritarian rulers? Isn’t the system here quite out of whack?”

“I think so, too, Lady Cashera, but it’s this very whacked system that saved your temple in Baros.”

The Order used a number of carriages arranged in a convoy to reach the Temple of Cashera, which is located on a hill far from the city proper. The structure remains intact, but it has not been well maintained. Vines and weeds have grown to devour the building, while some animals used it as shelter. They used the carriages to ram a walkable path to the temple through the surrounding grass.

“I didn’t expect this,” she lamented, “but I guess it’s better than nothing, right?”

“The purge of Crespos Milios banned buildings of minority religions like ours,” the Great Priest replied as they continue walking, “The Baros temple was spared because the locals figured a way to bypass the rule. They designated the temple as a cultural museum to Barian history.”

“Neat. So that’s why there’s images of Baros everywhere.”

The old cleric demonstrates with one of the images the rotating platform with which Baros occupies one side, while Cashera occupies the other. The Cashera image resembles Laizidana.

“Yes. They’re only a façade to Cashera worship which continued until Crespos Milios was out.”

“Then what gives? This place’s not in good shape.”

“Baros died. After his death, they developed hero worship revolving around the former magistrate. The Barians forgot their earlier commitment to operating the temple as a museum. If you’ve been in Dalreida, you should’ve seen a number of places there named after him, too. To his credit, Baros was a builder, but he didn’t adhere to Cashera. His political compromise.”

She turned to him with a grin, “You don’t like that?”

The Great Priest shook his head, “Not the slightest bit, my lady. Personally, I never liked Baros.”

“Baros the island or Baros the…?!”

She shrieks as the floor below her suddenly collapses, causing her to fall three stories down. The Great Priest was startled, calling upon the Secret Ops to help her. However, the hole made was too dark to try jumping directly into. In response, they frantically looked for a passage leading downwards. Despite the recreation of the temple as a museum, there are still core structural features that must have been retained as similar to all other Cashera’s temples, which gives them a sort of assurance that they can find their avatar as soon as possible.

One of them can only comment, “We should’ve planned the temples with better structural integrity.”

Of course, the Great Priest can only ignore the stray comment made by the Secret Ops. The temple architecture has been visibly unchanged for centuries, and for reasons beyond secular practicality. If it works, he thought, why change its design?

Meanwhile, as she massages her bottom after an unsatisfactory landing, the young woman shouted, “Hello?! Anybody there?! You should really stop doing these underground floors!”

Her voice echoed, but there was no response. Thus, in attempting to find an escape route herself, she clutched her bag and brought out a solar-powered flashlight.

Dust, cobwebs, and roaming pests proved to be a monotonous sight as she treaded carefully in the narrow hallway. Unlike the path to the Forbidden Chamber, there were no distinct patterns recognizable. At the least, she assured herself that the structure seemed sturdy enough as she goes. After a few minutes, she found herself at a large wooden door. There was no other door around anyway, so she figured it might lead her to somewhere nearer the exit, but it would not budge.

She inhaled and exhaled for some time, and then said to herself, “Okay, alright, remember your training. So, force won’t make this door open. Let’s see…”

She touched and turned every stone and other materials in the vicinity, checking if there is a kind of switch that might open it. After getting a few shallow cuts on her fingers, there was none.

Covering her wounded hands with cloths available to her, she paused again to think, “There’s no lock to pick here… Maybe a password? Sure thing. Open sesame! Abracadabra! Hocus pocus! Abre lata! Aikotoba!”

The door remains closed. Only the echoes of her voice and the squeaking of rats can be heard.

“They don’t look pleased with my voice,” she mumbled while wandering her flashlight to look for some hints, “Is there some QR code, fingerprint scan, or iris scan here?”

She then noticed small inscriptions written on the metal frame of the door. It did not appear to be Miarza glyphs, neither did it seem like Dalreida nor Deiroc script, at least from what she has read so far. Examining all sides, the inscriptions repeat themselves at some point. Soon, she ascertained where the sentence may have begun.

She reads, “Wait, this looks familiar… Err, let’s see… Et la deesse a ete faite chair… et elle a habite parmi nous… pleine de grace et de verite…?”

