~ White Mist, Red Strings and Shallow Water - IV ~

The case of my transmigrating into someone else's body, did dampen my mood greatly, so much that I wasn't really enjoying the nature, or even the fictional reality of this world. But for some reason, this part where I had to use my abilities, which I knew were there since I wasn't the same Raven, was kind of tempting.

Now one might say that being this confident with something meant it would come out to be a lost cause, but my instincts told me that I could do it if I tried, and I would win.

Snickering to my own self, I leaned to study the characters in the boulder rings very closely, seeing how the strokes were very similar to Sanskrit, that ancient language which was born on the Indian Terrain and was to some extent also adopted by the Buddhist monks... or maybe I was a little clueless on the actual facts, but that was all I could remember.

By now I wasn't surprised to see the familiarity of things in this world. The only difference was that the air around me was denser and the life force seemed to be more prominent. Each tree, each mountain, even the leaf that scratched my face when I was crossing a wood, everything seemed to be alive and more expressive.

Even the water around me seemed to be gentle and serene, very relaxing, almost lulling me to sleep.

"Done?"

I shook my head to the quick question, and could almost imagine the impatience Rai Xo would be wearing by now.

So hurrying up, I quickly focused back on the letters, only to find that they had... rearranged themselves?

I gaped, stumbling back in shock, the disturbing mood rippling through the pool.

"What happened?" Rai Xo asked from behind, his voice carrying a hint of worry, and if I wasn't so preoccupied with what I was seeing, I would have 'aww'ed at his concern.

"T-These words are rearranged!"

I glanced back to wait for some reaction from Rai Xo, but he simply rolled his eyes.

"I don't see it," he said.

Shaking my head, I frantically waved towards the boulder as if presenting it to the senior, "Look carefully, you are standing so far away, how can you see anything from there."

He grumbled under his breath so I couldn't hear what he said, but it was obvious that he was annoyed with me.

I kept staring at him, eager to ask him to take a look, but when I saw his nose flaring, I abruptly settled down, my voice dying in my throat.

The man really did not believe me even a bit, I wondered why he was so hostile, when he was the one who had saved me earlier. Wasn't his Raven dear to him?

"Brother," I heard him say after a while of deep pondering, "just do what you can, if not, get out of there, that pool is sacred, shouldn't be dirtied."

That end part infuriated me to great extent, but I blew away my hate with a huff and leaned back in to see what new arrangement would greet me this time.

And to my surprise, I could actually see the same previous rearrangement but now it was flashing slightly darker, as if freshly inked, and was... readable.

"I can r-read it?" I was shocked with my finding, but dared not voice it out for the senior to hear, or who knows he might spit in my food the next time he gave me something to eat or drink.

Of course he didn't appear to be as 'lowly' but who would guarantee anything in this world.

I breathed in fresh air and relaxed my frazzled nerves, concentrating on my task.

My tongue moved on its own as I read the letters, the sounds coming out strangely, yet felt somewhat familiar.

I had no idea for how long I was supposed to keep reading, but I read until I was entirely behind the boulder and the first ring was about to overlap with another.

Thinking it was adequate for now, I stopped my 'chanting' and rounded out back to my previous position, the water now making my feet feel wrinkly.

"Nothing happened," Rai Xo reminded me rudely, standing at the edge of the pool with his arms crossed.

My spirits dwindled when I heard it, because I had felt something static around me when I pronounced the letters, yet when I took a step to go back and read, the senior gestured for me to stop.

"You are wasting my time, get back here, we need to leave now."

"B-But-" I resisted.

"Now!," he ordered me, and that was the last time I spoke. Pouting as I stomped back with him, mentally determining which time would be suitable for me to come back.

~~

The room I was given was strangely empty, with just a quilt for bed and a tatami mat laid around in an 6X6 matrix.

I stared out from the small latticed window, to observe the moon, which was very much visible in the dark sky.

The night here in the wilderness seemed to be more darker and heavier, no sound pressing the background and there was no other source of light other than the small lamp burning at the corner of my room.

I sighed, shutting my eyes, sleep overtaking me due to exhaustion and fatigue.

~~

Generally, I was woken up everyday to the sound of my alarm, but now I was rudely awakened by my senior Rai Xo with a dagger placed near my neck.

The heck...

I had no time to react when he grit his teeth, and his sharp eyes pierced my soul, the pink looking more scarlet with rage. "Who are you?"

I blinked, stiffening under his dominating aura, "W-What?"

"Your spell worked, but why?" he demanded.

My eyes must have widened with disbelief, since he slapped my head and pointed that dagger even closer to my neck, and in my position, I could be easily targeted but could not defend.

"You b-believe me now? I came here by mistake," I tried the reasoning approach, but...

"I don't believe you."

"You said that yesterday as well," I deadpanned.

"You could be a fraud posing as my junior, how do you think I would believe you?" He pulled my hair back and pressed the cold dagger on my under chin, even drawling blood this time. I winced at the pain.

'Woah... calm down your horses dude, chill out!' I mentally screamed at him.

"If I wanted to kill you I would have by now, right?" my trembling voice tried talking reason again, "Just think about it, why would I spout such nonsense when I know you wouldn't believe me? That only means I am not lying, I really came here by mistake."

"Then," his voice spoke boldly, "prove your innocence by wearing ink."

I nodded frantically seeing a way out, I really wanted this senior to believe me so that I could gain his help in the future. I already missed home, "You can put that 'ink' on me, whatever it is. But I will have to ask, will it... hurt?"

For a minute I thought Rai Xo was startled, but he replied back anyway, "Come with me then."

"But first," I scrambled to say, when he pulled the dagger away, my breath coming out in relief, "Can I see what result my chanting had?"

Rai Xo looked like he would refuse but for some reason he sighed instead, and pulled me up with him, "I will take you then, but don't dare to pull any tricks on me, I am a very senior person in this sect."

Well he could blow his own trumpet for all I cared, but I nodded anyways, eager to see what happened and why the senior believed me so suddenly, even if partially.

It was still a big step for me.

~~

When we reached by the entrance of the pool, I could only stand there stock still, since the eye opening shock was too much for my heart.

Rai Xo, who stood next to me, easily stepped forward, dragging me along by the elbow.

The shallow water that had been so calm and serene yesterday, was now rippling and swirling with erratic force, as if something monstrous was splashing at it.

The waves almost looked angry.

It was a little scary, to be honest.

And I remembered I wasn't really fond of being close to scary things.

"Only evil spirits have this much power," Rai Xo explained with a calm anger, "so tell me how you managed this. Just what are you. And why were you able to do this."

E-Evil spirits?

I gulped, now I knew why the senior looked so hostile, the chant had worked but the outcome was scary even to me.

I even flinched when a splash of water landed right at my feet, the temperature very cold, almost freezing.

My lips quivered, as I tried not to get anxious.