Chapter 38: Breaths of the Outer World
The hours that followed in the Aether Cavern were charged with purposeful and frantic activity. Tian Heng wasted no time. While the others gathered the last of their supplies and checked their gear, he immersed himself in crafting crude concealment devices, using the precise tools and salvaged materials from the guardian. Based on the principles extracted from the Core, he assembled extremely simple regulation circuits with conductive silver wires and tiny gears, then connected them to carefully polished crystal shards to serve as focus lenses and energy conduits. All of this he mounted into small metallic bases that could be worn as pendants or attached to belts. The final prototypes were rough and primitive, but they carried the theoretical potential to generate a weak optical and aetheric distortion field when supplied with a steady current of aether.
He crafted five devices—one for each of the three elves, one for Faela, and one for Lilith."These will run on a low, continuous aetheric current," he explained coolly as he handed them out. "You can power them with your internal energy, but that will be exhausting over time. I'll supply them with temporary power cells made from a portion of the condensed aether we've gathered."
He modified the working condensers to produce small, hardened cartridges of semi-frozen aether for each device, then slotted them in."When activated, they should distort your non-human features enough to fool casual observation. Don't rely on them against close inspection or energy-sensitive individuals."
The elves tested the devices hesitantly. Upon activation, a faint shimmer appeared in the air around them, and their pointed ears grew less distinct, their skin tones dulling into more indeterminate shades. It wasn't perfect camouflage, but it was better than nothing.
Faela looked at her device with mild disdain, whispered strange words, and shadows began to swirl around her, wrapping her body like a smoky cloak. Her dark features and obsidian skin became more obscured and ghostlike, greatly enhancing the device's effect.
Lilith, in turn, focused briefly—her crimson glow faded into a deep, dark red, and her small black horns seemed to blend into her silver hair under a deceptive shadow.
As for Tian Heng, he donned a dark cloak with a deep hood he had found among the few salvageable items in the sealed chamber. The hood was enough to hide his small horns and cast his face in relative darkness.
Next came securing the location."Faelar, Faela," Tian Heng ordered. "I want a controlled collapse at the main southern entrance to the cavern—the one we originally used. Seal it completely so no one can stumble upon this place by accident."
Despite Faelar's injury and Faela's clear irritation at being ordered, they complied. Faelar used the last of his strength and his pry bar to shift heavy stones, while Faela employed her shadow manipulation—or perhaps subtle vibrations—to weaken specific structural points. After a cautious period of work, a muffled rumble echoed through the cavern as rocks tumbled down, sealing the primary entrance effectively.
The narrow side passage they had used to bypass the second collapse remained open—kept intentionally as a possible secret route for future return.
Tian Heng gathered the three working condensers and took them along—knowing how to build them mattered more than leaving them behind to collect a meager amount of aether. They collected all the tools, precious data slabs, every drop and shard of condensed aether, as well as their modest supplies of water and fungi.
Finally, they were ready. Led by Lyra—whose expression now held more resolve despite the fear lurking beneath it—the group of six entered the narrow ascending tunnel she had previously discovered.
The air changed immediately. It was less humid, carrying a faint draft tinged with the scent of dry earth and rock—absent from the aether-saturated lower tunnels. The path was steep in places, its floor covered in loose gravel and unstable stones, making the climb difficult, especially for the injured Faelar, who gritted through the pain with Ilara's help.
Tian Heng moved steadily, his senses at full alert. He noted the significant drop in ambient aether levels as they ascended and felt the dark draconic energy within him grow quieter and cooler, as though adjusting to the new environment. He continued his internal energy control practice and mental data review throughout the grueling ascent.
After long hours of silent, arduous climbing, the nature of the tunnel began to shift. Thick, tangled roots crept from cracks in the walls and ceiling. The rock type changed. They began to hear a faint sound, like the whistling of wind, coming from above.
A new scent teased their noses—a strange and refreshing smell they'd never encountered before: the scent of rain, decaying leaves, and pine.
"We're getting close," Lyra whispered, her voice a mix of hope and fear. "These are the signs I saw before."
They kept ascending, the slope gradually easing. The air current grew stronger, colder. Then, at a bend ahead of them, they saw something none had seen in a long time—a dim glimmer of light. Not the blue glow of crystals, nor the crimson of Lilith's eyes, nor the violet of Faela's gaze, but a pale, natural greyish light filtering through a distant opening above.
They all stopped instinctively at the sight.Natural light.The scent of fresh air.Distant, indistinct sounds from a world utterly unlike the eternal silence of the caves.
They had reached the threshold of the outer world.