Private Marks that Maps Forgot

[Meri Vale]

The ruins weren't supposed to be here.

Every survey map Meri had studied—every archive entry, every forgotten footnote buried beneath poorly kept records—insisted that this region held nothing older than a century. Nothing of significance. Nothing worth marking.

And yet…the stone told a different story.

She knelt beside a fractured column, brushing aside a veil of pale dust with the edge of her sleeve. Beneath it, a carved spiral revealed itself—delicate, intentional. A symbol of continuity, or protection, or perhaps simply beauty created for someone long gone. Her fingertips followed the curve slowly, as if afraid to disturb whatever memory still slept within the stone.

Places like this always felt half-awake to her—quiet, but alert. As though breathing in their own stillness.

Meri exhaled softly, adjusting the satchel at her hip as she drew out her notebook. Ink whispered across the page, capturing the spiral's shape, the fractured base, the web of cracks radiating outward from whatever force had toppled the column decades—or centuries—ago.

A faint tremor brushed through her. Not through the ground, but through herself—a subtle ripple deep in the quiet space beneath her ribs. The kind of sensation she had learned not to ignore.

Something was coming. No…someone.

At first, she tried to tell herself it might be a passerby who had strayed off the main trail, or perhaps a local creature disturbing the brush. But the rhythm of the footsteps shattered that hope. Each step was controlled, measured—never hurried, never careless. Movement shaped by discipline, not wandering.

The air around her shifted with it.

The ruin—so still moments before—felt suddenly tense, as though the stones themselves remembered something they had not yet shared. As though they braced for an old memory returning.

Meri's breath tightened. Her fingers stilled where they rested on the edge of her notebook.

She did not stand. She did not hide or run. Instead, she closed the worn cover with careful precision and let her awareness settle into the fragile quiet between heartbeats.

Whoever approached moved like a shadow that understood the language of light—seen only when it allowed itself to be. And then the figure emerged through the drifting dust near the broken archway: tall, dark, and composed in every line of motion. He seemed to belong to the ruin and yet remain apart from it, as though both watched each other warily. He paused the moment he saw her.

Even from that distance, she felt the shift of his attention settle upon her—weighty, discerning, predatory in its patience but not yet dangerous. A hunter's stillness without a hunter's intent. Curiosity sharpened by something deeper. Her throat tightened. She swallowed.

"I…didn't think anyone else came out this far."

The words were soft, almost uncertain, carried more by the warmth of the lingering morning light than by her own voice. They vanished quickly into the broken stone and hanging vines. But the stranger heard her. And for a moment, the entire ruin felt suspended—its unmarked foundations holding their breath, waiting, listening, waiting to see what would happen next.

Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

Naboo has always been a gorgeous planet and it sustained all sorts of life, allowing large cities to be built, along with endless forest that stretched for miles. But it wasn’t the beauty that attracted Master Vex Drakkon to the planet. Instead of beauty, it was knowledge that the man was searching for. A holocron, to be exact. A cubical device that held information the Jedi would store within to ensure whatever it was that was inside the device would only be seen and heard from those who could wield the power of the Force.

The location of the holocron was currently unknown, but with trails of information, Vex was led straight to Naboo with a purpose. To find the holocron and share the information with others that were a part of The Hidden Path. A group of Jedi Warriors with the sheer determination to have the Jedi rise from the ashes of the past and once again flourish throughout the galaxy. For now, most Jedi were scattered, broken, and unsure if the fall of the Jedi were upon them.

As for Master Vex Drakkon, he encountered a small problem. A dead end to his current mission, causing him to wonder if there was something he missed along the way. Regardless, he stood in front of a singular pillar that had markings engraved on it. A spiral, a triangle, and two curved lines. Was it a puzzle, or something even more intricate than that. Whether or not Vex had a puzzle on his hands, he could feel the slightest ripple from the Force. It was speaking to him, allowing Vex to take in their surroundings fully, as if the Force was guiding him to what was already there.

