Chapter 22:

  Rin stood at the top of a stone staircase that cut through the chest of the mountain like an ancient scar. Beside the stairs, giant stone pillars stood silent and majestic, like sleepless guardians. Behind her, the Katakai Palace sprawled, its branching wooden limbs creeping between the corners of the forest like an ancient being rooting itself into the heart of the earth.

  ?She lifted her head.

  Moli was standing near her with a strange calmness, as if he had been there since morning, watching the clouds dissipate. She hadn't heard him arrive, nor felt his footsteps.

  Without preamble, she said in a voice devoid of pleasantries:

  "What do you want from me?"

  ?He muttered with a hint of annoyance, as if she had ruined an opening he had been planning:

  "I was going to invite you to lunch."

  She shot him a blunt, cold look.

  "Why? I know you want something from me. Is it part of my training for the competition?"

  ?A brief silence followed. He looked at her, then said:

  "Yes..."

  He added with a spontaneity he didn't try to hide:

  "But I also wanted to take the opportunity to spend some time with you."

  She shook her head slightly, declining without harshness:

  "I'm not in a good mood."

  He smiled sarcastically, his eyes gleaming with a touch of defiance:

  "Exactly."

  ?She sighed, then followed him as he began descending the stone steps toward the base of the mountain. His steps were confident, while she remained half-submerged in her thoughts. They passed by the stone pillars, lined up with a regularity resembling silent lampposts.

  He gestured to her with a side glance.

  "These pillars are infused with crystal magic energy. They act as stabilizers for the Comma."

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  Rin murmured, as if recalling a line from a book:

  "The Sixth spell."

  ?He turned to her.

  "What is it?"

  She answered with clear confidence:

  "A magical barrier that alters the crystalline nature within a specific area, separating it from the outside world."

  He stopped for a moment, then gave a light clap.

  "You’ve been studying hard lately!"

  She whispered in a voice heavier than she intended:

  "I have no other choice... even though I know nothing about the reason for everything happening to me."

  ?Silence returned, deeper this time. It was only broken by his voice, unusually calm:

  "Do you want to know who you are?"

  She lifted her head.

  His gaze was direct, warm, and free of mockery. She nodded slowly.

  ?He reached out to her and placed a small piece of wood in her palms. It was light, strangely warm. She turned it over between her fingers and read the name carved upon it:

  Rininder.

  She raised her eyes to him.

  He said with a simplicity that did not match the weight of the word:

  "This piece was tied to your father’s wrist the whole time. He was hiding it from you... but it revealed itself as soon as he died."

  ?Her features became clouded, astonishment mixing with denial. He took a step toward her, and she instinctively recoiled. He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked her:

  "What is my full name, Rin?"

  She hesitated. She felt the answer standing behind a locked door in her mind. Finally, she whispered in a voice barely audible:

  "Molinder."

  ?Her eyes widened, and the question burst from her lips:

  "What does this mean?!"

  He said with a calmness that reminded her of something ancient:

  "Do you remember the Inder family?"

  She nodded.

  "The family descends from the blood of the nun Inder... but in reality, she is not a human nun."

  Her brows furrowed as he continued:

  "And to be honest, she is the most important entity in the continuity of the system... and the stability of the Veil."

  ?"Why?" she whispered.

  He smiled—not with pride, but with certainty.

  "Because she is the strongest."

  He paused for a moment, then continued in a deeper voice:

  "She split her soul from her mind and her body into three blood lineages. Each lineage inherits a part of her... and every bearer of her blood is named after her."

  ?She whispered the word as if uttering a secret:

  "Inder..."

  He nodded.

  "The Inder family inherited her mind. She can manifest her consciousness whenever she wishes and assist the family."

  Rin's eyes widened with a sudden realization.

  "So she is their Anchor!"

  He shook his head slightly.

  "Rather, the heir to her mind is the Anchor... because of his ability to summon her."

  ?A heavy silence settled between them, as if the air itself had become denser. Rin hugged her arms and said in a low voice:

  "And what do I inherit?"

  He contemplated her for a moment, then said:

  "I don't know who your mother is yet... but I know that I am the bearer of Inder's soul."

  Her gaze trembled.

  "And you... are the heir to her body."

  ?She felt her heart quiver in her chest.

  "What does this mean?!"

  He patted her head, laughing with intentional lightness:

  "Don't be afraid. It doesn't mean she will take over you one day."

  Then he added with a crooked smile:

  "But we will use her body to our advantage... don't worry, Inder is a forgiving girl."

  ?Suddenly... Rin raised her palm before him, signaling for silence. She took a few steps back, pulling at strands of her hair like someone trying to wake up from a late nightmare.

  "What is this that’s suddenly spinning in my head?"

  Moli tilted his head casually.

  "A dream?"

  She nodded slowly.

  "I think so... but it feels like an old dream I’ve reclaimed."

  He laughed softly, then nodded with a provocative nonchalance:

  "Yes... it is her."