Computers and paperwork. Binders, journals, files. Lloyd should have realized what a records archive would hold, but somehow he'd thought it would be different, more dramatic, more physical. This room was supposed to hold the key to traveling between worlds. There should have been something like... like the room in the Renegade base that held the Rheairds, or maybe something like the Otherworldly Gate. There was nothing like that here, though. Just books. Lloyd's expression filled with dismay as it sank in what they'd have to do. The answer was here, somewhere, written on one single page in a thousand, a million, assuming it wasn't just in a computer where he'd never know how to find it. It was worse than looking for a needle in a haystack. He couldn't quite bite back a groan.
But this was important. Just as important as finding a cure for Colette's crystallization, only now there were more lives at stake. If he could stand to search through all the books the king of Tethe'alla had in his archives on just the hope of finding a cure, he could do the same here, now, for the sake of finding a way back to their worlds. Grim resolve settled on him like a blanket made of steel.
"I'll manage," he said. With deliberate determination, he made his way to the nearest bookshelf and skimmed the spines of the binders before grabbing the first one there. All of them were labeled with the letters M-U and some numbers, but without any kind of context, he had no idea if it had anything to do with their search. Only one way to find out.
Making his way to the table, the teen set his sword down and unhooked the small lamp from his belt. That would work for a light that they could all read by without having to hold their flashlights. He cranked the handle a few times for good measure, to make sure it didn't suddenly go out. Then he cracked open the binder and started to read.
It didn't take long for all the blood to drain from his face. "H-holy crap." His voice came out raw, filled with horror. "What- This is-" He flipped a page, then another. Page after page, all filled with the details of horrible torture and experiments. Halfway through the binder, he suddenly slammed it shut. "What kind of place is this?!"
no subject
But this was important. Just as important as finding a cure for Colette's crystallization, only now there were more lives at stake. If he could stand to search through all the books the king of Tethe'alla had in his archives on just the hope of finding a cure, he could do the same here, now, for the sake of finding a way back to their worlds. Grim resolve settled on him like a blanket made of steel.
"I'll manage," he said. With deliberate determination, he made his way to the nearest bookshelf and skimmed the spines of the binders before grabbing the first one there. All of them were labeled with the letters M-U and some numbers, but without any kind of context, he had no idea if it had anything to do with their search. Only one way to find out.
Making his way to the table, the teen set his sword down and unhooked the small lamp from his belt. That would work for a light that they could all read by without having to hold their flashlights. He cranked the handle a few times for good measure, to make sure it didn't suddenly go out. Then he cracked open the binder and started to read.
It didn't take long for all the blood to drain from his face. "H-holy crap." His voice came out raw, filled with horror. "What- This is-" He flipped a page, then another. Page after page, all filled with the details of horrible torture and experiments. Halfway through the binder, he suddenly slammed it shut. "What kind of place is this?!"