Back in the present, beneath Yano's castle...
The chamber, still filled with crystals but somewhat altered, felt strangely empty after Ren's first visit.
The regular extraction of treasures had changed the space. What had once been a cavern packed almost to the ceiling with crystalline wealth now showed gaps, pathways, evidence of human intervention in what had been an untouched sanctuary.
Only the mural side wall got emptied and revealed its true architectural magnificence. But there was not only an ice wall… A tunnel that Selphira and Dragarion had created with ice and minerals provided direct and functional access to the center of the chamber at the bottom, though it stripped away some of the majesty of the original discovery…
The first visit had been about wonder, about the breathtaking realization of what lay hidden beneath their feet. This time it was about utility, about converting ancient power into present advantage.
