Back in his apartment, Ian set the stuff on a worktable, a broad, flat surface near the window. He stood for a moment, then exhaled and placed a hand against the tabletop. A gentle flicker passed through his fingers as his ability shaped the surface, creating a shallow depression in the center. Not deep, just enough to hold what he had in mind.
He poured in the special water first, clear, faintly luminous, with slow-moving glimmers threading through it like tiny stars. Then the pale green vial with silver veins followed, leaving the surface subtly brighter.
Ian then took out the crystal. It still pulsed with that soft, calming light, cool to the touch. He fixed it to a small fixture above the table, anchoring it so the glow would fall directly over the pool.
Then he removed the ring from his finger and placed it gently into the center.
It unfolded almost immediately.
Petals unfurled in a slow, deliberate motion, stem rising slightly, settling into the water as if it had always belonged there. The Zephar Petal stretched out and simply floated, basking in the light, leaves lightly curled, utterly still.
It looked… content.
Ian sat down on the nearby stool, elbows on the table, just watching.
"Is that better?" he asked, not out loud but directed inward.
The response was quiet, but present, like a breath through cool air. A sense of ease. Yes.
He barely smiled.
The door opened behind him.
Myrra stepped in and stopped. "...Ian?"
She walked forward slowly, drawn by the glow. "What is this?"
Ian gestured lazily without turning. "New setup."
Her eyes landed on the pool, the soft glowing crystal, the flower floating at its center. "Is that...?" She crouched beside him. "That's a Zephar Petal."
He gave a small nod.
She leaned a little closer and gently extended a finger toward it.
The flower twitched slightly, drifting to the side, avoiding her touch.
"Oh?" Myrra's smile widened. She tried again, slower this time, and the Petal floated away again, gracefully, but unmistakably dismissive.
She laughed under her breath. "Huh. So that's how it is."
Ian just watched, silent, calm. The Petal didn't seem alarmed, just particular.
Myrra turned to him. "Did you build all of this for it?"
He gave a mild shrug. "It liked the light."
"…That's kind of sweet. It seems to be enjoying its bath."
Ian's hand slid around her waist, pulling her a little closer. His voice lowered, brushing her ear. "Why don't we enjoy our bath too?."
Myrra turned her head slightly, amused. "I've already bathed."
Ian didn't miss a beat. "Then you can keep me company."
Before she could answer, he'd already lifted her effortlessly and carried to the bathtub. Her protest was more a sound than a word, half-laughter as her arm looped around his shoulder on instinct.
In the next moment, their laughter filled the air as they played in the water, their bodies slipping and sliding against each other. The sounds of wet skin meeting and sweet moans of pleasure echoed around them, mixing with the gentle tapping of their flesh.
Now that things had settled, it was time to plan the next steps.
Mainly, the Eldritch First Order. That meant germinating the seed inside him. It still hadn't reached the stage where that could happen. He'd have to wait a while longer.
The other part was the Quiet Testament. Ian planned to visit Myrra's parents' old house, see if he could find any clues. Enira had already provided enough to work with, and he didn't want to put her or Eryndor in any more trouble. Now that he was stronger, maybe he could try catching a bigger fish, someone who actually knew what the "Lord's Blood" was.
Though realistically, the better option was still to wait. Let Enira advance, reach First Order. Then it would be easier for her to gain access to the sort of information he needed.
Speaking of Enira, he still wondered what had happened to that guy, Vulas. From what she'd told him, Councilman Herrie had come personally to apologize for Vulas' behavior. Said that he had been sent somewhere to "reflect." Ian suspected it had more to do with Yelthara's influence than anything else.
Still, he had a hunch it wasn't over. Vulas would be back. But when he was, Ian would deal with it.
Still, for a Second Order to personally come down and apologize to a novice beginner? Herrie was shrewd. If more people in the Quiet Testament were like him, it would make things even more hard for Ian. Ian would prefer if they were more impulsive and reckless like Vulas, things might actually be easier for him. Smart enemies were always worse than the powerful ones.
And then, the third thing on Ian's mind: his progress on the arcane circuitry project. This was the one with High Scholar Durlan. They'd made significant headway, and the results had been promising. Now, they were ready to move to the next stage, creating a large-scale prototype for use in various parts of the academy.
Ian is currently on his way to his regular meeting with Durlan.
"Ian, good to see you," Durlan said with his usual calm. "Let's get to it. What's the current state of things?"
Ian quickly gave a summary of the progress they'd made. Durlan nodded as he listened. They continued discussing the technical aspects of the project. Durlan offered his feedback now and then, always sharp, always insightful, pushing Ian to consider angles he hadn't before. The conversation moved from the theory to practical considerations, power consumption, system integration, and the scalability of the design.
