Morning at the Sanctum of Exaltation unfolded with its peculiar stillness. Footsteps muffled against ancient stone slabs, murmured voices drifting between pavilions, and the distant hiss of incense burning in the side temples.
Aleph walked down one of the less traveled corridors, a small cloth bag dangling from his right hand.
"Could you do me a favor, Aleph?"
Dan Shu's voice was soft, like a tea leaf gliding over water.
Aleph looked up from his seat at the table, coffee cup in hand.
"Depends. Does it involve jumping out a window or robbing a bank?"
"No. It's much simpler." She pulled out a small sealed pouch. "These are special pills for Xiaoyu. She… has the same condition I do. I was wondering if you could take them to her."
Aleph accepted the bag without unnecessary questions.
"Is there a reason you can't do it yourself?"
"Yes. I have a meeting I can't postpone." She said calmly, though a tension line crossed her face. "And I'd rather not send her alone… Lately, some kids have been picking on her. You know how they can be at that age."
Aleph said nothing. He stood up.
"I'll do it."
...…
It wasn't heavy, but the contents were precious—medicines prepared by Dan Shu herself.
"Give them to her directly." The alchemist had said firmly. "And make sure she takes them in front of you. She's stubborn."
The drop-off point was clearly indicated: a small courtyard in the back of the Sanctum. Aleph found his way there without issue.
He spotted Xiaoyu near a staircase that led to an inner plaza. At first, he thought she was alone—until he heard the laughter.
Three older kids, two boys and a girl, were surrounding her.
"How do you even find the stairs if you're blind? Do you have, like, bat radar?"
One of them gave her a little shove.
"Hey, sing for us! I wanna hear what a blind monster sounds like!"
"Come on, Yu! If you can't see, maybe you can't feel this either!"
"Hey, what color is this flower? Oh wait—you can't tell!"
Aleph walked toward them, unhurried.
His footsteps were loud enough that the kids turned around.
"And who the hell are—"
He didn't answer. He just stared.
One of the boys immediately lowered his gaze. Another swallowed hard.
"What do you want?"
"Get her down from there."
Yu had been forced onto a small column, balancing precariously.
The kids exchanged glances, and one tried to muster up some bravado.
"This is our spot. You don't even belong here."
Aleph raised an eyebrow.
"And you're not strong. But I don't hold it against you."
They flinched.
One of them clicked his tongue and swung a punch at Aleph—who didn't even bother dodging.
"Boss?!" cried the other two as they saw the biggest kid clutching his hand in pain.
"What the hell are you made of?!" The boy growled, his eyes welling with tears.
"Uh… Flesh? Just like you?"
The boy gritted his teeth.
"I don't know what trick you pulled to withstand my mighty punch—one strong enough to knock down my dad—but mark my words, I'll have my revenge!"
He grabbed his friends and bolted.
Aleph watched them go. Honestly, he'd much rather deal with Hook than spend another second with those kids.
He turned toward the column and gently extended his arms.
"I'm going to get you down. Don't scream. I don't bite."
Xiaoyu clung to his coat. He lifted her with ease and set her gently on the ground.
"Are you hurt?"
"No… Just annoyed."
"Figured." He handed her the pouch. "Medicine. Dan Shu sent it."
Yu gripped it with both hands. Then she asked.
"…Do you pity me?"
Aleph paused.
"No."
"Then why did you help me?"
"Because I could." He said plainly. "And because I hate idiots."
[Should I find a therapist to fix your issues, Master?]
"Huh?"
[Didn't you just admit you hate yourself?]
"...I hate you, Burroughs."
She smiled. Just a little. But it was genuine.
"I'll walk you wherever you need to go."
"Don't you have better things to do?"
"Probably."
"Then why—?"
"I told you. Because I can. Also… I like you."
She didn't argue further. She simply grabbed onto his sleeve.
"You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine. It always happens."
Aleph said nothing.
