"Calm yourself, By," Kael snapped, clearly irritated by Ruby's panic over the trembling tree that he thought might collapse.
Ruby instantly clamped his hands over his mouth and froze, forcing his body to stop fidgeting. The air around the tree fell into an eerie silence, leaving only the whisper of wind brushing through the grass and leaves—including the trembling branches above them.
But inside Kael's head, the noise only grew louder. He had a strong feeling that this tree might finally lead to something—a clue, after months of dead ends. From time to time, he signaled Ruby to check certain roots or corners of the trunk, wordlessly directing him with gestures.
"Kael, look at this!" Ruby shouted, pointing at one of the roots. A faint batik-like pattern marked its surface, strikingly similar to the one on the black envelope.
"Look—this spot wasn't here before, right? It's your blood. When we got here, it wasn't there." Ruby crouched and inspected the mark closely.
Kael knelt beside him, touched the stain with his fingertip, and lifted it closer for a look.
"Yes, it's blood. And you're right—it's mine."
"What if you drip more of your blood on it?" Ruby suggested eagerly.
Before Ruby could even finish, Kael had already clenched his wounded hand. Drops of blood fell, seeping into the pattern. The blood spread quickly across the grooves—then vanished, absorbed like water into sand—until only a single crimson dot remained, exactly like the one Ruby had first noticed.
The moment the absorption ended, the tree began to shake again—harder this time. Kael felt it too: the pulse of raw Arkanum energy rippling beneath them.
"Does it… want more blood?" Ruby muttered nervously.
"There are two possibilities," Kael replied. "That's one of them."
"And the other?"
"The other is the type of blood itself—whose blood, or what kind of blood," Kael said, eyes fixed on the root.
"Give me your hand."
"Hah? Why?" Ruby pulled back suspiciously, hiding his hands behind his back.
Sratzz!
A thin slice flashed through the air.
"Ah—damn it!" Ruby yelled, jerking his hand back as blood welled from the shallow cut.
"Don't be such a baby. It's only a scratch," Kael said flatly, his fingers still glowing with faint blue Arkanum, shaped like a razor.
"You cut me with that? You could've warned me first!" Ruby barked, glaring at the glowing energy blade.
"Quit whining. Didn't you say you're tough? Now pour your blood onto the mark. If there's still a reaction, then it's not about whose blood it is," Kael ordered, his tone calm but focused.
Ruby sighed, muttering under his breath. "Tch… damn crazy kid. But fine—if this helps him, I'll do it. And to be fair… the theory's worth testing."
Blood dripped from his palm onto the pattern.
Shrrp. The blood was absorbed, exactly like before—but after a few seconds, nothing happened. Only the wind picked up, whistling stronger than before. The tree stayed still, and the Arkanum energy around them quieted.
"Does it only respond to my blood, then? If so… maybe the amount wasn't enough," Kael murmured to himself, running through possibilities.
"See that? All my effort for nothing," Ruby complained with a pout.
"So how much blood does it want?" Kael ignored him, lost in thought.
After a long silence, Kael's eyes lit up slightly—he'd formed a new hypothesis. It had to do with the raw Arkanum energy that reacted in sync with the tree's vibrations.
"Step back a little, By."
"Did you find something?"
"A little."
"Care to explain?"
Kael didn't answer. He focused on the root before him and began channeling a large amount of Arkanum into it. Nothing happened at first. Ruby's expression drooped in disappointment.
"Ahh… see? Nothing again," Ruby muttered.
But Kael smiled.
"Hey, nothing's happening—why are you smiling like that?" Ruby asked, puzzled.
"Huh? Oh—this isn't about the tree. The raw energy around it just reacted much stronger than I expected," Kael said, squeezing his wounded hand again.
Blood dripped once more. The pattern absorbed it immediately—and as Kael poured more Arkanum into it, the trembling returned. Stronger. The more energy and blood he channeled, the more violently the ground shook—until it rippled beneath them like a small earthquake.
"Hey—hey, hey! What now!?" Ruby panicked.
"Calm down, By. Just wait… you'll see what's hidden beneath the tree," Kael said, grinning with genuine excitement.
Grrrrttt… gredek, grdkgdrk…
The earth behind the tree began to split apart. Pebbles and clumps of soil rolled downward as the crack widened, revealing a dark opening below—like the ground itself was peeling back a secret long buried.
When the tremor stopped, the blood had vanished completely. Kael withdrew his hand, marking the end of the process.
"Kael! There's a hole—look!" Ruby shouted, pointing at a gap large enough to fit a coffin.
"Don't yell. I can see it," Kael said calmly.
"Whoa… so this is what an adventure feels like, huh? Hahaha!" Ruby's laughter echoed across the lakeside.
"Kael, is this… a treasure site? Or some ancient ruin?" Ruby continued, chattering behind him as Kael approached the hole.
Brek. Ruby bumped into his back.
"Hey, why'd you stop?"
"Look. There's a door blocking the way. And maybe you should watch where you're walking," Kael scolded mildly.
