The words rang in Sabine Dranki's mind for a moment. Though she didn't quite understand them, she felt a sense of calm. She decided not to dwell on them and instead focused on solving the mystery at hand. She channeled Magei through her hands and into the stone but encountered resistance. She knew that if she faltered for even a second, she would lose the opportunity to enter the secret undercroft of the Monastery of Scimagi.

Sabine was once lacking in confidence, but those days were long gone. Her trust in herself was the only thing keeping her from giving up. She pressed the door softly, and as she did, the door frame lit up like a starry sky. There were moments when she thought she had done something wrong, but the doors folded into light as if they were not physically there but an illusion to prevent unauthorized entry.

She glanced back at Andromeda, feeling relieved. She had never been able to do this alone before, but Andromeda's presence made all the difference.

They both became excited, but suddenly, the mechatechnite disappeared into the darkness as if it had seen something dangerous. Sabine and Andromeda ran to catch up, but the creature was gone. It was as if all of its life essence had been extinguished and its tether severed. Sabine examined the warm ash heap left behind.

As they looked around, they noticed a strange figure in the back of the dark chamber. Sabine asked who it was, but there was no answer. The shadowy figure moved between the pylons like a ghost, stalking them. They stood their ground.

"Hold this, Andromeda!"

shouted Sabine, as she attempted a binding spell to capture the soul and bring it under her control. They had always been best friends since the day they both graduated as First Class Witch/Wizards. Sabine and Andromeda didn’t realize this, but they had been here since they were infants, cared for by the Monkinuns—except for Andromeda, who was found in the snow a few days after Sabine was discovered. But she loved her friend dearly and could not stand by while Sabine fought this thing.

Andromeda held her channeler ring up to the sky, creating a protective force field dome over them. "The protection spell only lasts for two minutes. Be quick!" she whispered. They both took a deep breath, and on the exhale, Sabine uttered the words, "Servios, spirita, condandiå," and the spirit was sucked into her pendant. The entrapment was successful, and the spirit calmed upon entering.

"Who are you? What did you do to me?" the spirit detached, echoing.

"We bound you to a soul stone. It will allow us to talk to you and understand you," replied Sabine.

The room was silent for a moment before the spirit spoke again. "Well then, you must seek the first Shard of Alinagon's Alinari. He sent me here when he was forging the robes of the Scimagi, and when he trapped me here, I was entrusted with the secret of its location."

Sabine smiled slightly, and although Andromeda hadn’t seen it, she smiled too. The strange ghost was not see-through but had a bioluminescent glow that made her look like a glowing fish surrounded by too many planktonic organisms.

She also had a halo above her head, but it was only visible from the front. Meanwhile, Andromeda was holding the signature balance that made it easy to see the room, and its dark surroundings made her a little afraid.