After reading it, the door began to creak, opening up on its own.

“So it really is a password,” she declares as snaps her fingers, “But why can I read it anyway?”

Upon entry, there was not much to see except for what her flashlight can reach. Then, she stumbles on yet another statue towering above average human height. However, it does not look like Baros. It was that of a female clad in a stola and toga over her tunic. The dusty statue has her palms somewhat facing up, her arms slightly extended as if in speech or praise, and her head slightly looking down. She became disheartened with what appears to be another dead end.

“Another Cashera statue…,” she said, “Is this Laizidana? They all look alike as statues, though…”

It was not an accurate observation, for she failed to recognize the distinct differences of the statues' faces. Her flashlight flickered, and then lost its power. Distraught at the sudden darkness, she hit the flashlight, but to no avail. She can only regret that she has not charged the flashlight longer as she sits on the cold dusty floor. Closing or opening her eyes did not make a difference. It was pitch dark. Initially, she saw it as an opportunity to rest. However, when time passed, she began to reflect. On her chances with Number 72. On playing the avatar act. On her life as a whole.

“Gosh, what am I even doing in this world?”, she muttered to herself as tears fall from her eyes, “Look at me! I’m a nobody in my world. How can I possibly continue this avatar thingy any longer? Am I a fraud like Laizidana? But come on, what kind of force brought me here anyway? Cashera or whoever you are, I don’t believe in you, but at least give me an idea here, will you?!”

She tried switching the flashlight on and off, “Never mind! Let’s try this… In blackest day, in brightest night, no evil shall escape my sight… Hmm. Did I do it right?”

Frustrated, she throws the flashlight with force. When she heard a thud sooner than expected, it sounded like her throw did not come far. In fact, what she hit was Cashera’s statue, whose eyes shone as bright as the sun a few seconds after contact, focusing the brightness on her like a spotlight. Startled, she began to repeatedly bow her head to the floor while profusely apologizing.

Another voice can then be heard, “Why do you bow to your own image? Raise your head up.”

After this, the room lights up as the eyes of ten thousand figurines of Cashera surrounding her brighten up as well. It was a fantastic sight to behold. The figurines range from wood to stone to metal, some even molded in more precious materials such as cedar, marble, silver, and gold, each having sections dedicated to their material type.

The lights they emit also differ in color, forming a rainbow-like appearance. The room itself was richly decorated, featuring not only Cashera symbolisms that fit well with the overall look, but also natural landscapes painted elegantly on the walls. She witnessed all these when she did what the voice said.

“Is this hallucination?”, she wondered, “Statues are starting to talk, what else could it be?”

Someone gently tapped her shoulder from behind and answered, “Of course, they can’t. But I can.”

Out of instinct, she turned around to smack the person at her back, but then, she felt hitting nothing. Her reflexive attack went through like punching the air. She backed away thereafter.

“W-wait, who are y-you?!”, she stuttered, “The undead?! A g-ghost?!”

The person was an astral projection, who has arms folded after the tap, but unlike her earlier experience, this projection is not transparent and can be clearly seen, albeit untouchable. Even at first glance, it can be noticed how the projection looks extremely similar to the statue.

“That’s harsh to tell your past life now, is it not? My name’s Huhunraz. And you are?”

“Um… Alisse?”

“Like what? Alice in Wonderland? That’s a made up name. Tell me your true name.”

“Okay. Doroti…”

“Like what? Wonderful Wizard of Oz? That’s another made up name. Tell me the true one.”

“Wait a minute. Am I in a coma? Why should I tell you? You made cultural references which are non-existent in this world! How can you prove you’re not just a figment of my imagination?”

“Fair point… Alright, I’ll tell you something even you don’t know. Will that even the score?”

“Hmm. Okay, shoot.”

“Your vital statistics are 34-24-35.”

“No way! I’m a 36! Take that back! And how can you know vital statistics anyway?!”

“Right… Perhaps when your waist becomes 30.”

“No! That doesn’t count, ghost person! Have another go at me. Come on.”

