Chapter 958: Please Hold

The remaining daylight passed with the underground restoration team working harder than they had at any point since discovering the reservoir.

Yet there was a noticeable difference in their efforts.

For most of the day, the students had been attempting to understand a system that stubbornly refused to behave as expected. Now, they had a procedure to follow, a clearer understanding of its requirements, and enough confidence in their findings to begin preparing for activation.

Ariana directed the Alchemy students through the final preparations, assigning each group a specific responsibility. Some refined the stabilizing compounds according to her revised calculations, while others inspected the regulating seals and compared their responses against earlier measurements. Two students were assigned to monitor the central crystal’s circulation during activation, while another pair prepared the instruments needed to measure fluctuations in Myst pressure.

Dylan worked with several Forgemastery students around the maintenance bypass, inspecting the repaired housing and confirming that its secondary channels could safely receive external Myst. He had spent nearly half an hour ensuring that the regulating assembly would not distribute the temporary supply into the wrong portions of the network.

His enthusiasm for insulting the ancient designers had diminished considerably during that process.

"Whoever positioned this inspection fitting deserves to spend eternity repairing their own work," he muttered, crouching beside the assembly.

A nearby Forgemastery student glanced at him. "You said the design was brilliant earlier."

"The design is brilliant. The maintenance access is an offense against civilization."

"There’s a difference?"

"A very important one."

He reached deeper into the housing, adjusted a narrow fitting, and examined the alignment before withdrawing his hand.

"There. That should hold."

Across the chamber, Ariana checked another set of measurements before approving the mixture prepared by two Alchemy students. She had already rejected one batch after noticing a minor imbalance in its Myst response. The correction cost them several minutes, but she considered that preferable to discovering the problem while the crystal was active.

’We have enough information to do this properly,’ she thought, reviewing the final values. ’There’s no reason to rush the most important part.’

Edith moved between the workstations, ensuring that requested equipment reached the correct students and that the temporary supply of materials remained organized. Sheila handled the broader coordination, periodically checking whether the technical teams required assistance while keeping unnecessary personnel away from the increasingly crowded central apparatus.

Liam assisted briefly when two students needed help moving a reinforced support into position. Once it was secured, he returned to observing from a safe distance.

He had little reason to involve himself further.

The chamber was full of students who understood precisely what they were doing.

By the time the final components were ready, the remaining sunlight had begun fading from the upper levels of Veyrhold.

The restoration team had reached the point where further preparation would accomplish little without an actual test.

Ariana stood before the central crystal, studying the newly connected regulating apparatus one last time.

Then she turned toward Sheila.

"We’re ready to begin."

Sheila looked toward Edith.

"Inform Maxwell and Quenivarius. I want them in the control chamber when the power reaches the upper systems."

Edith nodded and activated her communication insignia.

"Maxwell, Quenivarius. The reservoir team is preparing for activation. Take your positions in the control room and confirm when you’re ready."

A brief crackle answered her.

Then Maxwell’s voice came through.

"Understood. We’re heading up now."

Quenivarius could be heard behind him.

"Do remind them that the primary control lattice must not be subjected to irregular Myst pressure. The restored relay assemblies have been calibrated within—"

"They know, Quenivarius."

"Nevertheless, proper communication of operational tolerances is—"

The transmission ended.

Edith lowered her hand.

"They’re on their way."

***

The upper control chamber remained dark when Maxwell and Quenivarius entered.

Its restoration had progressed considerably since their first inspection. Damaged relay housings had been repaired, loose connections secured, and several mechanical assemblies restored to their original positions. The large control board occupying the chamber’s central section was no longer surrounded by discarded components and open fittings.

But without Myst, the entire arrangement still looked lifeless.

Maxwell approached the primary relay assembly and rested his hand against its housing.

"Everything’s ready on our end."

Quenivarius moved toward the control board, studying the inscriptions embedded around its perimeter.

