Tense dinner and lucid dreaming

[A/N: Co-written with ScarletRabbit.]

Reaching his room, Lucas gingerly put the bowl on the table. After putting down the bag with the large mana stone next to it, he let out a soft sigh, followed immediately by a sharp intake of air and a smirk. 'I am ready.' he affirmed. Without any further ado, the white-haired man locked the door before moving the table to the side. Then, slowly, he put the bowl on the ground and knelt.

Carefully, he dipped his finger in the honey-like paste he had created. It felt rather warm to the touch, and it exuded faint amounts of energy into his fingers. 'Eamon said that a basic impurity removal circle would be enough. I don't need to consult a book for that - I've created those dozens of times already.' he thought as he quickly made a large circle, nearly three meters in diameter. Then, he made a second one just within, not straying for more than his palm's width from the initiate one. Using his pinky, the violet-eyed man created multiple inscriptions in the space between. A dozen small symbols were drawn, ranging from simple squares with circles within to things reminiscent of an alphabet. After finishing those, he measured out a few points in the middle circle and connected them in various ways, creating a six-armed star inscribed within a hexagon. Stepping back to look at the lines, Lucas could only smirk further. It wasn't the finest work, but given the time since he'd last made one of those, he was content with the result.

'Next, the model of the sigils on me.' he took off his tunic. Then, he stripped off his pants as well. Sitting on a chair in nothing but his boxers, Lucas eyed the amount of paste left. Barely a third was left, but it was easily more than enough. Scanning over the dozen signatures he created in the circular ring, he jogged his memory a little, reminding himself of where each of them had to go. Then, he started by creating a circular sigil on his forehead. Inside the circle, he created a single, small dot. 'Nimite - the sigil of mind - done. Next...' he moved on to his chest. Three inscriptions were created, one above each of his nipples and navel. 'That's the sigils of body, heart, and vitality done. Next...'

...

As he finished, Lucas put down the bowl on the table and got hold of the bag with the large mana stone.

On each of his hands and legs, there were two sigils present, one before and one after his knees and elbows. The magical paste was giving off faint amounts of warmth, energizing him slightly.

'This reminds me of the other method I tried. Inscribing an actual magic sigil to awaken the flow of mana... Inallel always was slightly ahead in terms of magic from the rest of the continent.' he grimaced, reminding himself of Eamon's words. 'Achieving the 10th circle, how ahead of everyone are you... or were you?' Lucas looked at his hand mirror, standing on the drawer. For some reason, he felt as though Eamon would contact him at this moment, but... nothing happened. The white-haired man sighed deeply. 'Now is not the time for distractions.'

He checked the lock in the door, ensuring that it would remain closed. After that, Lucas slowly made his way to the middle of the circle and sat down, crossing his legs. Mana stone lay in his hand, vibrating ever so slightly at the contact.

'The mana stone is an addition to this method. Since its mana resonates with mine, it will work almost like a secondary mana pool... but why? It's not like the inscriptions are done to infuse new mana into me. They're done to remove impurities. Really, I don't get you, Eamon, but at this point, I don't even care if it'll rupture my mana veins. It's not like I have much use of them anyway.'

He breathed in deeply, which was promptly followed by a steady exhale. Doing his best to stabilize his somewhat excited heartbeat, Lucas closed his eyes, holding the mana stone in both hands. 'Normally, someone would have to begin this process, but I can use mana myself. Now... <Keen Senses>.' he activated his skill for the briefest of moments. In an instant, he felt a fuzzy sensation spread in his entire body, feeling as though his veins were repeatedly being filled and emptied of blood. In a lot of ways, it was a creepy sensation. However, Lucas already expected it. 'Now, it's a waiting game.'

-Meanwhile-

Ismeria looked over the seven guests sitting across the table in the Great Hall. Numerous dishes, prepared by the family's cook with her helpers, stood between the two groups. Exquisite plates were filled with distinct foods, ranging anywhere from vegetarian meals only found in Inallel to near-pure meat of dishes from Melidan. Several alluring scents filled the air, creating an atmosphere that pushed saliva onto one's tongue.

The gaze of her blue eyes ventured right, stopping at Ophelia. Her oldest daughter was sitting in a slightly stiff position, her neutral expression expertly hiding the vexation lurking within. She was glancing over the six guests, her gaze lingering on Seraphina for a long while before she looked at her plate, awaiting for Ismeria to beckon the beginning of the feast.

