Vincha, Kingdom of Divinium, Eastern region of Rohana Federation, 2051 S.C., 179th day

  "Okay, so how are we going to figure out what happened?" Heron stood in the stables with Irene and Lucia.

  “The only way to find out is through a controlled experiment,” Irene replied. “We need to expose you to the crystals again.”

  Lucia’s eyes widened in a flash of panic. “Wait—what? Irene, no. Do you have some kind of death wish?”

  "Stop worrying. It'll be alright." Irene remained calm. "Last time, I didn't anticipate Heron getting into that state. Now we have new data, so we can plan accordingly."

  "I'm worried too," Heron admitted. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

  "Yes." Irene smiled. "Both of you worry too much. We'll have help."

  She let out a sharp whistle. A moment later, Icarus emerged, stepping into the stables to join them.

  “Icarus is here to help,” Irene explained. “I’ve gathered a few contingencies in case Heron loses control, including knockout powder, and Icarus can manipulate the vines to restrain him if necessary. Furthermore, we won’t be using anything as potent as Alpha’s horn. We’ll start with a standard magic item; those seemed to have the weakest effect on him.”

  Lucia narrowed her eyes, studying her friend. “You’ve been planning this for a while, haven’t you?”

  "Yes." Irene nodded. “I spoke with Richard earlier. Unlike the pure crystal proposal he had in Jamtara, we agreed that an item with tainted crystals would suffice for this. Heron wouldn’t use pure crystals anyway. I mean rarely anyone does, unless you are an archmedic or elite forces.”

  “That sounds like a plan,” Heron said, nodding.

  “It sounds like you’ve planned it out,” Lucia said with a smirk. “Still—I’m keeping my eyes wide open.”

  “I don’t expect anything less,” Irene replied, nodding. She reached out and gently caressed Lucia’s shoulder. She then turned to Heron. “All right, Heron, come to the center of the room.”

  “We’re doing this now?” Heron gulped.

  “There’s no time to waste,” Irene said firmly. “We need you to improve as quickly as possible.”

  When they were at the center of the stable, Irene moved in front of him while Icarus took position directly behind. She set a small object on the floor between them. It looked exactly like an ordinary toothbrush.

  Heron stared. “Is that a toothbrush?”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Indeed it is,” Irene said, nodding once.

  "I'm confused. How is that a crystal item?"

  "Because the head of the brush rotates. It relies on a minute concentration of crystals at the base for power. When active, the bristles spin in a circle. That motion is vital as you’re going to have to visualize that rotation."

  “Is this a joke?” Heron could barely believe it.

  “You blacked out using a hair dryer,” Irene said flatly. “This is the smallest crystal mesh I could find.” She tapped the handle once. “Be grateful. They’re expensive.”

  "I'm sorry. I thought it would be something… well, bigger."

  "Anything with a larger crystal will have a worse effect. I figured if you can manage this, we can step it up."

  “For the control test, I want you to pick up the brush and make the head spin. But first, watch closely,” Irene said.

  She bent down, picked up the brush, and drew a slow breath. The head began to rotate—slowly at first, then faster as she focused, the speed rising and falling smoothly under her control. It was as if she were turning an invisible dial.

  “I can control how fast the head turns,” Irene said, keeping her voice even. “Don’t make it spin too fast. You’ll snap the mechanism, and then we’re done.”

  She let the motion die, then set the toothbrush back on the floor between them.

  “Now it’s your turn.” She gestured.

  Heron reached down and lifted the toothbrush, turning it over in his hands.

  “Do you feel anything? See or hear anything unusual?” Irene asked.

  “None of the above,” Heron replied. “It just feels like a thick toothbrush.”

  “Okay, that’s good. At least it won’t knock you out the moment you touch it. Ready for the next step?”

  Heron nodded.

  “You’ve seen how the spinning works,” Irene said. “Now close your eyes and picture that scene again.”

  Heron squeezed his eyes shut. In the darkness of his mind, he searched for the image, trying to conjure the spinning head.

  But the image wouldn’t come. Even if something did come up, it kept dissolving before it could take shape, like he was trying to remember a face he’d only seen once in passing.

  “Hey, Irene, can you demonstrate it again?”

  “Yeah, no problem. Pass me the toothbrush.”

  She took it back, repeated the demonstration with the same controlled spin, then handed it over once more.

  Heron focused again. The second attempt felt like another failure. Before he opened his eyes, he turned the problem over in his mind.

  I’m holding back, he realized. It's the fear that I'll lose control. I need to let go of it. They're prepared, and they won't get hurt. Just relax and try again.

  This time, the toothbrush image manifested. Heron saw it spinning. He could hear the whir of the head rotating.

  It must be working. I can hear it.

  When he opened his eyes, only the handle remained in his grip.

  "What happened to the head?" Heron asked, bewildered.

  “I think you pushed too hard,” Irene said, a tired sigh slipping through her calm. “Looks like it couldn’t handle it.”

  “But it is a good start,” Icarus remarked. It was the first time he had spoken since entering the stables.

  “That was dangerous,” Lucia cut in. “You could’ve hit someone’s eye with that.”

  “Oh, don’t exaggerate, Lucia.” Irene’s tone carried the gentle scold of an older sister. “It flew off, but it barely had any force behind it.”

  “Well, whatever,” Lucia huffed, crossing her arms. “Can we go and grab lunch now? The exercise is clearly over, so let’s just call it quits.”

  “I agree,” Irene said, stepping toward the stable exit.

  “I’m sorry,” Heron began, his shoulders sinking as he looked at the ruined brush. “I didn't mean to break it...”

  "Nothing to be sorry about. We gathered valuable information. We'll try again tomorrow."

  The Dragon Striker (Steampunk fantasy)

  by DanWerkhoven

  In a frozen wasteland stands a city built from the slaughtered corpses of an ancient race…

  And Elana is a slave to the guild who murdered them.

  The Dragon Striker.

  What to Expect:

  - Alchemy and technology-based magic system

  - A cold, harsh world invaded by dragons and monsters