Chapter 15: The Crystal that Created So Much Suffering

Tarren adjusted the strap of his bag, his footsteps echoing softly in the halls of an apartment building. He stopped in front of a polished oak door, hesitating for a brief moment before knocking.

The door opened almost instantly, revealing Jayce, who looked both eager and slightly apprehensive. "Tarren," he greeted, stepping aside. "Come in."

Tarren entered, taking in the spacious apartment. It was elegant but carried a lived-in charm—papers scattered on the table, a half-eaten sandwich laying around on the counter. The Kirramans had clearly spared no expense in providing for Jayce, with all the decorations and fancy furniture, assuring him a comfortable life.

"You still lived in the academy? The Kirramans haven't provided you with an apartment yet?" Jayce asked casually as he led Tarren toward the main workspace.

Tarren shook his head. "I'm comfortable at the academy. Moving out would be a hassle. Too much stuff I'd rather not pack up."

Jayce chuckled. "Fair point. Sounds like you've got something risky going on there, just like me."

Tarren shrugged. "Not as dangerous as what you're about to show me."

Jayce paused, his casual demeanor slipping. He nodded gravely and gestured for Tarren to follow him to a small room at the end of the hall.

When Jayce opened the door, Tarren stepped inside, his eyes immediately drawn to the workbench. The room was modest, filled with shelves overflowing with scraps of metal, tools, and scattered blueprints. But the centerpiece was a sleek, suitcase resting on the table.

Tarren's gaze flicked to the blueprint spread out beside it. The sketches depicted theoretical machines, their designs hinting at using some kind of new energy source. His eyes settled on the suitcase again, its pristine exterior almost felt out of place.

"This must be it." Tarren remarked.

Jayce approached the table. "This," he began, opening the suitcase, "is what I've discovered so far."

Inside, rows of glowing blue crystals emitted a faint, mesmerizing light. They seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive.

"These are the crystals that I've mentioned," Jayce explained. "I acquired them in Shurima about a year ago. A shady merchant sold them to me after everyone else either refused outright or warned me away. And for good reason—they're dangerously unstable. Even a rough jolt could make them explode."

Jayce picked up his leather wristband and placed it next to the suitcase, pointing to the gemstone embedded in it. "I'm certain that this gemstone and the crystals in the suitcase are the same material. If I can stabilize them like this gemstone, we could unlock their full potential. Imagine it: ordinary people wielding magic. No arcane talent required. This could change everything."

Tarren leaned in, examining the crystals but keeping a safe distance. "Magic isn't something you can just use wantonly. There's always a cost. But you're right—these crystals hold massive potential. Exploiting them, though..." He gestured toward the suitcase. "That's a dangerous game."

"I know," Jayce admitted.

Tarren unslung his bag and pulled out a stack of books, setting them on the table. "From what I've seen, you're trying to stabilize the crystals using runes, correct?"

Jayce nodded. "Exactly. I've seen the rune on my wristband in action before. Someone used it to harness the crystal's power, and I want to replicate that. But I'm still at the beginning of my research."

Tarren flipped through the pages of one of the books. "Then let's get started."

—

Hours later, the two stood before a makeshift setup on the workbench. Jayce had cobbled together a rudimentary device designed to activate the crystal by using certain frequencies and jolting the crystal 'awake'. Meanwhile, Tarren meticulously carved runes onto blank stones, referencing his books as he worked.

"I've got the Rune of Inspiration, the Rune of Precision, and the Rune of Domination," Tarren said, setting the stones down beside the device.

Jayce wiped his brow. "Perfect. Let's see if we're on the right track."

Together, they assembled the device, with the runes on the side facing the center, and one of the crystals at its center. Jayce carefully stepped back, allowing Tarren to press the activation switch.

The machine hummed softly, but the crystal remained inert. The runes showed no reaction.

Tarren frowned. "Disappointing, but expected. We need to be able to control the frequencies that we emit to the crystal. We can start experimenting to get stable resonance from there."

Jayce nodded, already grabbing a stack of papers to start sketching a new design. "You're right. We'll need a more advanced machine. Let's draft something now and figure out what we need to build it."

As Jayce busied himself with the plans, Tarren picked up one of the crystals and walked over to the balcony. The city stretched out below, glittering against the afternoon sky. He held the crystal up to the light, its faint glow illuminating his eyes.

This is it, the item that could allow him to make things that his past self could ever dream of, the one thing that he needed to get. The power contained within the crystal was undeniable, but so was its danger. Tarren's thoughts turned to the original story of the people around him, and the suffering they went through just because of this thing.

He'll find a way to harness this power—without repeating the suffering it caused before.

The sound of Jayce calling his name pulled him back to the present. Tarren turned, slipping the crystal back into the suitcase, and rejoined his new partner at the table. Their work had just begun.

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A/N: Hello, thanks for reading the first batch of upload for this one. I'll post the rest of arc two in the next couple of days.