The Extra's Rise-Chapter 446: Investigation (4)

The third day of investigation brought new restrictions and more blatant obstruction. Entire wings of the palace were suddenly "closed for ceremonial preparations," and our team assignments grew increasingly mundane. We were relegated to examining the eastern gardens—beautiful but strategically irrelevant.

"They're stonewalling us," Ava said as we walked among meticulously sculpted hedges. "Every time we find something promising, we're reassigned."

I nodded, my frustration mounting. The investigation was stalling, and worse, my concentration continued to splinter. The visions—memories?—were growing more frequent, more vivid. They came without warning, triggered by seemingly random things: a particular shade of pink, the scent of jasmine, certain angles of sunlight.

"We need to change our approach," I said, pulling myself back to the present. "Instead of following their assignments, let's focus on what they're trying to hide."

"The central courtyard," Jin suggested immediately. "Multiple sources have mentioned changes there."

"And the western observatory," I added, recalling Terran's information.

"How do we get access when they're actively preventing it?" Hiro asked.

I considered our options. Direct confrontation would only result in more diplomatic maneuvering. We needed a subtler approach.

"The evening reception," I said slowly. "Tonight's cultural exchange event. Most of the palace officials will be occupied, including our shadows."

Jin caught on immediately. "A perfect opportunity for a small, unofficial excursion."

"Precisely," I agreed. "Ava, Jin, and I will slip away during the reception. The rest of you maintain our presence there, make sure we're not missed."

The plan set, we continued our perfunctory examination of the gardens. As we worked, I found my gaze drawn to a palace balcony where Alyssara stood watching us, her pink hair catching the sunlight. Unlike the furtive glimpses I'd had before, she made no attempt to hide her observation. When our eyes met, she smiled—a gesture that sent another spike of disorientation through me.

"She's been watching you specifically," Ava noted quietly. "Not just today—throughout the investigation."

"I've noticed," I replied, trying to sound unconcerned despite the turmoil in my mind.

"Any idea why?" Jin asked.

I shook my head, unwilling to share the strange visions and the unsettling similarities between Alyssara and the woman in them. "Maybe she's just curious about the outsiders."

Jin didn't look convinced, but he dropped the subject as we continued our assigned task.

Later, as the palace prepared for the evening reception, we finalized our plans. The cultural exchange event would bring together representatives from both the Southern Sea Sun Palace and the Eastern continent in a display of diplomatic goodwill, despite the tensions of the investigation.

"We'll slip away thirty minutes after the formal speeches," I said as we met briefly in my quarters. "The western observatory first, then the central courtyard if time permits."

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Ava asked.

"Anything that explains the recent changes," I replied. "Evidence of these 'outsiders' Terran mentioned, or whatever they're using the Red Sun's energy for."

The reception transformed the central hall of the palace into a showcase of cultural exchange. Representatives from both sides performed traditional arts, shared culinary delicacies, and engaged in carefully diplomatic conversations. Beneath the veneer of cooperation, however, I could sense the undercurrent of tension—palace officials watching the investigators closely, and vice versa.

Daedric presided over the event from a raised dais, his crimson eyes constantly scanning the crowds. Beside him sat Alyssara, resplendent in robes that seemed to shift from deep red to vibrant pink as she moved. Even from a distance, I could feel her gaze following me, and it took considerable effort to avoid looking in her direction.

After the formal speeches and initial performances, I gave the signal to Jin and Ava. With practiced casualness, we drifted to different parts of the hall, then slipped out through separate exits when attention was focused on a particularly spectacular display of Eastern fire magic.

We regrouped in a small antechamber as planned, quickly checking that we hadn't been followed.

"We have perhaps an hour before our absence might be noticed," Ava whispered. "Where do we start?"

"The western observatory," I replied. "It's further from the reception, so there should be fewer people around."

Moving through the palace unsupervised was risky, but the reception had pulled most of the guards and officials away from their normal posts. We encountered only a few servants, who paid us little attention as we walked purposefully, as if on official business.

The western wing of the palace had a different character from the eastern sections we'd been investigating—older, more austere, with fewer of the recent renovations evident elsewhere. The observatory itself was housed in a tower that rose above the surrounding structures, accessible through a spiraling staircase.

