[Training Hall]
[Tower of Nexus]
It had been a while since they entered the vacant chamber. However, they still remembered the tragedy that occurred inside the room, instigated by a monster named Jack Cindar. Ever since his sudden disappearance, the Tower had never been quieter, but they doubted it was over.
“I wonder how Evan and his friends are doing. They weren’t at the Infirmary,” Lucy commented.
“Michael said they are doing fine. A few more months of therapy and they’ll be good as new,” said Rupert, causing both his sister and Sam to stare at him. “What? I can strike up a casual conversation once in a while, alright?”
“That’s a relief,” Sam replied before shaking his head. “Anyways, it’s better if both of you stand near the wall.”
Lucy looked into Sam’s vermillion eyes and said, “You never mentioned why you wanted to come here. Are you in trouble?”
“No, it’s just…let me show you.” Sam trotted to the center of the Training Hall. He held his right arm out and slowed his breathing. His hand instantly burst into flame, dyeing the entire room ruby red.
“I thought using your power inside the Tower is strictly forbidden!” Rupert yelled out.
“Well, technically, he didn’t use it in a fight which means he didn’t break any rules,” Lucy stated.
Sam remained focused on his breathing and burning hand. Then, he felt a jolt of electricity along his arm and the flame immediately turned bright yellow. Despite the loud crackling noise, he could still hear Rupert’s gasping at the change. “Not yet,” Sam muttered and the flame slowly turned chalky white. However, he soon felt an intense heat seeping into his skin.
“Crap!” Sam yelped before waving his hand around to extinguish the flame.
“Dude, what was that just now? Since when can you create white flame?” said Rupert excitedly.
“Since I saved your neck in the Coniferous Forest.” Sam looked down to his hand which was warm and slightly pink. “Strange. My hand should be scalded but now, it’s barely affected by the flame. Moreover, it felt…refreshing.”
“Refreshing?” Lucy repeated, curious by Sam’s expression.
“Yeah. Before the Cerulean Mausoleum, I always felt something hindering my flame control – like a locked gate. Then, my battle with Theo happened and it was like a lock was opened in my mind. The next thing I realized, I was able to overwhelm Theo.”
“Hm, that’s probably because of our Core Blades,” Lucy deduced. “Do you recall why the Spider Core Metal is used as the basic material of our weapons? It has a property that channels and amplifies our abilities output. In simpler terms, it unleashes the full potential of our abilities.”
“In exchange for our life essence,” Sam added.
“You’re making it sound like we’re going to die if we use our power,” Rupert chuckled, but his smile disappeared as soon as he saw the serious looks on both Lucy and Sam’s faces. “Wait, are we really going to die?”
“If you overuse your power, then yes. I thought you already knew that,” Sam replied.
“He should because it is one of the first things we learned about in the Academy,” Lucy sighed.
“Must have missed that part of the lecture,” Rupert said nonchalantly.
“That’s because you were asleep.” The trio quickly turned their attention toward the voice where they saw Tulip standing next to the front door, both arms crossed. She glanced at each of them, her right index finger tapping against her left biceps. “I heard you three have been pretty busy.”
“Just doing our best to contribute to the world,” Sam retorted.
“Right,” Tulip responded, her eyes narrowed. “Contributing is a funny word to describe what happened last week.”
“What do you mean by that?” Lucy asked.
“Feigning ignorance? How original,” Tulip scoffed.
“What is it that you think we did? I mean, my sister and Sam know how to keep themselves out of trouble; so, it must be me, right?” said Rupert.
“Do you think you did anything that might warrant a punishment from the Council of Eight?”
“W-Well, I, um…” the elder Nightingale stumbled on his words.
“Hold that thought,” Tulip immediately took a glass orb from her back pocket, and placed it on the palm of her hand. “Tulip Leonard. Play the recording please,” the woman spoke to the object. In the blink of an eye, a holographic image manifested over her hand.
The trio turned pale as soon as they saw the Coniferous Forest right before their eyes, followed by three silhouettes entering the forest. “Breaking the rules is one thing, but meddling with the Opal Sun Kingdom’s affair? You are either brave or the most foolish group I have ever seen.”
