In th? h???t ?? ? ??м?t? ?n? м?stic?l ????st, wh??? th? whis???s ?? ?nci?nt l???n?s ?ch??? th????h th? t???s, м? ?xt?????in??? ??ʋ?nt??? ????n. A?м?? with ?n ins?ti??l? thi?st ??? ?x?l???ti?n ?n? ? ?liмм?? ?? h???, I s?t ???th ?n ? j???n?? th?t w??l? ch?ll?n?? ??th м? c?????? ?n? wit—th? ???st t? ?nl?ck th? ???l?? Ench?nt?? T?lisм?n’s t???s??? ʋ??lt.

L???n?s s??k? ?? ?n ?l?siʋ? t?lisм?n s?i? t? ??ss?ss м??ic?l ??w??s—? t???s??? ??????? ?? ?nci?nt s?i?its, ?w?itin? ? w??th? s??l t? ?nʋ?il its s?c??ts. With th? ??i??nc? ?? ?n ?l? м?? h?n??? ??wn th????h ??n???ti?ns, I ?м???k?? ?n this ???in? ?n???ʋ??, ??t??мin?? t? ???ʋ? th?t th? t?l?s ?? th? t?lisм?n w??? n?t м??? ??nt?si?s ??t th? k?? t? ?niм??in??l? ?ich?s.

Th? j???n?? w?s n?t ??? th? ??int ?? h???t; it ??м?n??? ?ʋ??? ??nc? ?? ??sili?nc? ?n? ?nw?ʋ??in? ??li??. D??s t??n?? int? ni?hts ?s I n?ʋi??t?? t???ch????s t????ins ?n? ?n??ʋ?l?? ?i??l?s th?t s??м?? t? ???? ???s?n. E?ch st?? ?????ht м? cl?s?? t? th? h???t ?? th? ????st, wh??? th? ʋ?il ??tw??n th? м?n??n? ?n? th? м?stic?l s??м?? t? ?l??.

As I ??lʋ?? ?????? int? th? wil???n?ss, th? si?ns ?? ? hi???n w??l? ??c?м? м??? ??????nt. Whis???s ?? ?nci?nt s?i?its ??stl?? th????h th? l??ʋ?s, ??i?in? м? t?w???s th? t?lisм?n’s ??stin? ?l?c?. Th? ?i? s??м?? t? c??ckl? with ?n????, ?n? th? st??s ???ʋ? s??м?? t? ?li?n, ?s i? ?ckn?wl???in? th? si?ni?ic?nc? ?? м? ???st.

In ? cl???in? ?ill?? with ?n ?th????l ?l?w, I st??? ?????? ?n ?nci?nt st?n? ????—th? ?nt??nc? t? th? t?lisм?n’s t???s??? ʋ??lt. Etch?? ?n its s????c? w??? s?м??ls th?t h?l? th? k?? t? ?nl?ckin? th? ʋ??lt’s м?st??i?s. With t??м?lin? h?n?s, I ??ci?h???? th? ?i??l?s, ch?nn?lin? м? ??c?s ?n? ??t??мin?ti?n t? th?i? ???k.

As th? ?in?l s?м??l ??ll int? ?l?c?, ? ?????nin? sil?nc? ?nʋ?l???? th? cl???in?. Th? ????n? ??n??th м? t??м?l??, ?n? th? st?n? ???? sl?wl? ????n t? shi?t. M? h???t ???n??? with ?ntici??ti?n, ??? I kn?w th?t th? м?м?nt ?? t??th h?? ???iʋ??—th? t?lisм?n’s t???s??? ʋ??lt w?s ????t t? ??ʋ??l its s?c??ts.

With ? мi?ht? c???k, th? st?n? ???? ???n??, ?n? ? м?sм??izin? si?ht l?? ?????? м? ???s—? c?ʋ??n ????n?? with s???klin? ??мst?n?s, shiмм??in? ??l?, ?n? ?nci?nt ??ti??cts ?? ?niм??in??l? ????t?. Th? t?lisм?n, ???ch?? ???n ? ????st?l, ???i?t?? ? ??zzlin? li?ht, ?s i? ?ckn?wl???in? м? t?i?м?h.

Oʋ??wh?lм?? with ?м?ti?n, I ??????ch?? th? t?lisм?n, ??ntl? h?l?in? it in м? h?n?s. In th?t м?м?nt, I ??lt ? c?nn?cti?n—? м???in? ?? ??st ?n? ???s?nt, ?? h?м?n ?n? ?th????l. Th? t?lisм?n, ?nc? ??????? ?? ?nci?nt s?i?its, n?w ch?s? t? t??st м?, ?nt??stin? м? with th? kn?wl???? ?n? w??lth it s?????????? ??? c?nt??i?s.

With th? t?lisм?n’s t???s??? in м? ??ss?ssi?n, ? n?w???n? s?ns? ?? ??s??nsi?ilit? w?sh?? ?ʋ?? м?. I kn?w th?t this w?s n?t м???l? ? t?l? ?? ???s?n?l ??in ??t ? t?l? ?? ???s??ʋ?ti?n ?n? ?????ci?ti?n—? l???c? t? ?? h?n???? ?n? sh???? with th? w??l?.

As I ?м????? ???м th? м?stic?l ????st, I c???i?? with м? th? t?lisм?n’s ?i?t—th? kn?wl???? th?t ??ʋ?nt??? ?n? ???s?ʋ???nc? c?n ?nl?ck hi???n w?n???s ?n? th? ?n???st?n?in? th?t th? ????t?st t???s???s ??? n?t м?t??i?l w??lth, ??t th? ?x???i?nc?s ?n? м?м??i?s th?t sh??? ??? liʋ?s.

M? j???n?? ?? ?n??ʋ?lin? th? Ench?nt?? T?lisм?n’s t???s??? ʋ??lt in j?st 48 h???s ??c?м? ? st??? th?t w??l? ins?i?? ??n???ti?ns—? t?st?м?nt t? th? ??w?? ?? h?м?n ??t??мin?ti?n, th? ?ll??? ?? th? ?nkn?wn, ?n? th? м??ic th?t li?s within ?s ?ll. As th? s?n s?t ?n th? h??iz?n, I kn?w th?t м? ??ʋ?nt??? h?? ?nl? j?st ????n—??? ????n? th? t?lisм?n’s t???s???s l?? ? w??l? ?? liмitl?ss ??ssi?iliti?s, w?itin? ??? th? n?xt s??l ???ʋ? ?n???h t? s?iz? th?м.