Five hours earlier. 16 Daffodil Street.
Selina turned to her living room, walking limply.
The desire to quickly find a soft place to lie down drived her into fixation.
And as soon as she caught sight of the couch...
Poof!
Selina lounged to its embrace and drowned herself in a sea of softness and comfort.
Hnng... What a long day... she stretched out both her hands and limbs and looked down at her body.
Despite her drenched body. Her eyes couldn't help but wane to sleep.
I still have to cook dinner...
At times like this. Having a housemaid would truly be a heaven-sent.
Unfortunately for Selina. Only at those times did she recall such a trivial matter. Her thoughts are often preoccupied by others at a daily basis.
Hmm... Klein mentioned that his brother is a skilled coercer. Perhaps I can ask for advice?
She allowed the dusk settles and night roam before stripping herself off from the couch with quiet reluctance.
At the hall, she pressed her stomach. Dinner is arriving soon and she's too exhausted to cook.
I forgot to buy takeouts...
With heaviness, she strived for her bed. Undid her clothes and brought a towel to cover her body.
The thick fabric hugged her waist as she steadily approached the washroom.
Half an hour later. Selina walked out with a damp hair, loosely coiled up, the silky fabric soaked with the excess water.
Her scent radiates a fine lavender.
Upon changing into a much comfortable night gown in her bedroom.
A small cloth bag by her dresser caught her attention.
It was the fertile soil she had brought from a flower shop.
... I'll set the ritual matters aside for tomorrow... she muttered.
Before heading to the kitchen. She deliberately took the path away from the stairwell.
"Good evening Falacy." she said after entering the lounge.
"I'll cook another fish so wait for me here."
The black feline remained unbothered.
Regardless of this reaction, Selina still made her way to the kitchen and after an hour later she returned with the cat's usual meal.
"Eat well." she smiled and placed the plate down.
She already had her fill during her time in the kitchen hall. Feeling the grogginess seeps in, Selina fixed her attention toward her bedroom.
Bits of dust appearing like lights settled under the coarcing light of the moon.
Under its pallid glow, she opened her bedroom and subsequently collapsed under the face of her mattress.
...
The world shattered into fragments.
Instantly, the darkness ignited one light.
One... Two... Five... Sixteen...
These lights came from the flames of candles. Each illuminating an area of the room.
At the center was an idol. No. It now looks more like a totem.
Three individuals hanged by a metallic hook, dangling by the blood circle on the floor.
A ball of wrapped cloth was underneath their feet.
And by the time the scene shifts to the tall figure. An emerald light engulfed her.
...
In a world beyond the gray fog.
A mysterious plane covering the sky of white and blood tissue. The organs that constitutes the floor convulsed rapidly.
Somewhere, a mound of flesh and blood compiled into a figure of a woman.
This sculpture had Selina's visage, and upon its completion did its eyes fluttered open.
She saw the landscape brimming with tall grass. The gale brought distinct scent and coldness that rustles in each greenly blades.
I'm here... she muttered. Her eyes fixated at the horizon.
It was infinite. Plain and devoid of nothing but tall grass forming a meadow.
She tilted her head upward and saw the willow-like tree she had sculptured in her previous visit.
Then she casted her eyes downward, and saw the spiraling vines extending from her lower-half.
Despite the obvious degradation of her followers. Selina was still left confused by this.
Fewer followers should equate to fewer vine segments, yet multiple vines are still being displayed.
Selina had a hunch that this may lead to other people worshipping, just not apart of her faction.
However, she did not dared to be reckless.
The vines were one thing but her visit now is not deliberate.
Just like the previous dream regarding the Heath family. She was forcefully pulled into the dreamworld.
The dream knew of the Heath family...
I'm certain now that this is a revelation, akin to how divinations work... It was related to the Heath family, this meant the tall figure knew of them...
Selina creased her brow.
The revelation is directing to someone nearby...
Her mind whirred in thoughts.
If that tall figure is nearby... Who could it be? The only people I know of and have already came into contact with are the Heath family and...
She paused.
It took her several seconds for consideration before slowly muttering, "Morroy Roundel."
This was base on the fact that his background was that of a wealthy figure.
Being secured at the top just to become a scapegoat for those of higher authority. Such circumstances would undoubtedly cultivate a nature of vengefulness.
Not only that, Selina couldn't simply dismissed the possibility of this former tycoon having multiple connections in the past. One of which could potentially be related to mysticisms and beyonders.
Despite what Dunn Smith had said regarding Morroy's background. What exposed more may have only been the surface.
Mr. Roundel's obvious performative facade and his deliberate laceration on his arm further reveals the state of his mental condition. This could mean that during his stay in Tingen City, he may have been experimenting with certain rituals for his benefits...
And only now did he acted on that ritual... Selina's eyes grew distant.
Each of Morroy's whereabouts could relate to his current state.
If I could get Klein to divine this if it's accurate...
She hanged her words, knowing of what answer it follows. The danger is ever-present.
Pieces of grass blades scattered to the wind. Selina remained silent until deciding that it was time to leave.
Her plan tomorrow is to verify if whether her assumption is correct and caution the Heath family if ever she was wrong.
Since if the danger isn't Morroy, whatever actions Marth, Marl or their children take may result in the dream's occurance.
