The 'work' sessions became much more infrequent. Lusk some time back brought another girl to the mansion. She took the room on the far opposite side of the hallway. Ever since there would be occasional times when my sleep could continue on without being disrupted. The servants still served us meals, yet they gestured Mun and I should keep quiet about receiving them on days I didn't have to work. Either way it didn't bother me anymore. I was past caring for such things.

One day, during when a servant was reading out a storybook to Mun while I leaned against a wall periodically tuning in to the tale, a knock was heard at the door. I creaked the door open ever so slightly so that I could peek out to see what was going on. Rarely did that main door ever open up. Most of time that it did was when Lusk went on or came back from his so-called 'Hunting Trips'. What always puzzled me was that he wore his fanciest garments and took nothing even obscenely resembling any hunting equipments on his such outings. It was like he went out to impress people rather than to hunt game down. Or maybe perhaps he did manage to do both in those outfits, since Mun and I were here.

Either way Lusk never knocked for the door to be opened. A servant would be on stand-by near the door at all times, and they would swing the door open as soon as they heard footsteps approach the porch. Consequently the same servant would take whatever coat Lusk was wearing and walk down the hallway with him. Lusk would mumble something like "Ugh, nothing today."

So an actually knock meant visitors, which was special enough to grasp my attention away from the storybooks. A servant rushed toward the door to creak it open. I caught a brief glimpse of three men in full white overalls through the doors. The servant and the men exchanged a few words, then the servant presumed to shout all the way across the hallway.
"Master Lusk, sir! We have men from the Zenith requesting a private conversation with you!"
Lusk burst out of his room and scurried toward the main entrance upon hearing this. He had a nervously anxious expression, something I didn't expect to ever see.

At the door Lusk bowed and welcomed the three men in. They treaded across the hallway, passed our room, and entered another one on the opposite-right side of ours. Not much distance was there between their room and ours, and so I could eavesdrop and make out their conversation if I propped my ears against the door. The servant and Mun, so caught up in their story-time, didn't seem to notice or mind me. Lusk's unusually stuttering voice could be heard through the walls.

"Hearer Xane, what brought you to this sudden visit?"
A deeper voice, which I assumed to be Xane's, faintly seeped out.
"We found some... decomposed remains buried in the lower river banks. There was a similar precedent like this regarding your 'tastes' before, so we decided to drop by."
Lusk cleared his throat.
"Well, I promise you all that that had nothing to do with anything here."
He continued slyly.
"And I believe I made a big enough 'donation' to the Zenith to not be bothered by such measly happenings."
A chuckle was heard.
"Well, Lusk, members of the Zenith quite appreciate your generous support. And just to be clear the bodies having been discovered isn't the main issue here."
"Then why did you bring it up in the first place?"
"For now let's just say... for leverage."

The servant audibly closed the book. He said he'd be going now. He picks up the book and the food tray, then walks out. Mun fished out a deck of cards from under the bed. Mun calls me over and asks to play a few rounds. We happily do. Mun enjoys the game, I enjoy seeing him joyful. The conversation I was overhearing just a moment before slips away out of my mind.

An hour later someone knocks on our room's door. It's two of the men dressed in white. They lead me to a different room. I asked in a murmuring tone.
"Is this work?"
One of them, with the voice I recognized to be Xane's, answered me with a mild tone.
"I suppose, dear. For us."

We reach the room and step in. Inside there are three chairs aligned in a circle. Usually there was a bed when worked with Lusk. I questioned.
"We're working here?"
"Yes. Go take a seat."

I sit down on a chair and prepare like usual. Xane's eye's widen and stops me just before I take off my top. He shouts, astonished.
"Child, stop, stop! What are you doing?"
I asked, confused.
"But I though we were working."
"We are, but..."
Gasping. Xane's face twists with disgust upon realizing something. Alk used to make that face. He continues, now under his breath.
"Does Lusk call this 'work'? What you were about to do if I hadn't said anything?"
I nod. Xane turns toward the other man in the room. He too also bears a appalled expression.
"By the light, Tourn. I expected only the slimmest strand of humanity from Lusk, and he managed to disappoint that."
Tourn scratches his chin, then replies.
"That wretched bastard... Let's do what we're here to do, first. We deal with Lusk then."

Xane turns once more to face me, then sits down in a chair as well. Tourn does the same beside him, then explains a few things to me.

"Hello, um, Rial. I'm Tourn and this is Xane. We're not here to do what Lusk calls, 'work'."
His face squints as he says 'work'.
"Anyways, we're hearers. From the Zenith. Have you ever heard of us?"
I reply dully.
"Mun, uh, my brother talks a lot about you. He really likes the books about you guys."
Xane breaks a smile.
"I'm glad to hear that. Usually on children's ninth spiral they get checked if they are a vessel, or fit to be a hearer. What we do, is go around looking for children who by a a lot of different reasons haven't been tested by then. You are on your, from what I heard, eleventh spiral, right? And I believe Lusk never had you visit a mirror, much less the Zenith."
Tourn mumbles.
"Unsurprisingly."
Xane continues.
"So we're here to do a little test. It's a bit late, but it's better than never at all. Vessels are very uncommon, we do it in a 'just-in-case' sense."
A pause. After some hesitation Xane whispers.
"...and after we're done tell us a bit more about Lusk's 'work'. It's something you shouldn't be a part of. Not in this time in your life."
I nodded 'okay'. Xane smiled sympathetically, then told me to relax my body.
"Tourn will sing a song, and I'll do the testing. You just need to focus on his voice and take it easy."

Tourn took in a deep breath, then proceeded to sing. Xane locked his gaze dead-on to my eyes.

In grace it spins
The flame of the fins

The lyrics resembled a particular voice that has
ringing in my head.

In light we dance
We are told to stop

Xane kept staring with a hint of having witnessed something odd.

Listen, listen
And bow to the top

Xane leaned back with a confused expression.

Speak the voice
Hear the words

"Tourn, wait!"
Tourn went silent as he was told to do so. Xane stood up and walked toward me. He grabbed my shoulder and said with an exhilarated tone.

"Rial! Rial! You... you're a vessel!"

Tourn, hearing this, also scrambled on to Xane. He fumbled around his words to form a question.
"Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?"
"Look at her eyes! The eyes! Yes!"

Xane's face soon was filled with unfathomable dread. His hands shook. Trembling words escaped his lips.
"This means we need to notify Evis."
Tourn also froze solid in place. He mumbled.
"You poor thing..."

They led me outside the room, and told me to go back to mine. I overheard them speak as I walked off.

"... so we need to choose between Lusk or Evis..."

They grew more silent, and I couldn't make out any more words they were saying.

When I came back Mun asked me what I did with the two men. I said they told me I was apparently a vessel. Mun giggled and spoke.

"Your eyes surely don't move!"

Hm. I recalled them asking me to explain the work with Lusk. They hurried away even before I could start. I guessed it wasn't as important. We went to bed.