Barely had the last whispers of stone faded when the Infinite Map of Reflections lit up with a silver glow: The Glass Watchers, a world of crystalline cathedrals where immense quartz towers housed motionless sentinels—guardians of captive memories. The Arche Chronos, recharged but still shaken, prepared for this eighth journey, whose stakes would be to probe lucidity and the very gaze of memory.
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1. Briefing and Spiegel Equipment
1.1. Unveiling Key No. 09
Under the cold glow of gravito-ethereal neon, Lora presented Kaleido Capsule No. 09 on a pedestal of polished steel. The sphere pulsed with lunar light in regular beats:
Fundamental frequency: 0.95 Hz (pulse of the towers)
Harmonics: 2.53 Hz (crystalline reverberation) & 5.17 Hz (inner echo frequency)
Risks: sensory stasis—where sight freezes and the mind becomes immobile
Objective: capture the Glass Gazes, moments when crystal reflects the soul of its watchers
> Lora (measured tone):
"The quartz towers never sleep: their watchers—living statues or petrified spirits—scrutinize the passage of time. Those who meet their gaze may be trapped in their reflection. Stay in motion and protect your vision."
1.2. Gear Calibration
Mira Zéphyr ordered the installation of Anti-Stasis Lenses around the Kaleido Core—neurophonic filament beams designed to emit faint flickers and disrupt crystalline fixation. Each member was equipped with:
Dynamic polarization visors, alternating dimming and blinking to prevent gaze fixation
Manual blinking buttons, to be pressed to break visual hypnosis
Resonance Gloves, fiber-optic gloves that capture reverberated waves and refract them as broken signals
> Mira:
"If your pupils dilate and you feel your balance waver, press the red button three times. Your visor will strobe and snap you back to the present."
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2. Descent into the Crystal World
2.1. Fractal Settings
Sowan, fully focused, input the parameters:
Phase: 0.95 Hz
Echo waves: 2.53 Hz & 5.17 Hz
Polarization: 2.2 J/ns
Stability: 99.92%
The holographic field cloaked itself in a lunar veil, then bloomed into a shimmering circle.
> Sowan:
"Portal active. Entering in 3… 2… 1…"
2.2. Floating Impression
In the silver prism, the Arche Chronos vanished. Two seconds of perfect silence followed, then the vessel reappeared in a fragmented clarity: before them stretched towers of crystal, as tall as mountains, their bases submerged in silvery mist.
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3. Exploration of the Vigilant Towers
3.1. First Panorama
Through reinforced viewports they saw:
Quartz towers: rounded and smooth, each topped with a dome carved from prismatic facets
Suspended bridges: arcs of glass that echoed faintly when crossed by the wind
Watcher statues: human or beast-like figures, frozen in guard postures, their eyes lit with an inner glow
> Renan:
"It feels like every statue is staring straight through you… Don't hold their gaze too long."
3.2. The Sanctuary of Reflections
At the city's heart stood the Sanctuary of Reflections: a circular pool of clear water, bordered by polished slabs. The surrounding walls were lined with embedded crystals, returning dozens of versions of the same silhouette.
> Éira-Sel:
"Watchers came here to study their own essence. They say if you gaze too long, you become the eternal guardian of your reflection."
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4. Capturing the Glass Gazes
4.1. Vising and Approach
Each member fitted their Dynamic Visor, then approached the sculptures. With Resonance Gloves, they touched the quartz surface. A tremor ran through their palms, triggering a pulse at 0.95 Hz, modulated by 2.53 Hz and 5.17 Hz.
Lyra activated her Visuo-quantum Recorder, capturing:
Gaze A – Guardian of the Dawn: reflections of a twilight ritual
Gaze B – Sentinel of the Dusk: echoes of an endless vigil
Gaze C – Watcher of the Threshold: a broken vow fragment
> Leïla:
"These gazes are capsules of consciousness. Let them not become our jailers."
4.2. Breaking Hypnosis
Lia monitored closely:
> Lia:
"Pupils are dilating—blink mode ON!"
At the triple-press of the red button, each visor shifted into rapid flicker mode, snapping the wearers out of the crystalline trance.
> Lia:
"Every millisecond, reclaim your presence. Anchor yourselves."
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5. Visual Retaliation and Retreat
5.1. Crystal Response
As they extracted the gazes, the walls began to vibrate with an eerie sound. A beam of light swept the galleries, projecting thousands of glowing eyes onto their visors.
> Mira (panicking):
"They're waking up! I've lost feed from the stabilizer!"
5.2. Tactical Evacuation
Renan made the call:
> Renan:
"Capsules aboard—launch IMMEDIATELY!"
The crew zigzagged through the flashing beams, making their way back to the Arche as the portal began to close.
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6. Return and Archiving
6.1. Vortex Closure
The Arche Chronos emerged in familiar space, the silver portal dimming with one last burst of prisms.
6.2. Sealing the Gazes
In the Archives Room, each Glass Gaze was locked into Kaleido Capsule No. 09, accompanied by a holographic imprint of the captured face:
Gaze A: Guardian of the Dawn (ritual of the first fires)
Gaze B: Sentinel of the Dusk (eternal vigil)
Gaze C: Watcher of the Threshold (broken vow)
Lora presented her report:
> Lora:
"We shattered their stillness—but those gazes remain alive, fractures of statued consciousness."
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7. Epilogue – Toward the Final Reflections
> Mayu (solemnly):
"The Glass Watchers reminded us of the power—and peril—of the gaze. Ten chapters now stand between us and the final dusk: the Professor's revelations, Akira's emergence, and the Source of Reflections.
Prepare to dive into the very heart of our origins. Chapter 127 will be a turning point."
The Infinite Map pulsed with pure silver, illuminating the as-yet-untraveled paths of the memorial odyssey.