While the tension gripped the palace corridors, another kind of adventure was unfolding in the mid-levels of "Aetheria." Kayan had tasked Miron with a reconnaissance mission, and he found no better companion than Mers, the skilled scout of the Liberation Army, who possessed an uncanny ability to track trails even through the air.
Miron and Mers set out across narrow suspended bridges. Mers leaped between the towers with the agility of a cat, while Miron panted behind him, trying to balance his glasses which were on the verge of falling off.
Mers (laughing as he balanced on a thin rope):
"Come on, Miron! I thought those who lived in Crystallis had sturdy legs. Or do you all just walk on silk over there?"
Miron (gasping for breath):
"We... we walk on the ground... solid ground! Not on these spider webs! Mers, if I fall, tell Ortinus I died searching for the truth—not because I lost my balance due to a passing bird!"
Mers: "Don't worry, gravity loves you here. Look, there's a small hunters' tavern in the corner of that tower; the smell of 'Cloud Pies' is wafting from it. Let's eat first; two people cannot scout the King's positions on an empty stomach."
The two sat in the corner of a small wooden restaurant overlooking the abyss. Mers ordered pies stuffed with mountain goat cheese and began showing off his talents to Miron.
Mers (holding a copper coin and tossing it into the air, then hitting it with a small arrow from a hidden quiver without even looking):
"See? It's not the eye that sees, Miron—it's the air. I feel the vibrations of the air molecules before the coin even moves."
Miron (in awe): "Amazing! This isn't just archery; it's advanced physics. I wish I had half that precision when the soldiers of Crystallis were hunting me."
Mers (his voice softening): "You've mentioned Crystallis often with a sad tone. What actually happened there? Kayan says you carry secrets heavier than your own body."
Miron's Confession: The Betrayal of Renaud
Miron set his sandwich aside, his gaze becoming lost in a fog of painful memories.
Miron (in a choked voice):
"I was a top student in Crystallis, obsessed with decoding history. I discovered the bitter truth: the glories of the ruling 'Medon' family were nothing but lies, meticulously crafted to keep the people under the yoke of slavery. I told my best friend, Renaud, thinking he would share my desire for change. But Renaud chose the palace over friendship... he reported me."
Mers (stopping mid-bite): "A friend's betrayal is a wound that never heals."
Miron (his voice trembling): "On a quiet night, they stormed my home. They burned everything... my books, my dreams, and my family. I miraculously escaped the flames and lived as a fugitive in the alleys, scavenging for scraps until I was found by a man named Arikel. He was very wealthy, but he carried the same flame of rage against the Medon family. He found me in a wretched state next to a deserted cafe and told me: 'Do not fear, we share the same cause.' After that, I gained terrifying experience in combat and planning... I lived only to see the head of 'Medon' fall."
Mers: "And what happened to Arikel?"
Miron (bitterly): "He died in one of the missions, and I became the leader. But in a strange turn of events, I met Ortinus and the companions during a failed attack on an abandoned warehouse. All my soldiers were killed, and I was left alone, so I joined them. Then Ajax appeared... he manipulated us all in Crystallis. He promised us absolute power through an 'energy drug' he claimed would turn us into invincible monsters. But it was a trick; we were soundly defeated by the Medon army, and we found ourselves merely pawns in Ajax's game. I failed in my revenge, Crystallis was lost, and here I am... chasing black stones above the clouds."
After the meal, the two regained their seriousness. Mers led him through a hidden passage beneath the "Bridge of Sighs" until they reached a circular black building with no visible windows, surrounded by an aura of cold energy.
Mers (whispering): "This is the headquarters of the 'Black Blades,' directly reporting to King Ragos... or so it is assumed."
They slipped inside through a ventilation shaft. A shock awaited them; the great hall was not an arms depot, but a laboratory filled with small black crystal stones, pulsing with a faint purple light synchronized with the sound of a heartbeat echoing in the room.
Miron (approaching cautiously, his eyes widening):
"These... these are no ordinary stones. Look, Mers, they are miniature fragments of the 'Black Heart Stone'! It seems they are growing them here to reinforce the royal shields."
Mers: "This means the Black Heart Stone isn't just one stone—it's an entity that grows and multiplies! If we destroy this facility, we will massively weaken the palace's power."
Suddenly, the stones began to pulse with greater intensity, and the sound of the heartbeat rose to fill the place like a living alarm.
Miron: "Mers! The stones sense our presence... they are linked to the Black Heart in the palace. The King knows now that there are invaders here!"