As soon as those two innocent chickens were caught in their hands, the plan moved forward without hesitation.
Most of the Chosen Ones took Drakhairs to the Void Empire to speak with Mary directly.
The remaining mbers stayed behind in the eting room, their attention fixed on Lyirrs, who stood near the long table, eyes narrowed as she processed the dangerous proposal of opening the barrier.
"I think there is a way," Lyirrs said at last, "But it is not simple. Not even close."
Sandra’s brows drew together. "Complicated how?"
Lyirrs exhaled slowly, "It is hard to explain without showing it," she said. She tilted her head slightly, her gaze drifting toward the scattered docunts on the table.
"Those papers there... may I use them?"
Sandra followed her gaze, then nodded, sliding the docunts toward her without hesitation.
Lyirrs arranged a single sheet upright on the table, steadying it with careful fingers. In her other hand, she lifted a glass filled with clear water.
"Imagine this water as Mixed Arcane and Clarion Energy," she said, "And this paper represents the barrier that seals our Empire."
Everyone nodded.
Without warning, Lyirrs jerked the glass forward, splashing water hard against one side of the paper. Droplets scattered across the table, but the sheet remained standing.
"This is how the barrier functions," she continued. "Energy can pour endlessly against it, but as long as the barrier maintains sufficient strength and endurance, nothing passes through. It absorbs the pressure and holds." She lifted her gaze to et theirs. "What you are asking, however, is to open a portion of that barrier, even if only a small one, to throw those tallic figures appears within, right?"
Again, heads nodded.
Lyirrs reached for another sheet and carefully cut a narrow strip through its centre, creating a visible gap.
"Now watch closely," she said. "This is what happens when energy is given a path."
She poured the water again, harder this ti. The stream slipped cleanly through the opening, soaking the table beneath. The paper shuddered, tiny tears forming along the edges of the cut, spreading like fragile veins under strain.
"At first, this is all you see," she said quietly. "Minor damage. Cracks that seem manageable."
She continued pouring, unrelenting. The weakened section began to sag, fibres tearing further as the paper slowly gave way.
"Wait," she said before anyone could speak. "It is not finished."
She turned to Sandra,
"Try tearing it now. Right down the middle. Do it while the pressure continues."
Sandra let out a slow breath and reached for the new paper, and carefully held it.
Lyirrs started pouring as Sandra tried to tear lightly, But,
Tearrr!
The paper split completely, collapsing in on itself.
Sandra’s lips tightened.
Lyirrs straightened, setting the glass aside as she faced them all.
"There are two outcos," she said frir, "First, if we suddenly open a sector of the barrier, the contained energies will surge violently. That surge will strain the surrounding structure, cracking the edges of the opening and weakening the barrier as a whole. In ti, that weakness will spread."
She paused,
"The second outco is worse," she continued. "If the barrier is opened while those energies are still present and active, there is a ninety percent chance the entire structure will collapse in seconds."
Her gaze moved across the room, making sure every face understood, even Thalia and Nightfire, who were frozen in silence.
"Either path leads to failure," Lyirrs said quietly. "There is no safe version of this choice."
There was no easy answer.
And perhaps no answer at all.
Xara, however, humd softly, a faint smile touching her lips as she reached for the paper.
"Actually... there is a way," she said with a calm tone.
She handed the paper to Sandra and gestured for her to hold it steady.
Sandra rolled her eyes, but she still let out a tired sigh and accepted the task. Without arguing further, Xara nodded toward Lyirrs, silently signalling her to keep pouring the water.
Xara turned to face everyone.
"What Lyirrs explained is absolutely correct," she said. "If we proceed the way we all suggested, failure is guaranteed. The barrier will weaken, rupture, and eventually collapse. And when that happens..." She paused, "Everyone dies."
"However..." Xara continued, her eyes shifting toward Lyirrs, who was now frowning at her with growing curiosity. "What if we do not tear the barrier open, but instead give it a precise nudge?"
"Huh?" Lyirrs murmured, tilting her head slightly.
Before anyone could stop her, Xara drove her finger forward, puncturing the paper sharply. At that exact mont, the stream of water struck the surface, but instead of passing through, it was forced back, splashing outward.
Xara withdrew her finger imdiately, and the remaining water slid across the paper as the punctured fibres closed in on themselves.
Eyebrows rose around the room as understanding spread from face to face.
The idea was simple, almost deceptively so. If the energy inside the barrier already exerted force, then introducing an opposing force, stronger and precisely tid, would prevent entry. Instead of breaking inward, the pressure would rebound outward.
Nice one.
Lyirrs blinked, confusion flickering across her expression before realisation slowly began to take shape. She nodded faintly, then hesitated.
"But the barrier is not paper," she said carefully. "It is solid. If we try to puncture it directly... I do not think it will respond the sa way."
Xara nodded without hesitation.
"That is why we thin the barrier first."
A ripple of surprise passed through the room as several of them raised their eyebrows.
"Yes," Xara continued. "We reduce the thickness of the barrier enough that it behaves like paper, but not so much that it breaks."
Dora crossed her arms, her expression tight with concern.
"Is that even possible?" she asked. "Thinning the barrier is practically the sa as putting the entire empire on the line, is it not?"
Lyirrs did not answer imdiately. Her eyes remained fixed on the paper, thoughts racing as she weighed possibilities, calculations, and consequences. Ti seed to slow around her until, at last, she nodded with a slow, thoughtful expression.
"I think... yes," she said quietly. "It is possible."
Thalia frowned, tension evident in her posture.
"Are you sure?"
Lyirrs shook her head.
"No," she admitted. "But compared to the previous plans, the probability of catastrophic failure is lower."
"How much lower?" Selene asked, curiosity cutting through her worry.
"Around... sixty to seventy percent success," Lyirrs replied.
"That is still dangerously high," Nightfire said, his face pale with unease.
Xara shrugged her shoulders lightly.
"That is all I have to offer," she said, turning her gaze back to Lyirrs.
Lyirrs twitched slightly, her head tilting at an odd angle as she stared at the paper with intense focus. Her lips moved soundlessly, thoughts colliding and rearranging until sothing clicked.
Sandra opened her mouth to speak, but Xara lifted a hand, silencing her. Sandra’s lips twitched in irritation, yet she waited, sensing sothing important unfolding.
Lyirrs nodded several tis, sharper now, excitent creeping into her voice.
"Shit... why did I not think of that?" she muttered.
Xara lifted her eyebrows with a hint of smug satisfaction, glancing sideways at Sandra, who snorted and rolled her eyes in response.
Lyirrs straightened, energy returning to her posture.
"Yes," she said, voice firm. "While thinning the barrier, we can create another layer by shifting its position. A temporary replacent, synchronised with the thinning process."
Xara blinked, "Huh?"
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