"Ah, sorry. I was just making sure the ground doesn't collapse," Ruby said, glancing at the walls of the tunnel.
"Step back a bit. This door has the same batik seal pattern as the root." Kael pressed his hand against the design.
He poured blood and Arkanum onto it again. The heavy metal door rumbled violently before it slowly gave way.
Krrrkkk… The screech of metal echoed through the chamber—a sound that hadn't been heard in decades, maybe centuries.
Kael and Ruby stepped inside carefully. The air was thick and damp, filled with the earthy scent of things long buried. The chamber was small—barely ten square meters. Darkness clung to every surface, except for one wall directly opposite the entrance. A single shaft of sunlight slipped through the cracked door, drawing a faint golden line across carvings that adorned the stone.
Swushh.
The room suddenly filled with warm, yellow light.
"Whoa… you can manipulate fire too?" Ruby asked, watching Kael's fingertips burn softly like a candle.
"Why are you still surprised? Didn't they teach this in your early classes?" Kael replied without looking up.
"There's nothing in the curriculum about using Arkanum that freely—without backlash," Ruby muttered, wandering toward another corner of the room.
"It's possible… if you understand Arkanum as a foundation instead of just a tool," Kael said calmly, still studying the carvings.
"Seriously? Then I can do it too?" Ruby turned back, suddenly excited.
"Maybe," Kael said simply.
"Maybe!? Are you kidding me?" Ruby shouted, exasperated, then wandered off again, pretending to sulk.
"By, I need your help with something," Kael said suddenly.
"No. I already have a bad feeling about this," Ruby replied instantly.
"Maybe I could teach you how to control Arkanum properly—safely," Kael said, baiting him with a smirk, his eyes still fixed on one of the walls.
"Oh? You sure you can keep that promise?" Ruby perked up immediately.
"Yes," Kael said plainly.
"All right, fine. What do you need?"
"Go back to my house. In the study, find two books on the shelf labeled Social and Culture."
Ruby blinked, then sighed in relief. "That's it? Man, I thought it'd be something dangerous. Easy enough!"
He chuckled and glanced around. "Though… there's no treasure here, huh? Kind of disappointing."
"Take this." Kael extended his hand, clenched into a fist.
"What's that?"
"Just hold out your hand."
Ruby hesitated but obeyed. He opened his palm beneath Kael's hand—then flinched as warm blood spilled onto it.
"Hey—what the hell!? You're bleeding that much on purpose?"
"The study's door has a special mechanism. Without my energy—or my mother's—it'll only appear as a normal reading room. But with my blood, you can unlock the real chamber and safely take the books I need. Keep it wet on the handle. Even a single dry spot will reset the seal."
"Wow… so your family really isn't normal, huh?" Ruby said, half amazed.
"You're the only one I can trust. No one else in this world knows me as well as you do," Kael said with a faint smile.
"Haha, of course. Who else but me?" Ruby grinned proudly.
"So, what books do I grab?"
"One with a pitch-black cover titled Aksara Avaj. The other, a worn red one called Unforgotten Elyndra."
"Got it, boss." Ruby gave a mock salute.
"And remember—don't let my blood dry. No matter what happens."
Ruby nodded, determination flashing across his face. Without another word, he sprinted out of the chamber, leaving Kael standing alone in the flickering yellow light, a faint grin spreading across his face.
As Ruby's footsteps faded, Kael noticed faint dripping sounds echoing through the corners of the chamber. He followed them until he reached one of the walls, where droplets seeped down from above. After a few moments of observation, realization dawned.
"This chamber… it's directly beneath the lake," he whispered.
---
Meanwhile, back at Kael's house, Lina looked up as Ruby rushed past the porch.
"Why are you home so late?" she asked, frowning.
Ruby didn't answer. He ran straight inside, leaving Lina and Lyra relaxing on the porch. Lyra glanced up in confusion, her expression mirroring Lina's surprise.
"Hey! What's gotten into him? You'd think a monster was chasing that boy!" Lina called after him.
Inside, Ruby reached the library. He scanned the towering shelves, trying to locate the right section.
"Ah—here it is," he muttered after spotting the Social and Culture category.
"But what the hell—these shelves are enormous! How am I supposed to find two books in all this?" he groaned. "Damn it, Kael… you could've given me a clue!"
Half an hour passed before he finally found one of the two books. From outside, his mother's voice echoed through the house, calling for him. Ruby hesitated, then stayed silent.
He remembered Kael's words: You're the only one I trust.
And deep down, Ruby knew—it was true. He was the only one who truly understood Kael.
---
Up on the ridge by the lake, several tall boys—around fifteen years old—were making their way toward the tree.
Some carried fishing rods, others baskets or small knives.
"Hey… looks like there's something behind that tree," said one, a dark-skinned boy with spiky hair.
"Hm?" another boy—pale, with light blond hair—raised an eyebrow, noticing it too.
"Let's check it out," the first one said, leading the group toward the lone tree on the hill.
To be continued…