Divine Apostasy Book 12 - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Ruwen continued humming as they approached the riverbank, and the glow intensified before the mud fell away, revealing a circular tunnel that sloped gently downward. Orange crystals embedded in the walls provided enough light to see, and the tunnel floor remained dry despite being below the water level.

"That was easy," Overlord said suspiciously.

"Too easy," Uruziel replied.

Ruwen agreed but stepped into the tunnel anyway. The passage descended in a spiral, and the deeper they went the warmer the air became. The faint scent of spices mixed with the soothing smell of flowers.

After several minutes, the tunnel opened into the chamber Ruwen had detected earlier. Unlike the Root vault's geode structure, the Sacral vault contained lush plants growing from every surface despite the lack of sunlight. The leaves shimmered from an inner luminescence. Small pools of crystal-clear water dotted the chamber floor, each one shining with a different color.

In the cavern’s center, rising from the largest pool, stood a mass of coral that climbed upward like ivy. Hundreds of red and orange crystals, filled with trapped lightning, grew from the coral. It was like seeing a hundred miniature sunsets, and its beauty made Ruwen stop in awed wonder.

"One of those is the Carnelian of Desire," Ruwen whispered.

A Notification appeared, ruining the moment.

You have entered the Sacral Vault of the Ceardai Clan.

Theft or damage will accelerate the Guardian’s awakening.

Current state: Dozing (Awakening 7% complete).

Ruwen dismissed the warning and approached the central structure cautiously, his senses and Mental Domain extended to detect any traps or guards.

The carnelian crystals varied in size from less than an inch to over a foot. Their shapes didn’t have the clean geometric lines that the tourmaline contained. Instead, each gem resembled a frozen flame, its surface polished to mirror smoothness.

Ruwen hummed the Sacral chakra's "D" note, causing all the crystals to resonate in some fashion. Using Harmonic Sight, he slowly circled the coral looking for the most responsive gem.

Like the black tourmaline, the carnelian crystals contained intricate energy patterns, each slightly different than its neighbors. But where the Root crystal's energy had been stable and grounding, these flowed and shifted continuously, never settling into a fixed pattern for long.

One carnelian blazed brighter than all the others, but Ruwen circled the structure twice more to make sure he hadn’t overlooked any other gems.

Ruwen stood before the hand sized crystal flame that burned with inner light. Waves of warm and positive feelings poured from the crystal, bathing him in what felt like emotional sunshine. He reached out and the crystal dropped into his palms.

Ruwen’s Sacral chakra burned and then turned frigid. It vibrated in synch with the gem in his hand.

In fact, the entire chamber vibrated, the pools rippling from this surge of power. An irrational amount of happiness filled Ruwen. His Saraph body, hidden in his five Destruction Realm Meridians, came to life, and he roared with violent anticipation. Visions of conquest filled his thoughts. He would rule the Destruction Realm and destroy any who resisted.

Ruwen’s emotions continued to whipsaw across the spectrum of feelings. The carnelian amplified them all. Or, perhaps, as his logical mind forced its way into his thoughts, the gem only focused his attention, stripping away the noise and revealing his emotions for the first time. Yes, that felt right. Emotional clarity.

Ruwen learned to ride the surges, using his Sacral chakra like a raft. His stomach ached from laughing, his throat felt scratchy from screaming, and his thoughts remained scattered from the rush of ideas and possibilities.

Ruwen found himself kneeling in the central pool, his Sacral chakra a warm sphere under his bellybutton, and his muscles trembling.

“That was disturbing,” Overlord said.

“Why was that so…intense?” Ruwen whispered, not moving from his kneeling position.

Uruziel answered. “For your age, you’re very mature, but your emotions are the least developed part of your personality. They’re like wild animals. Touching that crystal turned them loose and gave them incredible amounts of energy. I’m shocked and amazed it only took you two hours to regain control.”

“Two hours!” Ruwen repeated in surprise.

“I think the imbalance caused this,” Overlord said.

Ruwen tried to stand but decided resting on his knees a bit longer was a better idea.

