บท 85: Ceremony

The chant echoed through the meadow, a haunting melody wading through the air like an invisible thread.

The lead keeper, a figure of stern authority draped in deep, flowing robes and dark mist, gestured with precise movements as the rhyme concluded.

A tangible shift occurred, and just like that, Takeuchi felt a bond form—not a physical one, but a deep, soulful connection that resonated within him like a second heartbeat.

What!? What is happening?... Takeuchi thought, confused about what kind of sensation he just felt.

He wasn't alone in this sensation, the crowd around him murmured.

A chorus of whispers and gasps, each individual feeling the same inexplicable bond.

"Quiet!" commanded the lead keeper, silencing the crowd with a single word.

The murmuring ceased immediately, leaving a silence hanging over the gathering.

The air felt charged with anticipation as if the very walls of the hall were holding their breath.