Book One – Chapter 5

Back inside, the air felt charged. Midnight guarded the door, while Yves rushed underground. They needed to leave the lighthouse immediately. There was no more time to sift through the jumble of tomes and scrolls scattered about. With haste, Yves tossed out all the bulky artefacts from the Chest of Useless Artefacts into the Chest of Disappointing Discoveries. The time for sentimentality had passed; it was survival now. He stuffed the chest with essentials — tomes, artifacts, his meticulous notes and clothes critical for the journey ahead. Crystals, valuable jewels, a handful of coins, and even three potatoes were thrown into the mix, the latter an impulsive addition born out the fleeting desire for real sustenance.

The Lightning Staff was too long to fit even diagonally, wherefore Yves secured it externally using the chest’s various straps and buckles. Attaching the Bow of Light in the same way would be too inconvenient, so for now, Yves just threw the weapon next to the chest.

His belts and pockets filled with the indispensable — the Lightgiver Wand, his daggers, potions. He already wore his most versatile warding chains and four rings. Two additional rings, plucked from a metallic jewelry box, represented a negotiable currency in a world where gold could bend the law. In unpredictable and hostile surroundings like this, you never knew whether you could hold on to a travel chest, so you always needed exchangeable valuables at hand, quite literally. He also pocketed the leather case from the corner shelf.

Despite the urgency, Yves took a moment to ensure the energy reservoir sustaining the lighthouse’s core protection and illusion spells was intact. It did not take long. Midnight had not yet called out to him. Uncertainty lingered like a specter in Yves’ thoughts. The lighthouse, a testament to his illusionist craftsmanship and resilience, stood exposed to the unknown. Would he come back with healed eyes, no longer dependent on anything he stored here, or would he not return at all?