AS MAZE STEPPED upon the platform, his head bobbed down as he moved while his eyes followed the deep lines tracing the stone beneath his feet. A large circle was carved into the floor. Within it, two triangles intersected to form something else.
A six-pointed star, he thought, since it was what he assumed at first, and there was no way he was mistaken.
The upward-pointing triangle appeared to be filled with a substance like melted gold. As Maze observed keenly, he noticed how it seemed to be moving. It is not that my eyes are playing tricks on me, but I can clearly see it is whirling. He was further bewildered by such a fact.
On each side of the triangle was a circle, and in each circle, there seemed to be a symbol. One appeared as the stiff silhouette of a man; on the other end was a flickering flame, and the one at the summit was a series of spiraling lines. He stared at them for a while before he averted his observation toward the other set of circles.
The inverted triangle was a deeply carved line filled with melted silver. This substance was similarly dull, lacking any radiance as it flowed in a constant, slow pulse. Maze traced its points with his eyes and noted a symbol that resembled a clenched fist alongside a single concentrated droplet. The final point at the bottom was a wide, hollow expanse that appeared to be a darkspace.
Maze was already stooping over it to get a closer look, finding a flat tree made of glass that was placed at the center of the six-pointed star. The glass was shaped into a sturdy trunk with branches reaching out. While a few leaves were scattered upon the limbs, it was mostly the bare reaches of the wood that stood out. Unlike the churning gold and silver, the glass tree was motionless, yet whatever truth it was meant to signify remained a mystery that Maze had no inkling of.
"You are easily captivated, are you not, Maze?" Vaelstrom's voice carried a hint of interest as he stood behind him. "As I have said, this is the Chamber of Sanctum, a place where one might cogitate with the aid of this platform. It is a ritual structure, as it is meant to guide and navigate toward one's soul space — a difficult task, particularly for those of our station."
Soul space. That was another strange term Maze learned today. He could only sigh inwardly because he felt that he indeed had much more to be taught.
"Then what should I do?" Maze asked with a curious tone, although he was unsure whether he was really prepared.
Vaelstrom placed both his hands on Maze's shoulders and guided him down. The latter sat without resistance. "You must settle yourself comfortably and ensure your eyes are closed."
The albino man stepped back and observed as the lids fell shut. Maze could only hear Vaelstrom wander with his footsteps as he tried to maintain his current position.
"Attend to your heartbeat, for it is the primary step of cogitation. You must retain this conscious self of yours behind closed eyes and feel the expanse around you."
Maze was lost for a bit. He had to do what was required. He focused on hearing his own heartbeats. At first, he could not hear his heart until, at some point, he finally could.
"Then steady your breathing. You must breathe as if you care for the earth, as if you are the wind. By doing so, you remain wary of the fact that you possess a body."
Maze inhaled steadily and then exhaled.
He did so on and on without any lapses.
"Envision a color of your choosing, or perhaps a shade. Whatever it may be, it is necessary to anchor your focus so that you do not stray."
A shade of white appeared.
"You are performing well."
In the eyes of Vaelstrom, the platform had already glowed from the carved lines of the six-pointed star. The symbols on the circles at the edges remained dark for now. The two triangles had begun exchanging positions as if they had been born to life while they circled in their place. Vaelstrom noticed how Maze had begun sweating, while the latter had his jaw clenched already.
"Now, imagine your conscious dream. It is the dream where your soul lingered and does nothing but wander. Do you still recall the structure of it?"
"Yes."
Maze recalled the tree-bearing dice fruit on a landmass surrounded by black waters.
"Picture yourself in that dream, but do not succumb to sleep."
He was now standing before it.
"Now, feel it as if you truly are there. Remember that this conscious dream is a part of your Phantasm, as it is called a Vision. As a Vision, it is necessary to maintain control without losing your grip on reality . . . without falling into slumber."
The wind touched him and the grass brushed against his skin.
"Do you perceive anything?"
"Yes."
For Vaelstrom, his confirmation was the glass tree symbol that had showed a dull golden light on the platform.
"Do not lose the sensation, do not lose your bodily senses, and do not let your soul stray. Otherwise, you shall fail."
In a while, Maze stood in front of the tree in his Phantasm as he tried to hear his own heartbeats. He understood now that he had to be both physical and soul at once. Doing so exhausted him. Vaelstrom noticed how the symbol that looked like a stiff silhouette of a man had now begun to shine. Next was the flickering flame symbol.
"Your body and soul are now a two-fold existence, wandering as both." Vaelstrom circled the cogitating Maze as he observed how Maze seemed to be breathing heavily. "An advice: you must maintain your steady breathing, and you must not yield to fatigue. Do so until your spirit is revealed to you. Even if it takes an eternity."
Now the six-pointed star was swirling madly on the platform. The symbol of spiraling lines flickered as if showing light.
In Maze's Vision, the brumal wind suddenly lashed out in all directions, turning into a howling gale that bit into his skin. Below him, the solitary landmass began to groan, sending a violent tremor through his feet that made the very air vibrate.
"I . . ." His throat went bone-dry, making his voice a scraggy rasp. "I . . . I think the ground is . . . breaking."
"So it is finally happening." Vaelstrom halted, his shadow lengthening across the glowing stone. "Do not fear the revelation."
Maze gripped his knees and tried to steady his breathing, but the earth beneath him buckled and heaved. A sensation like a cold blade began wounding him, yet he could not tell if it was cutting his soul, his body, or both at once. It felt as if he were being torn into separate pieces. With a thunderous crack, the landmass split down the center, and Maze felt his soul slip into the dark fissure, falling toward a distant pit of colorful specks of dust.
Meanwhile, Vaelstrom noticed that the flickering flame symbol had begun to shine with a steady, haunting light.
"You are now opening your path as a blessed, Maze, and it will hurt from now on."
It was indeed the truth. Maze clawed at his chest as a sharp pang pierced through his ribs. Groaning silently, he fought to maintain what was left of his focus while his soul continued to tumble through the endless, empty space.
"Your body speaks to you, your soul speaks to you, and now, your spirit is revealed. Such is your three-fold existence aligning altogether as the key to cleanse your path from corruption."
"It hurts . . ."
"It was the price to pay when you used your abilities without properly opening a path."
He was guilty as sin.
During his escape from the griffin and the doppelganger, he did use them, despite being unintentional.
The six-pointed star shone with a blinding brilliance that forced Vaelstrom to step back. He observed the man writhe in his overbearing sufferance, an invisible force ripping at Maze's clothes and violently swaying his hair. Maze sweated even more, his fingers digging into his skin as if he were truly trying to rip his own heart out.
Vaelstrom's eyes gleamed.
Cleansing, then, had the price of suffering.
"From this moment on . . . it is solely up to you."