An Illusion of Will

Chapter 64: Lost in Translation

The five of them drifted on the same sailboat they had used years ago. Time had been merciful to them, aging them slowly in comparison to the ship. 

"We'll blend in with the city, and in the meantime, we'll scout for the prison. After a month, we should have a solid plan for breaking in," Cesar asserted, his voice had grown deeper and more confident. He had grown into his body, his once lanky frame more defined.

Everyone nodded in agreement, except for Al, who had a different idea. "Why go through all that trouble when Ellie can make us invisible? We could slip in unnoticed," he suggested, prompting curious glances from the group.

"Why are they all looking at me like that?" Al wondered, holding his ground. Ellie finally let out a measured sigh and addressed him calmly, "If these religious authorities are capturing cultivators and executing them, it's highly probable they have individuals akin to the Exarch who was able to see through my Reflective Will."

Al realized she was right. Somehow, he hadn't connected the dots, yet the others had all arrived at the same conclusion.

Al changed the subject. "So... umm how's the Mental Domain treating you all? Is it any different from when we inhaled Robert's gas mixture?" 

Agnethe replied, "Before the Mental Domain, I didn't even know my own name. Now I do," she said, which left Al thoroughly confused.

"Are you saying I don't know my name?" Al questioned. The two of them had hardly spoken to each other after she had ended their relationship. 

Seeing Al's discomfort, Jin tried to reassure him, saying, "Don't worry, Al. I'm sure you'll enter the Mental Domain soon." Al unconsciously took a few steps back.

"Okay... I don't care. Unlike all of you, all I wanted was to have the strength to protect someone I loved. Who gives a damn whether you know your name or not if no one is there to say it!" Al lashed out. 

However, no one reacted to his outburst. Cesar calmly responded, "I understand your sentiment, but that's attaching yourself to what is destined to die. Before I entered the Mental Domain, I came to the realization that my brothers' bodies, minds, and souls had returned to the source from which they originally emerged. This source I can feel through my Will, and by cultivating my Will, I grow closer to it and to them."

Al's face contorted in response, but Jin supported Cesar's perspective. "In the west, we don't truly grasp the meaning of the word 'Will.' We often confuse it with desire. But Will is what paves the way for the light and also casts the shadow that swallows that very light. Live so you can die, die so you can live; it all bends to your Will."

Al listened but he refused to understand what they were saying, a burning sensation was welling up within his chest.

They soon arrived at the bustling port of Mt. Kali, Cesar added "Well actually we are going to be using Ellies Reflective Will to sneak in our etheric shells. I was hoping you could be the one to carry them Al." 

Al shouldered the etheric shells of both Cesar and Jin, while Agnethe's etheric shell, a simple earring, was left unaffected. Ellie, using her own etheric shell, her floating mirror, made only Al invisible. 

Unlike the neighboring isles, Mt. Kali maintained strict records of arrivals and departures. An aging, gray-haired man with a receding hairline greeted them at the port. He was dressed in white loose linen.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. If you could provide some identification, it would be appreciated. Otherwise, a detailed description of your point of origin will suffice," the port official requested. 

He had been trained to watch for groups of six, a common number for cultivators. The man assumed that Jin and Ellie were a couple, as well as Cesar and Agnethe who played along with the men's assumption. Meanwhile, Al, invisible, observed and eavesdropped on their interactions.