Whispers of Metal: The Forge of the One Mage

Okay guys, new chapter, I hope you enjoy it. First, a couple of apologies for the delay and the shortness of the chapter. It seems like the world is conspiring to keep me from publishing this because just last night part of the power plant in the town where I'm staying fell down, so there's no other way. I had to cut the chapter and upload what's already done because it seems they'll have to turn everything off to repair it. In good news, I bought a new cell phone with my salary, and finally, Happy Holidays to everyone.

It's been a few days since Connie, Adrian, and I went to the movies to see Robocop. Connie is at school, Adrian, as always, is working on some mad scientist stuff, and I find myself on a mission with the rest of the girls. The place is fascinating, though my mind kept wandering to tonight's band performance and the promise that they'd go with me.

The place we're in is a temple built from smooth stone, adorned with metallic ornaments that reflect an archaic yet sophisticated design. The room we're in is shrouded in shadows, except for the enormous windows that open to the ocean floor. A faint blue light filters through the glass, illuminating the space in an unsettling, almost unnatural way. Every reflection on the walls seemed to pulse like a living heart, sending chills down my spine.

Despite its evident antiquity, the place is astonishingly well-preserved, a fact that contradicts what Pearl had mentioned: "No one has set foot here in centuries." Curiously, the room was filled with hourglasses of various sizes, arranged as if they were pieces of art in a forgotten gallery.

"Do you think it's this one?" I asked Pearl, pointing to a small hourglass encased in a crystal sphere. "It's so tiny and adorable."

She quickly shook her head, wearing that aristocratic air that always accompanies her. "Nora, the Crystal of Time is an artifact of immense power, capable of controlling the flow of time. It wouldn't be so small and insignificant." Her tone was firm as she waved her hand dismissively and moved toward the center of the room. "It should be more majestic, more imposing." Her eyes landed on an hourglass about five feet tall, finely decorated with golden leaves that seemed to glimmer under the faint blue light.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say, Perla," I replied indifferently. At the same time, Amethyst was in another section, absentmindedly browsing through more hourglasses, her expression a mix of boredom and curiosity.

Garnet walked ahead, as usual, leading the group silently until she finally spoke:

"I think it's this one," she said, pointing to one of the largest hourglasses in the room, a monumental structure that seemed to defy gravity.

"You mean the biggest one?" Pearl asked incredulously. Her voice carried a mixture of doubt and concern. "How are we supposed to take it with us?" Her logic made sense; it wasn't exactly practical.

"I can carry it," Garnet replied, gesturing toward the hourglass. However, Perla stepped in, grabbing her arm before she could touch it.

"Wait! We need to be careful with what we touch. Remember what happened last time we were here," Pearl said nervously, catching my attention.

"What happened last time?" I asked, intrigued.

"Hey, girls, I've made a decision," Amethyst interrupted from the back. "I think it's this beauty." In her arms, she held a medium-sized hourglass, but its design was peculiar: the upper part was spherical, while the lower part was square. A strange yet elegant combination.

"Amethyst!" Perla shouted in panic, but before she could respond with one of her typical witty excuses, the temple began to shake. The walls emitted a terrifying creak, and the floor beneath our feet started to vibrate.

"Uh... it's not this one," Amethyst said sheepishly as she dropped the hourglass.

Water began seeping quickly through the walls and windows, filling the room with a deafening roar.

"We're out of here!" Garnet shouted as we hurried toward the portal. Just before crossing it, my attention returned to the small Crystal of Time that had caught my interest. Without thinking too much, I encased it in a pink bubble with my powers and pulled it toward me as the portal's light enveloped us, carrying us along with a torrential rush of water.

Before crossing, I didn't notice Pearl's nostalgic gaze or the whisper that escaped her lips

"Rose…"

Back home, Garnet quickly retreated to her room, avoiding any conversation. Perla, on the other hand, unleashed her fury on Amethyst

"I told you so many times before! You shouldn't have touched anything until we were sure it was the Crystal of Time! Now, because of you, we can't return to that temple for the next hundred years. But what could one expect from a defective gem?"

Perla seemed to realize what she had said and tried to apologize, though not very effectively.

"A-Amethyst, you know I didn't mean... um... ah," she stammered, attempting to get Amethyst to listen to her.

Her comment left me stunned. Amethyst gritted her teeth, summoning her whip, and responded in a trembling voice:

"No, you're right. What could one expect from a defective gem like me?"

"Enough!" I shouted, trying to stop the confrontation. "Pearl, apologize." Reluctantly, she did, but Amethyst wouldn't listen to her.

Eventually, I managed to calm things down, though they both remained somewhat tense. When my alarm went off, I smiled and said:

"The concert on the beach. See you later."

…

"Dad, dad, are you ready to rehearse?" I asked my father as I arrived at his car wash.

"Sweetheart, it's a bad day," he said as he looked at the car wash, where a rather large trailer was stuck.

"It's pretty stuck, I see," I said, the joy in my voice fading slightly, though I still believed it could be resolved.

"Yeah," was all my dad said, his expression tired.

"Who even let the trailer in?" I asked curiously, and he answered:

"It was that girl we hired. I think her last name is Watterson," he said, unsure.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I don't think I can play with you tonight," he added, a hint of disguised sadness in his voice.

"I understand," I said, not showing disappointment, though I felt a bit let down about not being able to play together.

…

"Stupid truck," I muttered as I headed home to get ready for the concert.

"I wish I'd arrived earlier to tell the manager it wouldn't fit," I murmured disdainfully as I walked. Suddenly, a light enveloped me, accompanied by a strange sensation. Now, I was at the car wash, but the trailer wasn't crashed; it was still entering, and the manager, a short girl with glasses, was directing it to move forward.

"What the hell just happened?" was all I could say.