"Provided the reservoir establishes a sufficiently stable supply, the primary relay sequence should activate automatically. The command-routing channels should then receive Myst according to their assigned priority."

Maxwell glanced at him.

"Which means we wait."

"That is a rather reductive description."

"Is it wrong?"

Quenivarius hesitated.

"No."

"Wonderful."

Maxwell leaned against the edge of a reinforced workstation, keeping his eyes on the dark crystals.

They had spent most of the day repairing mechanisms they could not fully test. If the reservoir succeeded, they would finally discover whether their work had been as sound as they believed.

’Come on,’ Maxwell thought. ’Don’t make us tear everything apart again.’

Quenivarius, meanwhile, examined the relay inscriptions with growing anticipation.

He had studied the chamber extensively, yet much of its original design remained uncertain. The absence of power had prevented him from verifying several interpretations.

Now that limitation might finally disappear.

"Once the relays activate," he said, "I intend to examine the secondary control functions immediately."

Maxwell sighed.

"How about we confirm the first system works before you adopt the rest of the building?"

"Curiosity is the foundation of progress, Samson."

"So is eating dinner."

Quenivarius looked mildly offended.

Maxwell ignored him and returned his attention to the darkened board.

***

Below them, the reservoir chamber had grown considerably quieter.

The maintenance bypass stood ready, its repaired regulating channels connected to the surrounding lattice. The necessary stabilizing compounds had been positioned near the central apparatus, and the students responsible for monitoring the circulation had taken their assigned places.

Sheila, Edith, Liam, and several others remained beyond the marked working area.

At the center, Ariana took a slow breath.

She was confident in the procedure.

That did not mean she intended to underestimate the condition of a system that had remained inactive for so long.

’One stage at a time,’ she reminded herself. ’Confirm the response before increasing the flow.’

She turned toward the students monitoring the temporary circuit.

"External supply?"

"Ready."

"Regulating lattice?"

Dylan checked the final alignment of the bypass assembly.

"Connected and secured. The isolation fittings are holding."

"Stabilizing mixture?"

A girl beside the alchemical workstation examined the faintly illuminated contents of a transparent vessel.

"Balanced. No irregular reaction."

Ariana nodded.

"Good. Keep the main distribution channels isolated until I authorize the transition. If the circulation rate moves outside the agreed range, report it immediately."

The students acknowledged her instructions.

Dylan glanced toward the central crystal.

"Well, old monster," he murmured, "let’s see whether you remember how to work."

Ariana gave him a brief look.

"Dylan."

"What? Encouragement."

"Try encouraging it quietly."

He raised both hands in surrender.

Ariana turned back to the apparatus.

"Begin the temporary circulation."

The first Alchemy student introduced a measured stream of Myst into the maintenance bypass.

A faint response appeared along the nearest regulating inscription, then another as the energy moved through the secondary channels. The restored lattice accepted the supply gradually, its runes illuminating in a restrained sequence around the reservoir.

Dylan watched the mechanical indicators.

"Bypass is responding."

Ariana studied the circulation readings.

"Maintain the current intake."

The students obeyed.

For several moments, the central crystal remained unchanged.

Its enormous surface reflected the light of the working lanterns, showing no obvious sign that the energy moving through the surrounding lattice had reached it.

Then a faint glimmer appeared deep within its structure.

Ariana noticed immediately.

’There.’

The light was barely visible at first, no brighter than a small ember buried beneath translucent stone. Thin strands of Myst began threading through the crystal’s interior, following irregular paths before gradually settling into a more organized pattern.

One of the monitoring students leaned forward.

"It’s accepting the flow."

"Not yet stable," Ariana cautioned. "Hold the intake."

The surrounding regulating channels brightened.

A low hum developed somewhere within the apparatus, so faint that Liam initially mistook it for vibration traveling through the stone floor.

Then it strengthened.

The crystal’s internal strands began moving together.

Dylan checked the bypass.

