They were in a very big, round room, much larger than any tunnel they had been in. The light from the Gateway showed only part of it. The ceiling was so high Tayo couldn't see it, like a giant cave going deep into the earth. The walls were not rough rock, but smooth, dark metal with faint, glowing lines that matched the Gateway. This was not a natural cave; it was an amazing, very old machine.
In the middle of the room, a giant, silent structure stood tall like a tree. It was made of the same dark, shiny metal as the walls. Its "branches" twisted up, holding a main column that softly glowed from inside. At the bottom of this structure was a pool of clear, pure liquid energy, moving gently. This pool made the soft, deep humming sound that filled the room and vibrated in Tayo's body.
"This is the heart of the Spire," Kaelen whispered, speaking very softly. "The real Energy Nexus. What the city uses up top is just a tiny bit, a controlled stream. This... this is the main source."
Lyra walked carefully toward the center, reaching out her hand, but Kaelen gently stopped her. "Be careful, girl. The energy here is raw, wild. Even the key must treat it with respect."
Tayo felt it too—a strong, almost living power. It was the wild energy, but here, it was not messy. It was held, flowing with a silent, huge purpose inside the central structure. It hummed a song of power, of making and breaking. The visions he had when he touched the Gateway came back—swirling stars, a feeling of huge cosmic power. This place felt like a piece of that power had been brought to earth, held and used.
He walked closer to the center, pulled by something he couldn't stop. The air got warmer, vibrating with a gentle heat that felt both good and exciting. As he got near the pool of liquid energy, he saw faint, see-through pictures swirling in its depths—like faint memories of places, faces, moments in time. Were these old memories? Or could they be glimpses of what could happen?
"This Nexus," Kaelen explained softly, "was made to control and, when needed, release the world's Prime Energy. The Primeator and Nuwa used it to shape their whole kingdom. After the shattering, the city's first leaders thought it was too dangerous, too wild. They built the Spire above, like a cage to control energy, and sealed this down here."
He pointed to some beautifully carved, glowing control panels around the base of the central structure. "These are how you control it. They need very exact movements, a mix of your thought and your energy. What I was trying to fix outside was just a small lock. This is the real control center."
Tayo reached out, his hand floating above the shimmering liquid energy. He felt the pull even stronger now, a strong urge to join with it, to understand its secrets. The memory of the Primeator's hand on the Gateway, the feeling of "guiding" the energy, was clearer than ever.
"What is its purpose now?" Tayo asked, his voice very quiet, looking only at the glowing pool. "What is it meant to do?"
Kaelen sighed, a sound that held many years of waiting. "Its true purpose, young key, is to bring things back to balance. To fix what was broken. The old stories say it can heal the land, but also... change it completely. It's a way, a tool for true creation or huge destruction. It depends completely on the hand that guides it. And what that hand wants to do."
He looked at Tayo, his eyes now shining with an urgent light. "The city's watchers, their controlled energy... they are more afraid of this place than anything. They would never let this power be used freely. They cannot understand true wildness. They only understand strict rules. We are here, the key is here. The question is... what will you do with the heart of the world's power?"
The hum of the Nexus grew a little louder, like a silent question hanging in the air. Tayo looked at the swirling energies in the pool, at the complex control panels, and then back at Lyra, her face showing both fear and wonder. The heavy feeling of his family, of the broken world, of his destiny, settled on him. He was no longer just Tayo from the House of Solaris. He was the living key, standing at the edge of an ancient power, facing a very difficult choice.
What will Tayo choose to do with this immense power?