As we approached, however, it became clear that the observatory wasn't as unguarded as we'd hoped. Two palace guards stood at the base of the stairs, their posture alert despite the lateness of the hour.

"Now what?" Jin murmured as we ducked back around a corner.

I considered our options, none of them ideal. We couldn't force our way past the guards without creating an incident, and we didn't have time for an elaborate distraction.

"There must be another way up," I said, studying the layout of the surrounding corridors. "Service access, perhaps?" freewebnσvel.cøm

Ava pointed to a narrow door partially hidden behind a tapestry. "There. Maintenance passage, most likely."

The door was locked, but Ava made quick work of the simple mechanism with a clever application of her ward-breaking techniques. The passage beyond was narrow and dusty, clearly unused for some time. It led to a cramped spiral staircase that wound upward alongside the main one.

We ascended carefully, the worn steps creaking despite our caution. The passage eventually opened into a small anteroom adjacent to the observatory proper. Unlike the grand staircase, this entrance wasn't guarded—but it was sealed with multiple wards, far more complex than a mere maintenance door should require.

"These are serious protections," Ava whispered, examining the magical barriers. "Detection wards, locking enchantments, even an alarm trigger. Whatever they're hiding, they really don't want anyone finding it."

"Can you bypass them?" I asked.

She studied the configurations for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I think so, but it will take time and concentration. If anything goes wrong, it will trigger the alarms instantly."

"Do it," I said. "Jin and I will keep watch."

While Ava worked on the wards, Jin and I positioned ourselves to monitor both the maintenance passage and the main entrance to the observatory. Through a small window in the anteroom, I could see the guards still standing at attention at the base of the grand staircase.

Ava's work was methodical and precise, her fingers tracing complex patterns in the air as she carefully neutralized each layer of protection. After nearly fifteen minutes of intense concentration, she finally straightened with a relieved sigh.

"Done," she whispered. "We have maybe ten minutes before the temporary bypasses start to fail."

The door opened silently, revealing the observatory beyond. The circular chamber was dominated by a massive telescope that pointed skyward through a retractable section of the dome ceiling. Unlike the dusty maintenance passage, the observatory was immaculately maintained, its instruments gleaming in the faint light.

But it wasn't being used for astronomy.

The telescope had been modified, its lens replaced with a complex array of crystals that seemed to capture and focus light. Cables and conduits led from the array to a central platform where a large, pulsing crystal the size of a small car sat mounted in an elaborate frame.

"It's a conductor," Ava breathed, moving closer to examine the setup. "They're using the observatory to channel light from the Red Sun artifact directly into this crystal."

Jin studied the equipment with a frown. "But for what purpose?"

I approached the central platform, careful not to touch anything. The crystal pulsed with a rhythmic glow, each beat sending ripples of energy along the cables that led from it. The cables disappeared into the floor, suggesting they continued to some location beneath the observatory.

"They're redirecting the Red Sun's energy," I said, the pieces beginning to align in my mind. "Channeling it somewhere else in the palace."

"The central courtyard," Jin suggested. "That's where the recent structural modifications were focused."

Before we could investigate further, a faint sound from the main staircase caught our attention—voices, growing closer. The guards were changing rotation, and their replacements were coming up to the observatory.

"Time to go," I whispered urgently.

We slipped back through the maintenance door just as the main entrance opened. Ava quickly reactivated the wards behind us, though in her haste, she couldn't restore them completely to their original state. Anyone examining them closely would know they'd been tampered with.

We descended the cramped staircase as quickly as we dared, painfully aware of how vulnerable we'd be if discovered. Only when we reached the lower levels and emerged into an empty corridor did we pause to catch our breath.

"That was close," Jin muttered, glancing back toward the observatory tower.

"But worth it," Ava added. "Now we know they're channeling the Red Sun's energy. The question is, to where and for what?"

"The central courtyard seems our best bet," I said, checking the time. "But we've been gone from the reception too long already. If we don't return soon, our absence will be noticed."

Reluctantly, we agreed to postpone further exploration and return to the cultural event. The information we'd gathered was valuable but incomplete—a piece of the puzzle rather than the full picture.