Chapter 503: Chapter 503 - Taming the Other Side A few days ago, beneath Yino’s castle... The descent down the long stairs to the crystallized mana chamber was very different from Yano’s. This one was like entering the entrails of a living creature. The stone steps, perfectly carved in previous eras, were here intertwined with purple veins that pulsed with a rhythm similar to the peristaltic movement of a creature’s innards. The light they emanated projected shadows on the walls, creating the illusion of constant digestion. Each pulse sent ripples through the air, an organic rhythm that made his skin crawl. Kassian tried to maintain his composure while following the group, but each step downward made his stomach contract more. The veins in the crystalline walls weren’t simple decorations; he could feel how his mana responded to them, as if something was gently pulling at his vital energy. It started as a whisper, barely noticeable. But as they descended deeper, the pull became more insistent. His mana wanted to flow toward those purple channels, to join whatever network they fed. The temptation was subtle but persistent, like intrusive thoughts trying to surface. "First time down here, right?" Lord Bloodwyn murmured, noticing the tension in the young noble’s shoulders. His voice carried that casual familiarity that only came from frequent exposure to the ’extraordinary’. There was sympathy there, but also a kind of dark amusement. "Yes," Kassian managed to respond, surprised by how hoarse his own voice sounded. "It’s normal to feel... overwhelmed," Ravenspire added, though his eyes remained fixed on the pulsing veins. Even he, veteran of countless battles and bearer of multiple abyssal contracts, never quite got used to this place. The corruption here was so concentrated it had weight, presence, personality. "I helped him make the contracts through our special connection, so he never had to meet the crystal in person... Even I, the first time I saw this, thought I had descended into hell itself, selling my soul and all that." The memory was vivid in Ravenspire’s voice. That first encounter with the Grand Crystal had changed him in ways that went beyond the physical manifestations of his corrupt beasts. "And now?" Kassian asked, genuinely curious despite his nervousness. The question came from a place of desperate hope. If Ravenspire had made peace with it, maybe there was a path through the horror that didn’t lead to madness. Ravenspire smiled, an expression that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Now I understand that hell and paradise sometimes disguise their entrance." The philosophy was a ’cold’ comfort, but it seemed honest. King Coleoran walked at the front of the group with the tranquility of someone who had made this journey hundreds of times. His purple patterns glowed more intensely down here, as if responding to the environment charged with abyssal energy. He moved through the corrupted space like a fish through water. Whatever reservations he might once have had about this place were long gone. "Papa," Selthia’s voice resonated from where she walked next to Prince Rhys, "The crystal is... agitated today. We should hurry." "Yes, little star. It’s... urgent." They quickened their pace, and when they finally reached the tower in the bottom, Kassian had to use all his willpower not to take a step back. The first chamber stretched before them like a grotesque cathedral. The ceiling was lost in purple darkness above that fed on the mana vein, while the floor was covered by a labyrinth of pulsing veins, some crystallized, all converging toward the side where the crystal resided. But it wasn’t the size that took one’s breath away; it was that same palpable life that radiated from the place. And connected to them, distributed throughout the chamber like silent sentinels, were creatures that might once have been insectoid beasts, but were now something completely different. Their exoskeletons gleamed with the same purple as the crystal, and their multiple faceted eyes absorbed light rather than reflecting it. They didn’t move, but Kassian could feel their attention, as if each one was evaluating him. "What the hell did I get myself into," he whispered, immediately regretting showing weakness. "There are no demons down here," Hagen murmured from his position in the rear guard. "Only truths that many of us would prefer not to know." His voice carried the weariness of someone who had looked into too many dark places. But even while speaking, Hagen’s eyes moved through the chamber, cataloging every detail. The positions of the veins, the creatures, the energy patterns... everything could be valuable information. In the center of it all, the crystal rose like a living monolith. It wasn’t the golden window Kassian had heard his father describe. This was purple, but a purple that seemed to contain infinite depths. Looking at it directly produced the sensation of peering into an abyss. The surface wasn’t smooth like a normal crystal. It rippled and flowed, occasionally revealing glimpses of movement within its depths. "It has changed," Prince Rhys observed, approaching his younger sister. His voice carried concern that went beyond mere observation. "It’s more... present." Kassian understood the implication. The entity within the crystal was becoming more active, more involved in their world rather than merely observing from whatever dimension it usually inhabited. Selthia nodded while studying the crystal with a familiarity that disturbed Kassian. "It’s in a great hurry," she said simply. "It has been waiting attentively for us to come." She approached the crystal without any kind of ceremony, like a child approaching her favorite relative. But when she extended her small hand toward the purple surface, Kassian felt the air itself thicken. The temperature didn’t change, but the atmosphere became dense, oppressive. It was like being underwater, except the medium pressing against them was pure malevolent attention. The murmurs that began as a barely audible whisper... Gradually they intensified, filling the chamber with sounds that didn’t belong to any known human language. The non-words seemed to bypass his ears entirely, speaking directly to parts of his brain that weren’t meant to process language but instincts. Kassian felt meaning trying to form in his mind, concepts that his human consciousness couldn’t quite grasp. He felt chills running down his spine. His same instincts screamed at him to run, to put as much distance as possible between himself and that thing. But he forced himself to stay. This is the only option, he reminded himself. To have another chance. If they wanted to deceive or hurt me, they would have already done it. The logic was thin comfort against the primal terror, but it was all he had. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖 The murmurs gradually organized, and then he heard something that both reassured and terrified him: Selthia’s voice, but overlaid with another, like her adult future voice, clear and perfectly audible, translating the incomprehensible sounds into words he could understand. The dual nature of the voice was perhaps the most unsettling aspect. As if the crystal was using her as a conduit but couldn’t completely hide its own nature. "Yano has opened the first door," she announced, her childish voice contrasting strangely with the other. The words hit the assembled group. They had known this was likely, but hearing it confirmed by their most reliable source made it real. The King tensed visibly. "Are you sure?" His composure cracked for just a moment. "The crystal to which ours is connected can sense the changes in the energy flow of the entire tower," Selthia continued, her eyes closed while maintaining contact with the purple surface. Her small hand looked impossibly fragile against the swirling corruption, but she showed no fear. This was as normal to her as playing with dolls was to other children. "The second chamber is active. They’re going to acquire enormous advantages if they understand how to use them." Lord Bloodwyn exchanged a worried glance with Ravenspire. "What kind of advantages?" Bloodwyn asked. "Power, wealth and... They’re going to find out what’s really at stake," Selthia responded, her voice carrying a tint of urgency. The pause was loaded with significance. Whatever secret the crystal had been keeping, whatever truth lay behind their conflict, Yano was about to discover it. "If they weren’t so proactive before, they surely would be now. They would have realized that we are irreconciliable enemies. That only one of the cities can survive." The words hung in the air like a death sentence. All pretense of this being a territorial dispute or political conflict evaporated. This was existential warfare, a contest where victory meant survival and defeat meant extinction.