Chapter Six Hundred and Eight: Cathedral
During the daytime in the suburbs of Gramorn, over Twinkling Star Lake, Doro drifted in a small boat on the tranquil lake surface, lost in the shadow of the new moon that should be present. As Doro searched for the traces of the so-called invisible door, the two items she carried with her began to stir.
One was a black jade fragment that Doro obtained from Dry Wing, a treasure brought back by the great explorer from the Mysterious Sea in the east. The other was the Veil Ring left behind by her mother, whom she had never met. Both items were closely related to the Mirror Moon faith. At that moment, Doro couldn’t help but examine these two peculiar objects, which emitted a faint silver light, closely.
‘This black moon fragment… is a treasure acquired by Bartolomeu in the Mysterious Sea. It seems to be a part of something called the ‘Moon Crown.’ According to the information from the secret transmission fragments that Dry Wing revealed, the Moon Crown is a key item for crossing the Mysterious Sea to reach the ‘Kingdom of Night,’ and can even help the Black Dream Hunter Group bypass the chaotic restricted zone created by Panmoth’s ‘Sacred Cocoon.’
‘From the information in Dry Wing’s secret transmission, this so-called ‘Moon Crown’ seems to be a key, a means to traverse the restrictions imposed by the ‘Shadow’ power. This black jade fragment has the effect of lessening the extraordinary influence of ‘Shadow’ on the wearer after being donned. Could this be a manifestation of the key’s ability when weakened? Is its reaction now due to the invisible door?
‘Also, my heirloom ring seems to be reacting a little too… Is this a resonance occurring alongside the black jade fragment? Or is it because of that door?’
As she held the black jade fragment and ring, Doro pondered this in her heart. After a moment, she decided not to think too much; the reaction of these objects made her realize that her previous conjectures were likely correct, and her chance had arrived.
After a brief round of contemplation, Doro decided to attempt something. She tightly gripped the black jade fragment still emitting a faint glow, took a deep breath, and slowly extended her hand, clutching the fragment, toward the edge of the boat, reaching toward the lake surface.
Ultimately, Doro’s hand submerged beneath the water, and after a gentle movement of her arm, she slightly widened her eyes, revealing a flicker of understanding in her gaze.
“So it’s… like this?”
Lifting her hand from the water, Doro whispered to herself. Having felt what lay beneath the surface, she roughly knew what to do next.
To be cautious, Doro first took out a Water Absorption Sigil and pressed it onto herself. Once the sigil’s ability took effect, she used the miniature zombie puppets and zombie birds scattered around to carefully check her surroundings. Confirming that no one was watching her, she slowly climbed to the edge of the boat and gazed at her reflection in the lake. It seemed as if she could see the invisible moon shadow resting upon the lake surface.
Then, Doro’s expression stiffened, and with a determined resolve, she leaped toward the water surface. With a small splash, she sank beneath the lake, disappearing without a trace as the ripples calmed down.
For a moment, the small boat on the lake was left with only one zombie puppet sitting there, and after the ripples settled, the clear surface of the lake returned to normal. The mirror-like surface still reflected the sky and the boat, while Doro’s figure had completely vanished, as if she had quickly sunk to the bottom of the lake, or perhaps melted away after entering the water.
Underneath the daylight, Twinkling Star Lake remained calm and undisturbed, as if nothing had happened at all.
…
Here lay a silent and hazy space, shrouded in pitch-black darkness that stretched to the horizons in all directions. Beneath this illusion and darkness were towering mountains and dense trees, yet neither the mountains nor the trees bore a hint of color; no red, blue, yellow, or green existed here. Everything was in a distorted, colorless state, and the dark sky presented this peculiar, colorless world.
Within this colorless realm stood a mirror—an enormous, irregular mirror radiating a soft glow, encompassed by shadowy mountains. Countless colorful scenes flowed within it.
Suddenly, the mirror stirred. Somewhere on its surface, ripples unexpectedly emerged, quickly intensifying and expanding into circles. At that moment, the mirror revealed itself as something not simply a flat surface but rather a very thin, calm, and smooth water surface.
From the area where the ripples churned, a figure surged forth, floating atop the water. Doro, drenched from breaking through the water’s surface, let out a deep breath.
Having just emerged from the lake, Doro gazed at the surrounding illusory dark sky. After a moment of daze, she applied an electric state to herself and used magnetic force to lift herself from the water, slowly rising into the air.
Suspended over the perfectly mirrored water surface, Doro could better observe the strange space around her. After a quick glance at the colorless mountains and distant towns, she murmured, “Is this… the hidden space within Twinkling Star Lake?”
With that, Doro began to scrutinize other areas of the surrounding space. She looked down and saw the vast water surface, so broad and reflective in its entirety. As Doro floated effortlessly above, she could easily perceive the reflection of the lake, which resembled Twinkling Star Lake in the real world.
In Doro’s eyes, what lay beneath the water’s surface reflected a scene from a world that did not exist in this space. Looking from above, she saw the blue sky, white clouds, and radiant sun through the water’s surface, with the lake’s edge mirroring a ring of towering, green mountains. In the center of this mirrored water, there was a small boat drifting slowly, but from Doro’s perspective, she could only see the underside of the boat.
The scenery on the lake constituted the only color within this colorless domain. More accurately, it was the colors from the real world projected onto this space through the lake.
