Дөрөв дэх Алхам

Sunny remained silent for a while, looking at Nephis with a somber expression. Eventually, a dark smile appeared on his face.

"Do tell."

Neph sighed, then stood up and started gathering the dirty plates. Her movements were calm and unhurried, as if they had not been discussing matters that could very well decide the fate of the whole world.

"Help me do the dishes?"

Sunny blinked, amused by the mundane banality of her request. He lingered for a moment, then shook his head and went about giving Changing Star a hand. As they cleaned the plates in the cold water produced by either a Memory or the Ivory Tower itself, she started talking:

"I've known for a long time that the great clans, especially Song and Valor, were opposed to each other, despite being outwardly unified. The symptoms of the approaching war were quite apparent, if one knew where to look. However, the reasons for this animosity have always eluded me. Ki Song and Anvil had been comrades once, after all… well, I guess it doesn't really matter.

My father was their comrade, too."

Sunny hesitated for a moment.

"Do they really need a reason, though? Power is already reason enough. Both have an unimaginable amount of it, but in my experience, those who possess great power are the ones most greedy for more."

Nephis slowly shook her head.

"Maybe… but they are not fools. This war of theirs is too ill-timed, and too destructive. The great clans stand to lose more from it than they would gain. There are other powers to consider, too, the House of Night, for example.

Even the government, or Asterion, wherever he might be… if both Song and Valor are weakened by the clash, the lesser threats might very well swoop in to finish off the victor."

She paused for a bit.

"So, I suspected there had to be something else at play. And as it turns out, there is, although I only learned of it recently. I still don't know why the hostility between the two great clans has suddenly escalated so much now, of all the times it could have… now seems like a terrible time to go to war. However, I think I do know the true source of their conflict."

Sunny glanced at her, consumed by tense anticipation. It felt as though he was about to learn a great secret… one that would finally let him see the full picture clearly, or at least show him the way to the truth.

Very few people in the world could have uncovered this mystery… but Changing Star herself had infiltrated one of the great clans, while Cassie was helping her. And now, he was going to benefit from their effort.

Sunny remained silent, waiting. Nephis calmly wiped the last plate, put it on the drying rack, and turned to him. White sparks ignited in her eyes.

"It has to do with the Sovereigns… and their Domains."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Domains? I've heard a few people use that word. However, I still don't know what it means."

Nephis nodded, then headed toward the stairs to the sixth, highest level of the tower.

"Come… uh, if you want."

Sunny gave her a dark look, then followed. As they ascended the stairs, Neph spoke:

"To people who know about the existence of the Sovereigns, Domains are synonymous with their rule. So, one might say that they belong to a Domain, meaning that they serve one of the Supremes. However, there is a deeper secret here. As I found out, Domains are not just an abstract concept… in fact, they are very real. A Domain is an extension of a Sovereign's Aspect."

Sunny stared at her silently. He had suspected as much, but never had any proof. More than that, he had no idea what that statement actually implied.

"So it is an Ability, like the Transformation Ability that the Saints possess? One that affects an area, perhaps?"

Neph frowned.

"Not… exactly. Once a Transcendent becomes a Supreme, they do unlock another Ability, one that is tremendously powerful, at that. You might call it a supreme, ultimate, or pinnacle Ability, I guess. But a Domain is something separate from the Supreme Ability.

It is another innate function of the Aspect, just like controlling soul essence or accessing the Soul Sea is, a natural progression of one's ability to express their power."

She lingered for a moment.

"Within their Domain, a Sovereign is nearly invincible. Mind you, I don't know everything about it just yet. I've just gleaned bits and pieces of information where I could. The point is, each step of the Path of Ascension… as well as of the Path of Corruption… has its own meaning. The first path is the ascent toward divinity, while the second is the descent into profanity."

They reached the sixth level, which, just like the first, only encompassed one spacious hall. This one was smaller than the great chamber where Hope had once been chained, and suffused with bright sunlight. It was empty and spartan, with only a few pieces of wooden furniture and a bed occupying a small section of the vast stone floor, the white curtains of the bed's canopy billowing in the wind.

Apparently, this was where Nephis herself lived. She led Sunny to one of the four large balconies and stopped there, looking at the breathtaking vista of the boundless blue sky. The clouds were rolling past the Ivory Island like a swirling, radiant sea.

"Those who are Dormant can Awaken. After that, some rise above the mundane and take the first step toward the divine, becoming Ascended. Others descend into the abyss of corruption and become Fallen. That is the meaning of the second step, rise or fall. The essence of the third step is transformation. Ascended truly transcend their mundane origin, becoming Transcendent.

Fallen become corrupted by the dark abyss, and are thus called Corrupted."

Sunny looked at her and frowned.

'Awakening, Ascension, Transformation.'

"What about the fourth step, then? What about the Great and the Supreme?"

Nephis met his gaze, her cold grey eyes shining with the reflected sunlight.

"The essence of the fourth step is authority. I guess a god has to be a god of something… or someone. At the fourth step, the Sovereigns start to coalesce their domains. And that, I think, is much more important than all other forms of power they possess. I think… I think only the Domain can pave the way for a Supreme to take the next step on the Path of Ascension. And become Sacred."