The sun fading from the west was still alit, dusk settles like a morning glow only to invite the tranquil evening.
The horses galloped into the distance, leaving Selina at a street across her residence.
Ding dong!
Her door bell rang and stood before her porch was a lady with darkish-brown hair, clad in a casual dress with non-fervent styling.
It was Mrs. Heath, holding a pot of meal they will be having for dinner.
Selina tread carefully so as to not alarm the lady.
When she finally reached at a fair distance, she cautiously called out, "Mrs. Heath."
Martha was startled.
She turned her body half and saw Selina, holding a neatly folded clothes and a mocha-brim sunhat.
"You're startling dear", she gasped with humor.
"I tried my best not to frighten you, what seems to be the problem?"
Martha circled herself to fully face her and said, "See, I made too much Beef Stew. It will be too tiring to cook for yourself after a long day so... Here."
Selina glanced at the pot being held by her hands, with pot holders in-between.
"Thank you Mrs. Heath, but really—you don't have to."
I know for sure Mr. Heath would devour them in one sitting... Selina silently mused.
"Hey!"
At that moment, a loud voice suddenly yelled across the street.
Selina subconsciously turned to direction of it.
"Can't you see I can't pay up right now?" The voice of the man was hoarse, his vocals was in rage.
"Sigh..." Martha let out a breath as she watched.
"What's happening over there?" Asked Selina, believing that this lady had something to share.
Martha collected her words and said, "That gentleman over there is Morroy Roundel."
The man, at the terrace house next to Selina, wore a mocha-shaded waistcoat, with a long white sleeve and dark trousers.
"Before you came her— just a week ago, multiple letting agents had visited his place. Morroy would spout profanities telling how he will manage his rent by morning. But oddly enough, the subsequent days that came after was peaceful."
A tenant who refused to pay...
Selina recalled the conversation of Old Neil and Mrs. Orianna regarding her friend at a housing company.
Perhaps he's sick?
She raised her hand while Martha is not looking. Quietly tapped her glabella twice and quickly lowered it so as to not raise suspicion.
The gentleman's aura had a few dark spots in the area around his body. The purple that symbolizes the brain had tainted color to them while the green for the heart, circulatory system and the remaining others appears vibrant.
He is quite healthy... Selina silently commented.
I do recommend exercising more—as their radiance are obviously fading...
As she wander her gaze to the man's figure. She noticed an accumulated dark spots, just around the redness of his left arm.
It glowed with eeriness and slowly Selina realized something amidst.
There was a huge laceration that makes up his arm!
Selina frowned. She steadied herself so as to prevent anyone from noticing.
Is he... Attempting suicide?
The thought crept to her mind like a sinister revelation.
"Mr. Roundel, please. If you don't pay your mortgage, the housing company would have to evict you out of the residence" said the agent calmly.
He himself was trying to contain his emotions from spilling. Believing that it would be better if there are no disputes.
"Tell the housing company to listen with their heads not with their mouths! Didn't I tell you I will pay by tomorrow?" Morroy quickly retreated to his doors and closed it.
Thud!
The wooden entrance slammed shut.
In frustration, the agent looked up and pressed his hands over his face. Mumbling a few words to himself.
"I apologize for such unsightly scene", said Martha as she turned for Selina.
"It's alright. Things like that are bound to happen once in awhile", Selina gave an assuring smile.
Martha softened her expression as she added, "That has been going for a week. If this escalated, he will surely get evicted."
Instead of relief, Selina's body was tensed
She couldn't help but blurt out, "Mrs. Heath—have you and your family interact with Mr. Morroy before?"
Feeling inclined to say, Martha began explaining, "He was apart of the communist party before. The gentleman was also a preacher at the Holy Cathedral before coming here.
"It was unknown what occurred that resulted in his leave. Perhaps due to this, he became a recluse. Poor gentleman."
Her words clearly tells they did not have the chance to know him.
Selina withdrew her gaze to the direction of Morroy's house.
The curtains were drawn, the lights could barely be made as the whole residence seemed to have no occupants.
She is not in the position to intervene, however she refused to standby as well.
Deciding that it will be best to report this finding, Selina expressed her gratitude for the Beef Stew and entered her house.
Her dinner was delightful, regardless of the room's quietness.
After taking a quick shower, she walked out and headed to the lounge.
On the desk, Selina took out a paper note, wrote a paragraph describing the lectures she had and the documents she read.
Once she was done committing the day's toil into mind. She raised this note and let it burn into the lamp's iron casing.
It was just time when the black cat, Falacy, had jumped from the open window and welcomed itself into her residence.
"Falacy", Selina called as she lowered herself to its level.
The cat turned to her instead of heading to its usual spot by the drawers.
"You're expert at chasing mice right?" She added in a remarkable candid.
The feline wasn't amused by this.
It sat before her with a judgmental look. Drooping its eyes while facing her.
If this was any other cat, they would have scurried off and ignore her voice.
But this peculiar black cat have displayed multiple behaviors that gives off similarities to a person.
Selina in the past have caught of this early on but remained with her decision of nursing it to health.
Now that I've look at you this close... You look really similar to a Persian cat.
Are you a Persian cat? Selina gently placed her hand to caress the cat's dark fur.
