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55.55% The Magic Arrangement / Chapter 15: A Glimmer of Fate

Chapter 15: A Glimmer of Fate

Chapter 15: A Glimmer of Fate

The distant glow of the Harroway estate was growing brighter as the caravan trundled closer, the quiet of the night broken only by the soft clinking of hooves and the rustling of wind through the fields. Alden's mind was still lost in the vast expanse of the stars above, imagining the connections between the heavens and the earth, between magic and genetics, when something unusual caught his eye.

A sharp streak of light tore across the sky, bright and fast, like a falling star. It was more brilliant than anything he had seen before, a blazing trail of silver-white that seemed to cut through the night like a comet. Alden sat up, his heart skipping a beat.

"What in the world?" he whispered under his breath, his eyes tracking the path of the light as it arced towards the distant horizon.

Bran, noticing the sudden shift in Alden's posture, looked up as well. "By the gods… What is that?" he muttered, his voice tinged with awe.

The streak of light grew brighter as it fell, eventually disappearing beyond the hills that framed the estate's lands. But just before it vanished, there was a flash—faint but unmistakable—followed by a low rumble that reverberated through the air. It was as if the ground itself had grumbled in response to whatever had just fallen from the sky.

Alden's pulse quickened. It wasn't just a meteor or a random celestial event. That flash of light, that distant rumble—it felt purposeful, as if something had just been torn from the heavens and thrown down to the earth.

"I need to see what that was," Alden said suddenly, standing up in the caravan's seat.

Bran grabbed his arm, his voice firm. "Young master, that's dangerous. We don't know what's out there. Could be anything—a cursed object, an omen."

Alden shook his head, determination replacing the calm contemplation he had held moments before. "Whatever it is, I need to find out. I have to know."

Bran hesitated, his grip tightening for a moment before he sighed and let go. "I'm coming with you, then. No sense letting you wander into something like that alone."

Alden nodded in gratitude, his mind already racing with possibilities. What had fallen from the sky? Was it merely a natural phenomenon, or something more—a magical artefact, perhaps, or some unknown element that could change the course of his studies? Whatever it was, he felt an undeniable pull, a sense that this event was not random, that it had happened for a reason.

Without waiting for the rest of the caravan to catch up, Alden and Bran veered off the road, guiding their horses towards the distant hills where the light had disappeared. The landscape was familiar, but tonight it felt charged with something new, something foreign. The air itself seemed to hum with energy.

As they crested the first hill, Alden caught a glimpse of a faint, glowing light in the distance—just beyond the second rise, in a secluded valley where the estate's farmlands ended and the untamed wilderness began. It was dim, but unmistakable. Whatever had fallen from the sky was still glowing, faintly illuminating the surrounding area.

"We're getting close," Alden said, urging his horse forward.

They descended the slope carefully, the terrain growing rougher and more uneven as they approached the valley. Bran, though wary, followed closely behind, his eyes darting between the darkened trees that lined the edges of the valley.

Finally, they reached the bottom, where the ground levelled out into a small clearing. At the centre of the clearing, partially buried in the earth, was a large object. It was unlike anything Alden had ever seen before.

The object was made of a dark, metallic material, with strange, glowing runes etched into its surface. It was roughly the size of a boulder, but its shape was more geometric—almost like a large, multifaceted crystal, though it was clearly made of metal. The runes pulsed faintly with a soft blue light, and the air around it seemed to shimmer as if the object was distorting reality itself.

"What in the world…?" Bran muttered, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword.

Alden approached the object slowly, his heart pounding with both fear and excitement. This wasn't just a piece of debris or a meteorite. This was something far more significant—something magical, perhaps even ancient.

He knelt beside it, reaching out to touch the strange runes. As his fingers brushed the surface, he felt a jolt of energy shoot through his hand, as if the object was alive, humming with power. The runes flared briefly, glowing brighter for a moment before dimming again.

"It's… reacting to me," Alden whispered, his mind racing. Could this be some kind of artefact from the ancient world? Or was it something even more extraordinary—a relic from the stars, brought to this world by forces beyond his understanding?

As Alden stood up, his thoughts swirling, he noticed something even more unsettling. Around the object, the grass and plants were… different. They had changed. The once-dry, drought-stricken earth had sprouted new growth—small, green shoots that looked healthier and stronger than any of the crops he had seen this season. It was as if the object had altered the very soil around it, breathing life into the land.

"This thing… it's affecting the environment," Alden said, his voice barely a whisper.

Bran, still standing cautiously at the edge of the clearing, shook his head in disbelief. "Magic. It has to be. But what kind of magic can do this?"

Alden stared at the glowing runes, his mind racing with possibilities. This object, whatever it was, had immense power—power that could reshape the land, perhaps even manipulate the very laws of nature. Could it be harnessed? Could it be studied, analysed, and understood? Could it be used in his genetic experiments, to unlock new abilities or traits in plants—or even people?

As these thoughts raced through his mind, a new determination settled over Alden. This object was no mere accident. It had fallen from the sky for a reason, and he was meant to find it. He would study it, learn its secrets, and use its power to further his own goals. This was the key to everything—his dream of bringing the beauty of genetics to this world, the merging of magic and science, the unlocking of potential that no one in this world had ever imagined.

But even as his excitement grew, a shadow of doubt crept into his thoughts. Such power was not without danger. And if others discovered what he had found, there would be questions—questions he might not be ready to answer.

"We need to keep this quiet," Alden said, turning to Bran. "No one can know about this. Not yet."

Bran nodded, though his expression remained troubled. "I don't like it, Alden. Whatever this thing is, it's powerful. And power like that… it always attracts attention."