“Sure, since we’re talking about names… Let’s see. Sweet Mask’s real name.”

“Huh? You know?!”

“Of course, I do. I’ve already departed this realm and gained higher understanding of…”

“Oh please, tell me! Tell me!”

Huhunraz scratched her head, “If it really interests you… He’s Hadomai.”

“Hado-what? Hadouken?”

“It’s Hadomai. There, I already spoke it. Now then, what is yours?”

“What an odd name, but at least it sounds like Amai Kamen now, right? Hado-kun is nice, too.”

“Eherm,” the shining lady coughs.

“Right… The name’s Clio Saionji Richard...”

Huhunraz laughs, “Kleyo?! Sounds like my cousin in Ceiros, and he’s male! You could’ve…!”

The new avatar pouts, “What do you care? Clio’s a muse, and a beautiful one at that, so there. I saw her once in Rennes. Why does an avatar like you judge me so?”

“Clio, there’s no need to be cross. I’m just lightening the mood, because the way we see it, you’re at the brink of breaking down just now.”

“I don’t feel it helps at all. Like, you glowing beings just pop up at will. I’ve never been a very religious person, okay? But at least give me a manual or something to keep up this avatar gig!”

“Gig? You mean, a game? I tell you, nothing about being Cashera’s avatar is child’s play.”

“I… I know. I know! It’s just that I don’t know why I’m sent here anyway! How did you?”

“There, there,” the former avatar walked towards her and patted her shoulder, “Quite frankly, I didn’t comprehend it much the first time either. I suppose what you should do is ask Cashera herself.”

“Wait, we can do that?”

“Of course,” Huhunraz replied as she guides the new avatar's body, “Here, let me help you conduct one of the meditation poses you can easily use to reach her.”

“Hey, what are you doing?! Also, how can you touch me when I can’t touch you?!”

She made Clio lie down on the floor, crossing the right leg over the left to form a shape that resembles the number four. The right arm is slightly extended pointing up, while the left arm is slightly extended pointing down.

Huhunraz then places her hands on her hips and declares, “Alright. It’s quite easy, no? That’s basic, by the way. You can also do that standing up, but my guess is that your body would be numb thereafter. Oh, you can’t imagine the positions they made me do, and I had to memorize all!”

“I can well imagine that I look like a complete moron. What if…?”

“Anybody sees you? I won’t worry much about that when I get to the other realm, would I?”

“What do you mean? What should I be doing now exactly?”

“Close your eyes. Clear your mind of everything except Cashera.”

Clio closes her eyes. However, it proved difficult for her to think of Cashera only as her mind was bombarded with conflicting thoughts, including her anxieties from her original world.

Huhunraz sits beside her and places a comforting palm on the young woman's forehead, “Calm down. Don’t fight. Don’t resist. Your connection with Cashera is the same as with all of us. You can do it.”

The fluctuating mix of warm and cool being felt by her head spreads to her body, helping her relax and attempt once more to feel what it was like during her past experiences with Cashera. Instead of focusing on the goddess, who appears to be abstract and distant from her consciousness, her concentration shifted to recalling how she accessed extraordinary manifestations of power, how she travelled through time, how she was effectively transferred to that other world. It took some time for her to internalize the sensation during these incidents and know for herself that she is prepared.

When she opened her eyes again, they shone like that of Cashera’s statue, and before she knew it, her spirit has separated from her body. Looking at her own body, Clio almost fainted, but she was caught by Huhunraz. Realizing there was someone supporting her, Clio grabbed her arms, and it surprised her that she can already hold Huhunraz.

Jumping in glee, Clio wailed, “I did it! Wow! Astral Clio in the house!”

Huhuhraz holds the new avatar's hands, “Alright, alright. That’s just your first step, but as the saying goes, a journey of ten thousand stadia begins with a single pace.”

“Stadia? Didn’t you mean, miles?”

“Stadium. You know, around 250 paces.”

Clio scratched her head, “Okay… But seriously, are you telling me now, I mean categorically, that I’m Cashera’s new avatar? Because I met this Laizidana who…”

The former avatar frowned, “You met Laizidana?”

