Lunch was probably the most awkward part of the day.

Having gone through the entire morning enduring training, there was not much time to get acquainted with one another. I didn't know about the others, but I spent a majority of my time focusing on my affairs while sizing up my companions with what meager opportunity presented itself.

The master was forthright in his teachings, but considering it was just the first day, he explained the rules and expectations that we ought to follow. After that, he taught us some basics, mostly expanding on possible interpretations of the Movement of the Seven Dragons. It might not sound much, but the content was compact and quite intense that it left no space to breathe. Nobody was willing to break the focused atmosphere—except for Maun—and were all silent.

Maun simply had not much self-awareness. He did his own thing with little consideration, whether it was appropriate or not. Admittedly, it was a troublesome aspect of his personality, but backed by his excellence, even the master was helpless and couldn't really scold him.

So lunch became a period of acquainting ourselves with one another...but it seemed not everyone had the same idea.

"Your name is a little mouthful. Shall we call you Aron?" Miles asked the steel-faced boy across the table.

"No," he directly refused.

"Oh. Then Dite?"

Arondite's face grew even darker.

"Hey, shut up," Erlan Jin scratched his head and lightly threw a peanut at Miles.

"Hey, that's not good. You can't waste food like that," he said. "Or do you only like mushroom soup?"

"Pfft." Maun nearly coughed out his cup of water.

I nearly faceplanted on the table at the joke. I didn't want to laugh, but the joke was so bad it was funny.

The awkward air from earlier as well as the hesitation among us instantly cleared.

Erlan rolled his eyes, displeased. "You think you're funny, huh?"

Miles stared at us dumbfoundedly. By the looks of it, he didn't even mean to be funny at all. "I wasn't even joking!"

After a brief interlude of small giggles, we moved on with lunch.

"I'm thinking of eating out tonight to celebrate entry into the Temple. Only five a year get accepted as disciples. That's less than one percent of annual test-takers!" Erlan said. "There's a nice restaurant I'm thinking of going to. Why don't you all come? It'll be my treat!"

"Are we even allowed to leave?" Miles asked.

"They're not keeping us as prisoners." Erlan pointed the fork at Miles before shoving the food at the tip of it into his mouth. "We're free to go, but we have to report our whereabouts and we need permission from our masters." He allowed us a few moments to digest the information. "So, how...How about it?"

"Not going," Arondite said without even glancing up at everyone.

The awkward air from before promptly returned.

"I may have some prior arrangements so I may not be able to go," I spoke softly, lifting my gaze to smile lightly at Erlan. "You can reschedule it on the weekends. I think it will be better. Besides, I don't think it's all too appropriate to leave as soon as you enter."

Maun nodded—even though I was sure he didn't know or care about what we were talking about at all.

"Fine. The weekend, then. No excuses," Erlan said with a sigh, looking disappointed.

The afternoon was taken over by our masters. In the morning, there were general classes which could consolidate our skills and repertoire. For more advanced and personalized guidance, our masters would step forward.

I looked forward very much to learning from the Abbot's guidance, since I was very curious what and how he would teach me regarding my ability to control my Domain.

Navigating the inner temple to go back to my master's courtyard was easier since I already knew the path. I just wasn't sure whether the Abbot would be inside—and I wasn't aware of the specifics of etiquette. Whether I could just walk in and knock or whatever. I was afraid of crossing some line somewhere and being punished for it.

To be on the safe side, I retreated to my courtyard first and found myself being faced with Ina, the same girl from last night.

"Oh, great. You're finally here. Since you're my junior, the Abbot asked me to guide you around first before taking you to him. He's not in the courtyard right now but rather the inner halls."

"Inner halls?"

"That's right. For more personal ventures, we take up the inner halls for the sake of quiet and privacy. The walls are quite resistant to the Domain's energies, so any mishaps that should occur can be contained as well," she explained to me. "It seems you didn't use your ability too much during the tournament?"

I didn't exactly use it at all. If I did...well, I couldn't imagine.

I shook my head. "I didn't know how to," which wasn't exactly a lie.

"That's fine. That's what you're here for. Let's lead you this way."

The inner halls were much more bare than I expected. Save for the walls and windows, there was not much of anything else. Ina led me into a big room. The Abbot was sitting in lotus position in the middle. Upon our arrival, he lightly raised his chin and glanced our way with a beckoning smile.

"Finally arrived?"

I bowed solemnly at the Abbot with Ina. The senior disciple gave simple greetings, patted me on the shoulder, and promptly left.

"Come here, Evy. It's about time we work on your element," he told me.

I nodded solemnly and sat before the Abbot.

"I hope you're adjusting well here," he said as he lifted over a low table from behind him and set it in front of me. On the table was a small crystal sitting under clear glass. The glass emitted warm energy, as did the table.

"What is this?" I asked.

"Open it," he said, gesturing for the crystal cover.

I did as I was told and was attacked by a thick aura of death emanating from the crystal. Startled, I immediately returned the cover.

"How are you?" the Abbot inquired. "Was it too much?"

"No. Um...I'm okay," I said, running my sweaty hand down my thigh. "What is it?"