Aveline, sitting on her mother's other side, was far more relaxed in comparison. Her face bore a small smirk. It appeared that despite the sudden circumstances, she was not nearly as affected as her sister. In all honesty, Ismeria wasn't surprised; knowing Aveline, she probably lacked the mental capacity to comprehend the scale of what happened lately.

Deciding to cut the silence short, Ismeria got hold of a glass of wine standing in front of her and stood up.

"Firstly," she started, putting on a gentle smile. "I'd like to welcome you properly into our humble household again, Princess Seraphina Liveren. We hope that despite the turbulent incident that **** you to come here, you will find this place pleasing during your stay."

The elf right next to Seraphina conveyed the Stormrider's words. The green-haired woman appeared to grimace momentarily. Ismeria wasn't sure whether it was because of some innate dissatisfaction or surprise, and honestly, she didn't care.

"=You can go and tell her to take a bath,=" Seraphina replied slowly, gauging the silver-haired woman's reaction. It appeared that she didn't speak Mins as she was expectantly looking at Lis'te. "=I swear, I feel like I'm swimming in Rigus's sewers.="

"=Princess Seraphina, please act in moderation. I understand that this situation is not ideal, but it is as sudden for those people as it is for us.="

"Tsk," she clicked her tongue audibly, turning away from the people up front and crossing her hands under her chest.

"...?" Ismeria raised an eyebrow, her eyes looking at Lis'te with curiosity. "Has something happened?"

"I apologize in our Princess's stead," the blonde elf said, standing up and bowing his head. "Inallel's current situation is very upsetting for her. Please excuse her if you find any of her behavior impugning your benefaction to us."

"It's alright, we understand. The war with Ureliar came out of nowhere, so it's venial to feel angry at this time," she replied, her tone warm and seeping with an understanding she'd never shown to her son. "Especially how the Council was attacked... I feel uneasy just thinking about it."

"Thank you, Lady Ismeria. Though... I believe Princess Seraphina is more worried than angry. Her brother was called to the battlefront immediately after the war broke out. She has been restless for many days."

"...I understand. If it's any comfort for her, I do understand what it's like," Ismeria responded, her expression becoming somewhat sorrowful as her gaze ventured to the empty seats on the marble elevation to her left.

"My condolences, Lady Ismeria. I didn't intend to invoke any sorrowful thoughts."

"It's alright. What I mean to say is, west of our manor, we have a small facility which we use to train magic. It can easily withstand even a 7th-circle Mage onslaught. If Princess Seraphina wishes to vent out any anger she feels, she is more than welcome to use it to her heart's content."

"...I understand. Thank you, Lady Ismeria."

"Now then, please, enjoy the feast," the silver-haired woman raised her hand, the glass of wine obstructing her view of one of the multiple manalamps.

-About 15 minutes later-

The feast began in full. The multiple platters of food were emptied nearly in an instant as all the attendants took all manners of food. Elves mostly took vegetarian dishes while the ladies of the Stormrider family preyed upon the meat-filled ones (especially Aveline, hogging half a turkey in an instant).

However, one person stood out with not a single bite of food taken for herself. Seraphina sat nearly motionless, her plate as barren as it was before. In the time since everyone started eating, her hand had not once gone for any of the foods or held any utensil.

"=Princess,=" Lis'te spoke softly, doing his best to quiet his voice. "=I am really beginning to worry. Please, eat something.="

"=I refuse. Even the food is repulsive,=" Seraphina pouted, her underlying sense of disgust evident.

"=I understand that meat dishes displease you, but please, we are but guests in here.="

"=No, you don't understand, Lis'te. Can't you smell it? This... weird stench in the mana. Especially those three,=" Seraphina's piercing blue eyes were fixed on the trio of women. "=It's making me feel sick... just loo--="

Suddenly, Seraphina stopped speaking, her head turning in the direction to her left.

"=Princess, your senses are far more acute than any of us. However, I've been here all day, assessing the place multiple times with my skills. The mana here is simply different from what you're used to. Please don't mistake unfamiliarity for execration,=" Lis'te reasoned.

"=...Did you feel that?=" the green-haired elf turned back to the blonde one, her facial expression reflecting surprise.

