AK : RISING MYTHIC

Scene: King's Chambers – Evening

The King stood on his balcony, looking out over Lumisgrave. He held a smaller piece of the crystal that had been separated for royal observation.

Julius joined him. "The crystal... do you feel it? A weight. As though it's watching."

The King nodded. "I fear it may be a gift we cannot refuse. Or a curse we dare not use."

He turned. "But it might also be a bridge. A means to empower those who remain vulnerable. Our Dormants."

Julius frowned. "You mean... use it to awaken their potential?"

"If these crystals hold the energy of the demon realm, and we find a way to purify or redirect it, we may be able to replicate what only fate once dictated.

"We can give our Dormants hope."

The sunlight spilled through the stained-glass windows of the council chamber, casting vibrant hues across the polished marble floor. The mood in the room was a blend of curiosity and urgency. King Farhan sat tall on his ornate throne, his eyes firm but thoughtful as he held one of the crystals recovered by Arslan and Kar'Thael from the demon sites. The crystal pulsed faintly in his palm—a swirling core of fiery orange and deep violet, almost alive.

Julius, standing at the King's right, whispered, "These are not ordinary stones, my King. I sense something potent."

The King nodded. "That is why they must be studied. We cannot overlook even a sliver of knowledge if it means strengthening our world."

He rose slowly from his throne, the flowing cloak trailing behind him like a ripple of dark water. The room fell into respectful silence.

"Today," King Farhan declared, raising the crystal, its eerie glow reflected in his eyes, "we send these shards to our Research Division. Let them uncover what these demonic remnants may hold. Be it a weapon, a shield, or a spark for our Dormants—we must know."

Scene: Royal Research Hall, South Tower – Later that Morning

The Research Lab buzzed with activity. Scrolls flapped from ventilation drafts, crystals clinked gently on metal trays, and the hum of magical currents infused the air like the low tune of an unseen song.

Lead researcher Alvaris, a white-haired man with lenses as thick as his curiosity, took the crystal from the armored courier with gloved hands. Behind him, three researchers hovered excitedly.

"Extraordinary density," Alvaris murmured, eyes gleaming. "It vibrates at a frequency unlike any elemental core we've recorded."

He placed the shard beneath a crystalline lens apparatus, cranked a gear, and the image magnified on the stone slab beside him—revealing vein-like patterns running through the crystal.

"It's... growing," one researcher gasped.

Alvaris didn't respond immediately. He leaned closer, peering through a side lens.

Suddenly, the crystal gave off a low humming noise.

Woooooom... WoooOMMMM...

Sparks arced from the lens onto the stone floor, sending scrolls into a rustle of confusion. The researchers jumped back.

"It's reacting!" Alvaris shouted. "Record the pulse frequency! Get containment sigils, now!"

The younger researchers scrambled, chanting sigils as glowing blue runes spread over the table. The crystal calmed but still flickered like a heartbeat.

One assistant, a woman named Sera, approached with awe. "Sir... this isn't just a fragment. It has memory. Maybe... even a will."

Alvaris looked at her, grave. "It might be sentient in some way. Or connected to something bigger. Perhaps the Vault. Perhaps the demon world itself."

Closing Scene: Research Hall – Late Night

Alvaris remained at his workbench, surrounded by glowing notes and murmured equations.

The crystal now floated gently within a containment sphere, glowing softly. Its colors shifted with a rhythm—like a lullaby or warning.

Sera whispered, "Sir, what if it's...a trap?"

Alvaris did not answer right away. Then, slowly:

"Then we must find out what it's trap for. Before it decides we are not worthy."

The hum of the crystal deepened.

Wooooom...

The room dimmed, the runes brightened. And the future of Lumisgrave leaned quietly toward the unknown.