"This is a type of attribute crystal," he said. "There are some places in the world with rich deposits of Domain energies. Some of these Domain energies manifests into physical form under certain conditions, which gives birth to crystals. Depending on the concentration of certain Domains, an attribute-specific crystal such as the one before you is born. You must've encountered them before. They're used in the primary evaluation whether you are Fated with a Domain or not. When a child awakens with an ability, they usually resonate with an attribute which helps determine their talent as well."

"I do. I remember," I said, nodding.

Laksa from Venerya's Dragoon Academy explained this to me before. I recalled him saying that the machine used for the talent determination thing used this kind of stuff. However, considering nobody has ever Fated with death before, it was eventually removed from the more modern machines. I would not have known I had the Domain of death were it not for him.

"Some people, to increase their affinity with their elements, would absorb the energies of this crystal into themselves," he continued to explain for me. "However, I do not recommend that with you."

"Why is it?" I asked.

"You see...you are the only known wielder of death in this world. Even if there are others, I do not think there are that many...of course, I do hope I'm wrong. Either way, this is not exactly commonplace. You understand my point."

I nodded.

"The thing is here...there are many people who share the energy streams from a Domain which usually means a conflict—leaving much less for everybody else. There are some people with strong Fates, taking the lion's share of the energies. However, for death, there is only you."

I watched him solemnly, then lowered my gaze as I thought over the gravity of the situation.

"Sharing the energies with others would mean it doesn't have to flood to you when you open your stream and call upon the Fates. However, in this case..."

"Since I'm the only one, there's a tendency that I lose control of it," I finished for him.

"That's right. The energies don't have anywhere else to go but you. You monopolize this reserve of energy. No one else wields it but you. That, in itself, is very frightening. Especially in the recent days."

"You mean...the matters of the West?"

"You already know, don't you?" he said.

I nodded again. I had already known since long before...I just didn't realize the gravity of it back then. "From what I know, the country called Astoria has already fallen. I asked Elion, one of those living in the camp, about the situation, and he told me about the existence of creatures called the Unseen. I have a feeling that this has something to do with death, and the imbalance you've been speaking of."

"Did you already feel it?" he asked.

I paused for a bit, wondering if I should speak about what I knew. I needed to divulge this, anyhow, since I also needed to learn some information in turn. It shouldn't be harmful if I put it under the guise of my Deliverer telling me something. Judging by how things in this world worked, it shouldn't be that rare of an occasion. Not to mention I was also Kaliya's sole—as known so far—receiver of blessing.

"More like...I was told of it," I finally said.

The Abbot's eyes widened. He leaned forward ever so slightly. "Did you talk to Kaliya?"

"I wasn't sure if it was him, but I heard it in a dream. It wasn't the usual kind."

"Ah...those dreams, then."

"Are they normal?"

"These dreams are something akin to...holy seances. They have a specific term which this old man can't quite recall," he said, trailing off. "Only the most blessed and favored have them, since they are closer to those who bequeath us our gifts. I feel they are a reliable source of information, since they contain divine encounters. If Kaliya himself has told you, then it confirms you have something to do with the situation occurring in the West."

"He tells me if I ought to take control...I would have to fight those things."

"Those things...being the Unseen, yes?"

I nodded. "But first, I have to learn how to control my ability."

"Yes. This is just what we intend to do today," he said, motioning to the table before us. "Focus on this crystal for now. I'll teach you a method of circulation. I will warn you in advance before we begin. I do not recommend absorbing the energy in this in your case—you don't need it. What I want you to do is circulate it."

"You mean...I take it and put it back?"

"It's much easier said than done. Think of it as having a cup of water," he said. "You tip over the glass and allow the contents to spill out. However, once it is out of the glass, putting the energy back into the cup should be more challenging than taking it out. Because the energies take the shape of their vessels and therefore scatter when there is nothing to contain them."

As he explained, he took out another attribute crystal. The attribute crystal, I felt, had the breath of Vagun, his Deliverer, the Dragon of Time and Order. "Observe what I am going to do."

Setting the crystal on the palm of both hands, then resting it at his abdomen, the Abbot quietly began to meditate. The energy from the crystal was lifted off and traveled around him, melding with his aura calmly. However, he did not absorb it into himself, just allowed it to circulate around him before depositing the energy back into the crystal.

The process was not perfect. Some of the energies would spill out and scatter. I would assume that, by the end of the process, there was much less in the crystal than when he started.

Once done, he set aside the crystal under a container, isolating the energy and clearing the air once more. He then faced me with a sigh. "Now, it is your turn."

I stared at the crystal before me.

"For now, we will concentrate on taking the energy out of the crystal. This should be the easiest step. I will guide you, so take it into your hands."

I opened the crystal cover and was once again confronted with the energy of death. I released a shuddering breath, feeling the coldness of it. Despite feeling a bit resistant, I took the crystal into my hands. The energy from within threatened to freeze my fingers over.

It was much colder than I had imagined.

I pulled myself into a sitting position reflecting that of the Abbot's and began my first trial.