CHAPTER 448: SEED

Xavier sat across the hall with a perfect view of Luca and Ollie, both of whom were animatedly flailing behind a spiritual barrier that no one could listen in on.

He sighed.

Honestly, he wouldn’t have restrained himself from going over and teasing his wife if not for one small thing: the possibility of an active threat.

A crystalquake wasn’t impossible, but it hasn’t been probable in the last how many decades?

And while it was cute to see his soft-spoken wife gesturing dramatically, clearly having discovered something world-shattering (or brother-shattering), Xavier had to be on standby. The students were still gathered in this temporary hall. The aftershocks hadn’t returned, but the damage was fresh, and the investigation was still in full swing.

Had this been a simple incident, he would’ve whisked Luca away. Taken him somewhere quieter. Somewhere private. Somewhere with walls and no other possible disturbances. After all, his little chipmunk seemed to be in a learning mood.

But his instincts had been right.

A ping came in through his terminal.

Xavier’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the incoming data from the Marshal’s field team. His smile faded.

A crystal seed.

Xavier’s expression turned questioning.

From the moment the crystal spikes had ruptured from the ground, he had already notified the House of Kyros’ security division. Not just because they’d need time to get in there properly, but because he wanted someone specific involved.

Cece.

A dwarf with a natural affinity to the land.

Technology had its merits, and scans were good. But Cece could feel the shift in the earth. She could interpret vibrations, sense root pulses, and pick up on environmental anomalies that machines couldn’t. If they were going to figure out the cause of this sudden quake, they needed her input.

It wasn’t that the Empire had stopped monitoring the crystal spread on Planet Nova. It was more that they hadn’t needed to.

For decades now, the crystal growths have remained largely dormant. Static. Weak.

Nothing had grown in years. Nothing large enough to split stone. Nothing potent enough to shift entire structures.

The energy input just wasn’t there to grow anything. And it’s missed so many cycles that it hasn’t been a top priority in years. Especially not when they could use more people in the contaminated zones.

So what was this?

Xavier switched applications, confirming the status of the Kyros-led investigative team just outside the academy’s perimeter. That’s where the damage had been most concentrated. They were scanning the ground, gathering samples, and measuring residual energy levels.

Thankfully, most of the students were too distracted to panic. Between the surprise suspension of classes, the temporary hall full of evacuees, and the emotional pantomime happening between flustered brothers, no one was paying attention to the greater danger.

No one but him and Kyle.

He looked back at Luca.

Still gesturing. Still glowing faintly. Still cute even when lost and confused.

Xavier took a slow breath and focused on the report.

How on Solaris did a crystal seed get in there?

Interestingly enough, it was the same question they were asking at the investigation site after repeatedly sweeping the area.

Duke Leander had nearly wrangled everyone when he first heard about the natural disaster that hit his precious son’s school. He was five seconds away from launching an armed expedition to "rescue" Luca and potentially flatten the terrain while he was at it.

He only managed to stop himself because Duchess Amelia had calmly explained that Xavier had already reported in—Luca was uninjured, had saved lives, and had even had breakfast with the rest of his friends.

There were no fatalities. Only a few injuries. Mostly structural damage.

Still, Xavier suggested that Cece be brought in, thinking it would make things easier.

Because whatever this quake was, it wasn’t like anything recorded in the last century.

But of course, just learning that these kids were in there got Cece and everyone moving as fast as they possibly could.

It had taken time to get there, not because they didn’t want to teleport, but because arriving too quickly and from out of nowhere in droves might make it seem like they had something to hide. The last thing they needed was to appear as if they had entered the planet illegally. So they played it by the book, especially once they confirmed the immediate crisis was over.

But when Cece finally reached the site and prodded here and there, she ended up looking confused.

Hmmm.

"This doesn’t make sense," she muttered, running a palm over the ruptured ground. "This...this shouldn’t be here."

They waited.

