A man laid on a plush sofa made of exquisite silk, a steaming cup of lavender tea held in his slender hand as his eyes read through the documents before him. Servants bustled around him, tending to his every need. An entourage of priests- young and old- were seated opposite to him, reverence and excitement clear in their gazes.
The room he was in was lavishly decorated with jewels and fabrics of the finest quality. Donned in a robe of pure white, he looked like the epitome of peace and tranquility. Inky black hair, interspersed with lines of white, fell gracefully onto his shoulders- the only part of him that hinted towards his true age. His face- clear and youthful- was covered by a gossamer veil, its translucent material showing only flashes of his visage at a time.
He was speaking to the gaggle priests before him, his lips curled into a gentle smile that made him look serene and elegant. His voice was soft, unintentionally lulling people into a sleepy haze. A black cat with eyes of honey was sprawled across his lap, purring lazily as long fingers threaded through its fur.
Unnoticed by everyone, its eyes suddenly flashed green for a second, before returning back to its original state.
Under the embroidered veil, the man's forest green irises glowed, the light spreading and covering even the whites of his eyes. His voice trailed off mid-sentence, before a sly grin suddenly appeared on his face.
"He's here..."
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"Welcome." a soft voice greeted Avon the second he walked into the room.
The wide room was stuffed to the brim with various knick knacks and trinkets. Sunlight filtered through the open windows, painting everything with a golden hue. Rows of bookshelves lined the painted walls, giving the place a scholarly air. A soft carpet lay on the wooden floor, leading towards a desk cluttered with books and scrolls of parchment. A young man, clad in the robes of a priest, was seated behind the mahogany desk, his figure half hidden behind a pile of paper.
"I am High Priest Joshua." he introduced himself. "You must be Avon."
The man looked to be in his mid-twenties, and had soft, blonde hair and sparkling azure eyes. His lips were curved into a kind smile, which Avon thought attested to his willpower and patience- considering the fact that he had already gone through tens of patients before him. The sleeves of his white robe were decorated with swirls of silver- signifying his position as a High Priest- and a pendant made of Armitite, a stone that amplified divine power, hung over his collarbone.
At his gesture, Avon settled onto a stone bench that was placed in front of the High Priest's desk. Realising that it would be considered rude for him to cover his face, Avon hastily tugged off his hood, revealing his features to the man before him.
A flash of surprise passed through Joshua's eyes as his gaze lingered at the visage of the young boy before him. "You... have white hair?"
When Avon nodded silently at him, Joshua's eyes curved into small crescents. "That means that you have been blessed by the Gods, young man. You truly are lucky. But to think that you would also have red eyes..." his voice trailed off at the end, making Avon confused.
As far as Avon could recall, there was no significance of having eyes of red in Argon, but the tone of the High Priest seemed to suggest that there was something special about it. "Is something the matter, High Priest?" he asked, curious.
"Ah, forgive me. I was merely surprised." he smiled benignly, composing himself once more. "It seems that you will be meeting with someone very important very soon."
Avon furrowed his brow, utterly dumbfounded. But before he could voice his incredulity, he once again felt a sharp gaze staring at him. He whipped his head around, only to find no one behind him once more.
"Is something wrong?" Joshua asked, noticing Avon's panicked look.
Avon shook his head, returning his gaze to the priest before him, but inside his mind, he was wondering what he had done to attract the attention of someone who was mysterious enough to look at him without being physically present beside him.
Seeing the unbothered exterior of the child before him, Joshua cleared his throat while rising from his chair. "Now then, I've already read the letter that your Headmistress sent to the temple, so I will try and sense if something is wrong with your body and spirit. May I?" he asked, waiting for an answer before cupping the sides of Avon's head with his hands.
His eyes closed shut as he muttered something softly under his breath. The pendant hanging on his throat glowed with a delicate silver hue- amplifying his power- before a circle of light enveloped the ground around Avon. The divine circle spread under his feet was wide enough to cover the entire room. Streams of moonlight wafted into the air around Avon, their soothing presence making him relax. As the wisps fluttered around Avon, all the tiredness and lethargy that he had felt vanished in an instant, making him feel more refreshed than he had ever remembered feeling before.
The divine circle was inscribed with various dazzling runes, each one giving off an aura of sovereignty and imposing power. But what astounded Avon the most was the fact that his spirit had felt almost intimately familiar with the power surrounding him, as though his soul and it were old friends embracing each other after a long period of separation.
The seconds ticked by, and while Avon was lost in his thoughts, the circle surrounding him retracted back into the High Priest's body. Noting the dazed look on the child's face, Joshua grinned as he recalled his divine circle.
"Was that your first time experiencing divine power?" he asked, striding back to his desk.
"It was..." Avon sighed in amazement. "It felt surprisingly comfortable."
"Is that so?" Joshua smiled. "Perhaps- like me- you also have a destiny with the Goddess of light, Devania."
Avon merely raised an eyebrow, seemingly lost in thought. "What about the results of my evaluation?" he asked after a while, trepidation clear in his tone.
Almost instantly, Joshua's smile fell, making Avon's heart tremble in fear. "Unfortunately, I couldn't detect anything abnormal with your mind or spirit. Whatever the reason behind your sudden amnesia, I can only tell you that it isn't due to any form of physical or spiritual damage. Only time will tell whether you will ever recover your memory."
Avon felt disappointment cloud his mind, and swallowed bitterly. For some reason, he had known that this would happen, but even then he couldn't help but feel lost.
"Will it hinder me in any way in the future?" Avon asked, tone even and eyes burning.
"No." Joshua said, a slight tinge of surprise echoing in his voice. "Since you haven't incurred any physical damage, you will not be affected by it."
He had thought that the child before him would feel utter despair at the fact that he would probably be unable to ever recall the life that he had led before, but he seemed to have underestimated his willpower and tenacity. His heart subconsciously softened for the young man before him.
"Don't lose hope, child. Perhaps your memory loss is due to something that I do not have the power to detect. Maybe if you meet someone stronger than me in the future, they would be able to help you."
"Thank you for your concern, High Priest." Avon said, bowing his head slightly.
"I wish you the best of luck, chil-" Joshua started, but was interrupted by the door of the study flying open.
A tall and slender man walked in, his entire being covered in a majestic aura of complete dominance. The sleeves of his white robe fluttered in the soft gale, the bronze threads sparkling in the sunlight. A veil obscured his features but despite that, one could feel that the face hidden by it was exquisite. Black hair framed his shoulders and nape, strands of white streaking through the silky waterfall.
Avon's attention was suddenly captured by a loud, resounding thud that echoed through the room. He turned around, startled, only to see that High Priest Joshua had gotten onto his feet, and was bowing in reverence.
"I greet the Silver Oracle, the Cardinal of Gaia!" he exclaimed, flustered.
The man didn't spare him a glance, choosing instead to focus on Avon. As his eyes landed upon him, Avon suddenly felt that familiar gaze that had been bothering him for hours once more.
"You are-" Avon exclaimed, startled.
"You have good perception, kid." the man smiled, striding towards him with swift footsteps. "As expected of the child of destiny."
"Ah?" Avon muttered softly, confused by his sudden statement.
"Tell me, do you want to be my disciple?" he asked casually as he sat himself beside Avon, seemingly unfazed by his response.
"Ah?"
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