I just recently learned about a phenomenon called poltergeists that was recorded in ancient literature.
In my hands, I'm holding some books salvaged by the library my mother works at. Stamped on the cover was the character 「訞」.1 Those of us in Harmony School and Sage Academy are allowed to read class one books stamped "recommended", "excellent", and "good". But class four books like this one are unavailable to most civilians. By a twist of fate, it had escaped biblioclasm by being buried deep in an underground storage room.
According to this book, during a time in the past when not everyone had cantus, there were often reports about ghosts knocking on the walls, silverware dancing in the air, furniture moving by itself, creaking sounds in an empty house, and other strange phenomena.
But in most reports, there always seemed to be adolescent children in the household. One analysis of this is that most children are going through a lot of emotional struggles during that time, and their sexual energy is unconsciously manifested as psychokinesis.
In other words, poltergeists are actually events of recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis (RSPK), and it goes without saying that the Spirit of Blessing that visited me was not a spirit, but an instance of RSPK.
A lot of things happened in the three days that followed the events of that night. Representatives from the Board of Education came to our house shortly after my parents notified them that I had acquired my cantus. There was an elderly woman in white robes, a young woman who looked like a teacher, and a middle aged man in what looked like a monk's work robes. The old woman in the middle wasted no time in questioning me about my health and emotional condition in minute detail. I thought that I would be admitted to Sage Academy after that, but this was just the beginning.
I was taken away from my home for a while. The older lady said that this was part of the procedure to enter Sage Academy and not to worry. My parents sent me off with a hug and a smile, and didn't voice any misgivings they might have had.
I boarded a windowless houseboat and was given a bowl of something they said was anti-seasickness medicine. It was sweet, like brown sugar, but the aftertaste was incredibly bitter. My mind went blank right after drinking it
I could feel the boat traveling at a good speed, but had no idea which direction it was headed in. From the way the waves hit the boat and the sound of the wind, I guessed that the path we were traveling was not very wide. Maybe we were on the main current of the Tone river. I wanted to ask, but thought it was probably better not to talk more than I needed to, so I didn't. The younger woman accompanying me questioned me incessantly the entire time. There wasn't a theme to what she was asking, and it didn't seem like she was writing down my answers.
Three hours later, after many twists and turns, the boat stopped. The harbor and the surrounding area were well covered, giving no view of the outside.
And just as I expected, as we walked up the stairs into a temple-like building, no part of the outside world was visible.
A young monk in black robes and a recently shaved head came out to greet us. The trio from the committee appeared too. I was led to an empty, traditional-style room. On the wall was a scroll with freshly written calligraphy. I couldn't read what it said, but it looked similar to the one hanging in Harmony School.
I knelt down on the tatami, but at the monk's directions, switched to sitting in the lotus position, with the tops of my feet on my thighs. He seemed want me to meditate and collect myself. Since we had to meditate every day at Harmony School, I was used to this, but secretly wished I had worn a more comfortable pair of pants.
