PA4-12 | The Saintess Sealed Beneath the Reservoir

  — The Chain of Heavenfire —

  The sky, clear just moments before, was swiftly invaded by a bank of clouds. They swelled and darkened, swallowing the light until the world was cast in an eerie twilight.

  From their depths, a single bolt of lightning lanced down. It struck the Aries point of our Zodiac formation—the first anchor of the ritual—with unerring precision. A thunderclap, sharp as tearing silk, shattered the air.

  Before any of us could react, it happened again. And again. Eleven times in total, each strike perfectly targeting the next constellation in sequence. One by one, the twelve points ignited, blazing with a harsh, sterile light that bleached the color from the land.

  Then, the iron chains and ropes we'd laid on the ground snapped into the air. They fused into a single, searing chain of golden fire, whirled once around the perimeter of the formation with impossible speed, and slammed back to earth at the exact center. Upon impact, the fiery links dissolved into a shower of harmless golden sparks that faded into the soil, leaving no trace behind.

  I let out a long, slow breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "...It's done."

  The clouds thinned and scattered, retreating as quickly as they had come. In mere minutes, the world was as it had been. The entire event might have been a collective dream.

  "Rhan... the lightning, the thunder... Was that you?" Clara's voice trembled. Her wide, lucid eyes were fixed on me, filled with shock.

  Before I could answer, Jasper strode forward, grinning broadly. "Of course it was! Just a little flourish for Rhan here. Old news to me. Listen, Clara, last time at the film lot, he set up this 'Nine Dragons... Nine Dragons Sealing the Coffin' formation. This arrogant general spirit? Went straight back to the underworld, no complaints. And then there was the time—"

  His words were cut short as Lucky, beside him, dropped to his knees with a thud.

  The sudden movement startled me. I just stared, baffled.

  His face was flushed with fervor. "A god!" he cried, looking up at me. "You must be a god descended!" He dropped to his knees and bowed until his forehead nearly touched the dirt.

  A mix of amusement and exasperation washed over me. I quickly crouched and helped him up. "Lucky, what are you doing?"

  He stood, but his excitement didn't fade. "I... I've lived half my life and never seen anything like that! Today, I finally have! If you're not a god, then who is?" He finished with a rough, earnest chuckle, scratching his head.

  I understood. For any ordinary person, that spectacle was beyond belief. Even Michael and Clara, who knew me, wore matching expressions of stunned disbelief.

  Truthfully, my own heart was still pounding. The sheer scale of it—the sky itself reacting—had far exceeded my expectations. I'd only followed the instructions in The Meta Codex. I never imagined it would produce such... excess.

  I clasped Lucky's solid shoulder. "It's just ritual craft. Really, I'm no god. And what you saw today—keep it to yourself. Don't speak of it to anyone."

  Lucky didn't question it. He gave a firm nod. "You have my word. This sort of thing... I'd take it to my grave before telling anyone."

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "Everyone, take a breather. We break ground in half an hour," I instructed, watching the awe slowly recede from Lucky's face.

  "Yes, yes." Lucky agreed, but his lips moved silently, as if wrestling with unspoken words.

  I caught his eye. "Something else, Lucky?"

  "N-no. It's nothing." He waved a hand, took a few steps back, and walked away.

  I checked my watch: 10:40 AM. Twenty minutes until the Hour of the Sun—from eleven to one. The peak of the day's vital energy, when malignant forces were believed to retreat into shadow. The perfect, and safest, time to break a seal.

  "Mr. Arcturus!" A familiar voice called from the path.

  I turned to see Fraser, Chief Reaves, Mr. Thorne, and several villagers from yesterday—the ones who had carried Fraser's mother—hurrying toward us.

  "Is everyone alright?" Chief Reaves asked, his concern evident.

  Drawn by the show, I thought. They came to check for disaster.

  Seeing their anxious faces, I offered a reassuring smile. "We're fine, Chief Reaves. What brings you all here?"

  "We saw the sky go black over this way, heard the thunder... feared the worst. That... disturbance. It was here?"

  "It was," I admitted lightly. "But it's handled. All is well."

  "Good. That's good." The Chief exhaled, though his eyes still darted around warily. "So, Mr. Arcturus... what is your intention here now?"

  "I plan to excavate this spot."

  Though clearly puzzled, the Chief nodded. "I see. Do you need assistance? Just give the word. We'll follow your lead."

  "Absolutely, Mr. Arcturus," Fraser chimed in. "You've helped us so much. If there's work to be done, we're your men. We mountain folk may not have much, but we've got muscle to spare."

  I raised my hands in polite refusal. "Your kindness is appreciated. If I need help, I won't hesitate to ask."

  Another glance at my watch. Five minutes to eleven. "Chief Reaves, Mr. Thorne, if there's nothing else, you should probably head back. We're about to begin."

  They exchanged looks, nodded in unison, and started back the way they came.

  As their figures retreated, a cold thought settled in my mind: If the 'Saintess' sealed below truly means harm to these people... it would be a profound cruelty. They are nothing but good, simple folk.

  ---

  — The Crimson Stone —

  Once they were gone, I turned to Lucky. "Bring the excavator over. It's time."

  Lucky gave a curt "Mmhmm," and without hesitation, guided the heavy machine into the center of the formation.

  It was 11:05. I gave him the signal. With a growl, the excavator's bucket bit deep into the earth.

  "It's going in!" Michael whispered, shocked. "Last time... the ground was like solid iron. The machine just scraped the surface. That's why we had to stop!"

  I nodded calmly. "The telluric energies were resisting. The formation has stabilized them for now. That's why it yields." I didn't mention Silas Nightseer's sabotage, offering the simplest explanation instead.

  Michael made a small sound of understanding, his expression thoughtful.

  Half an hour later, a pit two or three meters deep gaped in the ground. Lucky suddenly halted the machine and called out, "Boss Arcturus! The soil's turned black! Come see!"

  We gathered at the edge. Where there had been yellow earth, the exposed base was now a dry, fine, jet-black soil—exactly as I'd anticipated.

  "Keep going," I told Lucky. "Don't stop until you hit something."

  He nodded, determination in his eyes. The engine roared back to life. Now, the only sound was the mechanical drone, and the atmosphere grew taut with suspense.

  Time slipped by. With every meter of depth, the knot in my stomach tightened. *What's down there? How deep does it lie?* The unknown pressed in, but I knew we were close to an answer.

  Around 12:30, a solid clang—clang! echoed from the pit, metal striking something unyielding.

  Lucky killed the engine again. His face was pale as he looked our way. He didn't shout this time, but climbed down and approached, voice hushed. "Mr. Arcturus, Boss Hargreaves... I think we hit something."

  While he spoke, I was already moving to the rim. There, in the shadow of the bucket, I saw it: a dull, reddish shape emerging from the dark earth.

  Without overthinking, I jumped down into the pit.

  I brushed away the loose dirt covering the shape. The red hue became clearer. I'd expected perhaps a lacquered coffin, but my fingers met cold, unyielding hardness. Stone. Worked stone, polished smooth. I ran my hand over it, clearing more soil from the edges. It was large—far too large to uncover by hand.

  I looked up at Lucky's worried face peering over the edge. "Work from the sides," I called. "Isolate it completely. Let's see what this is."

  "Won't... won't that damage it?"

  "It'll be fine. Just do it."

  With my assurance, Lucky gave a sharp nod and scrambled back into the cab. The engine rumbled, and the work began anew.