Kay's mind was spinning after the clash with Karl.
The ache in his shoulder throbbed nonstop.
It was a sharp reminder of how far he still was from the nobles' power.
But surviving that punch had lit a tiny flame of hope inside him.
Especially when he linked it to the strange warmth from the crystal during the fight.
That night, dim streetlamp light seeped through the cracks of his window.
Kay sat on his rickety bed, holding the crystal in his palm.
Its surface was smooth.
In the faint glow, it carried a quiet, hypnotic mystery.
He stared at it, trying to piece together how it had helped him dodge Karl's blow.
Suddenly, as if answering his focus, the crystal let out a soft, pulsing light.
Kay jumped, but didn't let go.
The glow brightened.
Then, to his shock, faint symbols surfaced on the crystal.
They weren't like any language he'd ever seen.
Strange curves and dots, shifting slightly as if alive.
Kay's heart pounded.
"What are these?" he whispered.
He flipped through his memories—old tattered books in the slum's broken libraries.
Nothing matched.
As he studied them, an idea struck him.
Ella knew machines. She might recognize odd markings.
Without hesitation, he jumped off the bed.
He wrapped the crystal in a piece of cloth and rushed out into the night toward her hut.
The slum streets were quiet after dark.
Only the occasional stray dog howled in the distance.
Kay's footsteps echoed through the empty alleys as he hurried.
He reached Ella's door and knocked urgently.
Ella had been half-asleep.
She jolted awake, pulled the door open, and rubbed her eyes.
"Kay? What's wrong?"
Kay stepped inside, excitement burning in his face.
"Look at this. I think the crystal is showing us something."
He unwrapped it.
The symbols were still faintly glowing.
Ella's eyes widened.
She leaned closer, frowning in deep concentration.
"These aren't normal marks. They might be an ancient code… or a language from a lost civilization."
"Can you figure them out?" Kay asked, hope flashing in his eyes.
Ella bit her lip.
"I don't know. But I know someone who might help."
"There's an old man in the slums. He's a hermit, but he knows everything about ancient things. I've seen him with weird artifacts before. We can go see him tomorrow."
Kay nodded immediately.
Just getting closer to the crystal's secret made him too restless to sit still.
He barely slept that night.
His mind spun with guesses—what the symbols meant, how they might boost his training, how they could help with the Federal Star Military Academy exam.
The next morning, Kay and Ella set off early to find the hermit.
The slums were waking up.
Children played in the dirt streets.
Women hung tattered rags to dry.
Another hard day was beginning for everyone.
They walked all the way to the far edge of the slums.
That was where the old man lived, in a tiny, run-down hut.
The place was surrounded by piles of strange junk—broken machine parts, old bones, pieces of ancient stone tablets.
Kay knocked.
After a short wait, a hoarse voice called out.
"Who is it?"
"It's Ella, sir. I brought a friend. We need your help," she answered.
The door creaked open.
An old man with a long white beard and sharp, clever eyes stood there.
He eyed them suspiciously.
"What do you want?"
Kay stepped forward and held out the crystal with the symbols.
"Sir, we found this crystal. These symbols appeared on it. We don't understand them. We were hoping you could help."
The second the old man saw the crystal, his eyes widened.
He took it gently from Kay's hand, his fingers trembling slightly.
"Where did you find this?" he asked, voice mixing shock and excitement.
Kay told him about the ruins near the slums.
The old man listened closely, never taking his eyes off the crystal.
After a long, quiet moment, he spoke.
"These symbols belong to an ancient race that once traveled the stars. They were famous for controlling energy and space itself. If we can decode these… this could unlock great power."
Kay and Ella looked at each other, thrilled.
"So you can help us decipher them?" Kay asked.
The old man nodded slowly.
"It won't be easy. It'll take time. And I need certain materials. But I'll do my best."
"This could change everything—not just for you two, but maybe for the whole slum, if we learn to use this power."
Over the next few days, Kay and Ella helped the old man gather what he needed.
They dug through scrap yards.
Searched abandoned buildings.
Kay's training took a backseat.
He was too caught up in the hope that the crystal's secret would give him an edge over nobles like Karl.
But as they worked, Kay couldn't stop thinking about the entrance exam.
Time was running out.
Every day without real training made his chest tight with anxiety.
Still, he knew the power hidden in the crystal might be his only real ticket to a better future.
One evening, after a long day of searching, Kay glanced at the crystal in the old man's hands.
The symbols seemed to glow a little brighter, as if waiting to be unlocked.
"I hope this is worth it," he said to Ella.
Ella smiled softly.
"I think it will be. Just imagine, Kay. If we unlock this power, you'll be one step closer to the academy. To changing our lives."
Kay nodded, his determination burning bright again.
He knew more challenges lay ahead.
But the crystal's mystery had given him a new purpose.
As the days passed, he waited eagerly for the moment they would finally decode the symbols.
And uncover the true secret hidden inside the crystal.