"Oh this reminds me!"
She recalled a few things as she take in the tranquility of the evening.
One was how she will begin constructing honorifics names for herself as The Child of God, demanded by her followers. The other, was the countless times she had forgotten to feed this black cat!
I seriously need a schedule...
Selina noted to herself as she descend from the upper floor and hurriedly turn for the kitchen.
Minutes turns to half an hour and she returned with a prepared Deep-Fried SailFish.
Before, she had wrapped the raw foods that can spoil with a paper, covered them with salt and placed them in an area exposed to the sun. It didn't stop the spoilage, but it preserved them for awhile.
When she returned to the upper lounge, the cat was already resting on its usual stop at the drawer.
The rich scent that combines the sweetness of the sauce and the roasted aroma from the dish enticed the cat to the point it broke from its slumber.
Tap!
The cat pounced from the drawer, reflexively landing on the cold floor.
Selina lowered the dish, watched the cat indulge in a little night snack until the plate was clean of any stains.
"There", she smiled softly.
"Maybe now you can catch me at least one rat?"
The cat glanced at her and after a moment, it proceeded to lick itself across its body, completely ignoring her.
Selina bloated her right cheek.
Her mind whirled with displeasure.
I guess you need to digest your food first?
With a resigned sigh, she propped herself from the floor and walked to her bedroom. She threw herself right in the embrace of the bed.
Hnng... Haaah...
Selina stretched her body, taking in the comfort and the relaxing coldness of the sheets.
The sensation compelled her to sleep, but she fought greatly, thinking of the task she had yet to complete.
With her mind settled, she reluctantly simulated a feeling of longing and thus returned to the mysterious dreamworld.
...
The figure composed of flesh and organs coalesced to form Selina.
Her eyes fluttered open and following that was the formation of the familiar pasture.
The glade rolls far into the horizon, giving the illusion of infinite lands.
Just before her feet, the grass blades opened a few vines that tangled together, outlining the mural-like spirals.
A few segments of the vines trails off from the spiral, creating illusive paths in every direction.
Unrooted grass swirled around her feet, dancing in the gentle zephyr.
Selina recalled the note she had burned, the lecture Old Neil gave her and the hints from the documents from her follower.
Her hand twisted a few times before it split into roots. Leaves sprouted, forming one page to another before tying it with a vine.
Honorific names are the titles used by deities to form a solid connection to the people. It allows their believers to pray and receive blessings that would have taken them years to get by advancing.
"The first line should include the god's designation, their origin and their intimate description..." Selina muttered as she read the honorary part in one of the document's rituals.
It was brief and after doing so, she let the wind tore the documents.
These are copies, she can produce them again if she wished.
Her thoughts drifted into the names that had been given her to this point.
"I can't call myself The Child of God... I was reborn didn't I?"
"Reborn Child of God...? No no, I refuse to use every title related to that evil goddess!" She exclaimed.
"Perhaps a lady... Hmm, that is dangerous, I haven't reached a stage to be called a lady."
Her mind whirled in thoughts.
Lady refers to an adult woman, regardless of prestige and status. To fully refer it to a woman who had yet to attain a status for herself, would invite unexpected results when prayed to.
To add on, there was already a deity who many referred to as "The Lady". That is none other than the Evernight Goddess.
"Praise the lady. Yes, let's not use that..."
Her wandering gaze allowed her to have a relaxed mind. The clearness of the sky, the gentle warmth of the gales.
Slowly, her eyes landed on her gown.
It was white, her hair was golden-silver. The silkiness of her skin tugged a few instincts from herself.
"Maiden... White Maiden..." She mumbled.
"Yes, White Maiden."
Selina crossed her hands together, just beneath her chest. Her hand moved to sooth her elbow.
"Something that relates to me..."
"I'm a transmigrator at a truest sense. It should be like Mr. Fool's "The Fool who doesn't belong in this era."
"Hmm... The White Maiden from an unknown time..." Selina almost agreed when a foreboding promptly stopped her.
"No. Unknown time refers to an era that is not known by anyone, and Mr. Fool, a lofty existence seems to know this as well."
She abandoned this idea and resumed her pondering.
"...The White Maiden from a distant time."
This line was acceptable. It both reflects her past and her current misplaced era!
"Distant" in this context refers to the gap between her and this world.
While time is an echo of timelines, featuring different universes.
However, one line is not sufficient enough to build the whole prayer. So with this consideration, Selina thought for awhile.
"The reborn daughter of a mysterious dreamworld."
She had tied the dreamworld to her title, allowing for the prayer to eliminate the connection from any entities that may have similar bearings with the line; "White Maiden from a distant time."
Not only that, since the dreamworld had referred to her as its child. This enabled the prayer to point exactly at the "daughter", her.
However, this still lacks one more line.
"The Beginning and the end of the extending vines", she said while her eyes lingered at the trails, spiraling from her feet.
This is an aspect of her identity. Displayed multiple times whenever she summons a follower.
She was the center, the beginning, and at one point, she became the end.
Once these three lines were settled, she rehearsed once more:
"The White Maiden from a distant time;
"The Reborn Daughter of a mysterious dreamworld;
"The Beginning and the End of the extending vines."