After giving her instructions to the golden retriever Susie, Audrey paced back and forth several times, still seeming uneasy, since she had no idea whether today's ritual magic might produce something strange.
"Let's do this..." Her gaze turned calm as she examined the planned process with a detached, observer's perspective, and she quickly came up with a new arrangement.
Audrey locked her bedroom door from the inside and said to the golden retriever:
"Susie, stay here. If Annie and the others try to force their way in, go to the bathroom and notify me immediately."
To guard against unexpected incidents, her personal maid possessed a key that could unlock the door from the outside.
Susie gave her a long, meaningful look and wagged her tail three times.
"Good girl. You can pick whatever you want for lunch today!" Audrey shook her fist gently.
Having finished her instructions, she entered the bathroom and saw that the square bathtub—three or four meters on each side—was already filled with gently rippling clear water, white steam billowing, the misty haze swirling all around.
Audrey cleared off a rectangular table that had been covered with bottles and jars, then went back to the outer room and carried in the candles, offerings, and white robe.
Immediately after, she closed the bathroom door.
Having done all this, Audrey let out a breath of relief and picked up a palm-sized, light-blue, semi-transparent bottle from beside the four candles.
The bottle was cylindrical, shimmering with a dreamlike luster under the lights. Inside was the ritual essential oil she had distilled and extracted yesterday—as an enthusiast of the occult, she had done no small amount of research into such things, and her home held many pure hydrosols, essences, balms, essential oils, and incense that she had made herself. So she had quickly completed all the preliminary preparations according to The Fool's instructions.
"Moon, gold mint, deep sleep, golden bergamot, and rock rose... What a strange recipe..." Audrey murmured softly. "Mm, before ritual magic, one must cleanse the body and quiet the mind. This is a show of respect to the deity—ah, to the being one is praying to."
Going over the process once more in her mind, she set the ritual essential oil on the edge of the bathtub and reached up to undo her light, comfortable home clothes.
One piece of silk after another drifted into the laundry basket. Audrey coiled up her long hair, first tested the water temperature with her hand, then rose slightly on her tiptoes and carefully stepped in, sinking her body into its warm embrace.
"Ah..." She exhaled with satisfaction, feeling her entire body grow warm and wonderfully relaxed.
She didn't even want to move a single finger... Audrey forced herself to perk up, grabbed the small light-blue semi-transparent bottle beside her, and let a few drops of ritual essential oil fall into the water.
A burst of fragrance spread outward, a subtle sweetness hidden within the tranquility. Audrey drew in several breaths and nodded with satisfaction.
"Not bad. It smells wonderful."
"It's so relaxing, so comfortable..."
"I don't want to move at all. I really just want to lie here in perfect peace..."
"Perfect peace, perfect peace... quiet... quiet..."
She didn't know how much time had passed when Audrey suddenly heard the sound of a dog barking.
Her eyes snapped open in a daze. She looked around in confusion, only to discover that Susie had, at some unknown point, opened the door and come in, now sitting outside the bathtub with an utterly helpless look in her eyes.
After rubbing the corners of her eyes, Audrey felt that the water temperature had dropped quite a bit.
“I—I fell asleep?” she asked instinctively.
Susie looked at her, neither barking nor wagging her tail.
“Haha, that bottle of ritual essential oil works so well, hmm, really well!” Audrey laughed dryly, explaining in a cheerful tone.
She stood up, took the bath towel, and while wrapping and drying her body, said to the Golden Retriever:
“Susie, keep standing guard and don’t let Annie and the others come in!”
After the Golden Retriever left, she quietly stuck out her tongue, tossed the towel aside, and put on the clean white robe directly.
Closing the bathroom door, Audrey carefully recalled the ritual she had recorded.
She picked up four candles and placed them at the four corners of the table.
“White bread on the top left, Feynapotter bread on the top right—smells so good, but it’s a bit cold… No, now’s not the time to think about that! Seafood rice on the bottom left, Daisy pie on the bottom right…” Audrey carefully arranged the altar according to The Fool’s instructions, shaking her head twice during the process.
Once prepared, she lit the four candles one by one, picked up the silver dagger, and inserted it into the pile of coarse salt.
After reciting the sanctification incantation in Hermese, Audrey took out the dagger with ornate patterns and placed it into the cup filled with clear water.
Gathering her spirit, she withdrew the silver “Holy Edge,” visualizing spirituality spreading and erupting from the blade’s tip.
As the invisible force surged outward, Audrey held the dagger and circled the altar once, feeling that a wall of spirituality had indeed been erected around her, keeping all impurities and distractions at bay.
She maintained the state of the “Spectator,” not letting the excitement and joy in her heart affect the ritual.
Setting down the silver dagger, she picked up the light blue crystal vial and dripped a drop onto each candle.
Tss!
A faint fragrance spread one after another, and Audrey’s body, mind, and spirit all seemed to achieve tranquility.
She took a deep breath inwardly, bowed her head respectfully, and began reciting the formal incantation in Hermese:
“The Fool who does not belong to this age;”
“You are the mysterious ruler above the Gray Fog;”
“You are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.”
“I pray for your help.”
“I pray for your grace.”
“I pray that you grant me a pleasant dream.”
O Deep Sleep, herbs belonging to the Red Moon, please pass your power to my incantation.