The priest, clad in his white robe, took a step forward, standing directly opposite Rober. The light from the oil lamps and the high openings cast shifting light and shadow across his face, making his already stern features appear even more mysterious. He looked directly into Rober's eyes, his deep, warm voice echoing in the quiet sanctity of the temple:
"O seeker of guidance, before we commence the sacred rite, tell me your name."
Rober, though inhabiting the body of Linus, felt in this moment a vague connection to his true self. However, he knew that to integrate and understand this dream world, he needed to continue playing his part. He replied, his voice clear and respectful:
"Sir, my name is Linus."
The priest nodded, seeming satisfied.
"Very well, Linus" he said.
"Before we proceed with the rite, I must explain clearly to you the meaning and responsibility of becoming a disciple."
He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the ancient sanctuary hall, then continued:
"As mentioned before, here in the kingdom of Ethiopia, people are free to worship many different gods, praying for their blessings and protection. But to become an official disciple, a true child of a specific deity, you must demonstrate absolute faith and devotion."
"That faith" the priest explained "is not merely shown through words, but must be proven through actions. You must actively participate in the worship rites of your community and family. You must perform personal acts of devotion, such as daily prayer, offering sacrifices, and especially, upholding the oaths sworn before the divine."
"A deeper commitment" he added "can be marked by extraordinary personal actions, great sacrifices and contributions made to the god you venerate. But fundamentally, to be considered a disciple, you must live and act according to the religious and moral standards of your community."
"For these reasons" the priest concluded "the rite we are about to perform is merely the beginning, an 'introduction' ceremony to present you to the god you have chosen, the great Amun. After this rite, you will become an apprentice disciple."
He looked at Rober with a stern gaze, reminding him:
"You must always remember that the path to becoming an official disciple is long and challenging. You must strive continuously, cultivate virtue, temper your will, and prove your devotion to gain the attention and recognition of that god."
Rober listened intently to the priest's every word. He understood that becoming a disciple in this world was not as simple as he might have thought. It demanded commitment, dedication, and profound belief.
At this point, a question flashed through Rober's mind. He looked up and asked the priest:
"Sir, what about... the language of the god? How might I learn that language, so that I may communicate and, perhaps, ask for blessings?"
The priest smiled.
"That is an excellent question, Linus" he said.
"The language of the gods is not something mortals can easily learn."
He explained:
"After you have served for some time as an apprentice disciple, if you possess true devotion and capture the attention of Amun, He will initiate communication with you through various means."
"These might be strange dreams" he said "dreams bearing messages, images, or prophecies of the future. Or, they might be unexpected whispers appearing in your mind at the most unforeseen moments, as if someone were speaking directly to you."
"After the first time" the priest emphasized "that you clearly hear or receive a message from the god, only then are you officially recognized as His disciple."
"However" he added "being able to hear and understand the god's message does not mean you know or have mastered His language. The divine tongue is complex and different. You must experience receiving messages many times, contemplate, analyze, and deduce the rules and knowledge of the language from the very messages you receive."
"It is a long process, demanding patience, intelligence, and also destiny" he concluded.
"Therefore, those who are not disciples of a specific god can never receive blessings or miracles from that god, even if they try to mimic or pronounce His language. They lack the connection, the understanding, and most importantly, true faith."
Rober listened and pondered. He realized the mechanism for learning and using divine languages in this dream world was entirely different from the world outside.
"In the world outside" he thought silently "take Kalis Marry, for example. Though she worships no particular god, she can still research, mechanically memorize, and use those languages as incantations to create magic. In that world, the divine languages have been 'decoded,' systematized, and widely disseminated, no longer restricted only to disciples as they are here."
He recalled his time working in the church library back in Windmere village. There, he had read books documenting various ancient languages, incantations, and magical rites. That knowledge was relatively public, and anyone with sufficient ability and perseverance could learn and use it.
"But here" he continued his thoughts "in this dream, things are completely different. Magic seems more intrinsically linked to belief, to faith in the gods. To use a god's power, one must become their disciple, receive their blessing, and be guided directly by them. This... while somewhat restrictive, feels more transparent and orderly."
Rober nodded, saying to the priest "I understand now, sir. Please begin the rite."
The priest smiled, pleased with Rober's respectful attitude.
"Very well" he said.
"Now, close your eyes, relax your mind, and focus your thoughts on Amun, the god you have chosen."
Rober followed the priest's instructions. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, tried to banish all extraneous thoughts, and focused his entire consciousness on the image of the god Amun.
Immediately after, the priest began chanting in a strange language that Rober couldn't understand. The sounds rose and fell, melodious yet powerful, seeming to dance and echo around him. They created a solemn and sacred atmosphere, making Rober feel enveloped by an invisible energy, warm and strong.
The rite lasted for some time. Rober gradually felt his body grow lighter, as if floating in mid-air. Then, he experienced a wave of dizziness, a loss of balance that made him stagger, nearly falling.
Instinctively, Rober snapped his eyes open to steady himself.
And he realized he was no longer standing in the ancient sanctuary hall of the temple. Instead, he was in a completely different space, a vast, endless expanse of white, with no beginning and no end.