"=Princess, please don't change the subject.="

"=I mean it. Just now - didn't you sense some mana from that direction?="

"=I apologize, but I felt nothing, Princess,=" Lis'te replied, briefly scanning his surroundings. "=Perhaps you're not feeling well?="

"=...Can you find out where a bathroom is?="

He nodded and rose slowly, saying, "I apologize for the interruption, but it appears that Princess Seraphina isn't feeling well. Could we please delay our discussion until later?"

"Of course," Ismeria agreed, setting down her utensils. "Should we summon a healer?"

"No, I believe it's just stress. I'm candidly uncertain of how much sleep has Princess Seraphina gotten last week," Lis'te shook his head gently. "We'd like to ask for directions to her room, and a bathroom on the way."

Ismeria immediately raised a hand, and a brown-haired maid came rushing from behind. Without even saying a word, the head of the Stormrider family nodded toward the guests. Miri instantly took her steps ahead, guiding the two out of the room.

...

The remaining guests stopped their feast as the princess was escorted out of the room. The five guards put down their utensils and assumed similar relaxed positions, their uncertain gazes shifting between the three women. From Ismeria's composed demeanor to Ophelia's displeased expression, and finally, to Aveline's... food-loving attitude?

"Aveline," Ismeria turned to her younger daughter.

"Whua?" Aveline replied with a mouthful of food.

"Behave, will you?"

"...I'm hungry," the robust woman responded grumpily as she reluctantly set down the turkey leg she'd been devouring. She sported a small pout as she swallowed her last bite.

"Read the room and control yourself." 'Gods, this child... if only she were a little brighter...' Ismeria shook her head at the thought before turning to her other daughter. "Ophelia, you understand your mission from now on."

"Yes, Mother," the silver-haired daughter replied calmly.

"Aveline, do you remember your part?"

"...yeah, of course," the blonde Stormrider almost chuckled, but her tone seemed uncertain about her own words.

"Then recite, will you?"

"...well alright, maybe I don't. But I will figure it out," Aveline said with a glint of an apologetic tone. "It had something to do with that blonde elf, right?"

"*Sigh* Ophelia will be befriending Princess Seraphina. Your job is to coax Lis'te a little. Get some information out of him and tell your sister to make her job easier. Understood?"

"...ah, right. Sure thing."

-Meanwhile-

Seraphina walked down the corridor right behind Lis'te and the brown-haired maid. After reaching the stairs, however, she froze. The two in front of her started venturing upward while her gaze was aimed at the road downward. Taking a short, yet defined breath, the green-haired elf felt the mana around herself. A short second later, she directed her senses toward the underground entrance.

'That place... is so much cleaner,' she concluded instantly. It was akin to comparing spoiled meat with sweet candy.

"=Princess, please don't lag behind,=" Lis'te urged, standing at the top of the visible stairs. "=If you're truly unwell, I can call for Ginis to assist.="

"=...I don't need healing, Lis'te,=" Seraphina answered, her hair swinging around as her feet stepped on the stairs, speedily catching up to the blonde elf. "=I just... something about this place feels off.="

"=I'm certain that if you get some sleep, you will feel incomparably better.="

Seraphina breathed a heavy sigh before nodding weakly. It was pointless to argue with Lis'te; he was a man so dedicated to serving her family that he'd rather die than fail his mission. Keeping her safe was his current one, and she knew very well that he had likely upturned every last stone around this manor. If he didn't sense anything wrong... perhaps the unusual mana was just how this place was. At the end of the day, Seraphina had never left Inallel's borders before.

...

As a few minutes passed, she found herself sitting on the edge of a cushy bed in a spacious room. The expensive tapestry on the walls was well-kept, and glancing at the carpet lying on the ground, there appeared to be naught a thing amiss in it. Comparing this to her memories of different places she'd been a guest, the Stormrider mansion had already looked incomparably better.

A deep sigh escaped her mouth as she felt her eyelids close for a brief moment. After sending Lis'te off, Seraphina was waiting patiently, measuring the time that it should take him to return to the meeting room. She was going to take a moment to nap, but not at this moment. Right now, only one thing was on her mind.

