The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 44: Catharsis

Aurore walked towards the table with the plate of lamb chops, speaking as she went, "I'm not sure if giving commands will work in that situation, since I'm not a dancer and don't have any relevant occult knowledge, but it wouldn't hurt to try."

"Exactly," Lumian replied, taking over the work at the stove with a smile. "At most, it'll just mean taking a nap to recover, maybe getting a few cuts and losing some blood. By the way, what was that three-headed creature on the mountaintop? What's the connection between the hidden entity and the corruption inside me?"

Aurore set down the plate, turned around, and said, "Aren't you overestimating your sister? I've never encountered or even heard of something so strange."

Before Lumian could respond, she added thoughtfully, "But there are quite a few similar figures in the mythology of my homeland—beings with three heads and six arms, sometimes gods, sometimes demons."

She continued, "Based on our hypothesis, the dream ruins are closely tied to the corruption inside you. That giant figure is probably a reflection of that hidden entity. You mentioned that its title or description is unlike anything commonly known, with each part symbolizing a different aspect of some power, so having three heads makes sense. It's similar to how a three-faced creature represents different stages of human life."

"As for why it has six arms or why it's sitting on top of a blood-red peak, without more information, it's impossible to even guess."

"For now, focus on that circle of walls. I have a feeling we'll find some useful clues there."

"Got it," Lumian said as he tossed the sliced potatoes into the pan to fry, following his sister's recipe.

Aurore shifted the topic away from the dream ruins and said to Lumian, "While you were napping this afternoon, I gave it some thought. I'm planning to invite those three outsiders to stay with us."

"Why?" Lumian asked, puzzled.

Aurore hummed in acknowledgment while looking at her busy brother's back. "I think we've been using normal logic to predict how Father Pius and the others would react. But don't forget, some of them have already accepted the 'gift,' which, from another perspective, means they've been corrupted."

"According to that mysterious woman's words, the 'gift' mainly affects the body and mind. In other words, besides gaining abilities, one's personality could undergo some degree of transformation. If they can't handle it, the more 'gifts' they receive, the more noticeable and severe this transformation will become."

"Exactly," Lumian recalled the words of the mysterious lady. "She said that if your body and mind can't bear the weight of the 'gift,' you'll either turn into a monster, become a puppet of that hidden entity, or transform into another kind of person, becoming cold and indifferent to things you once cherished."

Aurore concluded, "So, those who accepted the 'gift' earlier, like the shepherd Pierre Berry, have a significant chance of going crazy and retaliating without regard for Father Pius's larger plan."

"If the five of us stay together and watch each other's backs, it'll greatly increase our chances of surviving until the twelfth night."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Lumian agreed with his sister's suggestion. He then raised a practical concern.

"Where will they stay? The guest room? If we're not on the same floor, the benefits of watching each other's backs won't be as effective."

Aurore glanced at her brother, who was stir-frying the potato strips. "You'll move into my room. We'll give your bedroom and the study on the second floor to the two outsiders."