Scattered around him throughout this white void were countless blank sheets of slightly yellowed paper, floating, drifting slowly like autumn leaves in the wind. These papers bore no writing, no images at all. They were simply old, yellowed, mysterious sheets.
Rober looked around curiously. He tried taking a few steps, but no matter how far he walked, the surrounding scene remained unchanged. Still just an endless white space and floating papers.
He felt a bit confused, unsure what to do next. Left with no other option, he decided to try touching one of the papers floating nearest to him.
But, the very instant Rober's finger brushed the edge of the paper, something strange happened.
All the papers floating around him suddenly transformed. They were no longer sheets of paper but had become tall human figures, yet lacking distinct forms. They resembled mannequins shrouded in thin silk, making it impossible to discern their faces or true shapes. One could only sense that they were conscious entities, observing Rober.
The specific paper Rober had touched, however, transformed into someone entirely different. A tall, powerfully built man, his physique strong and solid like cast bronze. Upon his head rested two enormous ram horns, curving majestically, full of power. His face, though indistinct in its details, radiated kindness and wisdom.
The shrouded figures simultaneously moved towards the ram-horned man. They bowed their heads respectfully, then spoke in unison, their voices echoing in the white space:
"Congratulations, You have been chosen!"
Rober stood there, bewildered, asking himself. "Why congratulate him? And who are these veiled figures?" Though confused about the situation, he could recognize the ram-horned man. That form, that presence, perfectly matched the descriptions of the God Amun.
Immediately after, the man believed to be Amun met Rober's gaze. With his unusually tall stature, he bent down slightly, looking directly into Rober's eyes. His own eyes were deep as the cosmos and warm as the sun.
He spoke, his voice gentle and resonant like chiming bells:
"I am Amun. Thank you, Rober, for choosing me."
Rober was stunned.
"Amun knows my real name? He called me Rober, not Linus, my name, my identity in this dream? How... how is this possible?"
Right after, the indistinct figures approached Rober and began speaking to him in voices that felt familiar, yet he couldn't place who they were:
"Didn't expect to meet you like this, Rober."
"It's been a long time since we last met."
"We eagerly await our next meeting, when you are truly ready."
Rober stood there, completely overwhelmed and confused. He couldn't understand what was happening. He couldn't utter a single word, only stand frozen, staring at the hazy figures and listening to their cryptic pronouncements.
Then, as quickly as they had appeared, the figures bid farewell and dissolved into the white void. Amun smiled at Rober one last time, then transformed back into a yellowed sheet of paper, floating away in the air.
The white space around Rober began to tremble, then shatter like a broken mirror.
Rober felt a powerful force pulling him out of the strange vision. He flailed for a moment, then felt himself standing firmly again on the cold stone floor of the temple.
He felt dazed, his mind still reeling from the experience.
"Hey, Linus! Are you alright?"
Phylas's voice sounded beside his ear, pulling him back to reality.
"You look quite stunned."
Rober hesitated, shaking his head.
"No... it's nothing."
He didn't want to, or perhaps couldn't, explain the bizarre vision he had just experienced.
The priest, by now, had completed the rite. He approached Rober and said "The initiation rite is complete, Linus. From this moment, you are an apprentice disciple of Amun. Remember my counsel: participate in communal rites, offer prayers, and demonstrate your devotion, so that you may gain His attention and blessing."
Rober let out a long breath, trying to calm his mind.
He said "I understand, sir. Thank you for taking the time to help me."
But, unexpectedly, at that very moment, a loud explosion erupted from outside the temple. A colossal burst of fire flared violently, coalescing into a brilliant fireball that shot straight into the sanctuary hall, directly towards where they stood, moving with terrifying speed.
"Careful!"
A clear, feminine voice cried out in alarm from the entranceway.
The priest and Phylas both looked utterly astonished as they faced the enormous oncoming fireball. Reacting instinctively, both thrust their hands forward and began chanting incantations in the divine languages of the gods they worshipped.
The priest summoned a powerful, fierce wind, blowing against the fireball, attempting to slow it down and alter its trajectory.
Phylas created a magical shield of blue energy in front of himself and Rober, hoping to block the attack entirely.
However, the fireball was far stronger than they had anticipated. Although the priest's wind and Phylas's shield somewhat diminished its force, it was neither extinguished nor completely stopped. The flames continued to rage fiercely, radiating incredible heat and beginning to spread, igniting tapestries, wooden furnishings, and even scorching the ancient stone walls of the temple.
In that hair's-breadth moment, Rober felt a strange impulse from within, an instinct rising to the surface.
Silently, a phrase formed in his mind, in a completely new language he had never heard or learned before. Yet, strangely, he understood its meaning perfectly, as if it were his native tongue.
It was a request, a command, aimed at temporarily eliminating all oxygen in the vicinity of the raging flames.
Instantly, as the thought flashed through Rober's mind, a powerful, pure surge of magical energy erupted from his body, radiating outwards.
And, in the blink of an eye, all the flames furiously blazing within the sanctuary hall suddenly vanished, as if snuffed out by some invisible hand.