A New Obsession

Chapter 16: A New Obsession

As they carefully covered the strange object with dirt and brush to hide it from view, Alden's mind was ablaze with possibilities. He and Bran made their way back to the estate under the thick blanket of night, the stars above offering little comfort. Alden's thoughts kept returning to the glowing runes, the way the plants around the object had changed, the pulse of energy he had felt the moment he touched it.

This was more than just a relic from the past or an artefact of magic—this was a key, perhaps the very key he had been searching for. If he could harness its power, there was no telling what he could accomplish. But the mystery of the object gnawed at him. He had no idea what it truly was, where it had come from, or what kind of forces had brought it to this world.

As they arrived at the estate, Bran remained silent, his brow furrowed in thought. Alden knew he was uneasy—perhaps even frightened by what they had found. But Alden couldn't allow fear to deter him. This discovery, this cosmic anomaly, had the potential to revolutionise everything he had been working towards.

Once inside his room, Alden immediately set to work, drawing sketches of the object and noting every detail he could remember. The glowing runes, the shimmering surface, the strange pulse of energy—it was all carefully recorded in his notebook. He also documented the strange effect it had on the environment, the way the drought-stricken land around it had sprung to life.

His mind was already racing with ideas on how to use this. Could the object be harnessed to enhance the growth of crops? Could it be used to alter the genetic makeup of plants, or even animals? And what would happen if it was used on people?

But the more Alden considered the possibilities, the more cautious he became. This kind of power—raw, unfiltered—could easily spiral out of control. It wasn't just about what the object could do; it was about understanding its limits, its nature, its origins. Without that knowledge, any experiment could go disastrously wrong.

And then there was the matter of secrecy. He couldn't allow anyone else to find out about the object. Not yet. Not until he knew more. There was too much at stake—his research, his family, his very future. The object was dangerous, yes, but it was also a gift, one that could elevate his work beyond anything this world had ever seen.

As the first light of dawn began to filter through his window, Alden finally set down his pen, exhaustion pulling at his eyelids. But even as sleep tugged at him, his thoughts were still racing. Tomorrow, he would need to revisit the object, study it in more detail. He would begin experimenting with the soil, testing its properties, seeing if the energy from the object had altered it in any way.

But before sleep could take him completely, Alden's thoughts turned to a troubling realisation: if this object had fallen from the sky, there could be more like it. He wondered if others in the kingdom—or beyond—had noticed the streak of light, the flash of power. The potential for discovery was both exhilarating and terrifying. He wasn't the only one who might be drawn to it.

The next day, Alden wasted no time. After gathering a few rudimentary tools and leaving Bran with instructions to remain silent about their discovery, he made his way back to the hidden clearing. The morning sun was high in the sky, casting long shadows over the hills as he retraced his steps from the night before.

When he reached the site, he was relieved to find that nothing had disturbed the object during the night. The strange, metallic surface still pulsed faintly with blue light, and the new growth around it had already spread slightly further, as if the object was continuing to transform the land around it.

Alden knelt down beside the object, his heart racing with excitement. He carefully scooped some of the enriched soil into a vial, noting the unusual texture and colour. It was darker than the surrounding earth, richer, almost as if the object had infused it with life. He would need to analyse it further, perhaps experiment with a few crops back at the estate to see if they responded differently to this new soil.

As he worked, his mind turned over the questions he still had. What was the nature of the runes? Why had the object fallen here, now, in this remote corner of the kingdom? Was it pure chance, or was there some larger design at play? The object had a strange, otherworldly quality to it, something beyond the magic of this world. Could it be from a different realm entirely? Alden had heard of ancient legends that spoke of celestial artefacts, items of immense power that had fallen from the heavens, but those were just stories—or so he had thought.

Hours passed as Alden worked, taking samples of the soil, drawing detailed sketches of the object's runes, and carefully examining the surrounding plants. The more he studied, the more he became convinced that this object was no accident. It had been placed here for a reason, and he was the one meant to find it.

As the sun began to dip towards the horizon, Alden finally gathered his things and prepared to head back to the estate. But as he turned to leave, something unusual happened.

The object, which had been quietly pulsing with light all day, suddenly flared to life. The blue runes glowed with an intense, brilliant light, casting long shadows across the clearing. Alden stopped in his tracks, watching in awe as the light grew brighter, almost blinding in its intensity. The air around the object began to hum, vibrating with an energy that seemed to reverberate through the ground itself.

And then, without warning, the light coalesced into a beam that shot straight into the sky.

Alden stumbled back, his heart racing as the beam of light pierced the heavens, illuminating the sky above. It was as if the object was signalling to something—or someone.

The beam lasted only a few moments, but in that time, Alden felt a profound sense of connection, as if the object was trying to communicate with him, trying to convey something beyond words. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the light faded, and the clearing was once again bathed in the soft, dim glow of the evening.

Alden stood frozen, his mind reeling. Whatever this object was, it wasn't just a relic. It was alive, in some way, and it was trying to reach out—to him, to the stars, to something greater. His pulse quickened. This was only the beginning.

As he turned back towards the estate, a new resolve settled over him. He would find out what the object was, where it had come from, and why it had fallen here. But more importantly, he would harness its power—whatever that might be.

The stars had given him a gift. Now, it was up to him to unlock its secrets.