Doro felt as if she had plunged into a mirror; the lake surface was the mirror itself. In this mirrored realm, everything existed in accordance with reality but was reversed and devoid of color. The colorless mountains she observed were identical to those beside Twinkling Star Lake in the real world. Gazing into the distance, she could even see the city of Gramorn, its buildings similarly colorless, and the lakeside that had previously been bustling with citizens now eerily empty. Doro could view the inverted reflections of Twinkling Star Lake but realized that the people on the lake could not perceive this space.
“So this is the… world beyond the mirror? Truly amazing…” While admiring the sight before her, Doro murmured softly. Her attention then returned to the details of the mirrored lake below.
Upon further observation, Doro noted that in addition to the reflections of the inverted Twinkling Star Lake, eight stone pillars stood evenly spaced around the lake surface, forming a large circle. Each stone pillar was intricately engraved with clear patterns, which Doro immediately recognized as the eight phases of the moon.
Crescent, First Quarter, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Waning Crescent… Seven of the eight stone pillars displayed different shapes of the moon, symbolizing the various moon phases, while the last one remained uncarved, representing the new moon. Among these, only the pillar symbolizing the new moon emitted a faint glow; the remaining seven pillars appeared ordinary.
As Doro emerged from the mirrored lake, she surfaced before the stone pillar representing the new moon, which seemed to mark the entryway for all who entered this space. The glowing new moon pillar indicated that only the invisible door tied to the new moon was accessible.
In the central area enclosed by this grand circle of stone pillars stood a towering structure made of colorless giant stones, appearing to have its foundation laid in the mirrored lake, floating gracefully upon the water, giving off a strange sense of incongruity.
Doro’s gaze fixed upon this tall colorless edifice. With a determined heart, she started controlling her powers and floated softly towards the building. In no time, she reached its surroundings.
Once near, Doro could observe the towering structure more closely; at first glance, it was a magnificent cathedral, undeniably reminiscent of the Radiant Church’s architectural style!
The soaring semi-circular dome, the sloped walls supported by columns, and the large, panoramic windows framed by numerous pillars were all constructed from simple, unadorned colorless stones, forming this grand structure.
Of all the vast structures, the main hall with the giant dome stood out the most, towering at least four to five dozen meters high, significantly larger than St. Hymn Cathedral in Tivyán. Around this grand main hall, many smaller domed structures were symmetrically attached, and the windows and doors of the cathedral were predominantly arched.
Although this colorless cathedral bore some similarities to those of the Radiant Church, it differed significantly in many ways. For instance, the enormous dome presented a style that was generally absent from Radiant Churches, which typically featured sharp angles and towers; instead, this cathedral exuded a smoother overall appearance.
“Finally found it… Is this the… Temple of the Mirror Moon?”
Suspended in mid-air, Doro gazed at the imposing colorless cathedral before her, murmuring to herself. After much effort, she had at last located this place.
Having made a perimeter observation around the grand and uniquely styled cathedral, Doro slowly descended, her feet touching the ground as she stepped onto the cathedral’s long corridor. Walking on the colorless marble tiles, she approached the cathedral’s entrance. To her surprise, the heavy doors opened automatically, revealing a passageway leading into the interior.
Gazing at the wide-open door before her, Doro paused briefly to gather her resolve before stepping into the cathedral. Inside, she began to scan her surroundings only to find the entire interior astonishingly spacious, devoid of any decorations or furnishings. Everything appeared so rudimentary; wherever she looked, the structures were all built from colorless stones.
Continuing her slow progress through the cathedral, Doro soon faced another grand door that opened before her. This new space was vastly more spacious than the previous room, clearly the cathedral’s main hall, or perhaps… the grand sanctuary.
This grand sanctuary was circular, situated beneath a massive round dome. Despite its size, it bore almost no decorative elements within, leaving an unsettling sense of emptiness. Apart from a few long benches scattered on the ground, only one statue remained.
It was the statue of the Mirror Moon Goddess that Doro had encountered before. The goddess, towering over a dozen meters high, was significantly grander than the one she had seen at the An Yin Bureau. Dressed in a flowing veil-like robe that adorned her graceful figure, with silky hair cascading down, she held the characteristic bright mirror. Although slightly larger, the posture of this Mirror Moon Goddess statue remained largely unchanged from Doro’s previous encounters, with only minor differences.
However… it was those minor differences that rooted Doro to the spot, staring at the statue before her.
At that moment, the statue of the Mirror Moon Goddess appearing before Doro was the most complete version she had ever seen; compared to those manipulated by the Eight-pointed, it still had a head. Compared to the one in the Anonymity Headquarters, its face was intact. And it was this perfect head and face that caused Doro to furrow her brows.
It was a serene, beautiful adolescent visage with tranquil, placid features. As soon as Doro beheld this face, a flicker of familiarity surged in her heart. She stood still, her exceptional memory reminding her of the source of this familiarity, and the final result widened her eyes in disbelief.
This familiarity came not from elsewhere but from the mirror she gazed into every day after washing her face, revealing her own reflection. The visage of the Mirror Moon Goddess bore an uncanny resemblance to Doro’s own face! The similarity was at least seventy to eighty percent! If it weren’t for a more mature appearance, it would have been virtually identical!
