The small room opened into a cavern as large as Steeltown. I overlooked large blocky buildings under a canopy of stars.

I was a boy again, head tilted up at the capital's night sky—my eyes full of wonder and fear.

I am nothing.

A rock clattered on the stone platform, snapping me out of my trance.

I turned on the balls of my feet, hand on my cane. The hemp rope bobbed up and down.

Oh, right...

I walked over to the rope, tugging on the end.

"Jacob! All clear?!" Castille asked.

I looked over my shoulder.

"All clear!"

# # #

I sat on the stone platform, watching the room's entrances as I flipped my dagger in my left hand. The ropes dangling from the hole above swayed as Isla climbed down her modified rope ladder.

It was taking forever.

I jumped up, pacing around the rectangular stone platform.

"Isla! What's taking-"

A single trembling foot stuck out of the hole.

Finally.

I walked up to the ladder, holding it steady as she climbed down the last few feet.

She doubled over, her hands on her knees as she panted.

"I don't think I can do that again."

"Then maybe you can do something about this."

I stamped my foot on the stone platform.

"Is that what I think it is?"

I nodded, looking up at the rectangular shaft with the exact same dimensions.

Isla crouched on the platform, her hands flat on the surface.

"It's enchanted, but it feels just like the stone face."

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"Do you know why it's not working?"

"If I had to guess, it's that."

She pointed to a diamond-shaped hole at one corner of the rectangular platform. At the other corners, a red, fist-sized crystal was embedded in the stone surface.

Could it be that simple?

She crawled over to examine the hole on her hands and knees.

"It's missing a control crystal."

My mind flashed to the ruby-eyed pommel of Sin's knife.

"Why does that matter?"

She perked up, sitting on her haunches with her hands on her knees.

"It's an old tradition in the creation of enchanted objects. The orderly structure of crystals symbolized control, so it was incorporated into an object's design when it required direct commands to function. For the most part, that style was abandoned after the fall of the Old Elven Empire, and you can see why. The objects stop working when the crystal is removed or damaged."

I examined my dagger and noted the lack of jewels or crystals.

"Then our Nostrand Del is a traditionalist."

"For some people, the old ways are best."

"Not you?"

She shook her head.

"We should improve on what our parents build, not imitate it."

Her face fell, her eyes becoming distant.

"Anyway…"

She shot up, clapping her hands together to snap herself out of her sudden sadness.

"The good news is if I can find a crystal roughly the same size and shape, I can get this platform working."

She looked up at the hole.

"Did you hear that, Castille!"

"Yes! The sooner, the better!"

Isla smiled at me. Her love of magic was contagious.

I fought to keep my face neutral. I walked closer to her to examine the corner with the missing crystal.

"Couldn't you—you know, create the crystal instead."

She looked away, scratching her cheek with a dirty finger.

"I could try, but I've never practiced with minerals. It would be easier to build off something that already exists."

"Like the rope?"

"Exactly."

"We should be able to find..."

I cocked my head.

Footsteps squelched in the mud.

Careless. I turned my back to the entrance to talk to Isla.

"Jacob?"

I pressed my right hand against her mouth, burning my will into the jacket.

Squelch...

Squelch...

Squelch...

Isla's eyes bulged at whoever—whatever was behind me. At least our lanterns were on the platform and not in our hands.

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to take slow, quiet breaths. Whatever was behind me couldn't see us—couldn't hurt us… yet.

I set my shoulders, taking one last, long breath before turning to see who or what was behind me.

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