“Well, not exactly, but I saw her in the past. And I think she possessed me once, too. At least that’s according to the Order of Cashera. You get the idea?”

“Then you should probably know by now that Laizidana’s a drastic measure taken by the Order to accelerate the promised time without consulting much the sacred texts, and then refurbishing her story later on to fit their own purposes?”

“I think they said something like that. Yeah. Why?”

Huhunraz sighed, “I believe it’d be best for you to see than just to hear, don’t you think?”

“Yes, please. A change in landscape might be good for me to understand better.”

The room vanished like fading sands, and was replaced piece by piece of a real life setting that appears three-dimensional. For Clio, it seemed to be highly advanced technology she was quite familiar with, particularly those which involved special effects that appear to pop out from the screens, but Huhunraz suggests otherwise. As the plane is being constructed, the former avatar speaks.

“We’re being transported to another plane. Brace yourself.”

“Plane? How about my body?”

“Not to worry, Clio. It remains safe in the room. Only those who can read the inscription can open it. Even if they break down the door, there are ten thousand figures to protect you there.”

“You seem pretty sure.”

“Yes. I meditated in each of the thirteen temples of Triskaide. Think of it as a routine visit.”

For a while, Clio thought it impossible to have built all thirteen temples, each presumably having 10,000 figures each, within Huhunraz's lifetime considering the available resources and technology. Has the propagation of Cashera worship accelerated enough across Triskaide? However, with this observation, she has grossly underestimated the capacities of ancient Triskaideans, more so the power of Cashera herself.

“Doesn’t that feel… How do I say it?”

“Uninteresting? Initially. But there’s some peace and serenity when you get the hang of it. You can just meditate for hours, enjoying every minute and second like you can do in the temporal world. And now that I’m eternally in another realm, I can attest to you that there’s even more.”

“I never always believed in a higher being or a grand order in the universe, I can tell you that. That’s why I’m at a loss here. Why should Cashera choose someone like me?”

“Oh, we’ve arrived,” Huhuhraz states as they see themselves hovering in Deiroc, “As you can see, it’s not the Deiroc you’re accustomed to. This was a time when there was no Dalreida, no Triskaide, nothing. Just Deiroc, where a new faith centered on the goddess Cashera emerges.”

“There are barely any houses here! And they’re not even stone!”

“It does bring me down memory lane. Quaint, but still, those were the days.”

“Memory? Your memory?! How many avatars have been there before you?”

Huhunraz places a hand on Clio’s shoulder and smiles, “None. I’m the first avatar of Cashera.”

Clio looked at the first avatar in shock, “No…”

“I myself find it hard to believe, too, when I was briefed about it. There was no organized Order of Cashera yet. Just a small religious group who embarked on writing the sacred texts, and they had no political power like the Order. We’re communal in the sense that there’s no clear hierarchy. Leaders are designated according to their respective fields. Chief fisher. Chief farmer. Chief miner. Chief cutter. Chief cook. Chief sailor. And so on. Meanwhile, when the new religion spread, we weren’t called Hoodies. We were then known as Casherites, as in acolytes of Cashera. The level of classical vocabulary has greatly declined since my time.”

“They say Laizidana’s chosen by the Order. How were you selected then?”

The scene instantly changed. The famous volcano of Deiroc was about to erupt as it spews ash from its mouth. The people are in an uncontrollable state of panic. There was no sense of unity or community as they resort to each to their own mentality. Few frantically dig to try to redirect the lava. Some push others to get ahead to sea. Others try to save all the possessions they can.

“You probably heard of how humanity lost its wings, thus forming the volcano. Cashera worship disappeared from Deiroc,” Huhunraz said as her emotions appear mixed, “By this time, it has been 480 years since then, and Cashera worship has been rediscovered by our people. The volcano remained silent, just as Cashera was silent as well. But then, our sacred texts prophesied that in a promised time, a savior shall arise from among her people, the incarnate of Cashera, and this emerging Casherite movement shall pave the way for her coming.”

“And that’s you?”

