Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-46383843-20200718172115/@comment-46383843-20200721122017

Besides, there is also an alchemical interpretation of story of Bam and Rachel. We can clearly see that they are a pair of opposites, they complement each other - Bam is dark, good-natured, trustful and physically powerful, when Rachel is careful, suspicious, secretive, and more intellectual, while being physically quite weak. Some people associate it with Yin and Yang, but in my opinion it is influenced by more Western alchemy - as well as Shinsu, divine water, could be representation of an alchemical concept of water of life, aqua pontica, which is at the same time primal matter and solvent, a spiritual substance that can then be formed into, for example, water, fire or other elements. A journey from the unity of Bam and Rachel, in which they are both dependent and complementary to each other, to being fully independent persons, each with separate, icomplete personalities, through the tower, where the concentration of Shinsu increases with each floor, resembles a journey of an alchemical substance through purification - separation of salt to sulphur and mercury, when all that is false and delusional is being cleansed as it passes through the tower, leaving only the truth, not always pleasant. According to this interpretation Bam and Rachel would meet as fully independent persons at the top of the tower, and then recognize again similarity in each other - either in combat or in friendship. According to this interpretation also, destruction of the tower, rejection of the ladder you have climbed, would also be metaphor of creative process of making something new; Jahad would represent the old Sun and Bam would represent the new Sun, and the revival and salvation of the Tower would take place in fire, just as in myth of a Phoenix rising from the ashes - resurection of spirit from the dead.

Besides, something reminds me of concept of anima mundi - "divine spirit that incubated the chaotic waters of the beginning, remained in matter in a potential state, and the initial chaotic condition persisted with it", especially in the context of Rachel's character and her behavior, with particular emphasis on keeping treasures, knowledge, secrets, and constantly being distant.

I don't know if the authors used all this symbolism with full intent or only because they inspired themselves by Roman myths, nevertheless, the whole story is incredibly deep.