Overlord continued. “We know advancing your Soul, Blood, and Harmony magic put a strain on your undeveloped chakras. Even your Conceptual magic made gains when creating those luck potions. Remember you worried advancing your chakra magic might already be impossible. When you think about it like that, releasing all that magical tension in just two hours is remarkable.”

Ruwen didn’t raise his head but gave a small nod. “That’s true. I just expected this to be more like my Root Activation. That was easy.”

“Your Crown chakra will likely be trivial to Activate,” Uruziel said, “but the second easiest would be your Root because of the Bamboo Viper Steps. I’m going to guess your Heart chakra might cause a few issues as well.”

“You do have a hard time letting people close to you,” Overlord said.

Ruwen raised his head enough to look at Overlord’s projection. “Now you’re relationship expert?”

Overlord sat cross-legged near Ruwen’s head. The water rippled through his incorporeal body. “Nobody knows you better than me. I’m just speaking from experience.”

Ruwen sighed. “Sorry, Overlord. You’re right. I’m emotionally exhausted and not thinking straight.”

“No need to apologize. We all felt an echo of what you experienced. It’s given me a lot to think about.”

“Everyone in there felt that?”

“Yes, some more than others. It hit me pretty hard.”

“Oof, I didn’t even think about it impacting anyone else.”

Overlord didn’t respond right away. When Ruwen looked up, Overlord shook his head a little and pressed his lips together.

“What’s wrong?” Uruziel asked Overlord.

Overlord sighed. “Feeling all your emotions reminded me of the first time in your Mental Domain. I tasted what living was like for the first time. It just reminds me of how far I need to go to be whole.”

Uruziel sat next to Overlord, so close their bodies touched. He put an arm around her, and she laid her head on his shoulder.

Ruwen pushed himself up and transitioned into a sitting position as well. He noticed how Overlord and Uruziel, neither of whom needed to breathe, had synched their breathing regardless. Ruwen noted the familiar way Overlord pulled Uruziel tight and how her shoulders relaxed. Overlord tried to hide his sadness, but, like Ruwen, was terrible at it.

Seeing these emotions so plainly displayed shook Ruwen. Is this how clearly his friends viewed others? Sift always poked fun at Ruwen’s sour face. Ruwen had always been an honest and straightforward person. He lacked the masking skills that someone like Lylan had been forced to develop. Recognizing these emotions was the necessary step in learning to control them. And for the first time, he identified the spectrum his emotions existed on. In the past he’d always been happy or sad or serious. Now he felt the hundreds of small steps between them.

Ruwen shifted his sight into Harmony before adding Harmonic Sight and then Harmonic Knowledge.

Uruziel’s head rose from Overlord’s shoulder, and she leaned forward, her concern for Ruwen as obvious now as her love for Overlord. “What’s wrong Ruwen?”

Ruwen swept his forearm across his eyes and cheeks. “Nothing.”

Understanding dawned on Overlord’s face and he reached for Uruziel’s hand. “Let’s go see the new view.”

Overlord and Uruziel disappeared. Ruwen knew they’d come to see out of his eyes.

Ruwen’s vision had once traced a world of stark simplicity—straight edges and hard corners, a frame of muted tones like a child’s sketch drawn with a ruler and a handful of dull crayons. The Bard Gunder had unveiled a world far richer, revealing a riot of colors and intricate patterns that had existed beyond Ruwen’s grasp like a concert he’d strained to hear but couldn’t yet comprehend.

Ruwen’s Activated Sacral chakra changed all that.

The carnelian gems covering the coral structure at the chamber's center now vibrated with life. They’d transformed from dim lights into amber stars. Harmonic Knowledge revealed complex mathematical relationships and spiraling geometries.

The once-invisible ties between the gems and the chamber now appeared as filaments of light, a spiderweb of interconnected energy. The pools of water hummed with melodies that spanned the spectrum from aqua to indigo. The shades bled into one another like watercolors on rain-dampened canvas.

Ruwen sat, frozen with joy. Harmony’s straight edges had melted into curves, the hard corners softened into swells.

The world hadn’t changed.

But Ruwen’s capacity to perceive its true, stunning complexity, had finally evolved.