After a long introspection, Galeon finally refocused on the task at hand. He needed to figure out what his next course of action was. There was not really much of a choice as the end destination would still be the heaven-reaching mountain, but he wondered if there were other things he could do before that.
The Lux Holy Land will be under the care of Shine who serves as the leader of the Holy Land in times of emergency. This was especially the case with the Saintess Helena being forced into a deep slumber. They would be too busy dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake that still continued intermittently and in weaker magnitudes than before.
Melchior was in an even worse state than them. For some reason, they faced more disastrous effects as large gashes of deep crevices could be seen cutting across the city. With the huge population that they had, there were bound to be thousands if not more casualties from this alone. Fortunately the beast tide had just ended with the eradication of most of the wild beasts or else Melchior would also have to deal with a stampede of frightened beasts.
Therion was much the same. Although the damages to infrastructure was not as bad as Melchior's, the chaos it brought was like that of a Meteor Rain. Galeon considered seeking the help of the Guild to deal with the heaven-reaching mountain, but something told him that he should not be expecting much from them. And after the beast tide, Galeon had been disillusioned knowing that the Guild Master was not even present to defend his own city.
There was something about all this that kept nagging at him, however. He could feel it at the back of his mind, something was not quite right. He had ignored this feeling for a long time, but it was getting increasingly difficult to hide it away like any other distractions and wayward thoughts. He did not know where it was coming from nor did he understand what it was that made him feel this way. He could just sense some kind of incongruence somewhere like waking up in a dream and realising that the lamp was off, like it was... just wrong.
Galeon had just had his moment of panic and had resolved it with a reflection. He knew that this feeling of incongruence was all too real. There was something wrong somewhere, he just needed to find out what it was. But he had no time to invest in that. He did not even have the slightest lead. Shaking his head, Galeon forced the nagging thoughts down once more.
It did not seem like there was anything he could do in the meantime so he began shooting across the sky, heading for the heaven-reaching mountain that called to him with a conspicuous mockery. It was not really doing that, but to Galeon, it truly felt that way. Its very presence dredged out such negative emotions within him that he was growing to hate it more and more.
The lack of control was killing him. There were too many unknowns with little to no clues as to how to go about answering them. And he hated that it was not just the world that was hiding things from him. Even his own self seemed to hide secrets that he never even knew existed. And this gave him a new perspective toward that time that he nearly died at his own hands.
He took a step toward the Origin of all things as he interacted with them. He began his Transformation by aligning himself with them on a deeper level. He Sublimated himself, becoming one with all the things around him. And he Severed his concept of self to join a collective, an Infinite existence. But what if, he never truly did manage to Sever himself? What if he thought he had Severed himself completely but only truly managed to unearth the superficial parts of himself? What if this was the true reason as to why he could not yet see beyond Finality?
What truths could one wield when even one's own life is a lie?
In the same token, what self can one sever if one never truly knew everything about their own self? Could you truly cut straight if your eyes were blind? Could you really speak fluently if you had always been mute? Could you tell what was white if there was never a concept like black to compare it to? Could you really be assured of yourself while finding all these unknowns about you? Is his name even real?
Does any of this... even matter?
Galeon was stuck. He wanted the unknowns to be answered. He wanted to be enlightened, but it was not really for himself. Galeon knew and understood that one can never truly know everything about their own self. There are things that only other people would recognise about a person that the person himself would fail to even notice. This is natural and he accepted it. His sense of self was a solid wall, unshakable and immovable. But at the same time, he felt the need to know for the sake of his dream.
He was stumbling at the very beginning of the long path. He was getting frustrated and impatient. It was not his fault. He had experienced a sudden rise in power, carrying him on a cloud of expectations that was steadily returning to its intended speed. Growth could not be achieved in a single day. It is a continuous effort and requires an investment in time. And with all the things happening around him, it was easy to feel like there was not much time at all.
He was sailing along a river that went at its own pace and disregarded any form of manipulation and control that others exert upon it. It was its own thing. It knew what it was and what it had to do, and it just did it. Galeon was slowly recognising this. He was becoming more and more aware that he was not meant to be in control, at least not yet. Before one takes the reins, they must first learn how things work. They must understand what makes everything tick, what makes them flow.
[Shaper of Self has unearthed new complexities within the Molecular System.]
[You have obtained the trait: Hydrokinesis]
It was a strange moment, a coincidence that seemed to not be so. It was as though his thoughts on something was being reflected as something else within him, something more tangible than mere reconciliation and acceptance. It seemed to be telling him something, a truth that was as plain as day that he failed to notice. Even with the Eyes of Clarity, if he did not try to even look, then would he really see anything?
He could feel it, his body was telling him something essential. He is a living and breathing person. He was not some object to be studied or a machine that was programmed to do things in a clear and systematic way. He was organic and ever-changing, much like the world around him. Impermanence was the only true permanence. And if the world can change at its own pace without regard for those who find themselves pulled into its maelstrom, then why can he not do the same?
There was no need to hurry. Understanding of the self comes with time, and what was the very thing he sought after if not Time. Knowledge and Truths would always be there, never vanishing. Eternity would always be there, merely waiting. Galeon need not hurry, need not whittle himself down until only a shred of his being remained just to reach them. They were there within arms' reach. He just had to take the time and... see.
[Eyes of Clarity is undergoing unknown changes.]
[The unknown authority within Clarity is being redefined.]
Unknown... unknown... it no longer gripped at his heart, no longer sent him into a trembling panic of anxiety and helplessness. He just let it wash over him, accepting that he had no knowledge of them. It was okay not to know everything, and recognising this fact is the first step because it did not mean that he would forever remain ignorant. Even now, he was slowly uncovering what these unknowns were, slowly defining their presence and existence. It was slow, but at the end of it, there would come a fruit, a Truth.
Clarity was here to stay. Clarity was here to show him the way.
Galeon sighed in relief. These past few days felt a lot longer than they actually were, and perhaps that was Time working in ways he could not yet fathom. He felt like he was being dragged all over the place, ground down to a walking husk. Perhaps this was the reason he sought comfort in Lily's presence. Without her, he began spiraling downward a seemingly bottomless pit.
But now, he just remained there, floating in the air as he flew northward. Even as he headed toward unknown dangers, he just let it all wash over him. The tide will rise and fall, there was no denying that. But which sailor or fisherman had never once contended with the tide or the tumultuous waves? He would just be the latest in a long line of them.
He would be among them.