Chapter 49

The next day for Zale was the same as the last. His time was lost to theory crafting and recombing through information after another failed experiment. "So a single type of core works fine, but the product fails without enough mana. The quality of the core must be central to the success," he mused, hands pushed through his long dark hair and propping his head up, "Why is combining different cores so difficult? It must be some kind of balance I don't get."

Zale's eyes flitted between his tablet and the whiteboard. One half of his screen had the list of cores and crystals they'd found until now, while the other had the list of enchanted gear in the treasury. The board was a web of circles and lines that attempted and failed to make connections between what he'd found on the market and his own attempts, and the successes of the past.

He tried covering different parts with paper and magnets, flipping the board upside down and walking around the room to see it all from a different angle, yet nothing stood out. Though the scientists were brilliant at math, great at collecting data, and wonderfully helpful in their own way, they were as creative as wood when it came to this.

Zale wasn't sure where Shai'd picked them up, but he could only imagine some stuffy gray university building. He sighed and sat on the floor underneath the board, staring up at it with glassy eyes.

As he sat, the ink all blurred in his sight. Then came the bubbling image of what he imagined Meru looked like, plugged into some machine that was keeping her alive with IVs and monitors all beeping. He frowned and moved his thoughts elsewhere. The pit in his stomach remained for some time, though, until another one crept in.

Since they'd been using the forge regularly, the soul-chilling terror that gripped him that day hadn't returned, but Zale couldn't help but feel uneasy at times.

The intrusive memory was a heavyweight, but one that drove him forward. He wondered if Shai felt the same. Shai had been working tirelessly behind the scenes and in public eyes. They'd not spent much time together since his blow up. A twinge of loneliness ran Zale's spine, and he slapped his thighs, willing his mind back to the meaningless ink on the board.

"I would recommend taking a break for the night, Master Sotanaht," Mert said, eliciting a startled yelp and a sore forehead, "The others retired more than two hours ago."

Rubbing his forehead, Zale climbed from under the board and practically laid on one of the room's long tables. "I didn't even hear you come in. Spooked me," he said facefirst into the table.

"My apologies, though I'd say you also shouldn't be doing...what exactly was it you were doing?" she questioned.

"Trying to get a new perspective. I know I haven't, but I feel like I've tried everything."

"Well, maybe it would be good to take a break then. Get some rest," she suggested again, hands clasped behind her back.