“That is what the Reprieved said about us, and yet we are the only one who could protect them,” said Sam.
“Which is why we must be extra careful with our actions. You’ve learned that people are a fickle bunch – one moment they support us and another, they want our heads on spikes.”
“Cautiousness has to be accompanied with actions, Miss Leondale. We don’t sit around and wait for the perfect opportunity to act – we must be the one to create the opportunity especially when countless lives are at stake,” Sam returned.
“Lives will always be at stake, Mr. Edelweiss,” Tulip calmly answered. “But your recent recklessness nearly cost your lives and the Order’s credibility. You made us vulnerable to those who seek to destroy us.”
“What’s next, then? You’re gonna turn us in?”
“I should,” Tulip growled before tossing the orb into Sam’s hands. “Luckily for you, I swore an oath and I intend to keep it.”
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“You’re…you’re letting us go?” said Lucy, taken aback by Tulip’s decision.
“This does not mean you’re off the hook. Remember - all of you are standing on thin ice. One more slip-up and I promise you, there will be a reckoning. Do you understand?”
Sam and the Nightingales quietly gave Tulip a nod of affirmation. In return, the stern-looking woman snapped her fingers, causing the shadow beneath her feet to expand and shroud her like a blanket. “I’ll be keeping my eye on you,” Tulip remarked before her entire body sunk into the shadow below.
After a brief moment of silence, Rupert let out a sigh loud enough it echoed throughout the Training Hall. “That was a bit…intense.”
“Do you think she is speaking the truth? That she won’t turn us in?” Lucy asked concerningly.
“Tulip may be a stickler for the rule, but an oath breaker, she is not,” said Sam.
“Say, is it me, or is it getting colder in here?” Rupert interrupted.
As soon as they heard that, Sam and Lucy felt a cold breeze brushed against the nape of their neck. Their body began to shiver whilst their breaths became visible. Furthermore, they also noticed some fog squeezing through the seam between the doors.
The trio swiftly headed to the entrance and the moment they pushed the door, frost smoke hit them straight in the face. “What the hell? What is all this?” Lucy blurted out as she waved the fog away.
“Woah,” Sam expressed his amazement at the sight of the hallway encrusted in mirror-like ice. Then, he heard a loud thud to his left where Rupert was lying on the frozen floor, clutching his aching back.
“Damn, that’s gonna leave a mark,” Rupert grumbled before his sister helped him get to his feet.
“What do you think is going on? Ventilation problem?” said Lucy.
“Nah, this is definitely not a ventilation problem,” Sam responded. He carefully approached the crystalline wall before knocking his hand against the hard surface. At first, he saw a clear reflection of himself and the Nightingales. However, the image slowly became distorted, twisting and pulsating until a sharp spike shot out of the wall, and barely missed Sam’s left eye. “And it’s certainly not a normal ice.”
“This looks…ominous,” Lucy commented as she inspected the icy spike.
“But you gotta admit, it’s pretty cool, right? Right?” Rupert grinned.
“Yeah, yeah, we heard you,” the younger Nightingale glared at her older brother.
All of a sudden, a gate of light materialized in front of the trio, followed by Marie walking out of it. “Oh dear, this is not good. Not good at all,” said Marie after seeing the icy hallway.
“Miss Strelitzia? This is a surprise,” Lucy spouted.
“Hi there, sorry for the intrusion. As you three can see around you, we have a problem – one that requires your help.”
“Our help? No offense, Miss Strelitzia, shouldn’t you find someone far more experienced than us?” Sam retorted.
“I could, but this is a matter that requires a little…subtlety. In other words, the less people know about it, the better,” Marie smiled devilishly.
“You’re not asking us to break the rules again, are you?” Lucy expressed her worries.
“Do not fret, little bird. Tulip is currently preoccupied with her own task, so she won’t be bothering us for a while.”
The trio gave Marie a silent stare. A few seconds later, Rupert nudged at Sam and whispered, “Hey, did she do something to Tulip?”
