Amaris' POV
"So… what do I do now?" Trent asked, his voice uncertain. He looked at me with such trust in his eyes that it almost hurt to meet them.
"Well, we are already finished with your initial checkup," I said, keeping my tone gentle. "Although we still need to search through the archives for certain files and inventions that may help, I believe it would be best for us to take a short break first."
Trent nodded, then leaned back in his seat. We were in the garden of the estate. I had chosen this place deliberately—its serenity might help soothe him, perhaps even dull the gem's constant craving for battle.
My eyes wandered over the rows of flowers, the soft purples of lavender mixing with vibrant blooms of other colors. I sipped my tea slowly, letting the moment of peace settle over me. For just a breath of time, I could forget the turmoil twisting inside my heart. But peace never lasted long. I rose from my seat and looked directly at Trent.
"It would be wise for us to begin searching for the necessary devices and machinery now," I said.
Trent stood as well, his expression shifting into a look of resolve. He nodded, and together we walked back into the estate. The silence between us was heavy, but not suffocating.
We descended deeper into the mansion, to a place where only a chosen few were permitted. Before us stood a massive door. I heard Trent's sharp intake of breath. With practiced ease, I placed my finger against the scanner. The coder accepted my print, and the doors opened with a deep mechanical hum.
For a fleeting moment, a strange thought slipped from my lips: "Why is it that the people of this world possess such advanced technology… yet I had to intervene simply to create a proper smartphone because I could not bear to use those keypad phones any longer? Ah… what a curious world we live in."
"Huh? What did you say?" Trent asked, clearly confused.
I shook my head softly and smiled. "It is nothing. Let us proceed inside."
The room that opened before us was staggering—machines of various sizes, gleaming inventions, and shelves upon shelves of neatly arranged files. My breath caught. It was my first time seeing this archive in person.
Trent let out an awed, "Woah."
I could only agree inwardly. I took out my phone and opened an app labeled ShinShin. Mother had designed it herself—it contained every detail of the estate. Navigating through it, I opened the family archive and began searching for the appropriate devices.
"Oh, this one… and this as well… and certainly this," I murmured, tapping each file. The app pinpointed their exact locations for me. I turned to Trent. "Please, follow me."
He did so without hesitation. We arrived first at a small, box-like machine.
"What does this do? Am I… allowed to touch it?" Trent asked carefully.
I gave him a reassuring nod. "Of course. This is the Dino Gem Resonance Analyzer. It was designed to detect and measure a dino gem's resonance. With this, we can track your life energy and the influence the gem exerts upon you."
His eyes widened with amazement, though I caught the hint of skepticism behind them.
After a pause, he asked, "Forgive me if this is too personal, Amaris… but why did your family create something like this?"
I let my fingers brush against the device. "When the dino gem accepted me as its host, my family feared it could pose a danger to me. They built many devices to ensure my safety. This analyzer is one of them. Fortunately, my gem was nothing like that—it accepted me wholly, and even strengthened my body. Because of that, this machine was placed here, deep within the archives, forgotten." The memories washed over me like a wave.
Trent nodded in understanding, his gaze still fixed on the machine. I allowed him a few moments of admiration before gently tapping his shoulder.
"Oh—sorry," he muttered.
"It is no trouble at all," I replied softly. Then, I moved forward. "Let us continue."
We reached a second device. "This," I explained, "is the Bio-Energy Synchronizer. It monitors the wearer's heartbeat, neural activity, and aura alignment. In addition, it reveals how well—or how poorly—you are bonding with your gem." I gestured to a nearby monitor. "We will be able to view the results here."
He nodded again, absorbing every word.
Finally, we stopped before a capsule-like device with crystalline designs across its frame.
"Is this one of those machines as well?" Trent asked, eyes wide.
"Precisely," I answered, offering a small smile. "This device performs deep scans. It allows us to view the gem's energy signature and determine whether it has altered your DNA. More importantly, it will help us see how far the evil encoding has spread."
Trent stiffened slightly. "And… this machine can fix it?"
"Yes," I said calmly. "This chamber can amplify and disamplify the gem's energy. By amplifying it enough, the evil encoding will overload—and shatter. It may very well free you."
He swallowed hard. "How do you know that will work?"
I hesitated only briefly. Because in the show, that was exactly how it happened. But instead of saying that, I explained gently, "I have reasons to believe this method will succeed. You need not worry—I will be by your side the entire time."
I reached out, resting a hand lightly on his shoulder. "Please do not be afraid. We will rid you of this darkness soon enough." I smiled as warmly as I could.
Trent's tense expression softened into a faint smile of his own. "Yeah… thanks, Amaris."
I patted his shoulder again, more firmly this time. And for the first time in years, I drew upon the gift my gem had given me. Temporal energy stirred around me as I closed my eyes, heightening my senses. I reached for Trent's timeline—not to alter it, but simply to feel.
His emotions washed over me like a storm. Fear was there, heavy and sharp. Guilt coiled beneath it, frustration and helplessness tangled together. I nearly pulled back, regret prickling at the edges of my mind. But then—I felt it.
Hope.
A quiet smile tugged at my lips. For the first time, I did not regret using this ability.