And when I was ascending the stairs at the very top of that wall, where the galactical palace was barren of all guards, I heard him speak to me, knowing already that I was here.
[AKASA] "Fate did not bring you to me, wayfarer."
'...!'
I stopped, dead in my tracks.
[AKASA] "By all means, your very being here has broken many trespassing laws of the Ministry... many tenets of infiltrating the house of a Trinity God, most heretical. But few should be able to walk freely into my house as they please. The very moment your foot set upon my carpet, it became clear to me that this is volition."
'...'
[AKASA] "I will not beg you come. Ascend the stairs and find me. I am on the balcony above."
Very well. Then, if he's inviting me within himself. I wasted no second more to linger, and walked up until I reached the fine red wood of the balcony at the top of the Wailing Wall. What I saw was a man with a hunched posture in the finest of silk robes with an armored collar and big hat staring out at the stars. Constellations of gold surrounded his figure, and his hands reached out, touching the stars themselves, one by one, connected them like dots.
[AKASA] "I do not get many visitors. It has grown lonely in my house ever since my dearest wife and daughter departed it. My daughter rarely has the chance to come and visit anymore, given the monumental task of repelling all evils from our Imperial World."
He put his fingers together, satisfied with his work, and turned away from it, looking at me with his tricolored eyes. Instantly, he was taken aback by my appearance.
[AKASA] "Augh... You dress yourself as a Qilin... or perhaps are a Qilin. How unfortunate..."
He sounded so... heartbroken, just to see the sight. I blinked my eyes, and quickly recalled what I'd learned from the Princess herself about her father.
'It is because your wife was killed by the Qilin. It is what I had heard from your daughter.'
[AKASA] "You've met my Shèng Xù? Then I suppose you've come to meet me next, whoever you are."
Shèng Xù did warn me to never appear to him looking like a Qilin. Not that I can help it. But she was right, he did sound truly sad over it.
BGM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPtT4vsyTdY 