As the last drops of the glassy liquid evaporated, the black fire disappeared, a vibrant, heart-shaped crystal began to emerge, glowing with a deep, blood-red hue.
Lira gasped audibly, her hands flying to her mouth in disbelief. "No way… is that a blood-red crystal?" She stammered, her voice filled with disbelief, and her eyes were wide with shock. "That's impossible. Those are so rare, the last time it appeared was still 50 years ago."
It was no ordinary crystal exactly. Its surface shimmered with an almost ethereal glow, a deep, blood-red hue that seemed to pulse with life. Unlike the pink crystals Alexander had seen before, this one looked almost alive, the raw, concentrated energy inside it swirling like molten lava, its energy far more potent than anything he had ever encountered.
Alexander stared at the crystal, his heart pounding. He felt a deep pull toward the crystal, and he could practically feel the power radiating from the crystal, intoxicating and magnetic.
"So… this is a blood-red crystal," he murmured, and swallowed hard, more to himself than to Lira. "I can't believe it."
"I can't believe Garrick sold this to you for just 3,000 credits," Lira said, her voice incredulous, but her eyes never leaving the crystal. "Does he even know what he had in his possession?"
Alexander chuckled, still staring at the priceless treasure in front of him. "Apparently not. I thought I was getting scammed at first, but… looks like I got the deal of a lifetime." He leaned in closer to examine the crystal, mesmerized by its beauty and power. "This is worth far more than any amount of credits."
Lira, shook her head. "Blood-red crystals like this are said to be a hundred times more powerful than pink or red crystals. They can sustain a mage for months on end. And they have properties no one fully understands—legend says they're even linked to immortality."
Alexander raised an eyebrow at that. "Immortality?"
Lira shrugged, though her expression remained serious. "That's just a rumor. But the fact remains—this crystal is a treasure beyond anything we've encountered."
As if on cue, a faint aroma filled the air—sweet and alluring, as though the magic within the crystal were beckoning to them. Alexander's throat went dry, and he found himself swallowing involuntarily. The allure of the crystal's power was almost overwhelming. Alexander's fingers twitched slightly, his instinct to reach for the crystal strong.
But he held back, Then turned and looked at Lira, as Lira placed a gentle hand on his arm.
"Don't rush it, Alexander."Lira said softly, her tone filled with deliberation. "No one has ever used this type of crystal before. Just to be safe," she continued, "let's study it carefully first. We need to see if there are any risks before you come into direct contact with it."
"You're right. We need to be sure." Alexander nodded.
Lira set her notebook aside, her fingers brushing the soft fabric of her blue dress. "We start small. I have an idea." She walked over to the corner of the room and retrieved a small cage, inside of which a white mouse sniffed around, twitching its nose. "This little guy should help us understand more about the crystal's effects."
Alexander watched the little mouse with curiosity, it is the first time he saw that type mouse in the real. Bred specifically by House Aqua, they possessed a high adaptability to magic, far beyond what typical experimental animals could handle. These specially-bred mice were highly sought after, both within and outside the academy, for their unique ability to absorb and react to various forms of magical energy.
Because of their ability and the skill required to breed them, these mice were in short supply and were considered a valuable commodity.
The small creature seemed completely unaware of the role it was about to play. Its eyes were bright, and its white fur was pristine, but as Alexander looked closer, he could sense a flicker of something more in the air around it—a faint magical resonance, subtle but present.
"Stretch out your finger," Lira gently set the cage down on the table, opening it carefully and reaching in to lift the small white mouse. Lira instructed, her voice calm but focused. "gently touch its back, giving this mouse a little of your magic. But be careful—just a small amount."
Alexander nodded, then extended his hand toward the mouse. He focused, summoning just a small portion of his magic, careful not to let the black fire rise from within him. His fingers tingled with the energy gathering at his fingertips. The mouse, sensing the approaching magic, twitched nervously but remained still in Lira's hand.
With a deep breath, Alexander pressed his index finger lightly against the soft fur of the mouse's back. He could feel the magic transfer from him to the tiny creature, a brief surge of power. The pristine white fur began to darken, shifting from white to black, its tiny body absorbing the magic with ease. It glowed faintly, emitting a soft, eerie light as it adapted to the dark power now coursing through it.
Alexander withdrew his hand, watching as the mouse continued to glow with the dark energy. Its black fur shimmered faintly under the lights, its small eyes glowing slightly. The creature seemed calm, unaffected by the magic for the moment.
"Good. Now it has the initial characteristics of your magic," she said. Her eyes flickered toward the blood-red crystal sitting in the glass container. "Let's see how it reacts to it."
"Next step," Lira said, walking over to the glass container where the blood-red crystal sat, still shimmering with its intoxicating glow. She opened the container and gently placed the mouse inside, alongside the crystal.
The mouse sniffed curiously at the air for a moment before it scurried over to the crystal, drawn to its allure. The creature sniffed at the blood-red surface before pecking at it lightly with its sharp teeth. As soon as the mouse made contact, the crystal reacted.
A surge of blood-red energy poured from the crystal into the mouse, the red light seeping into its body and mingling with the black magic already present within it. The mouse's fur flickered between black and red, as if the two energies were vying for dominance within its small frame. Alexander and Lira watched, tense and expectant, as the colors shifted back and forth in quick succession.
Gradually, the red began to overtake the black. The black magic that Alexander had infused into the mouse was compressed into a small part, replaced by the deep, glowing crimson of the blood-red crystal. The mouse's fur turned a sleek, shining red, and its tiny body seemed to swell slightly, as though it had been invigorated by the energy it had absorbed. It looked healthier, its coat glossier, and there was a visible vitality in its movements that hadn't been there before.
The mouse stumbled slightly, as if drunk, its tiny body swaying as the energy coursed through it. Its fur, now fully red, gleamed as if freshly polished.