"It’s a crystal seed," she finally said. "But not just any kind. This one’s mature and rare. One that could actually coax growth when used right. But how could such a thing be this close to the surface?"

Amelia frowned. "Is it dangerous?"

"No. Well, not by itself. Because you can’t get this kind of spread from a shard or a sliver. And while normally just any small part would work as a seed, it’s not the same for this one. And even then, it’ll require stringent growing conditions."

"Because if it were that easy, then why don’t we just farm crystals to our hearts’ content?"

"Then how did it get here?" Leander asked, voice tight.

Cece shook her head. "I don’t know. You don’t just leave something like this lying around. It’s too valuable. Too volatile. Especially not in a place like this. It’d be like a criminal handing in a gift instead."

"Are you saying it’s likely unintentional?" Amelia asked, eyes narrowing.

"I’m saying I don’t know. But if it was intentional, then whoever did it must’ve had a reason or it was totally accidental, because I’d be damned if I’d part with something this important! And they wouldn’t even be sure this thing would grow because frankly, the condition of this place sucks."

They didn’t speak for a long moment.

Eventually, they returned to the military perimeter with their findings. Curtis had just finished organizing the latest scans when the Duke, Duchess, and Marshal convened near the edge of the observation deck. The atmosphere was tired—tinged more with restrained impatience than outright tension, mostly because Duke Leander, despite appearing calm, had that unmistakable glint of a father trying his luck to see his son in the middle of an investigation.

Marshal Julian gave him a long-suffering look. "Duke Leander, I understand your... enthusiasm, but—"

"Enthusiasm?" Leander said, tone slightly dramatic but nowhere near furious. "That’s my son. I’m just here to confirm—with my own eyes—that he hasn’t grown two extra heads or decided to move into the rubble."

"You are sitting tight," Amelia said dryly beside him, arms crossed. "Because I reminded you he was fine. Also, we have three detailed reports with time stamps. And your son had breakfast. With fruits."

"Still doesn’t mean I can’t wrangle a few suspicious rocks," Leander muttered, though his tone had lost much of its bite.

"Do that and see how others would think that your son is getting preferential treatment. Unless you want all the other parents to come swarming in?" commented the Duchess, who also wanted to see her child but knew better than to tarnish his reputation by being like this.

Duke Leander pouted, and the Marshal wasn’t sure if he was really talking to the same people he’d known for years.

Curtis, trying to remain professional, quickly glanced at his terminal and projected the current overlay.

"Initial assessments are completed. As you all know, the bulk of the damage was structural. No confirmed fatalities, but we’re now focusing on this particular area while considering the most recent findings."

It was the most unusual area because there really wasn’t anything on it. But at the same time, it could be because someone was trying to weaken the border.

People tried scrutinizing the area, and that included one such person who felt like she should be remembering something important.

Eden, who had joined the Marshal on the main operations deck, kept staring at the map.

Her eyes narrowed at the spot that felt awfully familiar.

"It’s not like we haven’t all seen this place before, but I seriously remember seeing something happen here," she murmured, trying hard to rack her brain.

Marshal Julian realized her off behavior and raised a brow.

Eden tapped quickly through her terminal logs, scrolling until she found it—the footage she’d seen back then by coincidence when she was out there looking for the Crown Prince. A vague video she’d flagged but never confirmed.

"!!!"

This one!

At that moment, she continued stepping forward from the secondary deck. "Actually, this might help."

The Marshal gave her a nod, and she moved to a nearby console. Eyes fixed on the map, as she overlaid the footage she had watched before.

She projected it into the air.

"I didn’t catch it the first time," she said slowly. "But... there. That. It’s the same area, right? It’s really been the only time I’ve seen something related to that spot."

The video played.

An obscured image. Low light. Something—or someone—being dragged or moved.

Eden’s voice dropped. "I couldn’t tell if it was an abduction before because nothing really seemed too odd about it. But now... I think something happened, and it wasn’t just some kids and an adult playing by the border."