It was the general knowledge that every Dominant had what was known as an Inner Sanctuary within them. This sanctuary was a place otherwise known as the home of a dominant’s soul, said to come into existence the moment a human awakens as a dominant.
Evolving to the second grade did not just grant a dominant a second exclusive skill; it also revealed their Inner Sanctuary to them for the first time.
The reason Dominants in the first and second grades needed to sleep before the evolution was that it could only take place in this unique sanctuary.
Unlike those from the third grade and above who could venture to this sanctuary anytime they wished, those of the first and second could only enter once, when they slept after meeting the evolution requirements.
...As I closed my eyes to go to sleep, I couldn’t help but wonder how my own sanctuary would look.
I remembered that when I played as Leon, his inner sanctuary was a beautiful city of crystal clear springs, beautiful gardens and a golden sun that never set. It also had one of the most beautiful temples I had ever seen.
’How would mine look like?’
I suspected that mine would look far different, as the place was created based on the nature of both a dominant and their bond’s souls.
After a few moments of trying to imagine what mine would look like, I concluded: ’I’ll just find out when I get there.’
...It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep as I was indeed very tired. And just like that, the moment I fell into slumber, I found myself somewhere else.
I was lying sprawled on a field of what felt like cold, brittle dry grass.
Up in the sky above, a large moon hung, shining with an eerie, white brilliance in the starless void.
The first thing to grab my attention was that dozens upon dozens of ravens were flying overhead and around, filling the surroundings with their cawing noises.
I slowly pushed myself up from the cool earth, then took a look around. That was when I discovered I was actually lying in a field of daffodils. I quickly looked behind me. The field stretched on for a fair distance, but after only a few hundred meters, it was cut short by a vast wall of darkness and shadows that completely obscured the view beyond.
I slowly turned away from the wall, my gaze sweeping around and that was when I noticed that the wall of darkness formed a half circle, enclosing the field behind and around me.
In the open space before me, only a short distance away, stood what looked like the ruins of a massive temple. The large building appeared to be still crumbling even as I watched, and it gave off a chilling aura of desolation and decay.
’Goodness... why is my inner sanctuary so creepy...’
I shuddered as I stood up fully from the ground and that was when something else caught my attention. The daffodils a few meters around me in a circle had all decayed and wilted.
’Strange...’
I took the first step toward the temple as I suddenly felt a strange, magnetic pull in my chest, almost as if the temple was calling out to me.
With the next few steps, I noticed that the field of daffodils was dying with every stride I took.
But then I noticed something even stranger. As the daffodils were dying around me with every step I took, behind me, the patch that had wilted and faded slowly began to restore itself.
It was akin to a repeated cycle of death and restoration.
I also noticed something else. Whenever a raven landed on the field, the tiny spot around it also decayed.
...I looked away from the field back to the temple and continued onward towards it.
However, right at that moment, one of the ravens that were flying around suddenly landed on my shoulder causing me to flinch.
I turned my head to stare at the raven perched on my shoulder. It also stared at me and we ended staring at each other for a bit... until Aika’s voice finally echoed in my mind.
’Why the fuck are you looking at me like that?’~~
"Huh?" I arched a brow. "Is that you Aika?"
The raven on my shoulder cawed, and Aika’s voice immediately sounded again in my mind. ’Wait... don’t tell me you can’t even recognize your own bond.’~~
I gulped, looked up at the multiple similar ravens flying around, then looked back to the raven and replied. "Of course I can recognize you."
I scratched the side of my head. "Even amongst a multitude of ravens, I’d always be able to spot your beautiful self."
...The moment I said that, a notification suddenly popped up.
[You have acquired 5 Karma points.]
[Available Karma points: N 1,875 / P 910]
I immediately closed my eyes in embarrassment as Aika clicked her tongue three times. ’Tuu, tuu, tuu. You lying scumbag. That hurts my feelings.’~~
"Come on..." I muttered, "You know it’s not easy trying to tell the difference when there’s a swarm of identical black death-birds around."
As I spoke, all the ravens around cawed noisily, flapped their wings, and began to fly towards the ruined temple, where they then started circling high atop it.
Suddenly I could feel the pull in my chest get stronger.
We both looked to the swarm of birds flying above the temple. Then I muttered in a low voice.
"By the way. Why is this sanctuary so ominous looking?" I nodded toward the ruin in the distance. "I mean... just take a look at my temple."
I had barely finished speaking when one of the massive stone columns crumbled to the floor with a loud noise that sent the circling ravens shrieking upward in a panicked black cloud.
Aika jumped down from my shoulder and transformed into her human form, then she shrugged and replied. "I don’t know." She looked to me and nodded toward the temple. "Come on, let’s keep going."