"Dan Shu said you have to take the medicine in front of me."
Yu smiled faintly but took the bottle. She tilted her head back and swallowed it without a complaint.
"Aren't you going to ask if I'm okay?" She asked with a sad little smile.
"No."
"...Why not?"
"Because you don't need anyone's pity. Right?"
She blinked—or at least, Aleph thought she did.
"Where are you headed now?"
"Back. Though I don't like leaving you alone."
"I need to meet my parents in the Craft Commission's storage section."
Aleph clicked his tongue.
"Let's go. I'll take you."
Xiaoyu opened her mouth to protest but then closed it again. She nodded.
...
The walk was peaceful. Aleph spoke to her now and then, pointing out things with simple descriptions, even cracking a few jokes. She laughed—not because they were funny, but because she seemed grateful for the effort.
But when they reached the crafting sector, Aleph noticed something.
Silence.
Too much of it.
The halls, usually filled with hammering and chatter, were unnervingly empty.
"Stay behind me."
Xiaoyu obeyed without a word.
That's when they emerged—soldiers, their eyes clouded by Mara. Automatons moving in jerky, unnatural motions.
Aleph stepped forward boldly.
Mabufula wrapped the machines in frost and shattered them. Mazio crackled and fried the soldiers into crispy heaps.
Aleph didn't let a single one get close—to him or to Xiaoyu.
In seconds, it was over.
"Uh… A-are you okay?"
Aleph smiled, ruffling her hair.
"From just that? Please. It'll take way more to even make me break a sweat."
She giggled, more at ease.
"Thanks for bringing me."
"Thanks for letting me."
And with that, Aleph said his goodbyes, leaving her in the care of her parents and the workers who were slowly emerging to repair the damage.
Far away, unseen by him, a small flower bloomed next to one of the columns.
Golden.
Solitary.
But alive.
*****
The afternoon in the Sanctum of Exaltation was strangely peaceful.
The streets buzzed with the soft murmurs of routine—gentle footsteps on stone, distant voices arguing, the clinking of porcelain cups on terraces heavy with tea steam.
Aleph returned to the secluded corner where he had first met Dan Shu.
He had no greater purpose than to sit. To breathe. To let his mind wander for a while.
She was seated at the same table, a cup held between her hands, her head slightly tilted toward the sun. Her eyes, though sightless, seemed to bask in its warmth.
"You came again." She said without turning. "I suppose I'm starting to seem charming to you."
Aleph didn't flinch.
"Either that, or I'm becoming addicted to the coffee here."
Although he couldn't help but think.
"I miss Himeko's coffee..."
Dan Shu chuckled softly. She turned toward him.
"Are you going to sit, or would you rather stand there like an underpaid bodyguard?"
He sat down without answering.
For a while, they said nothing. They simply shared a quiet, peaceful silence.
Eventually, Dan Shu broke the calm.
"It's... really strange. I can't quite explain it, but your presence doesn't make me uncomfortable. I feel at peace when you're around."
Aleph glanced at her sideways. He said nothing.
"It's so odd. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I can tell you're different from others—there's something unusual about you. I don't know how, but I sense you're similar to me. What are you, Aleph Avesta?"
"Think of me as the future legend that will echo across the cosmos, The Morning Star!"
[… Master, are you sure you're not doing this on purpose?]
"What do you mean?"
[Nothing.]
Dan Shu tilted her head, unsure whether to take him seriously or not.
"You're very straightforward."
"I'm practical."
Dan Shu traced the rim of her cup with her fingers, as if drawing a circle.
"You know, years ago I tried to get new eyes."
Aleph watched her, not interrupting.
"High-precision prosthetics. Advanced visual recovery tech. They told me it was the best option. And it was... for a while. The world came back to me. I saw colors. Shadows. People's expressions."
She paused. Her voice didn't tremble, but she lowered it.
"And then... the pain began. Not physical, at first. It was as if something deep inside me was screaming that it wasn't right. As if my birth eyes were crying to return."
