I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 1266: A Chamber

Saeldir watched Eccar in silence for a moment longer. His gaze lingered on Eccar’s open palm and on the slow flex of fingers that, in his eyes, carried more uncertainty than power.

His expression settled into concern, subtle but unmistakable.

"You’re forcing yourself to understand it by your will alone," Saeldir said quietly. "I think... time power doesn’t move like Magic or usual force. The harder you grip it, the more it slips."

Eccar lowered his hand slightly but did not close it. His jaw tightened.

"I know," he replied with a sigh. "But waiting hasn’t given us clarity either."

"You’re carrying this alone," Saeldir said. "That is what worries me. It will eventually break you."

Eccar let out a slow breath. His shoulders eased just a fraction.

"Erend has his family. He deserves that peace for now," he said. "Aesa... if I pull her out now, it will only reopen wounds that haven’t healed yet. She had just killed the creature who had made her kill her husband and family."

He looked up at Saeldir with steady but tired eyes. "So if someone has to move first, it should be me."

Saeldir frowned. "Acting alone with time-based power is dangerous. You know this."

"I do." Eccar’s voice remained calm. "That’s why I won’t rush it. I’ll probe and observe slowly and carefully. Just enough to see if I can touch the thread without being pulled into it."

For a moment, Saeldir said nothing. Then he nodded once, reluctantly.

"If you insist on doing this, you won’t do it without support."

Eccar tilted his head. "You mean I need supervision?"

"I mean safeguards," Saeldir corrected. "You need anchors, failsafes, or spells tied to your presence. If time bends around you, there needs to be something that pulls you back. Am I right?"

Eccar considered that, then gave a short nod. "That’s acceptable."

Saeldir placed a hand over his staff, Magic stirring faintly.

"I’ll prepare an isolated chamber that could be reinforced against temporal distortion. If anything goes wrong, I’ll be watching."

Eccar finally closed his hand into a fist. "This may open a door I can’t close," he thought. "But doing nothing will leave us blind."

"Alright," he said aloud. "I’ll try first. Carefully. With your help."

Saeldir met his gaze and said with a firm voice. "If the moment you feel resistance, you need to stop. I will not be able to save you, and maybe you will destroy our place."

Eccar nodded once. "Haha. I promise I will stop. Destroying this palace with time power is the last thing I want to do."

The chamber fell quiet again when the two of them started pondering for the next steps, but the silence no longer felt empty.

—

The days that followed passed quietly, marked by careful preparation.

Saeldir devoted himself fully to the task, withdrawing from most of his usual duties and working deep beneath the palace, using the materials of stone that were old enough to remember centuries of Magic.

His three apprentices assisted him with their precision and discipline on everything that he needed, as usual.

They carved runes slowly, layer by layer, etching them into the stone walls with exacting care.

Crystals were also set into the floor and ceiling at measured distances, their facets aligned to channel and circulate energy to the whole chamber rather than let it pool.

Every symbol was tested, erased, and rewritten until Saeldir was satisfied that no flaw remained. His apprentices followed his order meticulously without complaint. Because they also have the opportunity to learn.

He reported the project to King Gulben in secret. The King listened, weighed the risk, and ultimately approved it under strict discretion.

He trusted Saeldir’s judgment, but the weight of caution from the king remained. The matter did not spread beyond those who needed to know.

So the work continued.

Day after day, the chamber took shape. The air within it grew denser, filled with low vibration as the runes began to resonate with one another.

Magic energy no longer felt like something merely present there. But felt guided, restrained, and anchored for their specific needs.

On the seventh day, the final adjustments were made. The apprentices withdrew, exhausted but focused, leaving Saeldir alone with his creation.

He stood at the threshold and observed it in silence.

The chamber itself was simple. It was made of stone walls smoothed but not polished, left deliberately rough to break reflections of energy.

Pale crystals threaded through the structure like veins, drawing power inward and dispersing it evenly.

Runes glowed faintly. They were not bright enough to dominate the eye but steady and constant, forming overlapping layers of containment, anchoring, and reversal.

It did not look like a prison or a weapon.

It looked like a place meant to endure the strain of power without resisting it.

Saeldir rested a hand against the stone and felt the response ripple gently beneath his palm. The structure would hold, he believes in it.

He let out a long breath.

Footsteps echoed softly through the corridor as Eccar arrived at the chamber a few minutes later.

He slowed at the threshold. His eyes lifted to take in every detail. He studied the rough stone walls, the pale crystals embedded like veins, and the faintly glowing runes that breathed with quiet stability.

The Magic energy felt heavier here, not oppressive but controlled.

Eccar stepped closer and let his senses extend, testing the flow of energy without touching it. The Magic did not pull at him. It held its ground.

"This feels different," he said. His gaze shifted to Saeldir. "Is it ready?"

Saeldir stood a short distance away, staff grounded beside him. He nodded once, firm and certain.

"Yes. Every anchor is set. The failsafe is bound to my Magic power. If time power emerges from you, it will not be allowed to roam outside of this chamber."

Eccar released a slow breath and nodded in return. He rolled his shoulders, loosening tension he had carried for days, then stepped fully into the chamber.

His fingers flexed once at his side.

"Once I step forward, I will step into the realm that Krono used to see."

He moved to the center where the runes converged and planted his feet. His posture straightened, calm but deliberate. His power did not surge yet. He did not force it.

"I’ll start slow now," Eccar said quietly. "Just enough to... uhh... grasp the situation. I guess."

Saeldir’s eyes never left him. He looked with worry.

"Alright," he said.

The chamber answered with a low, steady hum as Eccar began to focus on the time power inside his soul.

—