Within the Mysticism Studies, one important "fact" of mysticism that Silver was reading about currently was that a specific phrase or action needed to be said or done before it could be used.
Truth be told, this was just a myth, but such situations had occurred far too many times to far too many amateurs over various years, decades and even centuries, for it to be simply dismissed any longer.
Whether it be snapping one's finger, shouting a swear, or prostrating oneself, it seemed to be quite a coincidence that strange things quite often happened around one specific action or phrase.
Silver thought back to when he met the templar knight on the street, for example, which was damn near unimaginable for the average man or woman to see in their lifetime. Or, just now, when the mysterious blue flame appeared, which he soon learnt was the Flame of Soul.
He drew a connection between the two moments, and then he realised.
"Could… a finger flick be the reason why that happened? …Since I chose to become a Fatespinner, it would make sense why I suddenly became lucky enough to meet a templar knight in the middle of the street."
"Wait… But, that would also mean that the first time I performed the ritual, I somehow succeeded..." Silver thought, rubbing his chin.
"…Yet, that could indeed be possible. Since the major problem I have right now is that I have no idea how to control my abilities, and the Mysticism Studies aren't telling me much either." Silver said, opening and closing his left hand. "So, let me try it…"
Silver, without hesitation, flicked his finger. Yet, to his surprise, nothing happened immediately.
"…Huh? Really? Nothing happened?"
But then, the door suddenly flung open, to reveal the person whom he had fully forgotten about. Ariadne.
And, she pounced on him the second she set her sights on him.
"…You…! You've been making… so much noise! You know how hard it's been for me to sleep these past few hours because of you?!" Ariadne exclaimed, whacking Silver on the head a few times. "I ought to put some sense into you, especially because you're also drawing on the floor! You know how long that took for me to clean up before you woke up last time?!"
Silver, in reply, half-yelled, "Aagh! Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Ah, goodness…!"
For some reason, amidst the small beatings from his sister, he felt an urge to… fall asleep, oddly enough... He was not that hurt since his sister didn't intend to harm him much, but, it was like there was some kind of spiritual force trying to force him to slumber deep.
So, despite his resistance, since he also had to endure the small, slightly playful whacks of his sister, he eventually closed his eyes, drifting off…
***
The darkness under his eyes shrouded him once more, as it did during all of his dreams. But then, shadows, ghostly figures, silhouettes and unknown, abstract shapes unexpectedly appeared, and gradually formed the boundaries of an empty, black room around him, just as a strange, young man emerged in the space in front of him.
A man with long, dishevelled hair, who wore a black robe embroidered with silver silk and intertwined with golden thread, could be likened to an omen of a haunting, otherworldly nature with his unusually tall stature, his sickly skin, and his wooden staff.
In this hidden space of darkness and shadows, swathed by the visage of dreams, the man felt like an indomitable peril. However, even with his terrifying presence, he approached Silver, while Silver stood frozen still from the horrible fear that was felt upon looking at him, and merely said the words,
"…You may speak, child."
At that moment, Silver choked as if he had been suffocated, once he felt the fear being released from him. In front of this towering, robed man, he felt as if he were about to be culled to oblivion.
"Who… who are you? Where am I?!"
"…A cursed man. A wielder of the bewitchment of shadows. But, you may know me as a member of the Underworld Court. …I have been watching you, child."
Silver took on a defensive position. "Why?"
"…To save you. To save you, from the hands of the Gods that will use their followers to kill you mercilessly."
"Celestial Theism is a falsehood."
"The benevolence of the Tri-Lords is a quagmire of lies concocted by the churches and temples to facilitate authority over the weak-minded, the common men and women, including you."
"Those Gods shall tear out the hearts of the weak, and use them to cultivate the Great Monarchs of the skies and their envoys, the members of their Roundtables."
"Our Gods, the true Gods, are the ones who you should place your trust in. We have long been forsaken by the blind public eyes and deemed the Occultist Religions, but our faith in the so-called "Accursed Gods" remains true. And you, a boy promised greatness by such false Gods, are deserving of the truth!" He said, extending his hand out to Silver. "You must come with us, and join our spread of the truth!"
"…Lies… your cults serve evils comparable to the Calamities!" Silver clamoured in reply without thinking. "The Underworld Court is nothing but a filthy place, a den of evil!"
He said such words because of the divination that he had witnessed personally, about their true goals with him, but, another reason was because of the blatant lies that came out of the strange man's mouth.
The Occultist Religions were often mentioned in passing conversations, which Ariadne and Silver sometimes overheard as they walked through the streets, and they were often said to be slaughterers, sacrilegious idiots and delusional fools who believed in the evil entities of the beyond, Gods similar to the Tri-Lords, yet they were entities that hated all mortals who didn't serve them, and only them.
At this very moment, Silver spoke without heeding what this man in front of him would do, daring to stand against a follower of evil.
"…Hm. This is unexpected. I thought a child like you would easily fall for the trick."
The strange man with a horrible aura then stared blankly at Silver, and afterwards, smiled awfully, attempting to display something remotely "human."
"…What a smart child that you are. Then, I'll see you soon, next time. And, when that time comes, I won't be as affable as I am currently." He said.
In a mocking gesture, he pointed at Silver, and then he made a hand sign of deathly intent before Silver broke free from the dream.
***
"…Gah!" Silver suddenly shouted, startling Ariadne, who was still in the midst of "disciplining him."
"…Uh… huh?"
Silver looked around, and he seemed to suddenly appear back in his room.
"…Uh, Silver…? Are you okay?"