Aleph remained still.
"One day, I woke up bleeding. It wasn't normal organ rejection. It was more like... an inner battle. As if the flesh meant to be eternal refused to be replaced. The prosthetic eyes were expelled. Literally."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable. It was heavy.
"Since then, I've lived with the certainty that we—the long-lived ones—aren't just ageless. We're immutable. What we are at birth, we remain until the end. Flaws included. And no one talks about it. No one wants to admit we're living relics. Statues doomed never to change."
Her voice dropped even lower.
"Maybe... Maybe this is the punishment of the Abundance for us, the people of Xianzhou. For having rejected her. For choosing the Hunt instead. Because... if we could live forever and change…"
A bitter smile formed on her lips.
"What would we have left to fear?"
Aleph stared at the steam rising from his cup, feeling like an idiot for what he had said before Dan Shu started speaking.
Dan Shu continued, her voice almost a whisper.
"I'm not afraid of being blind. I don't fear eternal darkness. I've long since adapted. What I fear... is that Xiaoyu, someday, will have hope. That she'll believe she can see. That she'll dream of it... only to live through the same horror I did. Is it cruel that I want to crush a young girl's hope from the start? I don't expect understanding or forgiveness for my actions, and it's likely she'll end up hating me. But at least... I know I'll be sparing her from ending up like me."
Aleph lowered his gaze. He didn't respond with empty phrases. He offered no sweet promises or false solutions. He simply moved closer and gently placed his hand over hers.
It was his answer.
I'm here. And I don't judge you.
Dan Shu didn't pull her hand away.
"Thank you, Aleph."
"You're welcome."
"Liar."
Aleph smiled, almost imperceptibly.
For a while longer, they said nothing.
And that was enough.
******
The afternoon had already begun sliding into evening when Aleph returned to the room assigned to him at the Territory Management Commission.
He dropped into the nearest chair just as his phone buzzed quietly in his pocket.
[New message received.]
[Qingsu: "Anomalous movement detected near the Craft District—possible Sanctus Medicus members. Also, Zhixin, one of our infiltrators, has disappeared under suspicious circumstances. No signs of struggle found. Proceed carefully, Aleph. Just because they're crazy doesn't mean they're stupid."]
Aleph frowned slightly.
Disappearances without a trace were never a good sign.
Especially not when it involved Sanctus Medicus.
And this time, it was one of their own.
[Welt: "Aleph… do you know how to change the group profile picture? Arahato's anniversary is coming up and I want to use a special image."]
Aleph blinked.
Arahato…?
Then he saw the picture Welt sent—a giant mecha—and he couldn't help but chuckle a little.
The man looked genuinely excited.
"Well, they're giant robots. Can't really blame him."
[Master, what's so special about giant robots? I'm fairly certain you and Mr. Yang could take down several of them without much effort.]
"You wouldn't understand, Burroughs."
Another notification popped up before he could even put the phone away.
March 7th.
[March 7th: "Domestic front update! Remember the buns and desserts you left? They barely survived!"]
It came with an attached video.
Aleph opened it.
Chaos. Absolute chaos.
Tingyun and Stelle were fighting like wild animals around the kitchen, both tugging furiously at a tray of buns, neither willing to surrender.
Shouts, shrieks, a lamp crashing down in the background—
Wow.
March 7th was narrating in a whisper, like she was chronicling a historic battle:
[March 7th: "Here we witness two specimens in their natural habitat… fighting over the rights to devour previously captured prey."]
Aleph let out a small laugh, and for some strange reason, he couldn't help but imagine a fox and a raccoon brawling.
Weird.
The screen switched to a selfie of March 7th, grinning mischievously while holding a massive Tupperware full of rescued buns.
[March 7th: "Don't worry. I've secured the emergency rations. No one else will touch them, hehehe."]
[March 7th: "Oh, and by the way… Fu Xuan tried one too. Her expression... How do I put it? It was like watching someone have a divine revelation."]