Her big chest rose and fell as she felt her heart thump quietly. The long, lavender-colored nails of her hands were glistening in the sun that fell through the window. Looking in the mirror, she saw her brilliantly blue eyes being reflected, gleaming with wit. A tiny smirk stretched her full lips. She had to admit, that even though she dressed more conservatively today, she still looked stunning.

However, her brood grinded to a halt as she decided that it was time to move. Without waiting for any longer, Seraphina exited the room. Tracing back her steps to the stairs was not at all difficult, given that the distinct mana could be felt easily. Eventually, having reached the steps leading to the basement floor, the elf princess looked around.

'How strange... there should be servants bustling about, shouldn't there?' she pondered as her feet descended into the confined space stretching into the tunnels beneath the manor.

The air was starting to become stale, but Seraphina paid it no mind, her nostrils instead filled with the sweet scent of mana. Now, as she was approaching the source, she could feel just how distinct it was from what roamed upstairs. It was like comparing clean river water with Rigus's sewers - she felt that the comparison was on point in a lot of ways.

Continuing her journey onward, she suddenly stopped, seeing a black cat sitting in front of a door. Its bronze eyes were focused on the wooden surface but quickly turned to look at her as she approached.

"=Cileres, why are you here?=" Seraphina asked, her voice kept low.

The cat purred in response, rising slowly and padding toward her. After brushing against her leg, it leaped onto a nearby wall, bouncing off it and landing gracefully on her shoulder. Seraphina reached out to hug the cat to her chest, feeling its black fur bristle. It shook as though with uncertainty.

"=It's alright, don't be nervous. I feel it, too. Let's check it out and leave.="

Stealing quick glances right and left, she ensured that they were alone. Then, her hand went to try the handle... but the door was locked. A slight grimace was painted on her face as she sighed. For a brief moment, she considered turning on her heels and going away, but... before she managed to make a decision, her hand was already knocking on the door softly.

...

-About 10 minutes ago-

'...how long has it been?' a question appeared in Lucas's mind. Seconds of holding the mana stone quickly turned into minutes of his senses slowly dulling. His breathing was slow and stable but with every next air intake, a strange sensation was overcoming his muscles. Though only faintly observable, his heartbeat was becoming fainter and fainter in his ears. The longer Lucas spent in his position, the less he felt his body. And yet... his mind was filled with an almost eerie tranquility. That was because the bodily sensations were being replaced by something else. He felt... the mana. Especially the one coursing from the mana stone, which permeated his veins before being spread outward, filling his room. Although the amounts were negligible, they were slowly accumulating.

Memories of his previous attempts with the Riverut method stirred. Hours of stillness, of teetering on the edge of slumber, brought on an agonizing boredom. The most he could do was repeat everything he'd read... not that it helped him much.

'I've lost all sense of time,' he mused eventually. Frustration began to build, stifled by sheer determination.

...

He sensed all sensations dull by the minute. The sound of his breathing became quieter than a mouse under a broom. The reverberations of his heartbeat, once feeling like a drum, were now reduced to hardly a finger tapping on a table's surface.

And as minutes slipped into eternity, Lucas could feel his senses being... replaced. Slowly but surely, his breathing was replaced with the swirls of mana in the room. The vibrations of the mana stone changed into sensations of sources of energy moving about nearby. The echo coming from his chest turned into... a faint call. A cry that he hadn't heard, but rather... felt. Something that told him to wake up.

"...?" Lucas felt his eyes opening almost against his will. The light from the manalamp on the wall blinded him for the briefest moment before he became used to it.

'...did it... fail?' a slightly fearful thought nested itself in his mind as he looked downward. The mana stone in his hands appeared... completely black. 'What...?' he frowned, bringing the stone closer for an inspection.

However... what he noticed was... a second pair of hands rising?

'What?!' Lucas recoiled in an instant, and an image of blackness swirled in his eyes. A little frantically, he got up only to see... himself? 'What the hell?'

Lucas brought his steps closer, inspecting what he was seeing. On the floor, he... was still sitting, the black mana stone present in his hands. His eyes were closed, a focused expression painted on his face. A few drops of sweat were present here and there, glistening in the light.

Then, the young man shifted his gaze downward. The sigils of magic he'd drawn were still present, down to the last symbol. Moreover, each of them appeared to be glowing faintly with a blue tint.

What... did it mean?

...

