Kaelis smirked, his volatile aura filling the laboratory with eager anticipation. "Alright, Anaris. The theoretical lesson is over. Sinthia is already calculating the profit in her head, and Eronis is drafting your reprimand. But I want to see action. I want to see if your one-hour lattice can withstand a real test. I want to see if your 'math' can hold up against a single step from a Virtuoso

  Kaelis took a breath, and his Core began to ramp up as he attempted to trigger the Resonance State

  "Kaelis, stop it!" Aurelion’s voice rang out, cold and hard as a crystalline blade. "Are you a complete fool? Do you want to unleash a Silver Avatar

  Eronis, who had been watching silently until now, suddenly stepped forward. His face was paler than the surrounding crystalline walls, and his aura pulsed with a shocked, violet hue.

  "Resonance State?!" Eronis blurted out, his voice jumping an octave higher. "Prince Kaelis, do you remember nothing of what I taught you in your youth? What is this lack of discipline?! Within city limits, the activation of the full Resonance State is strictly forbidden by the Law of Ether Stability! It is a hazard to the structural integrity of the entire sector! Cease this at once, or I will report it to the Queen! This violates so many protocols that I could write an entire volume on your negligence!"

  Kaelis snorted in defeat and suppressed his Core’s glow back into his Standard Form, while Eronis still trembled with indignation, muttering something about a "barbaric disregard for safety."

  "Fine. No Resonance," Kaelis grumbled, the red glint in his eyes fading. "But your little spiderweb still won't hold."

  Without further warning, he released the floodgates of his internal density while remaining in his base form. Even on a small scale, the mass of a Level 7 Transcendent was crushing. He took a single, sharp step from the ramp directly onto the azure lattice.

  There was no great explosion, just the dry, humiliating sound of fracturing crystal that echoed through the quiet laboratory. The NANO-CRYSTAL

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "So much for your revolution," Aurelion stated curtly. "A Virtuoso crushed the structure before it could perform a single calculation. For us Transcendents, it’s useless. A toy, nothing more."

  Anaris, however, calmly watched the data scatter on her hologram as if the failure were just another variable in the equation. "Remember the objective, brother. This lattice was never meant for you. It’s meant for the common people of Sylvaria. For the billions who don’t need to manifest thrones or Avatars to survive the day. For them, it is a revolution in efficiency that will save resources for entire Houses."

  Sinthia immediately seized the opportunity. "And it’s those resources that matter most. Every Academy needs sponsors, Anaris, and resources in Silvaria certainly don't grow on crystals. The Noble Houses have plenty of them, and even if we all work for the good of the race, as the saying goes: it’s better to survive in palace gardens than under a bridge."

  At that moment, Lyrahel chimed in. "Exactly. Let's call Mother so she can see and evaluate what to do with this. Helping Mom is fine—we all like to do it so she always has leverage when she needs it—but Anaris needs funding for the Academy too... you surely have someone specific in mind to throw this scrap to, don't you?"

  Valeria, who had been silent until now, stepped toward the debris. "It has other potential though, Aurelion. It might not bear the weight of a Monolith, but for disrupting the barriers of House Ion-Shield

  Eronis was still shaking his head, aggressively adjusting his silver robes to perfection. "My educational efforts are in ruins," he muttered. "Instead of addressing the scientific failure, you’re already carving up spheres of influence. Nevertheless... I must point out that the Queen would find this 'tool' immensely useful in the political arena. If House Stardrift

  Anaris grinned wildly. She walked over to Eronis and, before he could react, boldly put her arm around his shoulders and pulled him close in a mock-friendly embrace.

  "Eronis! You old fox! You’ve just become my partner in crime," she laughed, patting him cheerfully on the shoulder.

  Eronis froze. His aura turned a deep, offended purple for a moment. He sharply wrenched himself from her grip, straightened his flawless robes, and stepped back three paces with an expression of supreme disdain. "I will no longer engage in this debate! Your behavior, Director, is… utterly deplorable! Have you no respect for personal energetic integrity?"

  "Eronis, could you please call the Queen? So we can ask for her opinion?" Anaris requested, ignoring his outburst with a smile.

  Eronis let out a long suffering sigh, nodded, and a golden haze of the Royal Communication Node began to form over the center of the laboratory.