"I heed your knock."
Unlike Death, Hope introduced Herself with a motherly tone.
「"Hope is not desperate," 」 She said, like a woman's voice filled with wisdom. 「"But Hope is a flower that blooms."」 What surrounded Her voice was like all seasons, as though nature itself was in Her aura. 「"It is not fleeting."」
If there was one truth he liked when Blodeuwedd talked to Hope, it was Her willingness to respond without bad temper.
"I," he paused and stared deeply at the door, "want to ask a question."
When he understood that Hope was listening, he continued.
"Why did Death knock once per interval while you knock thrice at a given sequence?" He needed to confirm something first before he asked his real curiosities.
「"For Hope is one that came early before despair— second to call after silence, and third to endure to make Hope one." 」 There was clarity in Her tone that Blodeuwedd couldn't neglect. 「"But Death could only knock once. It could not knock at given intervals like you have claimed Death to be."」
"But—"
「"Death smelled a familiar scent in you."」
'Learning the truth was more shocking than not being certain about it.' Blodeuwedd frowned when what was presented became terror to him.
「"Death knocks again for the ones who must heed His warning.」
"He also said that I was waiting for you."
Hope chuckled. 「"But you're not, old Child.」
'How did She had an inkling about it?' Blodeuwedd asked in his mind, stupefied.
「"Hope is friendly, but my knocks are not desperate." 」 There was something in Hope's utterance that still signified relief. 「"Because Hope blooms to them who are willing to open doors when Hope speaks."」
And he did not.
Blodeuwedd could not utter.
Yet, he was reminded of the Fourth Law.
The fourth stage defined choice and consequence. If a mortal opened the door in response to a Parent's knock, the act constituted consent. From that moment, the mortal entered the process of Adoption and became subject to Patrimony. If the mortal refused, delayed until the Parent's knocks were exhausted, or rejected all who came, the Law remained intact.
This time, Blodeuwedd should not waver.
"Before you go, I must ask my last question as a Child."
But it seemed that Hope had never planned to tell him anything except introducing Herself.
「"Time will tell why."」 There was something in Hope's words that seemed to assure him of something. 「"So I must bid farewell."」
He did not, in return.
He remained mum.
Even he could not open the door solely because Hope was there.
He was...
Not feeling hope.
「"I must say you are a very interesting Child,"」Her voice as though being blown by the wind, seamlessly going farther. 「"Time is arrogant so..."」
He didn't hear the last phrase She said, but for the knocks sooner to come, Blodeuwedd knew one thing.
「Your potential [Parent] [Hope] has left.」
「You have rejected the offer of a [Parent].」
His beating heart banged louder.
'Surely, Time will tell.'
Piece by piece, he was digesting the learning he got.
Nevertheless, the one who could confirm all his assumptions would come any moment.
Blodeuwedd took a deep breath before he rested his back on the door.
Just as he closed his eyes, it had began.
Knock.
Then another.
And another.
He counted without intending to — four, five, six — his chest tightening upon the consistent knocks — eleven, then twelve.
By the twelfth, he realized something unbearable.
Time completed the twelfth hour.
「You have acquired your [Third Knock].」
「The [Entity] is revealing Himself.」
「The [Entity] has introduced Himself as [Time].」
「Your potential [Parent] is waiting for your response.」
"I heed your knock."
「"Time is fleeting."」
Truth be told, His voice was accompanied by the tick-tock of time in the ambience, supported by the falling sands like that of the hourglass. It was somewhat gravelly, but it was never lethal for his hearing.
"Miss Hope said that—"
「"—I shall answer your questions."」 It had appeared that Time didn't have any second to waste so He continued.
'Why do mortals enter the state called Slumbering?' he asked, though Time had already known, so he didn't speak a word.
「"Your first question will be answered by the Nun."」
'Why am I called a Slumberer then a Child?'
「"The moment that the existence of your Slumbering is gone, as a Child, the Widower will protect you."」
'Why is there a Widower?'
「"The Widower ensures that no external harm must befall upon the Child as long as such mortal is in the Highest Asylum."」
'Who is the Widower?'
「"The Widower is the protector of the Towers, and the guardian of the Children in the Highest Asylum."」
Lastly...
'How long did I slumber?'
「"You're a Child that's long slumbered compared to the others."」 Time seemed to be thinking after He answered all the questions. 「"The ones you've wanted to be uncovered are the ones that other Children wanted as well. Such is the way of the Obelisk."」
Nun, Highest Asylum, Obelisk. Blodeuwedd rubbed his temples, knowing that many other questions began to overlap the others. But, at least, he was not as stupid as he once was who was not aware of how things normally worked there.
'I am in one of the Towers. In the Highest Asylum. So each Children have one Tower, and they as well are occupying the Highest Asylum. Which means that all rooms are called that way, and it's pretty obvious this cultic room is not making making me feel sane.'
"I have other questions."
Before Blodeuwedd could even ask them, Time had already began revealing the answers, and he was left dumfounded.
「"Us, Entities, are not physical beings, we appear as metaphysical Parents who serve the Obelisk and create balance through the Unbecoming."」 He was direct and was clear to what he wanted Blodeuwedd to perceive.
As He said that, Blodeuwedd remembered that Fifth Law.
「"A Child like you may not be able to fathom this, so I shall tell you one thing."」
Time paused for a while.
「"You must descend to the Lowest Asylum as either an Adopted or an Orphan. Either way, you'll cease to exist or die before you reach it."」 Time didn't seem to falter from His utterance.
The final stage established irreversibility. Once a Parent withdrew—whether by exhaustion of knocks or by the mortal's refusal—the Law prohibited their return. No Parent could reclaim a soul they had failed to persuade. The only exception lay beyond adoption itself: inheritance through non-ownership, and such inheritance was noinheritance at all.
「"So I have not come here to make you as my Child for I have known the path you're treading."」
Blodeuwedd had finally lost his tongue.
「"Therefore, I am rather curious,"」 the tick-tock and falling sands ambience behind His voice was fading as though He was getting farther, but He had been wary of what was about to occur, 「"how would you acknowledge Sufferance?"」
「Your potential [Parent] [Time] has left.」
An ominous feeling lingered inside Blodeuwedd.
「You have rejected the offer of a [Parent].」
Before he could react, there was tremor in the room, his composure became unsteadied. The black liquid Blodeuwedd called as ink flood began to rise as strange markings on the mirror wall in front of him bore horrifying letters that glow and bled crimson at the same time.
'YOU HAVE THE SCENT OF ANCIENT LUCK.'
The letters faded.
The ink flood was now engulfing his waist.
「A [Severity] is detected inside the [Asylum].」
「The [Widower] has noticed the [Severity].」
「The [Widower] is protecting you.」
'How the hell is He protecting me,' Blodeuwedd cursed, as the flood had completely went past his neck. He could feel the acid and smoke entering his nostrils.
Fresh letters were terrifyingly engraved at the top of the said mirror wall again.
'I MUST TAKE YOU AS MY CHILD.'
"No—!" He swallowed the portion of the liquid as the acidic and smoky taste had burned his tongue along with its terrible coldness.
Before he lost consciousness, he cursed Time and Sufferance at the same time.
This was what Death warned him for!