Larissa scrutinized the ancient metal with profound suspicion. "If she already possessed a functional core, why isn't the threshold open? Did Selthia simply run out of time before the core was fully made?"
"That is exactly the variable that doesn't align with her profile." Wei pointed a golden glowing finger at the embedded core. "Look closely at the accumulation of dust. It has been resting in that specific slot for a significant amount of time. If she had simply abandoned the operation halfway through, why in the world would she leave a highly valuable, functional crystal actively draining its reserves all this time?"
"Furthermore, if she aborted before completion," Ren added, seamlessly picking up the analytical thread, "why leave it embedded in the door instead of extracting it for later use? A synthetic core of this density possesses a massive volume of raw ether. Selthia does not waste resources that she can throw to our faces."