Just as she was about to severe her connection. In a trail leading to a degree slightly west, stacked voices reverberated from its direction.
Hm? Selina turned to where the voices originates.
She saw the trail had begin sprouting tiny vines from the soil. Gradually forming a segment of the spiral.
"The Noble Queen of Desolation and Harvest."
The illusory voices became clearer.
"Benign Mother of the land and its dwellers;
"Goddess consort of the Twilight King;
"Subsidiary ruler of the City in Silver."
Speckles of emerald light hovered around the vine segment. Selina quickly realized what it were.
Someone is praying to her!
Benign Mother? Goddess consort of the Twilight King? she acutely noticed these title and forth. Perplexed of how it was able to precisely direct to her.
"I pray for you to save us..." the voices chanting in Loenese continued to protest.
Despite being tensed, Selina still extended her palm toward the source of light.
The moment her hand, along with her spirituality intersect with the emerald flies. The bits of light whirled into a scene.
...
Inside of a basement.
Heavy, cold steel bars divide the space into equal cells.
Each cells housed a bunk bed, and each crevices are scarcely illuminated by a dim light.
Occupying a room, a woman holding her spare of candle brushed pass the steel frame.
She stopped by a wooden table, her bare feet touching the cold wooden floor.
Upon placing the candle at the table's center. The woman tucked a strand of her dark hair and clasped her hands before the flames.
Three candles were present yet the majority of the material required are absent.
She attempting a blind fate!
After chanting a prayer toward the makeshift altar. She received no response. She planned to redo once more.
"What are you doing?" a mature, woman's voice resounded lowly in one of the beds.
She had a long brown, slightly curled hair cascading to her shoulders. Clad in her outdoor attire of a blue dress fit for middle-class, the bloating on her stomach was visibly noticeable.
The woman with dark hair turned her body, a simple dress coiling her waist.
"I'm going to pray to the Child of God."
"Pray?" the brown-haired woman repeated. "Alright... Please include my husband's safety."
The lady in yellow dress scorned, "Miss Jean, your husband may have been taken in as well. The item he always had with him may have led them to his location."
Jean? Beyond the emerald light, Selina recalled a name from the neutral list of believers in the documents.
Jean... Warren? Wife of Kothe Warren? A former ranked officer from the Harvest Church... A Sequence 8 Doctor...
This lady isn't a beyonder... Why was she abducted? she decided to observe for now. Taking immediate action would compromise her chance at gaining information.
Within the scene, an obvious apprehension stirred the brown-haired woman's face.
"What do you mean?" Jean worriedly creased her brow.
The lady chuckled and said, "That is not of your concern. Just be grateful of your husband. If you don't want to worry him, focus on your safety.
Then, she grinned.
"How's your baby doing? Is she well and healthy?"
Jean warily lengthened the gap between her and the lady. She caressed her stomach before saying, "My daughter is doing fine... Thank you for asking..."
"Heh heh... That's good." The woman's laugh was a bit odd.
She didn't explained her reason. Instead she retracted her attention back on the table.
"I'm trying to get us out. Our initial source of communication is gone. All I could do now was to contact the Goddess's spirit, perhaps She can use me as her method of helping us."
"How will that go?" Jean watched the woman prostrate before the candle lights.
The dark haired lady spat out a foul air and then said, "Just be quiet and don't interrupt me."
Jean cautiously moved an inch away from the lady.
Being helpless in such situation, dread loomed her as she hoped for her husband to find her. But she knew that it would be almost impossible.
Splash!
The whole room shook and a distant siren revoked the tranquility of the place. Jean's emotions stirred as she heard waves bowling down outside.
They're in a ship?
Selina inspected the room and the area beyond the cell. Planks were used as the foundation, each candles flickered at the motion of the walls.
She confirmed the scene's setting.
So they are... Where are they heading?
At that moment, the woman began chanting again. This time with an increased in energy and zealousness.
The vine segment that was beginning to retract, rapidly formed once more.
"The Noble Queen of Desolation and Harvest..."
Stacked voices echoed in the distant.
Tormented by the prayer reverberating on her ears. Selina severed her connection with the vine segment.
The light that swirling into a scene dispersed into an individual specks.
Once again, she slowly reached her hand toward the corresponding line and willed the world.
Her form phased out of the meadow.
...
Amid the flickering light and thrashing of the ship.
The flames from the candles facing the lady suddenly burgeoned.
Emerald light burst forth. She saw her vision get swept.
At the next moment. The quiet Jean jolted in fright.
Thud!
She quickly turned over and saw the dark-haired lady collapsed on the floorboard.
"Miss Orola? Miss Orola...?" she called, alerted by the sudden action of her cellmate.
However, even after multiple attempt, the woman gave no response.
...
Orola opened her eyes to see a meadow, covering infinitely into the horizon.
She staggered and quickly, she surveyed the surrounding.
It only took her a few seconds to turn around. In doing so, her heart sank.
Beneath a oddly harmless light, a lady in white gown and long silver-gold hair quietly observing her.
Her mouth trembled open.
"A-Are you..."
The distant land spoke, akin to an echo that traveled across a majestic hall.
It was a gentle, melodic and soothing voice.
"You can address me as Mrs. White from now on..."