Three hours of waiting, and their chance finally arrived. Ryan and Eric tediously tested every mirror near them to identify pairs. Each one moved and rotated at an incredibly slow rate, so it took a while for a window to open.
"Once you shoot water into this mirror, you'll need to get out of the way as fast as you can. The attack should travel through this one, this one, and then back into the first."
They planned to amplify one of Eric's attacks with the mirrors. Two pairs of them had lined up in a way that would keep the attack going until they eventually moved.
It was unclear if there was a limit to how much it could be amplified, but this was their only option. Once the mirrors were adjusted, the beam would shoot out in an unpredictable direction. They could only pray it would break through the floor and not one of them.
"Tell me when."
Ryan would use his ability to ensure Eric got out of the way in time. He would also use it right before the beam escaped the loop, but who knew how fast it would be traveling by then.
"Now!"
SWISH!
Eric didn't hold back. A large chunk of his sword broke off and created pressure Ryan had never seen before. It teleported through one mirror to the next, before barely missing Eric as he moved out of the way.
The two of them stepped back as the water trail accelerated, eventually turning into a single long stream, too fast to follow.
"Damnit, Eric! It's too fast to dodge if it comes our way!"
The mirrors were changing angles, and spritz began to hit them in the face.
"Get behind a different mirror; it's the safest option."
They ran for a few seconds before taking cover, peeking past the edges to watch. Then, instead of hitting the center, it grazed the edge of one of the mirrors.
Sadly, the attack shot straight up into the sky.
"Damnit!"
"Wait, look!"
The beam headed for the black sky, but a few mirrors had drifted up higher than any others. And it was headed straight for one.
Ryan, thinking fast, used his ability and dragged Eric in different directions as the attack hit the mirror's center.
BOOM!
A few dozen meters away, parts of the ground flew into the air. Ryan watched, stunned, but Eric was the one thinking this time.
"Hurry, Ryan. We need to get there before it repairs itself!"
He snapped out of it and followed Eric, then slowed down as they approached the hole in the floor. It was at least a meter wide and couldn't possibly heal in time, giving them a chance to peer through.
But looking down, they saw nothing—just the same blackness as above.
"Should we go through?" Ryan asked.
"I don't see any other options."
After waiting for Ryan's ability to recharge, they wasted no time and jumped to their doom. Five seconds later, Ryan was still falling, unable to see anything around him.
"I guess we'll keep going."
He didn't switch back and continued to fall endlessly.
***
After teleporting, Adam and Greye stood in front of the castle entrance. Strangely, there were no Jewels around them, just a thirty-meter-tall stone door with gold designs carved into it. They were at the top of a large staircase leading down to the town, but not a soul was climbing it.
Adam walked up to the door and put his hand on it.
"This entire castle is part of the Amethyst Burrow, so I won't be able to control any of it."
He pushed one side open, revealing a dimly lit dining hall. The chairs and tables were built for giants. Azure chandeliers hung from above, and confusing paintings occupied the walls.
Seeing that no Jewels were inside, Adam and Greye entered. The first thing that grabbed their attention was the paintings. They each depicted a Jewel in battle, portraying them as heroes. Each one was equally as unlikely to have happened.
A knight made from blue gems triumphed over a battlefield, fighting with multiple arrows sticking out from its body. A stone mage cast a large fireball into a swarm of enemies. A leader planted a black flag in the ground, thousands of Jewels celebrating in the background.
"Isn't it strange?" Adam said. "There is no point in the paintings. There is no point in this dining hall."
There were no plates or silverware to be seen; in fact, it looked like this room had never been used.
"It's all to make us believe that we're helping the miners. Isn't it a little sketchy? It wants us to fight the Jewels, and that's exactly what we're doing. It feels like we have no control."
Greye ran his hand over a painting before responding.
"You're right, this room certainly gives the idea that the Jewels are ruthless conquerors. But for their trick to work, we would have to believe we're entirely on the miners' side."
Greye looked directly at Adam.
"And we don't, right?"
Adam's eyes narrowed.
"Of course not."
Silence filled the room; only a flicker of light from the chandeliers moved the shadows on the walls.
"I've learned a lot about you over the years, Adam, especially after that day. You would've never let an Abomination walk away. But you did, when that poor miner came by us in the cave."
Adam was silent.
"Was it the eyes, Adam? The charcoal all over its body? What made you feel the need to let a creature whose sole purpose is to end humanity walk away?"
"Shut the hell up, there was no need to kill it! You didn't do anything either!"
"What did you want me to do? Fire my gun and expose our location, or fight it with my human fists? I'm not a Gifted, remember? It's not my duty to protect us, its yours."
Adam winced.
"But you're right," Greye continued. "There was no need. Maybe the miners have an ability —one that plants guilt in our minds. Just remember, if this place seems uneasy to you, letting it get to your head won't help."
After standing still for a moment, the two of them moved on without saying a word. They walked past the painting and into the next room, connected by an open doorway.
A couple of hallways later, they entered a breathtaking chapel. Made from every type of gem, vibrant windows let light in from outside, but were blocked by towering statues. Hundreds of seats faced a large podium, where a small crystal ball sat on a pedestal.
Again, there were no Abominations.
"This is a bit much," Greye admitted. "It must take a lot of effort for The Amethyst Burrow to create this room for no purpose."
"Do you think there's something hidden in here?" Adam asked.
"I don't know, I can't detect cores since I'm not a Gifted. Do you see anything in the statues?"
Adam looked closely at each one, admiring their scale and detail.
"Not that I can see."
The two of them then shifted their sights to the podium. Once they got closer, they could see the crystal ball clearly. It was about the size of a head and seemed filled with fog.
"It doesn't seem like an Abomination. I can't see a core anywhere."
"Are you sure that's not a core itself? Maybe to the room?"
Adam rolled his eyes.
"Unless it's some insane trick I've never seen before, I think I'd be able to te-"
Before he could finish his sentence, a man suddenly came flying out of the small crystal. Adam had no time to react as they tumbled down.
"Shit!"
"Finally!" Ryan exclaimed.
Next came Eric, but his landing was far more sophisticated.
"Where the hell were you two!?" Adam shouted. "And how did you fit in that crystal?"
After Ryan got off of Adam, he and Eric looked back at where they had emerged from. Then, they looked at each other.
"I honestly have no clue where we were," Ryan said. "Some weird mirror prison. But we were able to escape after a bit."
Ryan's words slowed down as he looked around the chapel in awe.
"This place keeps getting crazier."
Suddenly, Eric stepped forward.
"Where is Cullen?"
Greye looked at Adam before answering.
"He went into the caves to hunt Jewels. We saw him kill one easily, so we figured it'd be a good idea to gather a few weapons with his ability."
"What?" Eric panicked. It was the first time they'd heard his voice with this much emotion. "You left him in the caves?"
"Yeah…" Adam said cautiously. "What's in the caves?"
Eric paused, refusing to answer.
"We need to get back now. Greye, can you bring us?"
"I should be able to in a few minutes."
"Damnit."
"Hold on," Ryan interrupted. "What aren't you telling us?"
Silence filled the air; nobody said a word. Finally, Eric spoke.
"There's something down there we were supposed to avoid at all costs. It's my fault for trying to hide it, but we need to move now."