The first ray of dawn finally dispelled the darkness and spread across the land.
The door of the room was also gently knocked.
"Miss Hewinia, it is time."
The servant standing outside the door said respectfully.
The servant was about to bow, but caught a glimpse of Hewinia’s face, pausing in surprise.
For only one of Hewinia’s eyes was open, the other had a prominent scar across it.
Even though it had been treated, traces of blood were still visible.
"Miss Hewinia? You are...?"
Hewinia responded calmly, though her voice was exceptionally hoarse, as if she hadn’t spoken for a long time, "Lead the way."
Seeing Hewinia speak in such a manner, the servant dared not ask further and knelt on the ground.
"The way has been prepared for you." The servant said with the most humble tone, resting his head at Hewinia’s feet, "Everyone is waiting for you."
Hewinia nodded slightly, but did not set off immediately. Instead, she turned back to look at the window sill of the room.
The last owl tilted its head looking at her, and as she gently nodded, it immediately picked up the small sealed box by the window and flapped its way high into the sky, soon vanishing without a trace.
"Farewell." Hewinia whispered softly, in a voice only she could hear, "Mr. Visas."
With that, she turned around and set foot on the road that had long been prepared for her, walking towards the magnificent and majestic Holy Light.
The last Inner Song had concluded.
The entire Holy Mountain was eerily silent, as if there wasn’t a soul present.
Yet, on both sides of the path leading to the ceremony, it was lined with kneeling people.
They knelt silently, as if they were already dead, like an eternal note, or like keys waiting to be played by the Player.
In short, they made no sound. Upon the entire Sacred Path, only Hewinia’s footsteps could be heard, as even the wind and snow paused at this moment.
Everything stood still for her, everything knelt before her, awaiting her ascension on the final First Rank of the divine path.
Hewinia arrived before the Seven Sounds Temple.
She saw Ulysses, who awaited in the center of the temple, standing quietly under the Holy Light.
At least for this moment, he appeared as the Holy Sound Master.
This reminded Hewinia of her last conversation with Bai Wei before she cut her left eye.
"Opposing the gods with a mortal body, do you really think you can succeed, Hewinia?"
Hewinia did not respond.
She stepped into the Holy Light just so.
In the cold wind, the owl beat its wings strenuously.
It received its master’s instruction to take this sealed box out of the academy in the shortest time possible and deliver it to another person.
But at this moment, the box began to tremble gently, as if something alive was inside.
The owl tilted its head, its small eyeballs flashing with a big question mark.
However, as a Player, the owl’s intelligence far surpassed that of its kind, and even if there was something strange inside the box, it wouldn’t prevent it from delivering the box safely to its destination.
This was its confidence.
Yet the unrest of the box did not cease. Instead, it grew larger, soon reaching a point beyond its control.
Once more, it lowered its head.
Then it saw an invisible hand extend out from the box.
Ulysses, resting his eyes, slowly opened them, seeing Hewinia who was now standing before him.
Naturally, his gaze was first drawn to Hewinia’s hollow left eye, but it didn’t linger for long, nor did he inquire like the earlier servant about what had happened, he merely smiled lightly and said, "I heard that injuries and pain always inspire Players to greater creative inspiration in adversity... It seems that you haven’t been idle these past two days, Hewinia."
Hewinia did not immediately respond to Ulysses but instead raised her head to gaze at the Holy Light that pierced through the sky above.
Since stepping into this Holy Light, she had felt it.
That divine power, making one unconsciously want to kneel and worship.
But apart from the divinity, there was also a strange sensation—excitement.
So much so that even the dust floating in the air seemed to dance within this Holy Light.
"It seems you too have sensed it, the Lord’s joy." Ulysses said with a light laugh, "The Lord has already seen your notes... A golden score, golden notes, ah, the Lord can hardly wait."
Perhaps to verify Ulysses’ words, Hewinia suddenly felt a peculiar sensation in her body.
As if an invisible hand penetrated through her clothing, lightly caressing her body, from head to toe.
Yet her body felt no repulsion, and the notes bound by the score felt light and resonant, as if played by a lightly plucked key.
"The Lord is playing you, Hewinia." Ulysses said with a smile, "He really... likes you."
Hewinia slightly raised her head.
But this wasn’t of her own will, rather an invisible hand, hidden within the Holy Light, gently lifted her chin.
Even though she saw nothing, she still felt it.
The Holy Sound Master, appreciating her.
"The Lord really likes you."
Ulysses repeated, his words seemingly tinged with a trace of regret, but it quickly vanished, he closed his eyes, holding his staff, as if listening to something.