Maya was regretting how things ended. It turned tumultuous, and in the end, there simply wasn't an appropriate moment to ask for Erik's contact information. The possibility that he might never wish to cross their paths again gnawed at her.

In the evening, she tried to call her old number.

The phone rang, unanswered. Maya stared at the screen, lost in thought. The ringing indicated that someone must have charged it, given that its battery life had been on its last legs when Erik had confiscated it.

"That's simply great," Maya muttered, pacing in their room. "I'm sure he hates us now."

'Will I have to choose between my best friend and seeing him again? It's apparent I can't have both.'

"If it's bothering you that much, we could try to find him tomorrow," Elena suggested, idly twirling a pen.

She was buried in manuscripts, but made no move to delve into them yet. It seemed that focus eluded her.

Could it be that she felt a twinge of remorse for pushing Erik too far? The idea of using him to get back at her maker had never occurred to her prior. Yet, now, even Elena seemed motivated to see him again, fuelled by her resolve to persuade him to train her.

Maya left Elena's suggestion open for consideration. While meandering through the academy's corridors, she found herself drawn to an unusual stir in the main hall. She was taken aback to see the High Priestess Kiana gracing the academy grounds.

Hushed whispers filled the air, carrying snippets of conversations among her peers.

"Have you heard… The seniors...the air seniors... And not just them, some freshmen who got hurt back then, too."

"Some of them were admitted to the hospital again."

Maya's mind raced. 'Could they be referring to the students involved in the corrupted beast incident?'

Unable to contain her curiosity, she interjected, "What happened?"

"That's what they can't figure out," a fellow student responded, her voice tinged with confusion. "Something is wrong, but nothing shows up on screenings."

"More went for checks today, showing strange symptoms," another added. Suddenly turning to Maya, she asked, "You were there too, right? Are you getting a check-up?"

A knot tightened in Maya's stomach. 'Could there be something wrong with those who were near during the attack?' Maya felt fine, but the thought of Elena being discovered as a vampire sent waves of worry washing over her.

'Why is that my main concern?'

Before she could respond, the serene figure of Lady Kiana approached them.

"D-do I need to be checked up?" Maya blurted out before the High Priestess could speak.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Her voice was as gentle as her saintly appearance.

"I feel absolutely fine," Maya assured hastily.

A soft chuckle escaped Lady Kiana. She glanced at the other two girls, who took it as a cue for their departure.

"Then there's no need," Lady Kiana reassured her. "It's just a mild hysteria. Some students claimed their magical performance had diminished since the attack. This caused a panic among the others, fearing they might also become weaker."

"Oh, that sounds serious," Maya was concerned.

"If you'd still like to be ruled out, would you accompany me to the temples for tea?" Lady Kiana offered.

Maya, feeling slightly bewildered by the proposition, sheepishly nodded. She understood that when a High Priestess invites you for tea, refusal wasn't an option. Besides, this presented an opportunity to learn more. With that thought, she decided that skipping lunch to spend time with the priestess was a fair trade-off.

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The temples were located at the highest point of Amellan, conveniently situated just beyond the academy gardens. Their walk was short, and even though the temple gardens were barren in the winter, they retained a certain allure.

Inside a cosy wooden building where priestesses entertained guests, Lady Kiana served hot tea. She sat across from Maya, her face resting on her hand, studying Maya with curious eyes.

"Although I said it was nothing serious," Lady Kiana began, "It's true that some students truly were affected."

"What do you mean, Lady Kiana?"

"The students who were victims of the corrupted beast's unperceived attack are showing unusual symptoms," she elaborated. "Some are indeed weaker in terms of magic. I've confirmed it myself."

Finally, Maya understood the reason behind her offer. If one's magical ability was in question, it was only natural to seek guidance from a priestess, not a doctor. The fact that students were being affected by the incident was, however, deeply troubling.