After a moment, Durlan shifted his tone. "I'll be out for some time," he said. "I'm going to another planet in the same solar system to set up an experimental facility."
Outer space. The thought lingered in Ian's mind. Space exploration was common enough, though it always came with a hefty price tag. He'd had time once but no money. Now, with resources at his disposal, it was the time he lacked.
Durlan noticed the flicker of interest in Ian's expression and chuckled lightly. "Interested in the trip?" he asked.
Ian replied, "Yes."
Durlan smiled. "I'll take you next time, once we've done the basic setup."
Ian nodded, considering the offer. "What about the large-scale prototype we're working on?"
Durlan's expression softened into a small smile. "You can get started on that. I'll be back soon enough to check in. I'll ask a few others to assist you while I'm away."
Before Ian could respond, Durlan added something else.
"Oh, and a new instructor is joining the Academy soon," Durlan continued. "She's another High Scholar. She's particularly interested in our work here, and most importantly, she's human."
Ian blinked, surprised. He hadn't expected that detail. He had met another fellow human Lamber the other day, and now there was another one. "Is she from Crovan?" Ian thought but didn't voice the question.
He didn't care much, though. It wasn't relevant to the work ahead. Still, the unexpected arrival of a new High Scholar was something to keep an eye on.
"Well, I'll leave you to it then," Durlan said. And after few more pleasantries Ian made his way out.
Back at his workstation in the research facility, Ian sat in front of the active console, fingers moving, eyes focused, but his mind was elsewhere. Outer space lingered on his thoughts.
There were only two habitable planets in this solar system. Idilia, where he currently was, served as the central hub, home to almost all Ascenders. The other was habitable in the broader sense, but not suited for ascendant life. Sparse energy veins, erratic fluxes, progress there would be painfully slow. It hadn't been recognized as an independent governance like Idilia. Ian wasn't entirely sure how that system worked, how a planet became autonomous, but considering how empty even Idilia felt at times, it made sense.
Much of the planet was open terrain. Bare. Unclaimed. Even the normal ones those without higher abilities, tended to settle near the powerful. Proximity offered some measure of safety, even if it came with its own risks. The laws weren't entirely fair, but they were upheld. Enforced. And most importantly, they were bound by the Elven Code. For many, that was enough.
Ian wondered what it would be like, not just that other planet Durlan is going to, but all of them. The ones deeper into the system, the ones barely talked about. The idea of stepping outside Idilia's familiar gravity tugged at him.
But before the thought could settle, a voice broke through.
"Ian… Ian."
He blinked and turned. "Yeah?"
Kael stood nearby, a half-smile on his face. "You alright? You looked kind of spaced out."
Ian gave a faint shrug. "Yeah. Just thinking through something."
"If there's anything up, you know you can talk to us. We'll help if we can."
Ian shook his head. "No, it's fine. Just… things."
Kael nodded, not pushing further. "Alright..... So, we're putting together a small party this weekend. You free?"
"Yeah, sure. Something special?"
Kael leaned on the edge of the table. "Well, Urricea's back from the Entropic Divide, and Jandar's leaving soon. He's going to Dara 9S with High Scholar Durlan. So a welcoming party for Urricea plus a kinda of farewell for Jandar."
Ian looked up. "Jandar's going too? But won't High Scholar Durlan be returning soon."
"He is. But Jandar will be staying there for a while."
"Oh… I see. I'll be there."
"Cool. I've invited most folks already, but if I missed anyone, mind letting them know too?" Kael gave a glance sideways, barely noticeable, but directed toward Wiokz.
Ian caught it. "Yeah. I'll tell the others."
Kael gave a thumbs-up and walked off.
Ian sat still for a moment longer, eyes drifting back to his work but not really seeing it. He didn't understand it. They didn't avoid him completely. He was included, asked, sometimes even sought out, but it was never direct. Like there was an invisible line drawn somewhere. Not hostility. Just distance.
Ian didn't get up right away to invite Wiokz. He finished the remaining bit of work for the day before heading out. He found Wiokz by one of the side benches, hunched slightly as he jotted something down on a datapad.
"Hey," Ian said casually.
Wiokz looked up, a little startled. "Oh... hey."
"There's a small thing this weekend. Kind of a get-together."
Wiokz gave a slow nod. "I heard. I don't know… I might just..."
"Come," Ian said before he could finish. "I'll be there. Myrra too. Should be nice. Nothing formal."
Wiokz hesitated for another breath or two. "I… alright. Maybe."
With that done, he left the research facility and made his way to pick up Myrra from her class and then back to the apartment.