Even Sophia, despite her best attempts to remain composed, couldn't help but smile as Caria and Puddle's playful chaos spread through the glowing chamber. She sighed softly, shaking her head as droplets of radiant water splashed near her boots.

"Unbelievable," she muttered, though her tone betrayed amusement.

"Join us!" Puddle called, voice ringing like a chime. She spun and sent a shimmering spiral of water toward Sophia — not enough to drench, but enough to sparkle against her robes like glittering dew.

Sophia blinked, brushing her sleeve dry with a faint hum of mana. "You little imp," she murmured — but there was laughter in her voice now. With a small flick of her wrist, she conjured a thin ribbon of water in return, tracing it into the air before letting it fall directly on Caria's head.

Caria yelped. "Hey! That's cheating, using magic!"

"It's called precision," Sophia replied coolly, hiding her grin behind her hand.

Puddle clapped her hands in delight, hopping across the surface like a skipping stone. "Then I'll use my magic!" she declared. Streams of luminous blue mana spun from her palms, forming tiny floating orbs that drifted around the cavern like playful wisps. They burst one by one into soft waves, sending ripples of light through the air.

Aria laughed and stepped forward, her bare feet touching the water. "Alright, that's it," she said, grinning. "If we're doing this, we're doing it properly." She extended her hand, and a faint circle of mana bloomed beneath the surface. The water surged upward, forming a sweeping arc that cascaded back down like a miniature waterfall — harmless, but stunningly beautiful.

Caria blinked, then whistled. "Okay, that was actually awesome."

"It's all about control," Aria said with a wink.

Above them, Aurelius finally gave up his attempt at appearing aloof. He spread his wings and released a single radiant pulse — golden light scattering like falling petals across the pool. The droplets that touched the water shimmered into tiny suns, each glowing faintly before dissolving.

Puddle froze mid-laugh, eyes wide. "Pretty!" she breathed, holding her hands out to catch one — and when it touched her palm, it melted into a warm spark that made her giggle.

Moonbounce cracked one eye open, watching the spectacle with the slow amusement of a creature far older than all of them combined. His deep voice resonated softly through the air, calm and ancient.

"Such noise," he rumbled, though there was fondness beneath it. "But perhaps… not unpleasant."

Rhys leaned back, arms folded loosely, his reflection dancing in the water's glow. For a moment, he just watched — his companions laughing, the light of his familiars intertwining with that of his friends. Puddle and Caria splashing at each other. Aria shaping water into arcs of artful motion. Sophia smiling faintly under the rain of golden droplets. Even Aurelius' radiant pride softened into warmth.

Moonbounce's shell shimmered faintly beside him, the runes pulsing like a heartbeat.

Rhys exhaled — slow, content. "Yeah," he murmured under his breath. "Not unpleasant at all."

The laughter gradually softened, fading into a peaceful hush as the rippling light slowed. The golden reflections dimmed into a gentle glow that shimmered across the cavern ceiling like constellations drifting through still water.

Puddle floated back toward Rhys, her form glowing faintly in the quiet. She settled beside him, resting her head against his shoulder. "That was fun," she said softly, her voice echoing like a whisper through the pool. "The water here feels… happy."

"It does," Rhys agreed, brushing a hand through her silver-blue hair. "It's been a while since any of us had a moment like that."

Caria wrung out her soaked hair with a groan. "A moment? That was a full-on magic brawl," she said with a grin. "But yeah… I'll admit, it was worth it."

Sophia adjusted her robe, the faintest smile still playing on her lips. "It's strange," she said quietly. "The mana here reacts to emotion. The more joy we shared, the more harmonious it became." She glanced toward the glowing pool. "Almost like the Seragon's Heart was… responding."

Aria nodded thoughtfully, her gaze distant. "It's not just a relic, then," she murmured. "It's alive — or at least aware."

Aurelius tilted his head slightly, his golden feathers catching the faint light. "Perhaps it remembers what this place once was," he said, his tone calm but reverent. "Before the corruption. Before silence."

Moonbounce opened one ancient eye, his deep voice rumbling again. "The world remembers," he said. "Even when its children forget."

Rhys looked around the chamber, feeling the quiet rhythm pulsing beneath his feet — that same soft heartbeat from before, stronger now, clearer. It wasn't just the water. The entire cavern was alive with resonance — gentle, welcoming, warm.

"I found something," Moonbounce's deep voice echoed suddenly in Rhys's mind. Rhys blinked and stood up. "I think my tamed beast found something," he said aloud.

Caria arched a brow. "I doubt it. Everyone who came here before us already checked every nook and cranny of this place."

Moonbounce's low rumble filled the chamber again. "It reacts to ancient mana. Perhaps that's why none before you were able to find it."

Rhys nodded slowly. 'That actually makes sense. If it's tied to mana essence, Moonbounce's senses would pick it up first.'

He turned to the others. "It's worth checking. After all, Moonbounce has a knack for finding treasures."

Caria sighed, though curiosity sparked in her eyes. "Fine, but if we trigger another trap, you're the one explaining it to Sophia."

Rhys chuckled lightly, then motioned toward the glowing pool. "Alright. Puddle, Aurelius — return for now."

Both beasts shimmered briefly before dissolving into streams of light that flowed back into Rhys's heartspace. Then he stepped toward the water where Moonbounce waited, his shell faintly glowing beneath the surface.

The ancient turtle's voice resonated softly again. "It lies below — beneath the isle right in the center of it."

Rhys crouched at the edge, resting a hand against the surface. "Show me," he said mentally.

The water pulsed in answer.

Moonbounce's mana spread outward in a slow wave of silver light, rippling across the pool until the reflection of the cavern warped and shifted. Shapes began to appear — faint outlines beneath the surface, as if the water itself remembered something buried within.

Caria leaned closer, eyes narrowing. "Okay… I take it back. That's definitely not just water."

Rhys focused his mana through the link. "Moonbounce," he murmured in thought, "project your mana here."

The turtle rumbled softly in acknowledgment — and then begun to pur the mana essence the mana found in ancient times.

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