Chapter 9
Circling the crystal, Finn carefully examined every detail, from the faint chill emanating from its surface to the crystalline reflections scattering across the ground.
Then he stepped closer, his gaze shifting to the feminine silhouette beside it.
Unlike Sol, whom he had recognized almost instantly, her face remained blurred and her clothing indistinct. If there was one detail that stood out, it was her hand, extended slightly toward them. On the back of it was a watch engraved with the symbol "1S."
"Who are you calling an animal, you little brat?" Stella snapped as she approached Rose, eyeing her curiously.
"I merely asked you to stop behaving that way, my dear lady," Rose replied calmly, her expression hidden behind the mask.
In truth, she felt no fear, or any emotion that might normally accompany such tension, while wearing it.
"Do you feel targeted?"
She's really good at politely pissing people off, Finn thought.
"Little bitch," Stella muttered, her hand already drifting toward the hilt of her sword.
"She's quick with that hand," Ulrich said with a small shake of his head.
"Khan, try to keep your people under control, please," Finn said, glancing toward him.
Khan stood a short distance away, lost in thought.
"He's right, Stella. We can't afford to argue right now," Khan said with a warm smile as he stepped closer.
"Any news about Lydia and Aunt Karmine?" Finn asked.
"No," Khan replied. "But if Lydia wasn't chosen by the Dome, she's probably still somewhere on this island."
"So, Finn," Khan continued, turning his attention to the crystal, "what do you think about this?"
"It's too good to be true."
"What do you mean?" Khan asked, puzzled.
"It's complicated," Finn replied. "I'm not even sure you'd understand if I tried to explain."
"I'm not an idiot, you know."
Finn inhaled slowly, organizing his thoughts.
"I believe he had been preparing for something like this for years, or maybe he was forced into it. Sol represents too large a portion of humanity to simply die because of a random Dome."
He pointed toward the crystal.
"The necklace he's wearing and the woman's watch are the key."
"The necklace probably stops their hearts for a short time, preserving them inside the crystal. It's similar to the ritual knights use before surpassing the Luminescent level, it allows them to ignore the need to breathe for a brief moment."
He paused, studying the watch.
"As for that… I'm not sure. It looks like something from before the Eclipse. It probably allowed them to detect the Dome's arrival, even if only a second before it happened."
"Alright," Khan said, massaging his forehead. "But can we get him out of there? He might be our only chance of leaving this place."
"He warned you," Rose said with a shrug. "That guy is anything but sane."
"And how am I supposed to take that?" Finn replied dryly. "I'm perfectly rational."
"Rational?" Rose scoffed. "You compared me to a mouse when we first met."
"Fair point."
"Introduce me to your new friends," Khan said, gesturing toward Ulrich and Rose.
"This is Ulrich. And her, you probably already know her. Rich kid to rich kid. Rose Evergrim."
"Ah, I didn't recognize you behind the mask," Khan said politely, placing a hand over his chest and bowing slightly.
"I didn't know you had become a Profane."
"A pleasure. Khan Caelius."
"How do you know the monarch's son?" Rose whispered to Finn.
"He's my aunt's stepson," Finn replied loudly enough for everyone to hear. "And he's not really a monarch anymore. Their bloodline was interrupted years ago. At best, he's some kind of fallen royalty."
"Likewise," Rose said awkwardly, making a small curtsy.
"You really had to say that out loud."
Finn shrugged.
"I'm just stating facts."
Then his gaze returned to the crystal.
"I'm not sure it's a good idea to wake him."
Immediately, Rose and Khan stared at him.
Even Stella looked at him with barely concealed astonishment.
Meeting Sol here was nothing short of a miracle. Suggesting to just leave there one of the most important assets of humanity sounded nothing short of foolishness.
And yet, the more Finn thought about it, the more logical it seemed.
He stopped his heart so the Dome wouldn't register him as alive the moment it struck, harvesting half of the souls.
However, if something had gone wrong, if he had failed to outmaneuver Freya's Vice, releasing him might unleash the greatest calamity on them.
"We don't really have a choice," Khan finally said. "Without him we run to certain death. With him… maybe we still die."
However, another problem seemed even more urgent.
A faint grinding noise was coming from the crystal.
Not from the two figures trapped inside, but from the center of the structure itself.
And it was getting worse.
The sound intensified around Sol's silhouette, as if the world itself were rejecting their presence. And in a way it was the case since the Will of Purification didn't seem to reach them through their golden cage.
Even now, the Flux around the crystal was growing stronger, producing tiny white sparks that were almost nonexistent unles
s someone were to shift his vision.
Finn's eyes narrowed.
'What a headache...'
"I think it's about to explode.")