"So, you were invited to assess their magical abilities?" Maya asked, understanding why Lady Kiana was at the academy.

"Indeed," she confirmed. "It doesn't help that some students are also experiencing delusions."

"Why now, though? Months have passed."

Lady Kiana gently scratched her chin, deep in thought. "The damages could have been imperceptible initially, but continued to spread silently," she suggested. "We've never dealt with corrupted beasts to such an extent. Hunters always dealt with them quietly. They were the ones who grasped all the complexities and consequences. We're navigating uncharted territory now. But these delusions… they remind me of the past."

"Delusions? Why?"

"They are unusual as they seem to prophesize a bad end for all of us."

A faint echo of Amanda's words about Lady Kiana being fooled by a prophet before reached Maya's mind. She wished she had inquired more about it when she had the chance.

Lady Kiana sipped a bit of tea and then looked into the distance. "When I was still a young priestess, I met a peculiar boy," she mused.

"Aren't you still young?" Maya blurted, thinking she would be in her mid-thirties at most.

The Priestess chuckled. "I was still quite drunk on the opulent wonders of this world." Her expression faded, replaced by a more introspective and sombre one. "The boy was gifted, although many would say not of a sane mind."

Maya sat prepared as it seemed she was going to hear Kiana's story on how she ended up in such a powerful position, only to seem shackled.

"He'd strike me curious because of his unique story," Lady Kiana continued, gently blowing at the cup she was cradling with her palms. "He claimed that he had fallen into the world of his mother's bedtime stories, asserting that we were merely characters within. His childhood, he said, was filled with tales of Mellgrah, and now he was living them. Because of his mother, he held knowledge of this world's past, its present, and even its future."

Maya's eyes sparkled with interest. The mere idea seemed like a dream come true. She had always wished to visit the world of the books that had captivated her throughout her childhood. However, in this world, such an idea was plausible.

"Was his mother a prophet?"

Lady Kiana glanced at her before answering. "No. She died while giving birth to him. He was raised by a single father."

Maya's eyes widened. "Oh." She was quite surprised but remembered she did say he wasn't sane. Still, she wondered if he possessed any special abilities, like herself. "Then, was he…?"

"The boy was a prophet, indeed. Perhaps his mind coped with the weight of revelations by inventing a mother that was never there."

Such potent power would surely come with steep costs. A delusional mind might have eased the boy's burden but also undermined his reliability. Maya could only begin to comprehend the sacrifices required of those with great power, such as Anastasia. 'Would there come a price as I grow powerful?'

"Minor predictions would seemingly prove accurate," the Priestess continued. "It quickly became troublesome as the past and the future he foretold weren't pleasant or aligned with current streams."

Sensing unease washing over her, Maya began to worry the story didn't have a pleasant end.

"He told me a curious tale of two sisters," Lady Kiana shared, "which led me to question the reality I once took as is…"

'Two sisters?!' It was now a familiar story to Maya. 'Has Lady Kiana heard about Christine from the prophet boy?'

"What happened to him?" Maya asked cautiously.

With a heavy sigh, Kiana revealed, "He died."

Maya's shoulders slumped. "What about his revelations?"

"Lost. Existing only in the memories of few that heard them… and fewer believed them to begin with."

"Do you perhaps still remember?"

A cheeky smile suddenly appeared on her face. "Maya, do you realize you're showing interest in something many consider blasphemous?"

Suddenly realizing the potential dangers of her own curiosity, Maya quickly covered her mouth.

Without a cautious nature, she could easily be lured into revealing her own priviness to secret knowledge. She could never fully trust anyone, and she remembered that even a high-ranking priestess might have ulterior motives.

Lady Kiana stood up and gave her a gentle smile. "Although I'd love to chat with you further, it would be best if you distance yourself from me."

Her words were puzzling, but Maya also felt like Kiana's undertone was suggesting her time was limited. Once again, she was left confused by the High Priestess.

'Should I visit again?'

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