Chapter 10: The First Nexus
The blank book, now a conduit for ancient wisdom, continued to shimmer faintly in Bai Chun's hands. The words that had appeared through the Cosmic Seed's influence had given them a direction: Nexus Points. If the orb was a Cosmic Seed, then these Nexus Points must be places of immense, concentrated energy, crucial for its full awakening.
"Nexus Points," Xiulan repeated, her brow furrowed in thought. "Do you think there are any within the school? This place is filled with powerful magic."
"It's possible," Bai Chun mused, recalling the sheer magical density of the academy. "The catacombs were one such place of ancient energy. Maybe the school was built on another, or has areas designed to amplify such power." He carefully closed the book. Without the orb's direct influence, the script faded, leaving the pages blank once more. It was a clear sign that the orb was not just a key, but an active participant in revealing these secrets.
They decided their first step should be to discreetly investigate areas within the school known for their unique or heightened magical properties. The training grounds, where students practiced their spells, were a common choice. However, Bai Chun felt a pull, a faint resonance from the orb, towards a less obvious location.
"The Grand Observatory," he suddenly said, looking up from the orb. "I felt a stronger pull there. It's used for celestial magic and astral projection, but it's also incredibly old, built by the founders."
Xiulan nodded. "It's always humming with residual magic, especially at night. It's usually off-limits after dark, though."
"Then we go at night," Bai Chun stated, his resolve firm. The urgency of the threat he'd witnessed outweighed any school rules.
Under the cloak of night, they slipped out of their dorms. The school's vast courtyards were bathed in moonlight, and the air was crisp. The Grand Observatory stood as a magnificent dome, its polished brass telescope glinting under the stars. As they neared it, the Cosmic Seed in Bai Chun's hand began to pulse more rapidly, its light intensifying.
The main door was magically sealed, but Bai Chun, guided by the orb's subtle direction and his own profound understanding of mana, placed his hand on the intricate runic lock. A surge of energy flowed from the orb, through his palm, and into the runes. With a soft click, the heavy door swung inward.
Inside, the Observatory was dimly lit by the moonlight streaming through the enormous central aperture, illuminating the complex machinery of the telescope and the constellations painted on the vaulted ceiling. The air thrummed with a palpable magical presence.
Bai Chun moved towards the center of the room, the orb now vibrating intensely. He could feel it. This was a Nexus Point. He knelt, placing the orb gently on the polished marble floor directly beneath the main telescope.
As the Cosmic Seed touched the ground, a wave of shimmering energy erupted from it, spreading across the floor like ripples in a pond. The painted constellations on the ceiling above them began to glow, and the giant telescope hummed with unseen power. Mana from the very foundations of the school seemed to rush towards the orb, funneling into it like a grand river.
Bai Chun felt a tremendous influx of energy, not just from the orb, but from the Nexus Point itself. Visions, clearer and more sustained this time, flooded his mind. He saw the Cosmic Seed not as a single entity, but as one of many, scattered across countless worlds, each waiting to be activated. He understood that these Nexus Points were specific cosmic nodes, anchored to powerful Ley Lines of mana, designed by an ancient civilization to empower the Seeds. He also saw the shadow again, closer this time, its tendrils reaching, consuming. The threat was real, and it was growing.
But amidst the dread, there was also hope. He saw faint lights, sparks of resistance in the darkness—other awakened Seeds, other guardians, across the universe. He wasn't alone.
As the surge of power subsided, the orb's light settled into a more vibrant, steady glow. It felt more alive, more powerful. He picked it up; it was still warm, but now a subtle hum resonated from it, a quiet song of awakened potential.
"It worked," Xiulan breathed, awe in her voice as she gazed at the glowing constellations above. "It really worked."
Bai Chun nodded, his expression grim yet determined. "It did. And now we know what we're up against, and that there are others. But we also know the shadow is closer than we thought. Our next step needs to be quick, and strategic."
He looked at the orb, then out of the observatory's aperture at the moonlit sky. The universe was vast, and the threat was immense. But now, with the first Nexus Point activated, they had taken a crucial step on a path that would lead them far beyond the walls of the magic school.