'A dream...?' Lucas realized, bringing a hand to his head and shuffling through his hair. 'I fell asleep... It's been a while since I last had a lucid dream.' a sigh escaped his mouth. 'Boredom can't be won over, I guess. Maybe... I shouldn't wake up just yet.' he decided. It was an instinctual feeling, deep in his chest. He just... felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be. 'Given that I wasn't yet awakened by pain from breaking the ritual, I still haven't moved much. Then, I can spend a few minutes here. Maybe, just maybe... I'll class by the time I wake up.' he looked around the room. Strangely, it appeared to be... very precisely reconstructed. Almost... too precisely.

Lucas was no stranger to controlled dreams. It's been years since he'd had his first one, and although they still appeared semi-randomly, the white-haired man learned how to recognize and control them rather easily. However, a controlled dream was still just a dream. It couldn't reflect reality perfectly. Yet, this time... nothing felt out of place. Not yet, at least.

With nothing to do, he decided to turn to the door to his room. However, as he reached for the handle, his hand immediately phased right through it.

'Right... one of those, is it.' his gaze shifted to his bare feet. Nope, he was not sinking into the ground in the slightest, and the boxers on him were yet present. Shaking his head slightly, he walked right through the door, not bothering to change anything. However, much to his surprise, he found himself in the very corridor he would normally expect. 'Alright... this is slightly weird. This looks like an exact copy...' however, his thoughts changed when he noticed something strange along the wall's length. 'That's new.' he almost hummed as he stepped closer, looking at the white surface of a door.

It was... just a door, really. Aside from its unusually bright color and golden rims, there was hardly anything out of the ordinary with it. But that was only at first glance. Lucas couldn't help but feel... drawn to this door, faintly yet undoubtedly. Within short seconds, he felt himself reaching out for the handle and holding it...

...

...wait, holding it?

'I'm... what? But I thought...' Lucas released his hold and tried to lean on a wall, but his hand went right through. 'I... no, let's not overthink this. Obviously, there will be discrepancies. It's just a dream. Then... what will you show me?' he pondered as he got hold of the handle again, and pushed on it...

...only for it to scarcely budge. Lucas tried the door once again, but the golden handle wouldn't fall under his strength. A groan escaped his mouth as he gave up.

'Pointless.' he thought, turning on his heels and going toward the stairs leading to the ground floor. With steady steps, he reached his destination quickly. Immediately, a huge difference from the real thing struck him.

'...that's a lot of doors.' he thought, looking along the corridor's side. There were some doors he could almost guarantee were in their correct positions, but between them were... dozens of the same white ones as the one he'd tried to open before. Stepping through the hallway slowly, his gaze turned toward the windows and he almost forgot to breathe. 'I take that back. THAT is a LOT of doors.'

Outside of the manor, he saw regular rows of what seemed to be an endless sea of white rectangles. They all looked identical, creating a scenery reminiscent of an army standing, awaiting an order. However, one question permeated Lucas's mind: what was the meaning of those?

Just to check, he reached out to one of the doors in the corridor, and sure enough, he could easily grab its handle. This one, however, also did not budge no matter the **** exerted by the white-haired man. There was also another thing he noticed.

'...this feels different from before.' he hummed thoughtfully at the realization. The first door felt almost like a promise he'd forgotten he'd made. This one... felt like a faint sense of familiarity. Without waiting for anything, he quickly walked to another one and got hold of its handle as well. Then another one. Many passed through his hands, and every single one he touched felt distinct. Some more, and some less, but all of them were unique.

However, he soon noticed something that dragged his attention without fail.

A black door became visible as he approached the Great Hall. Unlike the white ones, it was larger, nearly overshadowing the grand entrance next to it, and its jet-black surface reminded Lucas of the darkest nights he'd ever seen. Its ornaments were made of what appeared to be platinum. Unlike the decorations of other doors, these ones were far more detailed, depicting flowers and tree branches intertwining along its entire length. In one word, this door looked grandeur.

However, his gaze turned in the other direction. There was another door in place, just as large, but it appeared to be completely white, matching the decor of the other ones. It did also have an improvement in details, the golden rims transforming into what Lucas immediately recognized to be a spear behind a shield, both coated in lightning. There was no doubt about it: it was the Stormrider symbol.

'...what does this mean?' he gritted his teeth, scanning over both surfaces. Even just standing between the two, the white-haired man felt the presence of both.

The white one emanated a palpable sense of control and an incredible familiarity. It promised him to let him do whatever he wanted, to gain authority over the events of his life. The golden ornaments emphasized that once he walked through, he was going to have a spot as the family's heir. He would become a **** that people listened to.

The black one surged with a nigh-otherwordly power, which while alien to him, also felt like something he'd familiarized himself with beforehand. The dark wood appeared to just barely withhold the incomprehensible amount of **** welling up behind it. With it came a promise of strength beyond all others. The mana itself appeared to inform him that no matter his way, the world in its entirety would support his judgment.

...

Placing his hand on one handle, then on the other, he could confirm that unlike the ones before, those moved easily. If only he gave them a push, he could enter. All he had to do was to make his choice.

...

...but why did he have to choose? Why... why was there a sense that this decision was important...?

'I'm... classing.' he made the realization. 'Those doors... I have a choice...? But I've never heard of this. Nobody ever spoke about something like that. Why is it like that? Is it because it's a lucid dream? Or is it because of Eamon's method I used?'

...

'...Power or control. The world or the people... why bother wondering? I don't want 'control'. Mother, Aveline, Ophelia... all three of them recognize only 'power'.' he thought, his gaze turning to the black door. With a single step, he was already reaching out and pressing on the handle... before he froze. A strange sensation touched his shoulders, making him turn toward the white door. Letting go of the handle, he stepped between the two again. He could not stop the sense of uncertainty within him. The black door was what he felt like he wanted, but there was an inexplainable magnetism pulling him toward the white one.

'If I choose power, then... I'd rather have the world than the people in it. What does it mean, though? Could it be that it's some kind of a terrifying class? 'Power' has many meanings. For all I know, the class behind that could be a Necromancer or something similar. Gah... I need a second to think...' he brought two fingers to the bridge of his nose as he stepped away from the doors. Turning toward the way he came from, he let out a deep sigh. 'Seriously, I'd rather not have a choice. That'd be much fairer.' he blew a bit of air. '...why is it that I'm--!' suddenly, he stopped his train of thought as he saw something black move on the carpet nearby.

A cat with brown eyes and raven-black fur sat down on the red surface underneath, its gaze focused entirely on him.

'...what?' Lucas took a tentative step toward the animal, and immediately noticed how it stepped back, its fur bristling a little. 'I only saw it once, and yet, it's the only living thing that appears? Gah, the dreams... truly, a strange territory.' he huffed lightly, deciding to turn back to the doors. 'White or black. Control or power... my heritage, or a new way...?'

Suddenly, he felt something cold in his left hand. Looking at it, he saw it pressing the handle of the white door. A slightly confused moment of panic ensued.

'W-What? I... I didn't make a choice yet!' he tried to yank his hand away, but it was already too late. A surge of light erupted from the chik that appeared between the door and its frame. In an instant, Lucas closed his eyes...

...and then opened them, feeling the cold sweat on his entire body.

'??!' he panted for a long moment, dropping the mana stone to the ground. His entire body felt like it was on fire yet freezing, the blood rushing in every last vein with each hasty beat of his heart. Lucas clutched a hand to his chest, trying to calm his reaction. He glanced around for a moment before a nauseating sensation washed over him, making him want to throw up.

...

Stifling the feeling to the best of his ability, the young Stormrider swallowed some dry saliva, doing his best to assess his situation. However, he didn't get to do it as a small notification appeared in front of his nose.

<New class learned!>

<New stats opened!>

<2 new skills available!>

...!

'I... I classed?!' a weak chuckle escaped his mouth. An unbelievable surge of catharsis surged over him, making him feel at ease. He did it. 'Gods... Eamon turned out to be right... Now, status! I want to see this class! Please be a Mage!'

A blue panel appeared in front of him, extending in full instantly. Quickly reading through it, he felt an incredible sense of dumbfoundedness. A shock, even, that prompted something more to appear in his mind.

[Lucas Stormrider (Age: 19)

Class: Hybrid Class (Dream Walker / ???)

HP: 488/488

MP: 649/1379

WP: 424/424

(...)]

'What is this class?' a question rang in Lucas's consciousness.

However, it was quickly overshadowed by another one.

'(Why the hell did it appear?!)' Eamon's manly voice boomed within the confines of Lucas's mind, shaking his head at its seams.