Chapter 160 - Cosmic Phenomenon

They left the volcano through a different route. Instead of passing through the volcano's mouth, they passed through a gate from the laboratories toward the garden outside. 

It seemed Xinyi's amazement for this place would never end today. On the way, she couldn't believe to see slimes hopping around with herbs inside their bouncing blobs, monkeys in white lab gowns, rods walking on their own wooden feet, and others. Each one carrying sparkling plants or baskets full of colorful stones. These beings bowed as she passed by and returned to their work when she left the vicinity.

Xiinyi could only look back in bewilderment. Alva brought her next to a vast river. Animals of various sizes and breeds drank near the riverbank. It was the first she laid eyes to most of it. 

Birds with two horns and claws bigger than their beaks. One looked like a cow with long drooping ears. Its sucking calves looked like rabbits but walking in four legs and with a cow's tail. Snakes of a distinct and odd combination of colors, length and height coiled their bodies around trees. Some snakes looked like mini-dragons, walking on four legs. She saw more of which she hardly recognized what they were.

In the middle of the river was a circular five-storey building with a rotating giant satellite dish on top. They both landed in front of the enormous steel door as tall as two men standing on top of each other. This was the first time Xinyi saw this type of structure and piqued her curiosity. 

"This is the observatory called Heart of Fate, but you can't enter yet." Alva said nonchalantly. 

Xinyi frowned. "Why can't I? I thought I'm the mistress of this place."

"You can't enter because you don't have the crown and sceptre yet. Come back when you already have them. Let's not waste time and go to the next." Alva said it in a hurry.

But Xinyi could not be easily dissuaded. She pulled Alva's hand before she could fly away. "But I already have the scroll. Lifen Ma said it will turn into a sceptre."

"It will not turn into a sceptre unless you have the crown." Alva said it with heaviness in her tone.

Alva was usually bouncy and playful, but the seriousness in her countenance made Xinyi think twice. Alas, she let go of the kid's hand. "Fine, got it loud and clear. Just tell me what is this ob… obse… What was it?" She scratched her nape.

"Observatory. I won't hide it from you but promise me you won't attempt anything drastic unless you get the crown and sceptre." Alva's lips tight shut, waiting for Xinyi to promise. 

Unknown to Xinyi, everything played out in this domain of hers had been recorded and could be used against her or even to Alva. And to those who disregard the rules laid by the Great King would face the consequence of which no one desired to know what awaited them. 

The Koi girl didn't divulge this part to Xinyi because she would learn of it as she spent more time here. For now, she had to use it in case Xinyi would attempt to use the secret of this observatory before acquiring the crown, mostly when the lives of her loved ones were involved. Alva couldn't deny the fact that she was only the guardian and the master still held the power in her domain and could do anything as she wished.

To Alva's relief, the clueless mistress of her domain spread a palm on her chest and made an oath.

"This observatory is for time travelling, but without the protection of the Great King's power, you'll die. That's why you need the crown and sceptre before you'll come back here. Remember, you promised." Alva said in one go with a heavy tone.

Xinyi stared at the odd white building and to Alva for a while as she weighed the information in her mind before opening her dainty lips. 

"I understand." She said with two meanings. First, she understood the risk of time travelling without the crown and sceptre. Second, she understood why Alva lied earlier about not knowing how the time travel works. 

With Xinyi's promise, Alva went back to her bounciness. They went to different eye-catching mountains and soaring-high peaks, but to Alva's dismay; it didn't attract Xinyi much. Little did she know the snowy peaks reminded Xinyi of her friends in the tunnel and mostly on finding Ming. That explained her silence and lack of enthusiasm.

"Now, Lady Xinyi, do you want to go back now?"

Xinyi beamed to hear the phrase go back. That smile satisfied Alva. She had no other desire than to see her mistress happy and well.

"Come back anytime to study. Remember, you have a few more years to find the tomb before your twentieth birthday." The little kid said as she flew back to Xinyi's room.

