The invocation
As he traversed the corridor, Reo was deeply engrossed in his most recent conversation with Alice. It was a profound discussion that resulted in him gaining several new insights. These perceptions promised to alter how he viewed the city during his midnight vigil.
He reached his dormitory door and with a quick turn of his key, he gently pushed the door open. The room was immersed in darkness, indicating that his roommate Michael was already asleep. Quietly, Reo navigated the petite hallway connected to the room after turning on the lights, making a left turn towards the kitchen.
There, he observed a meal awaiting on the table. The food was served on a square white plate, concealed neatly under a white plastic cover.
He moved toward the table and drew out a chair before sitting down. As he began to consume his meal, he pondered over the idea of performing the invocation inscribed in his diary. During this contemplation, he realized the immense significance of the diary, deeming it too important to be stashed away in a drawer. As a result, he decided to safeguard the diary pages by burying them underground. He envisioned them being encased within wooden boxes and secured beneath the soil's surface after digging an appropriate hole.
Subsequently, Reo reached out for his fork and lifted the cover off his square plate. It revealed a serving of rice, peas, and corn, complemented with a whole baked fish.
"This seems delightful," he mused internally. As he commenced his meal, he positioned the fourth diary page near his dish. He did so to familiarize himself with the intricacies of the invocation process.
Following his meal, he dimmed the lights before ascending the ladder to his bunk bed. Engulfed in the darkness, he became aware of a fear commonly associated with it, a fear that seemed alien to him. Instead, he found comfort in the darkness and enjoyed gazing at the celestial bodies that presented themselves in the night sky at day's end.
With a mindset for meditation, he momentarily closed his eyes before reopening them, revealing a sky bursting with shining stars and the radiant glow of a full moon. This spectacular sight left him speechless. He transitioned into a specter-like state and journeyed around the city. He based his search on information provided by Alice, hoping to encounter someone prepared to exchange their existence for an elemental power.
This elusive quest kept him soaring through the city for a considerable duration, only to realize the frustrating absence of any potential takers. Either the king had been efficient in eradicating them, or no one dared to explore the method proposed by the night prayer, which demanded the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.
Waking up to the sound of the alarm, Reo noticed that Michael was already awake. He questioned, "How are you already awake?"
With a beaming smile, Michael replied, "I've arranged a date with Aurora, so I'll be coming home later today."
Expressing a hint of happiness for his friend, Reo congratulated him. Michael, however, was quick to downplay his enthusiasm saying, "Don't congratulate me yet, I haven't asked her to be my girlfriend. That's the objective of the date."
Understanding that Michael needed time to prepare, Reo chose to end the conversation. He then retired to the bathroom to commence his morning routine.
Stepping out of the dormitory, he cast his eyes towards the sky, noticing the darkness that engulfed the space above. "Something is wrong," he puzzledly remarked. Under normal circumstances, the night draws to a close after reaching its peak, midnight. Yet, his vision was instead filled with a sky showered by twinkling stars and a solitary moon in place of the sun.
Acknowledging the peculiar nature of the situation yet realizing that he needed to continue with his day irrespective of the anomalies, he ventured towards the nearby muffin shop. Upon inspection, he noted that everything was as it should be; nothing was out of place.
The prospect of attending school was eliminated, it being Saturday. He decided to return to his dormitory and headed towards the reception. He noticed Charlotte engrossed in a book, seated behind the front desk.
"Good Morning, Miss Charlotte," Reo greeted, taking note when she closed her book and acknowledged him in return. He was pleasantly surprised that she remembered him despite their infrequent previous encounters.
"What may I assist you with today?" inquired Charlotte.
Reo made his request politely, "I was wondering whether I might be permitted to visit the girls' dormitory to see my sister?" He was aware that the rules prohibited boys from going to the girls' dormitory and the same regulation applied to the boys' dormitory for girls. Despite this, he was hopeful that Charlotte might consign this favor to him.
Regrettably, Charlotte replied, "I'm sorry, but the rules do not allow for exceptions."
She then paused for a moment, picked up her book, and offered a discreet suggestion, "Though if hypothetically, I failed to see you and you chose to proceed to room 37, I would advise you to remain inside should my superiors or the principal pass by."
"Thank you," stated Reo, as he traversed the passageways of the girls' dormitory for the initial time. Consequently, he sauntered along the corridor in quest of room number thirty-seven. As he proceeded, he finally reached the door, prominently marked with the figure '37'. Upon locating the appropriate door, he rapped gently yet firmly.
Following a span of persistent knocking, the door was eventually answered by Amelia, who bore a countenance of surprise. A curious Amelia posed her queries. "Reo, how did you manage to enter the girls' dorm? And why are you here exactly?"
Reo took a moment to examine his surroundings while standing in the hallway, and then responded with a jovial grin. "My sole intent was to check up on you." Hence, they engaged in a minor dialogue in which Amelia made persistent efforts to refrain from inviting him into her dorm room. Nonetheless, Reo refrained from probing further as he had already managed to steal a brief glimpse of the dorm room's interior.
"Yes, it may appear chaotic. However, this is merely Aurora, frantically searching for the ideal dress for her date," Reo attempted to explain. He then swiftly added, "I will probably see you at school, if not earlier." With that, Reo bid Amelia farewell with a wave , while she bought the door to a close behind him.
As Reo made his way back to his own dormitory, he saw the principal in deep conversation with Charlotte at the reception. What an ill-timed encounter, he thought to himself. Suddenly, someone seized him by the arm and whisked him into another dorm room.
"Oh, it's you!" Reo remarked with surprise as he recognized Alice. "What brings you here," she questioned, noting his startled reaction to the room's interior.
"I came around to see my sister," Returned Reo, quickly recovering himself enough to appreciate the decor around him. He complimented Alice sincerely on her room.
"Good morning," Alice greeted cheerfully, to which Reo echoed the sentiment. He then inquired if she happened to have any candles. "Yes," was Alice's simple reply.
Reo found himself in a favorable setting, he realized. The kitchen, located through a connected hallway and accessed by a door from the bedroom, was square-shaped. He found this space ideal for performing the intricate invocation he had planned. He then turned to Alice and requested a quill and four candles.
Somewhat puzzled, Alice asked, "Why do you need those?" Reo, with a slight smile, responded, "Remember the three pages I showed you? There was actually a fourth page. I required Kalyan's assistance to find it. This page, however, is unlike the rest. It describes an invocation able to summon an unknown entity.
Alice reacted with interest, though she couldn't help but wonder, "But why perform it here?" Reo explained that the room's square configuration was a requirement for the invocation. He also reminded Alice that her role as a princess would allow her to replace any items potentially damaged during the ritual. After considering his reasoning, Alice agreed with Reo's plan. Setting his plan into motion, Reo began to outline the invocation square.