As breakfast progressed, Morgan leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she observed her family's interactions with a thoughtful expression. It was clear they all had high expectations for Arthur—expectations he had yet to meet.
Her earlier words echoed in her mind. Had she been too harsh? Or was she simply stating the truth? Time would tell. For now, Arthur was awake, and that was victory enough for the moment.
Arthur's voice cut through the morning hum. "The memory orbs." As he spoke, shimmering spheres of emerald fire appeared in the air, their soft glow illuminating the room.
Meron arched a brow. "So, kid, what exactly is a memory orb?"
Arthur exhaled, his fingers brushing over one of the floating orbs. "It's a device I designed to record all enchantments and runes I use in my artifacts. With them, I can track which ones malfunction, how they interact with each other, and analyze the results of my experiments." He paused, then added, "They're crucial for my research."
Brago leaned forward, eyeing one of the orbs beside Arthur with a scrutinizing gaze. "And what's wrong with this one?" He gestured to the one on Arthur's left.
Arthur frowned. "That one holds the data for Morgan's shield. It looks like the regulator runes all failed at once." He shook his head. "That shouldn't have happened. I installed nine layers of redundancies to prevent a total failure like this."
Sylpha narrowed her eyes. "And what about your own equipment?"
Arthur sighed. "Too many enchantments. When I activated the overclock function, instead of channeling power through the weapon, it fed the energy back into me." He rubbed his temple. "Not ideal."
Morgan's expression darkened. "And how did all the redundant failsafes in my shield fail at the same time?"
Arthur waved his hand, summoning another orb, this one pulsating slightly. "All the circuits shorted simultaneously." He clenched his jaw. "Someone—or something—interfered."
A moment of silence fell over the room as everyone absorbed his words. Then Tista broke it. "Oh, bro, take a look at this."
With a burst of emerald fire, a scythe manifested before them.
The weapon was a masterpiece. Its long metallic pole handle was clean, cylindrical, and smooth, crafted with a polished steel or silver finish. Its simplicity contrasted sharply with the dramatic design of the blade. The curved blade was large and ominous, painted black with a sharp, angular red zigzag pattern along the inner edge, emphasizing an aggressive, jagged aesthetic. It was clear the weapon was designed to be as menacing as it was effective.
The area where the blade connected to the handle was adorned with mechanical and industrial elements—bolts, sleek metallic housing, and a circular red-and-black emblem, reinforcing its high-tech, almost otherworldly feel.
Arthur ran a hand along the pole, feeling the balance. He gave an approving nod. "This has a good balance and an excellent design." He looked at Tista with a hint of admiration. "Once my full magical capabilities are restored, I'll work on enchanting it properly for you."
Tista grinned. "Looking forward to it."
Morgan, however, was still fixated on the issue of the shield. "If something interfered with the failsafes, then we're dealing with something far more dangerous than just a malfunction."
Brago grunted. "Agreed. We need to determine the cause before any of us rely too heavily on these enchantments in battle."
Arthur nodded, his mind already running through possible causes. "I'll need more time to analyze the data. The memory orbs hold all the necessary information, but I'll have to sift through it carefully."
Meron leaned back, arms crossed. "Then you'd best get to work, kid."
Arthur smirked. "I already am."
He gestured, and the emerald orbs swirled around him, each pulsing with recorded knowledge, waiting to be unraveled.