Stopping in front of the crystal, Julian slowly raised his hand. His fingers hovered just above the surface for a short moment. Then, after taking a small breath, he finally pressed his palm against the cold crystal.
'Please… Goddess Althea, I beg you for a better result this time.'
A faint light appeared near the bottom.
It flickered weakly before slowly climbing upward, but compared to the bright surge Alexius had produced earlier, this one looked almost pitiful.
The glow only reached a short distance before stopping completely, leaving most of the crystal dark. Julian's fingers twitched against the surface as he stared at the result.
"..."
The courtyard became silent as no one said anything.
Somehow, that silence felt far worse.
Julian could feel every pair of eyes fixed on him. His gaze slowly moved toward the adults standing nearby, searching their faces one by one.
Several elders no longer wore the pleased expressions they had shown moments earlier.