Aleph couldn't help but picture Fu Xuan freezing mid-bite, overwhelmed by something sweet and delicious.
Adorable.
[March 7th: "Also, friendly advice. Don't do anything illegal! I'm warning you, Aleph, I already overheard her mumbling some... questionable methods to 'acquire your talents' for her Commission. She's starting to scare me."]
Aleph ran a hand down his face.
"...How exactly should I feel about that?"
He tucked his phone away, but his smile lingered for a few moments longer.
Taking advantage of the rare moment of peace, he turned on a small floating holographic terminal in his room and began browsing Xianzhou's culinary databases.
Traditional recipes. Light sweets to pair with tea and coffee.
Hmm. Wouldn't be a bad idea to bring a few to share with Dan Shu and Xiaoyu.
As he scrolled through ingredients and measurements, Burroughs popped up.
[Looking for new chemical weapons, Master?]
"Shut up. I'm doing something important."
[Planning to defeat them… with cupcakes?]
"...Not a bad strategy, honestly."
Burroughs chuckled.
And Aleph continued his search.
*****
The Sanctum of Exaltation felt even more immense when walking alone.
The side streets, much less crowded than the main plaza, seemed to devour everything into a blend of elegant architecture and silent corridors.
Aleph kept a steady pace, but his mind was racing.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed figures moving along the edges — people in modest robes, their eyes unnaturally bright, almost identical to the recruiter's.
Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, almost certainly.
Burroughs' soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
[Reminder, Master. The meeting is tomorrow night.]
Aleph nodded silently.
[I recommend you practice. Memorizing the creed is easy; sounding like you actually believe it... that's another story.]
A low growl escaped his throat.
"Yeah, yeah… Don't remind me."
He made his way back toward the Territory Administration Commission. Above the Luofu, the sky had already started to stain itself a deep violet, as if the night were slowly seeping into the ship's very bones.
...
Break Room – Territory Administration Commission
Aleph closed the door behind him, let out a long sigh, and planted himself in front of the mirror hanging on the wall.
He stared at his reflection for a few seconds.
Without changing his expression, he began.
"The Root calls to us. Endless life purifies us. The imposed cycle is a lie that keeps us from the truth…"
He stopped halfway through.
Too flat.
He tried again, this time forcing a more fervent tone, as if faith itself was burning inside him.
"The Root calls to us…"
Burroughs let out a short buzz.
[You sound like a desperate insurance salesman.]
Aleph closed his eyes in resignation.
He tried once more, this time with a colder, almost detached voice — like someone who had already handed over his entire paycheck to a debt collector and was just repeating the words like a prayer, hoping some higher power would throw him a bone.
"The Root calls to us…"
Burroughs took a few seconds to respond.
[Much better. You sound like you've truly given up to something bigger than yourself.]
Aleph exhaled the breath he didn't even realize he was holding.
He looked at his reflection.
"I'm not a good actor." He thought irritably.
No matter how many nuances he tried to add, in the end, he could only play slightly different versions of himself.
No grand gestures, no fiery gazes.
He collapsed into the chair by the side of the room and ran a hand through his hair.
"Doesn't matter." He muttered. "I just need to sound convinced. Not inspired."
With a resigned sigh, he stood up and prepared a light dinner with what Dahao had left him.
A bit of rice, steamed vegetables, and a strong green tea.
While eating, his mind kept drifting back to the creed.
"The Root calls to us... Eternal life is the true gift..."
He recited under his breath between bites, as if trying to trick his tongue into saying it naturally.
Eventually, he set the utensils aside and lay back on the bed.
He stared at the ceiling. An empty, silent place.
"Tomorrow, I just have to do my best." Aleph thought, though he couldn't help but wonder something else.
"They say to be a good actor you have to inject real feelings into your performance...
What kind of emotion would I channel if I imagined the time I had to eat pineapple pizza?"
