After Jilu Sect's patrol unit had said their farewells, the two Sky Oriels units scattered around the main hall of the castle for a moment of rest.
Everything was dim and thick with dust. The tapestries of the hall seemed to tell an elegant history, but with the layers of spiderwebs and grime, they looked no better than old rags. Faint purple accents peeked through through here and there.
A few of them had gotten injured during the first swarm of the demons, so Wyn and Calla Akeya went around the hall, dressing wounds.
Once they were done, Calla Akeya strode to the center of the room, a trail of dust rising behind determined steps.
"Everyone in my unit, round up. We will head upstairs shortly."
Marshall, Lai Rylan, Calla Kai and Lou Yumei gathered in a circle while Calla Akeya discussed something with Wyn.
"What's upstairs?" Lou Yumei wondered, fixing her braids.
"Must be the energy storage," Marshall guessed.
Calla Kai nodded, affirming, "There's a chamber with a crystal ball that has spiritual energy sealed in it. It was placed there shortly after the Great Schism."
"Have you seen it?" Lai Rylan questioned.
"No way." Calla Kai waved his hand in denial. "No one has entered the stronghold for decades."
Calla Akeya approached them, Wyn walking by her side.
"Follow me."
Marshall raised an eyebrow at the snow deity, silently asking 'you're not from our unit, why are you coming along?'
He received a subtle shrug of 'I am here, so I might as well assist.'
➳ ➳ ➳
Their footsteps echoed through the long corridor, eerie creaks coming from the wooden floorboards.
As they ventured further, Marshall couldn't help but notice Lou Yumei's eyes shooting daggers at the snow deity. Yet, whenever Wyn looked in her direction, she turned to observe the grimy window panes.
The atmosphere was uncomfortable, but to Marshall's relief, it didn't take long before they reached the storage chamber.
Calla Akeya's chain of keys jingled once again. However, as she tried to insert a thin key into the lock, the door creaked open.
The air was thick with the presence of spiritual energy, oozing from the chamber.
She looked surprised, and so did everyone else.
"Maybe the lock broke? This place looks ancient," Lou Yumei remarked.
Calla Kai turned to her with a scoff. "Since when do locks break from old age?"
"It happens more than you think."
Wyn walked to the door and pushed it open wider, taking in every corner of the storage chamber with a serious expression.
Without any inhibitions, Marshall leaned over the snow deity's shoulder, twisting his neck like a pigeon to catch a glimpse of what was inside.
A massive crystal sphere half the height of a man sat in the center, securely locked in place by a marble structure. It hummed with high vibrations, trembling ever so lightly to keep the dust off.
"Woah, look at that!" the disciple blurted out near Wyn's ear, who winced at the loud exclaim, his eyes narrowing.
Marshall took the hint and moved back with his hands raised in surrender. "My bad."
"Please wait outside while we examine the chamber," Calla Akeya directed, stepping in.
By 'we', she meant her and Wyn, who walked in with no delay.
Lai Rylan stopped next to Marshall, staring at the restless soul hovering above the threshold to see what the two heirs were doing.
"Did you see the sphere? I want to look closer," Marshall murmured, poking his head into the room.
Lai Rylan hummed in acknowledgment as he looked at the condensed energy ball.
"It's pretty impressive… I saw the stronghold from across the river while growing up, but I never imagined such a thing was hidden inside."
Marshall shot a mischievously knowing glance his way. "That's because you barely pay attention to anything that's not right in front of you. Historical facts fly over your head like jokes fly over Wyn's."
The snow deity heard that, but chose not to acknowledge the comment.
Marshall kept teasing Lai Rylan. "Can you even describe the events of the Great Schism?"
"The Sacral Grounds split into four. What more do I need to know?" Lai Rylan retorted.
Marshall chuckled at his friend's blunt response. "How you managed to get to top ten in the Four Season Contest still baffles me."
Lai Rylan gave him a sly smirk. "I could say the same about you dropping the sword in front of the judges."
Calla Kai cracked up, recalling the sight of it. "That's right! You should've been disqualified for that!"
Marshall poked both disciples in the ribs.
"In my defense, it happened before the match. I just didn't expect the sword to slip out of its sheath so easily."
Calla Akeya interrupted them, her gaze slicing through the casual banter.
"We are not here for leisure. Stay focused and be careful."
She gestured for them to come inside. "You may enter now."
The four disciples stepped over the tall threshold one by one, gathering around the crystal sphere.
The condensed energy almost resembled a colorful ball of yarn. Veins of spiritual energy glistened deep inside as golden, pale blue and green hues weaved into a tight vortex in the middle.
Calla Kai was moving around, scrutinizing the ball from every angle. He mumbled about the different colors of spiritual energy circulating within.
"Green from General Gi, light blue from Lord Chioni and the golden from the Arbiter of Justice."
"Correct," Wyn confirmed with hands clasped behind his back. "The powerholders each played their part in filling the vessel with energy."
The pose and the tone of voice made him appear like an elderly master. Marshall couldn't get over the thought without a short chuckle, even if it earned him another irritated glance from the snow deity.
Marshall looked up, his eyes settling on the mechanism above the crystal sphere.
"How does that thing work?" he asked, having a stare-down with the structure.
Wyn provided a monotonous explanation. "It is a mechanism for activation of the protective barrier. In order to trigger it, we must channel the spiritual energy that is stored within the vessel, and direct it to the opening of the structure."
Marshall gave him a nod, continuing to stare into the mechanism. Something about it made him uneasy, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.
"It looks like it can swallow a whole person," he commented. "Is it safe?"