Observing the Red Worm Queen in the murky liquid was different from seeing her on dry land.
Sol felt a sense of belonging and safety, as if he were in his mother's arms—though he could no longer clearly remember what her embrace had felt like.
"No wonder the Star Gate Council chose Keri to care for the Worm Queen. Most Tier 3 Wizards don't have the time, while other lower-ranking Wizards would struggle to resist the hallucinations the Worm Queen causes."
Sol and Byron went into the water together, accompanied by another Wizard Apprentice who was there to help guide them.
Once underwater, Sol noticed the Giant Egg containing the Worm Queen move. It wasn't a particularly strong movement, though. It didn't move again until he was close enough to almost touch it.
Sol reached out to touch it, but the Wizard Apprentice beside him hurriedly waved him off, signaling that he shouldn't touch it in case it affected the Worm Queen's condition.
Seeing the female Apprentice looking frightened but feeling obliged to warn him, Sol couldn't resist teasing her. Every so often, he pretended he was about to touch the Worm Queen's shell, then watched the Junior Apprentice's expression shift from one emotion to another.
Douglas and Byron acted as if they hadn't noticed Sol's sudden mischievous streak. They simply observed the Worm Queen from half a meter away, as the Star Gate had requested.
On the shore, Keri and another Tier 3 Wizard exchanged puzzled looks, unsure why Sol had suddenly started teasing the Junior Apprentice.
"Keri, did Wizard Sol... used to treat you like that, too?" the Tier 3 Wizard asked quietly.
"No, he didn't. Back then, he..."
There had been someone else with him.
Keri's expression darkened. Back then, she hadn't even thought of trying to