“Yes. That flying figure you see just now, it’s me. I don’t remember then how it happened, but now having the benefit of hindsight, I realized it all. After the people abandoned the canal project, there’s nothing else to redirect the lava to the river, and eventually to the sea. So look closely at what I did there. Cashera gave me the power to hasten the cooling of lava, and make a wall out of it to halt the flow. It worked, and they called it Huhunraz’s Wall afterwards. Although, I don’t think it merits to have my name. There’s a larger one in Bayan that qualifies for that great named wall classification. And of course, it’s not my power. It’s all Cashera’s.”

“Is there really no other logical explanation about it? Like what happened with Laizidana.”

“You always have to spoil it with your philosophizing scientist mind, no? You’re smart, so think of it this way. The volcano’s around four kilometers in height. Lava can flow as fast as 60 kilometers per hour. Simple math dictates you that it will take four minutes or so for the lava to reach the base. However, lava naturally hardens in at least ten minutes, and by harden, it means only the surface. Inside, it’d still be boiling hot, and can crack open just as easily. Therefore, in order to make lava hard enough to be stable, it would take weeks, if not months.”

Clio gaped, “Uh… What?”

Huhunraz facepalmed, “Moving on… The point being, you can access this power if you just ask.”

The new avatar shook her head and hit her face with two hands, “Okay, snap out of it. Snap. Out. Of. It.”

The scene changes again. This time, they are floating over the entire Triskaide Archipelago. Clio suddenly became afraid. She was stepping on nothing, and yet they are suspended in air.

The former avatar holds her hand once more, “Don’t be scared. You’re not going to fall. Badly or otherwise. Do you understand this?”

The new avatar bites her lip and nods, “Mm-hmm… I wish… I charged my phone to shoot all these…”

“You ask but you don’t receive. Why? Because of your heart. You don’t believe strong enough. You don’t point it to the right direction. You thought being an avatar is your ticket to becoming somebody? To prove yourself as capable of something? That motivation’s wrong! Cashera doesn’t choose the world’s best minds, best bodies, best voices, and so on, to be her vessel. No. Cashera makes her avatar the best, not the other way around. Look at all of us who came first.”

Clio sadly looked down, and then to Huhunraz, “I… I want to know more… But my unbelief…”

The islands began to have points of light emanating from them, which were soon connected by lines that comprise a recognizable formation. It was Cashera's important icon, which to Clio appeared to be similar to the symbol for an empty set or null set, which is Ø.

“Have you heard of the Leyline Doctrine?”

Clio did not answer, but her predecessor continued nevertheless, “Cashera instituted the Leyline as remembrance of her glory. During my time, the temples of Cashera were constructed in such a way to form this Leyline. They followed the Leyline’s pattern when they began building temples outside Triskaide. However, local and international incidents disrupted the Leyline. The people fell into unbelief when they felt that their goddess abandoned them. They forgot Cashera, and so the Leyline that protected them for so long lost its effectiveness. For more than 60 years before you, Cashera fell silent, and the Leyline was just a shadow of its former self. Only this one in Baros remains."

When the topic of Clio's immediate predecessor came up, however, Huhunraz displayed even more disdain than the current state of affairs in her narration, "You ask Laizidana. She’s recognized by Cashera, I can assure you that. But only because Cashera felt compassion for her. She’s thrust to a position she’s not supposed to have, but when she began to distrust Cashera’s power, her fall from grace became inevitable. Clio, you’re chosen by Cashera, not by people, and so the goddess is more patient with you than with Laizidana. Yet, do realize that she has allowed me to warn you as early as now. If you dishonor her in front of her people, in front of the world, you’ll face the dire consequences.”

Somehow, as the first avatar narrated, Clio felt the need to give a response. In her original world, she has been an average gal, constrained by society to conform with its expectations of her. This may be a different world now, but it still appears to mirror the circumstances of the past one. Perhaps the only difference is her elevation as a literal goddess, not merely a princess or a queen most males would promise to their beloved.

She shook her hand away from Huhunraz and blurted out, “That’s not fair! What of free will?!”

Huhunraz looked at her intently, “Pray tell, what do you think free will is?”

“Let’s see… I can say it’s the ability to choose for yourself without external interference or intervention from others, divine or otherwise.”