"I know," Alden replied, his eyes never leaving the glowing runes. "But we have to be careful. This could change everything—for me, for our family, for the entire kingdom."

Bran sighed but gave a reluctant nod. "Alright. I'll follow your lead. But mark my words, this thing's not done causing trouble."

Alden smiled faintly. "Good. Trouble is exactly what we need."


next chapter

Chapter 16: A New Obsession

Chapter 16: A New Obsession

As they carefully covered the strange object with dirt and brush to hide it from view, Alden's mind was ablaze with possibilities. He and Bran made their way back to the estate under the thick blanket of night, the stars above offering little comfort. Alden's thoughts kept returning to the glowing runes, the way the plants around the object had changed, the pulse of energy he had felt the moment he touched it.

This was more than just a relic from the past or an artefact of magic—this was a key, perhaps the very key he had been searching for. If he could harness its power, there was no telling what he could accomplish. But the mystery of the object gnawed at him. He had no idea what it truly was, where it had come from, or what kind of forces had brought it to this world.

As they arrived at the estate, Bran remained silent, his brow furrowed in thought. Alden knew he was uneasy—perhaps even frightened by what they had found. But Alden couldn't allow fear to deter him. This discovery, this cosmic anomaly, had the potential to revolutionise everything he had been working towards.

Once inside his room, Alden immediately set to work, drawing sketches of the object and noting every detail he could remember. The glowing runes, the shimmering surface, the strange pulse of energy—it was all carefully recorded in his notebook. He also documented the strange effect it had on the environment, the way the drought-stricken land around it had sprung to life.

His mind was already racing with ideas on how to use this. Could the object be harnessed to enhance the growth of crops? Could it be used to alter the genetic makeup of plants, or even animals? And what would happen if it was used on people?

But the more Alden considered the possibilities, the more cautious he became. This kind of power—raw, unfiltered—could easily spiral out of control. It wasn't just about what the object could do; it was about understanding its limits, its nature, its origins. Without that knowledge, any experiment could go disastrously wrong.

And then there was the matter of secrecy. He couldn't allow anyone else to find out about the object. Not yet. Not until he knew more. There was too much at stake—his research, his family, his very future. The object was dangerous, yes, but it was also a gift, one that could elevate his work beyond anything this world had ever seen.

As the first light of dawn began to filter through his window, Alden finally set down his pen, exhaustion pulling at his eyelids. But even as sleep tugged at him, his thoughts were still racing. Tomorrow, he would need to revisit the object, study it in more detail. He would begin experimenting with the soil, testing its properties, seeing if the energy from the object had altered it in any way.

But before sleep could take him completely, Alden's thoughts turned to a troubling realisation: if this object had fallen from the sky, there could be more like it. He wondered if others in the kingdom—or beyond—had noticed the streak of light, the flash of power. The potential for discovery was both exhilarating and terrifying. He wasn't the only one who might be drawn to it.

The next day, Alden wasted no time. After gathering a few rudimentary tools and leaving Bran with instructions to remain silent about their discovery, he made his way back to the hidden clearing. The morning sun was high in the sky, casting long shadows over the hills as he retraced his steps from the night before.

When he reached the site, he was relieved to find that nothing had disturbed the object during the night. The strange, metallic surface still pulsed faintly with blue light, and the new growth around it had already spread slightly further, as if the object was continuing to transform the land around it.

Alden knelt down beside the object, his heart racing with excitement. He carefully scooped some of the enriched soil into a vial, noting the unusual texture and colour. It was darker than the surrounding earth, richer, almost as if the object had infused it with life. He would need to analyse it further, perhaps experiment with a few crops back at the estate to see if they responded differently to this new soil.

As he worked, his mind turned over the questions he still had. What was the nature of the runes? Why had the object fallen here, now, in this remote corner of the kingdom? Was it pure chance, or was there some larger design at play? The object had a strange, otherworldly quality to it, something beyond the magic of this world. Could it be from a different realm entirely? Alden had heard of ancient legends that spoke of celestial artefacts, items of immense power that had fallen from the heavens, but those were just stories—or so he had thought.

Hours passed as Alden worked, taking samples of the soil, drawing detailed sketches of the object's runes, and carefully examining the surrounding plants. The more he studied, the more he became convinced that this object was no accident. It had been placed here for a reason, and he was the one meant to find it.

As the sun began to dip towards the horizon, Alden finally gathered his things and prepared to head back to the estate. But as he turned to leave, something unusual happened.

The object, which had been quietly pulsing with light all day, suddenly flared to life. The blue runes glowed with an intense, brilliant light, casting long shadows across the clearing. Alden stopped in his tracks, watching in awe as the light grew brighter, almost blinding in its intensity. The air around the object began to hum, vibrating with an energy that seemed to reverberate through the ground itself.

And then, without warning, the light coalesced into a beam that shot straight into the sky.

Alden stumbled back, his heart racing as the beam of light pierced the heavens, illuminating the sky above. It was as if the object was signalling to something—or someone.

The beam lasted only a few moments, but in that time, Alden felt a profound sense of connection, as if the object was trying to communicate with him, trying to convey something beyond words. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the light faded, and the clearing was once again bathed in the soft, dim glow of the evening.

Alden stood frozen, his mind reeling. Whatever this object was, it wasn't just a relic. It was alive, in some way, and it was trying to reach out—to him, to the stars, to something greater. His pulse quickened. This was only the beginning.

As he turned back towards the estate, a new resolve settled over him. He would find out what the object was, where it had come from, and why it had fallen here. But more importantly, he would harness its power—whatever that might be.

The stars had given him a gift. Now, it was up to him to unlock its secrets.


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