Auden’s Blessing
I followed Lan up the staircase until we arrived beside the pedestal.
It turned out to be an open book. The pages, spread wide, resembled a red mirror—transparent, smooth, and radiating a crimson glow. I could even see my own reflection clearly upon them. Yet the pages were covered with strange symbols, and the light they emitted shimmered like a lantern projection, scattering countless flecks of light that slowly revolved throughout the chamber. When Lan leaned closer to look, the faint red aura illuminated his face, the glowing symbols drifting across his cheeks.
Looking more carefully, I realized the patterns on the pages were none other than a simplified map of the Nine Worlds: