[ Paul is still relearning how to see through his inner eyes. The new allegiance of his blood, switched from moonglow pale to glimmering dark, didn't rob him of the secret vision he was born with, but it has changed it. It's as if a pair of lens he didn't know he was wearing had been ripped from him, and the future shifted its spectrum to colours he'd never seen before.

He adapts. It's what he does, more surely than anything else. It's a quality he's glad of when he pauses at the top of the stairs on his solitary trek up them to stare at the door for a while.

"Ah," he says, quietly, to no one but himself, and sits down. There are benefits, he thinks, to having an ability decoupled from the bonds of this world's blood.

That's where the next alone traveller who reaches the top of the stairs will find Paul, cross-legged and expectant. He raises a hand in greeting and tugs down the black scarf shielding the lower half of his face to reveal a small, friendly smile. ]

Do you want to try knocking together? The security is a bit brisk.

[ Given the vision at the top of the stairs, Paul was even more cautious than usual in his descent into the chasm. He packed extra supplies for this branch of the journey and rested well the night before he set out, which is when he dreamed of the abyss opening its jaws to swallow him down to a lonely end.

Not the best of portents, but good to know.

Down in the deeps, approaching travellers will likely hear Paul before they see him as he walks back and forth along the lip of the chasm. He's not pacing. Pacing is a restless, pointless activity. He's surveying. It's an entirely different thing.

He pivots to face whoever approaches with a smile like the one he wore at the top of the stairs, easy and calm. ]

Do you want to try something with me?

[ It will be no surprise to anyone who's met Paul more than once or twice that he ends up lingering in the overgrown levels of the temple. He and his Omen move silently and slowly through the strange, hidden ecosystem, avoiding the wandering Beasts and plant-beings through well-cultivated habit.

This makes him all but invisible to his fellow explorers as well, which is why Paul also pauses to make himself conspicuous. When he finds relatively clear patches with good sightlines and avenues of escape, he sets up his portable collection kit and reviews the samples he's taking, consulting quietly with the tiny mouse Omen on his shoulder.

Fellow Sleepers will receive a wave when he stops them, followed by Paul pressing a finger to his lips to indicate silence before he beckons them closer. ]

[ Feel free to contact me at terriblepurpose or by PM to discuss threads. ]