inspire-indiana Chapter 123 Divination
Chapter 123 Divination
Chapter 123 Divination
About half an hour later, Green reappeared in front of the dark oak door of the unsigned shop.
He knocked gently on the door.
It was still three long and two short, a pause, then another long.
A moment later, the door opened a crack, revealing Leah Horn's face, which looked somewhat tired but still had clear and sharp eyes.
She saw Green, paused slightly, and then gave him a slightly mysterious smile.
"Good evening, Mr. Green." Leah pursed her lips, and finally said, "Please come in."
The interior was largely unchanged from when I visited during the day, still filled with the scent of herbs and candles.
The table was neatly tidy, with only a desk lamp on. Beside it sat an open notebook filled with symbols and a steaming cup of herbal tea, indicating that she was preparing for her evening homework or meditation.
"I apologize for disturbing you so late, Miss Horn." Green entered the house, feeling the warmth and relaxing slightly. "I've encountered some—incomprehensible situations. I heard from Alvin that the fortune teller's path can reveal one's destiny, so I wanted to give it a try."
Leah covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes narrowing into crescent shapes with a smile. "You listen to him, can you believe anything he says?"
"It's not that magical."
"If that's true, then why would I need to do these fortune telling for people every day?"
Hmm—that seems to make sense.
"Perhaps you're not familiar with the methods of fortune tellers," Leah said, gesturing for him to sit down before turning and walking to the other side. "What would you like to drink? Coffee? Or tea?"
"That's fine, thank you."
Green sat down in the high-backed chair he had sat in during the day.
Lia quickly brought over a steaming cup of herbal tea with a light citrus and mint aroma, along with a small dish of pre-baked cookies, and placed them in front of Green.
"It's calming and soothing; I think you need this. The cookies are homemade; try some."
"Thank you." Green picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and carefully began, "Miss Horn, I—"
"Just call me Leah. This isn't the Night's Watch's office."
Leah interrupted him, her tone gentle yet playful, "Besides, before we start talking about such a heavy topic as fate, I have to pour some cold water on you first."
She put down her teacup, leaned forward slightly, and looked directly at Green with her clear eyes. "That guy Alvin must have been exaggerating my abilities again, right? Like, being able to see into fate and predict the future."
Green nodded, without denying it.
Leah suddenly looked defeated. "He's always like this. Listen, Green, the Diviner's Path is indeed closely linked to fate, revelation, and occult knowledge, but that's a realm accessible only to those with higher sequences."
"Sequence 9 diviners" rely more on spiritual intuition, the interpretation of symbols and signs, and some basic divination techniques to obtain vague revelations or verify known information.
She took a deep breath, picked up a cookie from the plate, and put it in her mouth. "We're more like—interpreters of fate—or observers of omens—rather than voyeurs, much less changers."
Green nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Leah sighed, as if trying to find more understandable language: "Imagine that fate is a rushing river. High-sequence diviners and extraordinary individuals may be able to stand on high ground and see some of the river's course, and even have the ability to throw in a pebble, causing a small ripple or altering a tributary."
"And I, a Sequence 9 fortune teller, am more like someone walking along the riverbank."
"I can feel the humidity of the river, hear the sound of the flowing water, and occasionally glean some information about the weather or upstream conditions from the reflection on the water's surface or from floating fallen leaves. But this information is often fragmented, vague, and requires interpretation; it's absolutely impossible to see the whole river clearly, let alone change its course."
Green listened intently; Leah's analogy was very apt.
This gave him a new understanding of the Occupy faction's methods. This actually made it seem more credible to him. If Occupy factions could truly see through everything so easily, then the Extraordinary World would have been ruled by them long ago.
"So," Leah continued, "if you just want to ask ordinary questions, like finding lost items, judging the short-term fortune of a choice, or verifying some simple facts, I might be able to give you some directional advice or vague revelations through rituals and spirituality. But—"
She then changed the subject, saying, "If your question involves extraordinary beings, especially those from other avenues, high-level conspiracies, or things that are interfered with or obscured by powerful forces—then my abilities may not be sufficient."
"The results of divination can be confusing, contradictory, or even completely misleading."
"Extraordinary traits can interfere with each other, and the existence of a high sequence can distort the perception of a low sequence. Moreover, forcibly divining beyond one's own capabilities, especially when it involves dangerous entities, may attract attention or backlash."
Green was surprised that this young girl knew so much about this route.
He remained silent for a moment; Leah's honesty only made him trust her more.
Green put down his teacup. "Lia, what I want to divine—is related to a very dangerous person. She may be involved in thieves' activities and connected to an important item stolen from the church."
Upon hearing this, Leah's pupils contracted slightly. "Thieves—and stolen church property?"
She repeated softly, frowning, "Mr. Green, this goes far beyond ordinary divination. To divine such a matter is like trying to illuminate a deep sea shrouded in fog and storm with a candle; not only will you see nothing, but you might also attract unseen dangers."
"I see."
Green nodded. "But even a vague revelation, or—even just confirming whether the divination will be interfered with—could be valuable information to me."
Leah stared at him, and finally sighed.
"You're more deeply involved in this vortex than I thought—well, I can try a basic, protective divination, such as asking, regarding my upcoming inquiry, 'What is the most dangerous source of danger?'—to indirectly perceive the 'danger level' of what you're talking about. But this requires very careful preparation and stronger protection."
She stood up, walked to a cabinet on one side of the room, unlocked it, and took out a delicate silver box.
Inside, there were several specially made candles with calming patterns, a small packet of dark blue powder, and a smooth black slate.
"I need to set up a stronger spiritual barrier ritual, and—"
She hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "—and pray to a higher being for their watchful eye and protection, to stabilize the ritual and counteract any potential interference or backlash."
Green astutely caught her choice of words: "A higher existence?"
Leah didn't answer immediately. Instead, she lit the special candles, letting a calming fragrance fill the air. She sprinkled blue powder around the candles, forming a simple symbol.
Then, she clasped her hands together, lowered her head, and silently recited a few phrases in ancient Hermes that Green couldn't understand.
After doing all that, she looked up and said, "Among fortune tellers and many circles that study the occult, there has always been some vague information circulating about certain hidden names."