“I don’t know,” Sam shrugged, “But a few hours without someone spying on us is kinda nice, don’t you think?”
“Alright children, enough with the gossiping,” Marie exclaimed, clapping her hands. “Come, there’s no time to waste.”
***
[The Infirmary]
The moment they stepped out of the Rift Gate, they were greeted with more fog and bone-chilling air. The entire Infirmary was covered in ice and frost, causing the room to resemble an icy grotto rather than a place for the ill and the injured.
“Michael? Morgana?” Marie called out, but there was no answer. “Hm, where did they go?”
“Miss Strelitzia, why are we here? I thought you needed our help to clear out the ice,” Sam inquired.
“This is where the ice originated, and by the looks of it, it’s getting worse.”
SWOOSH!
A pile of snow collapsed at the end of the chamber, unveiling the entrance to the backroom. “Finally!” Morgana appeared at the doorway with a shovel in her hand.
“Morgana dear, I’ve returned with some help,” said Marie gleefully.
“Great. The doctor is in the back, containing the source of this blasted ice. Follow me.”
The four visitors were led further into the Infirmary. In the backroom, they saw Michael pacing in front of a large white cube. His hair was rimed with frost and there was a bandage across his forehead. When the doctor saw the newcomers, he gestured at them to come closer.
“How’s he doing?” asked Marie.
“Terribly. If this carries on, the whole Tower will be completely frozen in approximately two hours.”
“Hold on. Can someone tell us what’s going on here?” Sam intervened.
“I thought you’ve already brought them to speed. Never mind,” Michael instantly cleared out his throat. “You’ve met Adam Salvia last week, correct?”
“Yeah. What about it?”
“He was infected with the Cold Spots during his fight with the Fenrir. Now, it is messing with his mind, causing him to lose control of his power,” the doctor explained.
“The Cold Spots?” Lucy gasped. “But, the only cure for that is-.”
“The Fenrir’s blood,” Sam finished the sentence.
“Aye. Unfortunately, the Fenrir’s blood spoiled easily, so we haven’t had one in stock for a long time. Add that with his imprisonment, the old Council thought the cure was unnecessary -- which is a stupid decision.”
“But, if we don’t have a cure then how are we supposed to stop this?” Rupert asked.
“Sam, you’ve been to the Subconscious Realm during your fight with Jason, right?” said Marie.
“I was, but I still don’t see how that would help with our situation,” Sam replied, puzzled by the line of questioning.
“We may not be able to cure the infection, but we could slow it down. In order to do that, Adam needs to regain control of his subconscious,” Marie paused to cross her arms together. “I’ll be honest, it will be tough and I understand if neither of you want to be a part of this.”
Sam and the Nightingales exchanged glances with each other. Before they could say anything, the cube started to shake; its smooth surface slowly enveloped with frost.
“Doctor,” Morgana called, prompting Michael to turn his attention to the cube.
“Get another Containment Unit. Wait, make that two,” Michael ordered and Morgana left the room in haste. “You better decide now because I’m unsure if we can hold him for another hour.”
“We’ll do it,” the trio responded in unison.
“Wonderful,” Marie smiled. “Take a seat near the cube. We’ll begin shortly.”
***
[5 minutes later…]
“What kind of place is this Subconscious Realm?” asked Lucy, staring directly into Sam’s eyes.
“It’s…different,” Sam struggled to explain, “It’s like the real world, but deep in your heart, you can sense something is off about the place.”
“That is one way to describe it,” said Marie as she stopped behind Sam and Lucy. “The Subconscious Realm differs from one person to another. It is mostly harmless, but sometimes there are…outliers, and they can be particularly dangerous.”
“Ooh, dangerous, you said?” Rupert giggled.
“Oh, this is just great,” Lucy sighed.
“The preparation is done,” said Morgana after drawing a strange symbol on the cube. She turned around to face the trio with a sullen expression. She pressed her palms together and the symbol behind her immediately lit up, emanating a yellow light. “Fair warning. If you died in that realm, you will be dead in reality as well.”
“Thanks. Uh, we’ll…make sure not to get killed,” Sam answered.