"Return channel is responding correctly."

Ariana nodded.

"Introduce the first stabilizing measure."

The student beside the alchemical vessel adjusted the regulated mixture through its prepared conduit. A gentle shimmer traveled along the receiving channel and disappeared into the crystal’s supporting apparatus.

The internal light became steadier.

Several students exchanged hopeful looks.

Sheila watched from beyond the working area, hands loosely clasped before her.

’Please hold.’

The team had worked far too hard for her not to want this moment to succeed.

But she remained silent.

This belonged to Ariana and the students carrying out the procedure.

"Circulation increasing," one monitor reported.

"Within range?" Ariana asked.

"Yes. Approaching the next phase."

"Keep it there."

Another few moments passed.

Then the readings changed.

"Circulation rate rising."

Ariana looked toward the monitoring inscriptions.

The flow had begun accelerating more quickly than anticipated.

"How quickly?"

"Beyond the expected increase."

Dylan checked the bypass assembly.

"The external regulator is holding, but we’re approaching its preferred operating limit."

Ariana examined the crystal’s response.

The internal strands had begun pulling additional Myst toward the central channel. Its circulation was strengthening, but the growing intake threatened to overwhelm the temporary regulation before the crystal could maintain the cycle independently.

’It’s beginning to sustain itself, but the transition is too early.’

She recognized the problem.

The crystal was responding more readily than their calculations had predicted, and the stabilizing mixture had not yet completed its intended effect.

"Reduce the incoming pressure by a fifth," she instructed. "Do not close the circuit."

The student responsible for the supply adjusted the flow.

"Dylan, restrict the bypass return channel slightly. We need to slow the transition, not interrupt circulation."

"Understood."

He moved to the regulating assembly and adjusted the appropriate fitting under the Forgemastery student’s supervision.

Ariana turned toward the stabilizing workstation.

"Delay the second measure. Maintain the first until the internal circulation settles."

The students responded immediately.

For several tense seconds, the crystal continued drawing Myst at an elevated rate. Its internal light fluctuated, brightening and dimming as the temporary regulator compensated.

Liam watched the sequence carefully.

He understood little of the underlying calculations, but he recognized the difference between uncertainty and loss of control.

Ariana had identified the problem.

She had issued corrections.

And the others were carrying them out without confusion.

’They know what they’re doing.’

The humming changed.

Its uneven rhythm gradually settled into a deeper, steadier resonance.

"Circulation decreasing," the monitoring student reported.

Ariana watched the readings.

"Continue."

"Within range."

Dylan checked the bypass once more.

"Regulator’s stable."

Ariana waited another few moments before allowing herself a small nod.

"Good. Resume the sequence at the adjusted rate."

The temporary supply steadied.

Then something changed inside the crystal.

The strands of Myst that had previously formed an incomplete circulation finally connected into a continuous pattern.

Energy moved inward, passed through the crystal’s central structure, and returned through the regulating lattice without breaking apart.

The first stable cycle completed.

Then another followed.

And another.

Ariana felt her breath catch.

’It’s holding.’

The readings confirmed it.

The reservoir had begun maintaining its own circulation.

"Stable return flow," one student announced, scarcely concealing her excitement.

Ariana checked the result independently.

Then smiled.

"Begin reducing the external supply. Slowly."

Dylan watched the regulating assembly as the temporary input decreased.

The crystal continued circulating Myst.

Its internal glow strengthened, filling the immense structure with a steady, luminous radiance. Ancient inscriptions along the reservoir’s supporting mechanisms illuminated one after another, tracing long-dormant channels through the surrounding stone.

The hum deepened.

Myst moved through the primary conduits.

Ariana watched the readings through another complete cycle before finally turning toward Sheila.

"The reservoir is active."

Her voice was controlled.

Her smile was not.

"It’s maintaining stable circulation."

The words had barely settled before the crystal brightened further, sending a measured flow of Myst into the repaired infrastructure above.