In modern occultism, one name reigns supreme, revered like a creed—the "Secret Chief."
The so-called "Secret Chiefs" refer to highly powerful and intelligent beings, whether human or extraterrestrial, who possess knowledge so vast it defies description and wield near-omnipotent abilities, then impart fragments of this wisdom to lesser magicians.
In the renowned "Silver Star System" of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn—a magical society that profoundly influenced modern occultism—the "Secret Chiefs" represent the highest echelon of spiritual attainment. They are divided into three tiers. The most fundamental level, known as (8=3), signifies "comprehending divine will through human form," or in other words, becoming a "God of Magic"!
In modern times, the famous occultist Helena Blavatsky, founder of Theosophy, was said to have gained wisdom through the patronage of one such "Secret Chief."
And the angel standing behind Roy was precisely one of these "Secret Chiefs." According to this framework, she could be considered an extraterrestrial being who holds dominion over knowledge and legacy.
This angel had long golden hair, a tall and slender figure that shimmered with a faint radiance, and was draped in simple white robes. Her bare feet, glowing softly like jade, touched nothing, while a halo hovered above her head.
From a human perspective, her gender was indeterminable, yet Roy instinctively felt she should be referred to as "female." Perhaps because of this perception, the angel's presence and appearance increasingly aligned with the concept of femininity.
Her name was Aiwass, the Holy Guardian Angel—a mysterious entity summoned by Aleister Crowley using the body of his beloved wife.
Roy had no idea when Aiwass had begun appearing behind him like a spectral guardian. For as long as he could remember, she had always been there.
When Roy once asked why she accompanied him, Aiwass replied:
"You are an intriguing individual, one who should not exist, the one I have sought. I shall observe you, to find that which I have long pursued yet never grasped."
Her words were deliberately ambiguous, befitting a true mystic. Roy took no offense, for beings like Aiwass were inherently enigmatic, never revealing truth or knowledge lightly. She was more an observer, studying those who piqued her interest—such as Aleister Crowley and Roy Crowley.
Aiwass was not a singular entity. She could manifest as "multiple" instances—meaning one Aiwass stood beside Roy, while another accompanied Aleister. They were all Aiwass, watching over this father and son pair.
"To answer your question..."
Aiwass possessed emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, but Roy always felt an inexplicable strangeness when facing her. It was as if, beneath the surface of these emotions, there lay something fundamentally different from human feelings.
Her voice seemed distant, like the static from an old television with poor reception. According to Aiwass's explanation, this distortion occurred because her words were inherently difficult for humans to comprehend.
"...The being residing within Laura Stuart's body is the Great Demon Coronzon. It is a demon symbolizing '333.' Ten years ago, it attempted to possess Aleister Crowley's body but failed. Somehow, it ended up in London, England."
Aiwass's words were always unclear, as though she were trying to translate esoteric concepts beyond human understanding into ordinary English, making them sound awkward and unnatural.
"Coronzon? Since you're called the Holy Guardian Angel, does that mean Coronzon is a being similar to you?"
Roy frowned. If the demon possessing Laura's body was on the same level as Aiwass, this would be an extremely troublesome situation. He had never imagined the demon's origins would be so significant.
Thinking about it, the two siblings were quite the pair—one followed by a great angel, the other possessed by a great demon.
"You can think of Coronzon as a fallen angel. It is indeed a being similar to me... Beings like us exist in higher phases of #@!*&^ and can only manifest in the material world as 'spirits.' As spirits, we cannot exert much influence on the material plane without a physical medium. That is why Coronzon sought to take over Aleister's body and why it now desires Laura's. Without a medium, it is merely an observing 'spirit.'"
Part of Aiwass's explanation was automatically censored. Roy knew it wasn't because she was withholding information—rather, when she spoke certain words, his human brain simply couldn't process them and filtered them out.
"I don't care about Coronzon's origins. What I want to know, Aiwass, is how I can expel that demon's 'spirit' from Laura's body."
