The Storm Tower | Vol.4, The Eldenarian Artifacts ✓

25.

They spent hours studying the walls. There were six sets of four runes, with each set being hit every thirty minutes. That was as far as their research took them before the sun outside set, leaving them in the company of shadows and the chilling breeze seeping into the tower like water dripping from a tap. They might've been safe from the snow, but the cold was inescapable. The torches and candles lit around the cavernous space weren't doing anything apart from providing faint parks of light.

Teeth chattering louder than she would've liked, Makaela tightened her jacket around herself. Her brain currently felt like mush, and her body didn't feel much better. With an exasperated groan, she launched the book of runes in her hands as far as she could. It hit the ground with an echoing thud before sliding across the smooth tiles, eventually making its way to the foot of the white statue up ahead. The still face of the unmoving figure stared at her with an air of disapproval. She could've sworn it was mocking her too. Face twitching in an attempt to mask her anger, she decided to distract herself by checking in on the others.

The others didn't seem to be fairing much better.

Han was hidden behind a mountain of books, most left open on random pages. Karin and Ismael had tackled an entire shelf; with the help of a few vortex charms, they cycled between floating books in search of an answer.

They weren't making any progress.

If they were to figure out what the sequence needed to unlock the puzzle was, they needed to crack the code of the walls. That was easier said than done, though, especially since none of them had any expertise in rune making.

Ismael was the only one who had any knowledge in the subject, and even his wisdom was barely applicable here. Out of the twenty-four unique runes etched carefully into the stone walls, only seven of them had been deciphered. Each was a fragment of a larger phrase or riddle not yet solved.

Makaela didn't have the slightest idea what the missing portions could be. The possibilities were endless. They needed more of the runes. They needed more of the puzzle. But the sun was gone for the night. There wasn't much else they could until its reprisal.

"Alright," Karin said as she slumped in her seat. "If I have to look at another rune, I'm going to lose my mind." The books floating in the air above her dropped to the ground as she banished the air funnels holding them up. They hit the floor like dead flies. Han did the same, though, he made sure to catch the books one-by-one instead of letting them fall.

"Agreed," Han said. He emerged from behind his mound of texts and joined them at their table.

Ismael rubbed his head and sighed. "We should rest for the night. We'll pick this back up in the morning."

Makaela nodded. She didn't intend on resting for long. As soon the first inkling of sunrise crept through those windows, she would be up and at it again. They were going to need every second of sunlight. Eventually, they would make a breakthrough.

She would solve this puzzle. She just hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

Ismael retrieved his enchanted bag and pulled out a few blankets along with a bundle of pillows. There weren't exactly any comfortable places to sleep within the lower level of the tower, unless someone found lying across hard tile for hours appealing. Everyone picked a spot and settled in for the night. The tiny flames used to ignite the dozens of candles they had been using for light were extinguished with a simple flick of Karin's wrist.

"Show off," Han said. He had disappeared into the black. They all had.

They were fully enveloped by darkness now.

Makaela shuddered as a chill slid down her spine.

As she laid down on her blanket and pillow, she knew sleep wouldn't be coming to her anytime soon. While it only took a few minutes for snores to fill the air, she found herself wide awake an hour after she had taken to the floor to sleep. There was far too much on her mind. The tower's puzzle needed to be solved. And with the Shades hot on their tail, she knew they didn't have much time to find the answers they needed. She could practically feel them breathing down her neck.