Inside the cave, in a patch of green grass, a black-haired boy lay asleep. Nearby, the small group of surviving children were either chatting, eating, or sitting silently holding the black stone. Suddenly, the cave began to tremble. This woke Eric, who had been sleeping for a while. Confused by what was happening, he looked around for answers about the shaking, only to find the confused or frightened gazes of the other children.
Unfortunately, Eric couldn't see what was happening inside the labyrinth; otherwise, he would have been shocked by what was unfolding there. The entire place was being reshaped: every stone and corridor shifted and changed as if the place had a life of its own. Moreover, if Eric had previously seen only a few dozen or maybe a few hundred Ouroti, now, due to the movement of the passages, a hidden zone beneath the labyrinth was revealed. The creatures in that massive underground area numbered in the thousands, like a swarm covering the horizon under the ominous darkness that ruled the place.
If Eric could see this, he would probably be terrified. One of them had nearly killed him. He had witnessed the carnage they could cause. He couldn't imagine what so many of them together might do. And why were there so many in that place?
The tremor lasted almost five minutes, Eric estimated, until it stopped completely. Seeing that nothing had happened nearby, Eric paid it no mind and began recalling what had happened.
"Mm, so now I have to solve the problem of how to sense mana, like Elder Aldric mentioned. The problem is how I'm going to do that, but what I do know is that this black stone will help me. The question is how," Eric wondered, turning the stone in his hands and thinking about how to proceed.
"I should ask the others, maybe they know something about this thing," Eric turned to look at them, but was disappointed to see that most were asleep, except for a few who, in Eric's opinion, seemed to be meditating or something similar.
"Now that I think about it, only thirty came out of there. How did they manage that?" he said, surprised that he couldn't remember anyone else coming out with him.
"Well, those are questions for later. I have a more important problem now," he sighed and turned his attention back to the stone in his hands. "Obviously this rock isn't just decoration. Maybe if I concentrate on it or hold it long enough, I'll feel the mana," Eric thought. Then he began working on his idea: first for just seconds, then minutes. Eventually, tired of waiting, Eric stopped. He opened his eyes and sighed. He felt like he had wasted his time.
"Sitting here concentrating on a rock trying to feel something I've never felt in my life... how do they expect me to do that? Besides, it's easier said than done. What am I even supposed to be looking for? It's not like something magical will happen just because I sit down and focus on a stone. How am I supposed to concentrate if I've never done it before? And how did I even come to that conclusion? Ah, I guess reading too many books and watching too many movies probably influenced me. In that case, let's look at this from another angle. Besides, like the mage Aldric said, we still have plenty of time to wait for the others. I can experiment and figure it out through trial and error. If not, I can always ask the others," Eric thought, confident he would solve the mystery, and placed the stone on his leg.
After the disappointment of that not working, Eric remembered the advice the elder had given him about the vials he found in the labyrinth. He quickly searched his pockets and pulled them out. Two vials, one golden and one blood-red, lay on the grass. "Well, I didn't know what they were for. It was really useful that I kept them. Sometimes it's good to hold onto weird things; you never know when you'll need them," Eric said, glad to have them.
"Now, the question is how to use them. Mm, well, it's not like anyone's going to give me the answer. I can only drink it and see what happens. That elder said they were meant to enhance mental power; I don't think he had any reason to lie to me," Eric murmured. Then, with confidence, he picked up the golden vial and removed the seal. First, out of curiosity and caution, he smelled it. Sadly, he couldn't detect any scent. Eric didn't hesitate and decided to drink it. When the golden liquid touched his mouth, it had a viscous texture and, surprisingly, no taste, making it strange to drink. He quickly finished the vial and placed it on the ground.
At first, Eric felt nothing, as if the vial had done nothing at all. But as time passed, Eric felt something like a tingling or soft buzzing at the top of his head. This series of small vibrations and waves was truly relaxing, lasting several minutes and spreading throughout his head. As the feeling faded, Eric noticed his vision becoming clearer as he looked around. Before, the world had seemed dull. Now, it was more vivid and sharp. Also, the fatigue left by the labyrinth had eased.
"Mm, that really felt good. I feel relaxed and clear-headed," Eric said, amazed by how effective the vial had been. Remembering what had happened, Eric quickly turned his gaze to the red vial, and with swift hands, removed the cap and drank it all without hesitation.
Upon drinking this vial, Eric noticed they were indeed different. Not just in color. It had a metallic smell and taste with a salty touch. He also felt warmth and viscosity in his mouth. Eric drank it quickly, like the previous one, but was left a bit unsettled. He thought he knew what was inside that potion. But suddenly, a heaviness overcame him. It was as if something was draining his energy. But before he could think about it, the sensation from the previous potion returned, much more intense than before. As it continued, Eric's body grew weaker to the point where he couldn't move, ending up lying on the grass.
"What the hell is happening?" Eric wondered, scared that he might have drunk some kind of poison or something similar. But before he could keep questioning it, his vision went black and he lost consciousness.
If Eric had been awake, he would have felt that, upon fainting, the effect in his head disappeared and the sensation of losing energy stopped. Thus, silence returned to the cavern. The elder was in his carriage, looking out the window at the entrance. Seven figures emerged from the labyrinth. Of these, five were in very bad shape and floated in a green mist. The other two, dressed in robes, approached the carriage.
As they got closer, they saw the children and Eric, who was unconscious near the carriage. "Tskkk, we're late. This boy didn't even hesitate to drink it. There's nothing we can do now to make him give them to me," said Lanira in a sad and regretful tone. For her, this day had been very costly despite all her preparations, and even with her spell, she hadn't been able to win. This left her in a bad mood.
"No one can resist the temptation to improve. It's possible that Lord Aldric told him what both vials were for," commented Adam with continuous clicks.
"Yes, but selling both potions would've earned me at least a few magic stones. Especially the Nectar Solis potion, which has no side effects," said Lanira with a sigh. Then, losing interest in Eric, she turned to enter the carriage. Inside, they saw the elder sitting, looking out the window.
"Lord Aldric, the children are outside and have been properly punished," Adam said to Aldric with a crackling voice.
"Good, use the contract and mark them. Their lives now belong to the tower; give them proper care," Aldric replied in a deep voice.
"Yes, Lord Aldric," responded Adam and Lanira. Both turned to leave the carriage and carry out the elder's orders. Just as they crossed the door, a voice interrupted them. "One last thing before you go: finish the preparations before the other caravans arrive," Aldric told them before a breeze closed the door behind them.