"Well, we now have the army we needed," said Ban with admiration, impressed by how grand it had been to rally the masses. "But now, how are we going to get to Avocadolia in time? And how will we ensure everyone gets there?"
"Good question," replied Rodelos, scratching his head thoughtfully.
Professor Kuang smiled confidently. "I'm glad you asked. I'm working on a brilliant invention to solve precisely that." He adjusted his glasses as he spoke. "Just give me one day. In the meantime, I've already told the people of Pinkertalia and Bacadolia to leave their realms in case the shadows attack again."
"So, you've got everything planned, huh?" said Rodelos, smiling with relief. "Good. We're counting on you."
Everyone ended the communication and decided to reconvene the next day to finalize the details of the plan.
Meanwhile, Ludra, Jock, and Dall trudged along a rocky, uneven path, following the directions provided by Professor Kuang's device in their search for the diamond.
"This place is so unstable," Dall complained constantly, stumbling with every step he took.
"May I ask, Mr. Jock, why did we bring the kid along on this mission?" asked Ludra, rolling her eyes as she watched Dall wobble and nearly fall again.
"Well, he was the only one available; all the other soldiers were busy with their tasks," Jock explained patiently. "Besides, Ariafilis insisted."
"Because he's clumsy?" asked Ludra, looking at Dall incredulously as he stumbled yet again.
"I think so," admitted Jock with a faint, sarcastic smile.
"Hey!" Dall suddenly shouted after tripping and hitting a large rock blocking the path. "Ouch!"
"How could you be so careless, you foolish boy?" exclaimed Ludra, exasperated, as she moved to help him. However, before they could do anything else, a trap was triggered beneath them. The ground gave way suddenly, swallowing them into some kind of underground slide.
The three began sliding at full speed down the steep tunnel, screaming as they were dragged in multiple directions. The slippery walls seemed coated with some viscous liquid that made any attempt to stop impossible.
"What is this?!" Jock shouted, trying in vain to slow his descent.
"This is fun!" exclaimed Dall, laughing nervously as he watched the other two struggle to maintain control.
In their minds, both Ludra and Jock cursed internally, blaming Dall for triggering the trap. "This is all that fool Dall's fault," they thought simultaneously, though neither voiced it aloud. Instead, they focused on surviving the unexpected descent.
Finally, the dizzying ride came to an end, and the three landed with a dull thud on the floor of a cave illuminated by small rocks glowing with a faint blue light. The light danced across the irregular walls, creating shadows that seemed to move around them.
"Wow! This is amazing," exclaimed Dall, awestruck by the luminous spectacle surrounding them.
"And now, where are we?" asked Jock, visibly concerned as he scanned the area for an exit. "We can't stay here; we need to return to Lady Ariafilis."
Ludra got to her feet, brushed the dust off her clothes, and began observing the surroundings carefully. The glowing rocks covered the walls, but something caught her eye: not all of them were the same size or randomly distributed. There seemed to be a hidden pattern in their arrangement.
Dall, ever impulsive, reached out toward one of the nearest rocks. However, before he could touch it, Ludra was quicker and smacked his hand away. "Don't do anything!" she ordered sternly, shooting him a withering glare. "You've already caused enough trouble for today." "Ouch! That hurts," said Dall, rubbing his hand.
Jock crossed his arms, irritated. "I should have refused that order," he muttered to himself. "I should have left this boy helping the others." Though his tone was low, his words resonated with frustration.
While Dall and Jock bickered between themselves, Ludra continued examining the stones. She noticed they followed a precise sequence: their size increased as they progressed toward one of the walls of the cave. An idea began to form in her mind. "What would Karpi do in this situation?" she wondered, recalling her companion's cleverness.
She slowly approached the largest rock, positioned in front of one of the walls. Her heart raced with a mix of fear and nervousness as she took the stone in both hands and carefully removed it from its place. At that instant, Jock and Dall froze, watching in horror at what she had just done.
"Wait, noooo!" they shouted in unison, too late to stop her.
Before they could react, the wall in front of them began to open slowly, revealing a hidden chamber behind it. Ludra, determined to take the lead, stepped forward first through the opening, holding the glowing rock in her hand. The other two followed cautiously, visibly fearful of what they might find.
The room was anything but ordinary. It was filled with unfamiliar electronic devices, cables hanging from the ceiling, and blinking lights that flickered with a bluish glow. In the center of the room, a large transparent box faintly shimmered. Inside it, a blackened crystal floated suspended, emanating a dark and palpable energy.
Ludra caught her breath at the sight. She couldn't believe it: it was exactly what they had been searching for. The diamond they needed was right there in front of them, guarded by technology that seemed far ahead of its time.
"Well, I guess you did something right after all, Dall," said Ludra with a half-smile, giving him a light nudge with her shoulder. Though her tone was teasing, there was a hint of acknowledgment in her words.
"So that's what we were looking for," murmured Jock, cautiously approaching the transparent box. He studied the blackened crystal intently, thoughtful. "It seems Lady Ariafilis was onto something when she insisted on bringing Dall along with us." A part of him began to wonder if she somehow knew the boy had a kind of "luck" for finding important things. However, that thought quickly faded when he saw Dall trip again, this time over a small rock on the floor.
"That's the crystal!" exclaimed Dall excitedly, rushing toward the enormous diamond-shaped gem. But before he could touch the transparent box, Ludra firmly stopped him.
"It's better if you don't get too close to it," she warned, her expression serious as she pulled him back. "It's what left the master in the state he was in before Paltio healed him." The mention of that story made Dall step back immediately, visibly frightened.
"Calm down," said Ludra with a slight laugh, though her mind continued analyzing the situation. "Luckily, it seems that huge transparent box is blocking the radiation from that thing." She stood there observing the crystal for a few more moments, trying to understand its nature.
"But… why is it blackened?" asked Jock, frowning as he studied the darkness emanating from the gem.
"Well, I don't have an answer to that," admitted Ludra, crossing her arms as she reflected. "When one appeared in our realm, it was white, almost transparent, but now… it's pure darkness."
"So, is it a crystal of both light and darkness at the same time?" Dall suggested aloud, tilting his head curiously as he stared intently at the object.