The Aetheric Analysis Chamber of Silver Star Academy felt like a forgotten iron box, buried deep in the North Wing's sub-levels. Every tremor from the overhead Steam Conduits caused the brass instruments to shiver, casting dancing shadows on the stone tables. The air was a noxious blend of pungent alcohol, sterile metal, and that persistent, sickly sweetness from the sewers, so thick it burned the throat. In a glass petri dish on the table, the Dark Violet Slime writhed slowly, its surface glowing faintly, as if countless minuscule runes were churning within—the sample Instructor Glynn had retrieved from the site, now exposed to the cold illumination of an Aetheric Crystal.
"The slime is confirmed Bone-Gnawer Rat secretion, but the energy concentration is three times the normal baseline." The Analyst, a low-tier researcher from the Arcanum Association, adjusted his silver-rimmed spectacles. A silver probe sizzled and blackened instantly upon touching the viscous substance. "Furthermore, there is an Aberrant Aetheric Residue—not native to abyssal organisms. Observe." He angled the dish towards the crystal. The crystal flashed a pale red, and the monitor displayed a line of twisted runes—like a crescent moon cradling a cluster of tendrils. "This is a variant of the Shadowmoon Rune, intermixed with Cryo-Aether signatures. The signature is highly consistent with the Frostborne House's Aetheric traits."
Elara Thorne, Gideon Valerius, and Lionel Evans stood before the table, two Investigation Corps Guards behind them, their Aetheric Recorders softly clicking as they captured the trio's Aetheric Fluctuation. Elara gripped the Aetheric Sensing Paste in her pocket, calculating rapidly: she couldn't acknowledge the rune, only saying she'd seen a similar pattern in an old Academy manual; revealing the paste's gray haze would prove her corruption-sensing ability exceeded that of a normal Tier-One Weaver.
"Letti's Autopsy Report is also complete." Instructor Glynn pulled a parchment from his file, marked with the decomposition outline of Letti's body. The ulcerated area on his neck was circled in red, annotated with "Cryo-Aetheric Residue." "The slime on his neck also tested positive for the specific Cryo-Aether unique to the Frostborne House. This confirms the slime was not a naturally occurring secretion but was artificially augmented."
Gideon Valerius snapped his head up, outrage surging in his Vigil bloodline. "Are you saying the Frostborne House is involved? We found records that the old processing plant was built by them ten years ago, and their reports on last year's livestock disappearances never mentioned the Bone-Gnawer Rats—they called it ordinary predation!" He couldn't stomach the thought of Nobles using tainted organisms to harm others.
Lionel Evans quickly offered his hand-drawn map, pointing to the location of the processing station. "My mentor said that station was built with 'special specifications' back then. We thought it was strange—now, maybe they deliberately left vents open to hide the rats!" His voice still trembled but held a new, fierce certainty—he wouldn't be the powerless Serf hiding in the shadows anymore.
Instructor Glynn took the map, tapping the processing station marker. The Aetheric Recorder hummed softly. "I will report the Frostborne House implications to the Academy Council, but suspicion still falls on you for Letti's death." His gaze swept over the three, his Tier-Three Heart-speaker Aether lending weight to his words. "Why was Letti following you? Did you warn him of the danger? You must clarify these points to the Council."
"We only realized he was following after we entered the sewer. I advised him to leave, warning him about the Bone-Gnawer Rats. He refused, saying 'Miss Frostborne ordered me to watch you two so you wouldn't try any tricks'," Elara Thorne stated calmly, intentionally bringing Cecilia's name into the discussion. "When the rats swarmed, he panicked and stumbled into the slime. We tried to save him, but the corrosion was too fast. It was beyond our help."
The Analyst suddenly murmured, turning the petri dish. "Wait, this rune has a hidden structure that accelerates the slime's corrosivity... and it's identical to an Ancient Cryo-Rune in the Frostborne House's collection. I've seen it in Arcanum Association texts."
Instructor Glynn's face darkened. He placed the autopsy report and map back into his file. "The Academy Council has decided that the three of you will undergo a three-day Quarantine Audit." The words were like ice shards. "During the audit, you will be confined to designated quarters, submit daily Aetheric Fluctuation records, and attend afternoon interrogations by the Arcanum Association Specialist. You are forbidden from accessing any Aetheric equipment, including the Serfdom workshop. The Frostborne House has demanded the Council 'thoroughly investigate the association between commoner students and corrupted organisms.' Prepare yourselves."
Leaving the Analysis Chamber, the corridor's Aether-Lights cast a sterile white glow, and the roar of the Steam Conduits felt like a suffocating whisper. Gideon Valerius gripped his sword hilt, his voice tight with outrage: "They're trying to pin Letti's death on us! The Frostborne House has a seat on the Council; they'll bias the investigation!"
Lionel Evans pulled Elara Thorne's sleeve, drawing her into a staircase nook. He spoke in a low, determined rush: "I contacted Old John. He's the Serfdom's Master Artisan and holds the original blueprints for the processing station. He said there's a hidden compartment with Frostborne House Aetheric residue records. I'll find a way to get the blueprints tonight. Once we have that proof, we can clear our names!" Old John owed Lionel's late mentor a favor and had taught Lionel how to read the encrypted schematics—a skill now desperately needed.
Elara Thorne nodded, the star-shaped scar on her fingertip faintly burning—she could still sense the slime's lingering, unsettling energy. "Be careful. The Serfdom will have Frostborne eyes on it. Hide the blueprints well once you get them." She slipped a small packet of Sulfur Powder to Lionel. "This can temporarily mask residual Aether. If you encounter a handheld Aetheric Detector, sprinkle some on yourself; it will blur the fluctuation." It was a common trick, but enough for low-tier detection.
The light from the Aetheric Crystal cast broken shadows on the floor. The three stood at the corner, watching the distant patrol of the Investigation Corps Guards. They knew the three-day audit was a political gambit. The Frostborne House would not relent, and the Noble Representatives on the Council would side with them. They had to get those blueprints before the audit concluded, or they risked being branded 'accomplices to corruption' and handed over to the Arcanum Association's Inquisition.
Elara Thorne looked out the window. Silver Star City's Aetheric Shield pulsed with a cold light in the twilight, a magnificent lid sealing the festering currents below. She touched the disguised copy of The Rotting Earth Codex she kept hidden—inside, she had secretly sketched the slime's rune. It was nearly identical to the Shadowmoon Rune, but the Cryo-Aether trace confirmed its modification by the Frostborne House to breed stronger Bone-Gnawer Rats. This, she realized, was likely only the tip of a much larger, darker conspiracy.
"Let's go. To the designated quarters," Elara Thorne said, leading the way. Her mind was focused on one goal: get the blueprints. Letti's death would not be in vain, and the Frostborne House would not use corrupted organisms to endanger the city. The roar of the Steam Conduits followed them, the deep whisper of the abyss drawing closer.