[Master... Is this really the time to think about that?]
"...Yes."
He finally stretched out on the bed, letting out a long yawn.
*****
The room was calm.
Only the faint hum of the air purifier broke the silence.
Aleph sat on the bed, holding the COMP—now in its phone form—in his hands. The screen was off, but the dim light of the room curved faintly across the black glass.
Burroughs, surprisingly, stayed silent. No notifications, no interruptions.
Aleph spun the phone between his fingers a couple of times.
"Burroughs."
The AI responded with a small flicker of light.
[I'm here.]
He hesitated, staring off into nothing.
"Make a list."
[What kind, Master?]
"A list of my mistakes." He clarified quietly. "From the moment I started this mission until now. What did I mess up? What could I have done better?"
There was a pause.
Burroughs didn't respond immediately, as if genuinely caught off guard by the request.
[May I ask… why?]
Aleph held the phone against his chest and leaned back on the bed. He stared at the sterile white ceiling as if searching for hidden answers between the cracks.
He stayed quiet for so long that Burroughs almost thought he had changed his mind.
Finally, Aleph murmured.
"…I just need to clear up a few doubts. That's all."
[Understood.]
And she began to list them.
Minor mistakes. Movements that drew a little too much attention. Moments when his expressions were too obvious, or when his neutrality had been so stiff it might've looked suspicious. Times when he could have better used his surroundings.
Details.
Most of them imperceptible to a normal observer.
But in an infiltration mission, the imperceptible could be fatal.
Aleph listened in silence.
He didn't argue. He didn't protest. He just listened.
When Burroughs finished, he let out a long, heavy sigh.
He covered his forehead with his forearm, closing his eyes.
"Hopefully tomorrow goes better…" He muttered, half-joking, half-serious.
Silence returned to the room.
For a moment, he thought about just falling asleep.
But he still had too much energy.
It was moments like these that made him miss having March 7th around; she almost always brought games and random entertainment.
He sat up again, turned on the phone, and tapped a few options.
Three summoning circles opened in the air.
With brief flashes of light, Oni, Nappea, and Jack Frost materialized.
Jack Frost gave a little hop as he landed on the bed, while Oni crossed his arms and Nappea floated beside him, curiously looking around the room.
They all looked a bit confused—and he couldn't blame them. He almost never summoned them outside of battle…
"Ugh."
Aleph couldn't help but feel guilty.
Did that mean he was basically keeping them locked away all the time?
Maybe… maybe he should let them out more often. Yeah.
Aleph pulled a deck of cards from his inventory.
"Let's do something productive. Card game. Winner gets to choose tomorrow's breakfast."
Jack Frost clapped excitedly, Nappea smiled mischievously, and Oni grunted his approval.
Just as Aleph was shuffling, Burroughs projected a tiny hologram of herself over the COMP's screen.
[May I join too?] She asked in an innocent tone.
Aleph raised an eyebrow.
"Since when? I thought you didn't like playing games."
[I can adapt to the situation. Besides, it would be unfair to let them have all the fun without me.]
Aleph let out a short snort of laughter.
"Fine, but what's your prize? I don't think you can exactly eat breakfast even if I made you solid."
Burroughs blinked twice.
[I don't need food. But if I win, I demand a prize.]
A not-so-subtle chill ran down Aleph's spine.
"…What kind of prize?"
Burroughs, in her tiny hologram form, smiled like a cat eyeing a distracted mouse.
[If I win… I'll choose your phone wallpaper, your ringtone, and for a whole week, I'll pick your daily outfit.]
Aleph just stared at her.
"…That's abuse of power." He muttered.
[It's relationship evolution, Master.]
Burroughs replied cheerfully.
Oni let out a booming laugh, Jack Frost clapped even harder, and Nappea tried to hide her giggle behind her hand.
Aleph sighed in resignation as he kept shuffling the cards.
[Let the game begin!]
Burroughs announced triumphantly.