Roy cut short Aiwass's lengthy explanation and asked the most crucial question.
"You can't."
Aiwass's reply was absolute.
"Then who can?"
"Aleister Crowley might be able to."
"Where is Aleister now? I'll go find him!"
This time, Aiwass didn't answer. The Holy Guardian Angel, the 'Secret Chief' from a higher phase, gave Roy a strange smile instead.
"...Roy, let me ask you this—is Laura Stuart truly your sister?"
"What do you mean?"
Hearing Aiwass's words and seeing her eerie smile, Roy felt a chill run down his spine.
Just as he was about to press further, Aiwass's radiant angelic form gradually faded from his sight.
Roy knew that if Aiwass didn't wish to speak, there was no way to force more answers from her.
"Haah..."
Roy exhaled deeply, releasing the tension in his chest. Clenching his fists, he walked up to a full-length mirror.
He knew it was all because he was too weak, lacking sufficient strength to be so passive. If he possessed great power and extensive knowledge, he could have tried to expel the demon from Laura's body himself. With such power and knowledge, he wouldn't even need to rely on outsiders to uncover the truth.
"Power, knowledge..."
Roy murmured to himself, never before had he craved power and knowledge so intensely.
Standing before the floor-length mirror, Roy studied his reflection. Though this body was only fifteen years old, it already stood nearly six feet tall. He had neat silver hair and an androgynous beauty—so striking that without speaking, it was hard to tell his gender. Yes, "beautiful" was the perfect word to describe his appearance.
Roy knew his hair and looks were likely inherited from Aleister Crowley. Even though he had never met the man called his "father," Roy was aware that Aleister was a charismatic man with long silver hair and an androgynous allure.
Regardless, compared to his appearance before the transmigration, he now looked countless times better.
"If I had looked like this in my past life, I probably wouldn't have had any trouble finding a girlfriend," Roy chuckled self-deprecatingly before shifting his gaze to his eyes in the mirror.
They were pitch-black—the only trait he had carried over from his past self. Within those dark irises were double pupils, the trait known in the Chinese history as the "mark of the sage."
Historical records from his homeland mentioned eight individuals with double pupils, such as Cangjie, Emperor Shun, Chong'er, and Xiang Yu. Before transmigrating, Roy had also been named Roy, though his surname was Luo and given name Yi, unlike now where it was simply a first name.
Originally from Jiangsu—the ancient land of Chu—Roy had been born with double pupils. As a child, he endured ridicule from other kids until he grew up and read historical texts, learning that "double pupils" were considered the mark of the sage. He had even smugly believed himself to be the reincarnation of the Conqueror of Western Chu.
That was until one day when he visited an ophthalmologist, who bluntly informed him, "Double pupils are just a congenital deformity caused by iris adhesions—an early sign of cataracts." That shattered his dreams of being the next Xiang Yu.
His later life bore no resemblance to the Conqueror of Western Chu either. Could anyone imagine Xiang Yu becoming a photographer, occasionally using his skills to take risqué photos of girls?
Thinking back on these amusing memories, Roy couldn't help but laugh.
But soon, he composed himself and focused again on his silver hair.
What colour was his mother's hair in this body? He couldn't quite recall... He had inherited Aleister's silver hair, while Laura's golden locks must have come from their mother.
Was Laura Stuart truly his sister?
Recalling what Aiwass had said earlier, a faint sense of dread rose in Roy's heart.
If Laura wasn't his sister, then who was she? The girl who had shared hardships and joys with him all these years, who always called him "brother" with a sweet smile, who sometimes acted like an airhead and became the butt of his jokes—who was she really?
Roy suddenly slammed his fist hard against the wall beside him. Pain shot from the nerve endings in his hand, stimulating his brain as crimson blood seeped between his fingers and trickled down the wall.
"No, Laura is my sister—that lovely, beautiful sister of mine. No matter who she is, nothing can change the fact that she's my sister!"
Roy declared with unwavering conviction, without a hint of hesitation.
***
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