Ty's voice carried a mix of caution and curiosity. "I see. Let's not wait for battle to test this. How about now?"
As he closed the distance to John, his words took on a sharper edge. "I don't fully trust what you're hiding, but that can wait." He extended his hand, an invitation veiled in suspicion. John t it with a firm handshake, his eyes unreadable. "Not my problem," he replied coolly.
A mont later, a surreal sensation invaded Ty's mind, like a bubble of noise expanding in the silence. It was an odd, tingling itch, impossible to ignore. A digital prompt flickered into existence within his ntal landscape: "Please give access to mories. 5-second window."
Ty raised an eyebrow. "This 5-second window—it only includes the imdiate past, right?"
John nodded, his face betraying nothing. "As I ntioned, it only lasts as long as my energy holds."
Curious, Ty pressed on, "And how can you tell when you're running out of energy?"
With a casual shrug, John said, "It's a feeling—you know, like a bottle when it starts to empty. It gets lighter, almost imperceptibly, until all weight is gone."
Ty nodded, a hint of understanding flickering in his eyes. "I suppose that does make sense then."
He stepped back, giving space as the others approached, each taking their turn to shake John's hand. As they did, a sudden surge flooded Ty's mind—a sharp, searing pain that seed to ricochet inside his skull. Simultaneously, everyone else buckled to the ground, their faces contorted in agony.
"Ahhh, what the hell is this?!" Ty shouted, his voice cutting through the confusion.
Amidst the chaos, John clapped his hands together and gracefully lowered himself to a seated position, eyes closing as if to shut out the world.
"That's what it feels like," John explained, his voice steady despite the apparent discomfort around him. "Right now, I'm the stopgap, holding them linked. Each mind echoes to the next."
Ty's thoughts raced, skepticism threading through his internal monologue. This has to be the most convoluted, nonsensical skill ever. He's definitely hiding sothing...
"I see, so that's why you need to sit down—to focus, managing the torrent of thoughts swirling around," Ty responded, piecing together the puzzle aloud.
In his mind, another voice intruded, distinctly Gisorn's: Does that damn demon ever shut up?
As Ty turned to Gisorn, Gisorn threw his hands up in a sudden realization. "Oh, shoot—he heard that!" Simultaneously, in Ty's mind, a thought bubble appeared labeling Gisorn as an asshole.
John clapped his hands, interrupting the tension. "I'm not so sure this is a good idea..."
Ty smirked, his confidence unshaken. "No, it's perfect, especially for walking into an ambush. That's why we're doing this now, not later."
Over the next hour, the group intensely focused on synchronizing their thoughts, learning the unique rhythms and patterns of each other's minds.
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Finally, John stood, snapped his fingers, and a visible blue line, visible only to him, snapped as well—the ntal links severing with a faint echo in each person's mind.
"I think that's everything we can manage for now. Let's hope it was wise to use our ti like this," John said, a hint of doubt lingering in his voice.
Ty nodded in agreent. As they approached the entrance, two guards appeared, ushering them forward. "Alright, everyone," one guard announced, "let's move to the holding stage. You're free to answer any questions as you want, or you can say nothing at all."
Ty tilted his head slightly, puzzled. "And who exactly are we speaking to?" He also noticed sothing unusual about the guards; their standard armor was adorned with red diamonds on their chest plates. "What's with the diamonds, by chance?"
The guard, choosing to ignore Ty's inquiries, continued his instructions. At that mont, Gisorn chid in, his tone matter-of-fact. "He's talking about the dia and all that. They'll ask us questions, simple as that."
Ty shrugged, his curiosity only partially satisfied. He scanned the surroundings, noting the other groups congregating nearby. Gears and Fernando stood side by side, Gears unusually upright, his arms crossed defiantly.
He seems annoyed, Ty thought, observing the subtle tension in Gears' posture as the groups began to move slowly toward the entrance they had co from.
In the hush that followed, Ty stood with the others, his mind racing as he strategized. He absorbed every detail, preparing for what lay ahead.
"The sooner this is finished, the better," the guard announced, urging them forward.
Gisorn leaned closer to Ty, his voice low. "These guards are also responsible for the king and other noble personnel. Having to spend their ti protecting us, I imagine they aren't too pleased."
Ty nodded in agreent, seeing the logic in Gisorn's explanation. "Well, I guess that does make sense from that perspective."
As they walked through the exit, a strange blue glow illuminated the pathway, guiding them until the guards led them to a room dominated by a massive pillar of stones. The pillar emitted a black light, with grey outlines stretching across the room, creating an eerie atmosphere.
"Go ahead and walk through this, and you're no longer my problem," one guard said dismissively.
Kern's eyes widened with recognition. "This is one of those portal things I've heard about at the academy, isn't it? Does it really hurt? I heard it can leave a stinging feeling after coming out the other side."
The guards exchanged a brief, knowing glance before one replied with a smirk, "No, why would it hurt? That's just a silly rumor."
Kern rubbed the top of his head, seemingly reassured. "Ah, that makes sense." With a mischievous grin, he walked backward into the portal, throwing a playful salute over his shoulder. "See you losers on the other side!"
Rosana, who had been silent until now, suddenly perked up, her voice tinged with both excitent and apprehension. "A portal?! What does it do?!"
Kern put a hand over his face and stated "Oh, co on, I know even a beast tribe has heard of these from studies."
Rosana shuffled her feet and stated "Well, I never had much studies, I only ever learned from Pops."
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