She answered truthfully without much thinking. Only later on did she realize the former avatar would be trying to persuade her with her own words.

“Good. I ask you then. Did you choose to be born a woman?”

“I guess not… but what can I do with genetics?”

“Did you choose to be poor coming from a poor family?”

“I don’t think so… but what can I do with economics?”

“Did you choose to be transferred to this world?”

“No… but what can I do with physics?”

“Did you choose to be the avatar of Cashera?”

“No! Okay! I didn’t get to choose! Happy?!”

Huhunraz shook her head, “You see, free will at its extreme definition, as you’ve recited, can never be met because as long as we’re in the world, we’re constrained by its systems. If all of us are free, then no one is, because my freedom cancels the freedom of others, and vice versa. The net result would be zero. At best, we can argue that our freedoms, and our options for that matter, are limited, and we can earn more of them at the cost of compromising others. But even if it doesn’t qualify them as absolute freedoms, don’t you think it’s better to have options available than none at all? Look again at your present situation...”

“Let me say this, Huhunraz. I see a major flaw with your premise. You assumed that free will must be seen strictly as unlimited freedom. Of course, we’re all limited beings, but it doesn’t mean our wills must be bound by realities. We can still will to dream. Will to live. Will to will.”

“Are you seriously hearing yourself just now?”

“I sure do! We can become better people because we’ve the will to become better. We’ve the will to achieve it without the expense of others. If Cashera didn’t seek her people to have their own will, she shouldn’t give them in the first place! We could’ve been robots, but we’re not. She wanted to see for herself how her people would strive despite their trials. She wanted to see for herself how her people would choose for themselves, even when the answer’s obvious. I see in Cashera her utmost respect for the will of her people, and that’s why even if she falls silent for a while, she can’t completely ignore them. She still cares for them as they come.”

The first avatar was speechless for a few moments as Clio confidently stood for her principles.

The new avatar continues, “Ever since I came to this world, I’ve been mostly kept against my own will. Okay! But it has never blunted my will to fulfill whatever purpose Cashera’s given me here. You said it yourself. I can choose not to do the avatar role, but I did. It’s my will. Mine alone, you hear?”

Huhunraz slowly nods, “I never… I hear you loud and clear… I must say, I’m impressed…”

“Really? I mean, of course. That’s the idea! So much about having a higher understanding.”

“Now I know what Cashera saw in you, young lady…”

“Pshaw. Now you’re just embarrassing me… But enough about that. I’ve still got a lot of questions. First things first. How can I access Cashera’s power when I need to?”

The first avatar and the plane they were in begins to wane.

Nonetheless, Huhunraz was able to provide parting words for her successor, “You’ve already solved your dilemma… You just have to believe, Clio, believe…”

In an instant, Clio returns to her body. She sees herself again in the room of ten thousand figurines, which continues to shine their lights of different colors. While still feeling a bit dizzy and numb, she packs her things. After expressing gratitude, she departs from the room. At the door, she was surprised to see the Great Priest and the Secret Ops eagerly waiting outside.

“My lady, we’ve been looking everywhere,” the old cleric declared as he tries to catch a glimpse of the room, which began to close as soon as the new avatar left, “You have accessed the Ten Thousand Casheras?! I’m kind of… well…”

Clio shrugged, “I didn’t really get to count them, but at least you didn’t break down the door.”

“Of course not, mistress,” the Priestess of the Sun interjected, “It’s the only one of its kind left.”

“Left of its kind the only one, mistress,” the Priestess of the Moon followed, “Of course not.”

Clio laughs and runs away, “The last one to get out becomes cursed!”

“Wait up, Lady Cashera! It’s dark down there,” one of the Secret Ops yelled.

Her companions scramble to keep up the pace with her. The experience at the temple in Baros helped Clio better prepare herself in the upcoming confrontation with the Oracle of Telo. Then again, has she fully grasped the extent of Cashera’s power as well as her predecessors? How did the builders of the temple calculate and contemplate the patterns of the Leyline and even create a room that has restricted access? What career had Baros led to ascend as Dalreida magistrate?