Xinyi silently gazed at Alva's back. She wanted to ask Alva on how to get to the tomb so she could lay her plans after she found Ming, but held it. For now, finding Ming and learning more of her powers were her priorities. 

"Now, how to go back to the tunnel?" She shouted, following Alva's trail as they flew.

Even though her mind was full about finding Ming's whereabouts, this tour was truly an eye-opener for her. It showed her how much the two late Sorceress had done to aid her with high hopes that she could finish the grand task. Seeing their dauntless effort to create this place, even using their life essence to guide her which led to their deaths, made her promise in her heart to bring balance in Chiji, even if it would cost her life.

----- o -----

Xinyi and Alva stood in the middle of her room. 

"Xinyi, you arrived here using the late Sorceress' power. You can't come back the same way." Alva's body floated up to face Xinyi, eye to eye. "You need to put your mark on me first so no other Sorceress can own the scroll unless you die. After marking me, you can come anytime you like. Do you understand?"

Xinyi nodded.

"Place your index finger on my forehead and give me a new name. Alva was the name the second Sorceress gave me. It means door in Zeirean language. Now it's your turn."

Xinyi looked up at the ceiling, pondering what to name this Koi girl. A pond with swimming Koi around a lotus plant came to mind. "How about Lotus?" 

"Xinyi, do you know that when you name someone you give that person power?

Xinyi's forehead furrowed. Those words kind of rang a bell. "Naming a person gives power? I think Skrider told me the same thing. He said, be careful of naming people from your mouth because it holds substantial power and the recipient will receive power too."

"Good! No need for me to explain more. I think Lotus has nothing to do with a door or gate. But if you really want to call me Lotus, think of me as a gatekeeper." 

"Do I really need to change your name?" Xinyi cared less about such trivialities because she had not seen the power it held.

"Not necessarily, but you have to think the same way when you make the mark in my forehead."

"Okay." 

The two stood face to face. Xinyi's index finger lightly tapped Alva's forehead. "Your name is Alva." After she spoke the name, a small flower mark appeared on Alva's forehead.

Unknown to Xinyi, such a simple act brought out a cosmic phenomenon in Chiji. From various lands in the world, powerful lights shot up into the skies and an unseen gentle power resonated to all the spirit guardians scattered in every nook and cranny in Chiji. In response to that resonating power, these guardians reverently bowed in one direction.

People in every land looked up to see such tremendous lights shot up, and it somewhat met at one point up in the skies above. However, the phenomenon only lasted for a minute and the lights receded thereafter.

Alva knew what took place in such a colossal manner and was incomparably astounded. This never happened with the two Sorceress before Xinyi. She knew marking her was a sign announcing to all the spirit guardians to acknowledge the new Chief Guardian sent by the Great King. However, what had occurred was unprecedented. Those streaming lights shouldn't come out. 

Is the announcement not for Chiji alone? But kept her thoughts to herself.

It was a mysterious phenomenon. In fact, the streaming light's meeting point was seen by powerful beings not just in Chiji but from every world in the Alithea System. 

In Vethilles, three significant persons in high places from separate lands looked up together and took notice of the remarkable light.

A man dressed in grandeur, sitting in a grandiose chair fitting for a ruling monarch in a mystic world, saw it. He hurriedly ran to the opened glass doors and deeply pondered what was that gigantic light, but it vanished before he could make out of it. Somehow, deep inside him, an unexplainable power resonated. 

In a castle in another world, a woman dressed as royalty inside a noisy room of arguing nobles saw the light, and her grim countenance softened as she stared at it. 

In a world nearest to Chiji, a meditating man in ragged clothes sitting cross-legged in a cave up in a mountain looked up, as if his sight could go beyond the stone roof above him, frowned, and shook his head. 

In Zeirean, a middle-aged couple, standing in a lush garden outside a simple but homely house, gazed at the remarkable light and the husband softly said, "We are waiting for you."