Chapter 68: Splitting Up
Elias shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck as he studied the diagram again. "So, uh, I haven’t really made much of anything like this before," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "But you know what? Screw it. Let’s give it a go. What do you say, Dots?"
The small figure perched on his shoulder nodded enthusiastically, its tiny voice chiming with determination. "Sure, let’s give it a go!"
Elias glanced at Dots, who hovered momentarily before focusing intently on the paper. Its tiny hands pressed together as a faint shimmer of light began to pulse around it. The energy coalesced, forming a glowing outline in midair. Elias leaned in, his breath hitching as the outline thickened, becoming more defined—a boxy object with faint grooves and ridges matching the image on the diagram.
The glossy surface began to solidify, giving it an almost polished sheen. For a fleeting moment, Elias felt a swell of pride as the object hovered between them, nearly complete.
But then the surface flickered—first subtle, then violently.
Tiny screws began rattling loose, dropping noiselessly to the floor, while the screen fizzled with static, displaying nothing but a frozen demo image that bore no resemblance to a functioning device.
Elias’ excitement deflated. "Oh, come on," he muttered, stepping back as the object began to quiver unnaturally. The once-sturdy construct shimmered, its edges softening as if it were melting away. Within seconds, the entire creation fizzled into nothing, evaporating in a faint shimmer of light.
Elara caught the object mid-air just as it solidified briefly before its ultimate failure. She turned it over in her hands, studying it carefully. "Hmmm," she mused, placing a finger under her chin. "This is strange."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "What’s strange? It looks fine to me. Well... almost."