Vault Seven was an octagonal chamber built from blocks of solid blue lapis lazuli.
At its center stood the Moonstone Altar — a circular basin of carved white marble holding a large, glowing sphere of moon-quartz.
The sphere was currently cracked down its center, sending out jagged pulses of dark violet void-lightning.
A swirling mass of shadow — the freed spirit of the ancient Void Tome — hovered over the altar, absorbing the moon-quartz's light.
The shadow entity had no fixed shape; it was a writhing mass of dark tendrils and glowing purple eyes that fed on arcane knowledge.
Orion glided through the vault door, alighting softly on the edge of a floating lapis pillar three meters from the altar.
The shadow entity immediately turned its attention toward the small intruder.
A dark tendril lashed out like a whip, striking the pillar next to Orion and shattering the stone into floating pebbles.
Orion leaped into the air, using an anti-gravity updraft to loop behind the entity's main mass.
He let out his sharpest resonance screech — a bell-like cry that vibrated through the vault.
The sound wave struck the shadow entity, causing its dark tendrils to destabilize and retreat slightly.
"The griffin has light," a cold, subterranean voice seemed to echo from the void mist.
"Small light. Easy to snuff."
Three more tendrils lashed out simultaneously, blocking Orion's path to the Moonstone Altar.
Orion banked sharply to the left, diving between two floating stone blocks to evade the strikes.
He saw the fissure in the moon-quartz sphere.
The central crack was oozing black void-oil, preventing the altar from radiating its natural protective light.
To seal the breach, the crack needed to be filled with pure, concentrated starlight before the midnight bell rang.
Orion checked the silver medallion around his neck.
It was glowing brightly, absorbing the residual energy of the vault.
He knew what he had to do.
Vault Seven was an ancient octagonal chamber carved from dark blue lapis lazuli stone.
In the center of the room sat the Moonstone Altar, holding a large sphere of translucent moon-quartz.
The quartz sphere was cracked down its center, leaking thick black void-oil that turned the air into icy shadow.
"A small bird of light," the dark entity hissed, its voice reverberating from the stone walls.
"You cannot mend what is broken!"
Orion banked hard to the right, tucking his wings to dive through a narrow gap between the tendrils.
He reached the altar, landing on the cold marble rim right beside the cracked moon-quartz.
He saw the fissure oozing black void-oil.
The entity turned its attention toward the silver griffin as Orion landed on a floating lapis pillar.
"Another foolish mortal attempt," the void entity hissed, its voice heavy with malice.
"This library belongs to the void now!"
Three dark tendrils shot out like spears, aiming directly for Orion's chest.
Orion leaped into the air, using an upward anti-gravity surge to ascend above the attack.
He let out a sharp, bell-like screech that vibrated through the chamber walls.
The starlight frequency of his voice struck the shadow tendrils, causing them to shudder and dissolve into grey smoke.
Orion hovered over the altar, his wings beating in a fast, steady rhythm.
Black void-oil was bubbling from the crack, preventing the altar's natural light from healing the room.
To save the library, he had to fill that crack with pure starlight before the void consumed the core crystal.
Orion braced his paws against the rim of the altar, gathering every drop of magic in his heart.
The dark mist retreated toward the ceiling, trying to regroup for another attack.
"I need to channel the core light now," Orion resolved in his spirit.
He landed on the marble rim of the altar, gathering all his remaining magical energy.
The shadow entity howled as Orion's starlight screech reverberated through the octagonal chamber.
The violet void-lightning crackled across the lapis lazuli walls, but Orion remained steady on his perch.
He focused his mind on the Moonstone Altar, preparing his celestial magic for the ritual.
"I will not let the dark take our home," Orion thought with fierce determination.
He spread his silver wings wide and leaped toward the cracked quartz sphere at the center of the altar.