The tiny pitter patter of steps is what the Force was hearing just as Vex was, too. With a quick glance, he could see a female dressed in a fabric the man had seen several times in the past, giving him the notion that this woman was some sort of Archaeologist. It wasn’t just their mere demeanor that gave it away, but Vex bowed his head lightly to show respect regardless. "Ah, yes. This place is wonderful, is it not? The name is Vex Drakkon, and who might you be?" He asked in a calm, yet curious tone of voice.

Vex may have been a Jedi, but they were in a time of hiding because of the Sith’s recent victory, so when he traveled anywhere, Vex was outfitted with a brown leather jacket, white undershirt, black pants and boots to match. There was white stitching that went up the side of the pants and along the laces of the boots as well. The lightsaber was tucked away within the jacket to prevent anyone seeing who and what he truly was. A Jedi Master.

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri hadn't expected a voice—certainly not one so calm—and for a moment her breath caught in her chest. She had been tracing the carved lines with such focus that the world around her had narrowed to stone, dust, and the quiet rhythm of her own thoughts. The presence of another person shifted that narrowness, widening it again in a way that felt both disorienting and strangely grounding.

She turned toward the man slowly, careful not to seem startled despite the flutter in her chest. He stood with a composed stillness she didn't often see in people exploring ruins; most arrived with loud curiosity or careless steps. But he bowed his head lightly, an unexpected gesture that eased the tightness in her shoulders.

Her fingers tightened briefly around her notebook before she found her voice.

"It is wonderful," she said softly, "though… also puzzling. Nothing I've read suggested anything this old should be here."

Her gaze drifted back to the spirals and geometric lines etched into the pillar, tracing their movement as though the stone might answer her if she looked long enough.

"It doesn't match any known architectural period for this region. It shouldn't exist at all, really."

Realizing she hadn't responded to the introduction, she looked back at him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear with a small, almost nervous gesture.

"My name is Meri. Meri Vale."
A pause, quieter but sincere: "I study forgotten sites. Or—try to."

She hesitated, then asked gently, "You saw the markings as well? Most people walk straight past things like this."

Meri tilted her head slightly, studying the way he stood near the pillar—focused, attentive, not the kind of attention that came from casual sightseeing.

"Did something about them draw you here?" she asked, curious rather than accusatory. "Or were you looking for this place on purpose?"

Her voice remained soft, but steadier now, woven with the quiet earnestness of someone who rarely invited conversation—yet found herself wanting to understand him as much as the ruin itself.

Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

The ruins were a magnificent sight alone, but the history and relics are what lured Master Vex Drakkon to its location. When Meri revealed that their current location shouldn’t exist, that was when a bright smile appeared on the Jedi Master’s face. "That is one of the many reasons this place is wonderful. Not only does it hold ancient history, but there is knowledge packed away deep within this place, I can feel it." He responded to the female’s words.

It wasn’t every day that Vex found himself with company within the many ruins of planet Naboo, especially the current one they were located. Meri was absolutely right. This place was unknown to most and its location was not even supposed to exist, but that was also the great thing about the ruins. It held mystery, knowledge, power, and a history untold to many. All of the above were some of the reasons that led to Vex’s current intentions. As a Jedi, it was their duty to continue learning, even as they got older and wiser.

Vex was not the typical type of Jedi who went out on adventures alone, in search of things he had no reason to. His focus was on dueling, learning and mastering every form known to the Jedi, whether it’s a Lightsaber form, or a specific Combat form. It was just a few short years ago that Vex picked up their interest in history and what it brought the Jedi as a whole. Their very first relic is stored away at New Cov where he is currently a Jedi Master under The Hidden Path.

A warm smile stretched across the Jedi Master’s face when Meri introduced herself along with what they do for a living. It was nice having someone else with common interest to chat with, even if they were just passing by for the time being. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Meri Vale. These aren’t your average markings. To me, it seems like a puzzle of sorts. Maybe there is more to learn deeper within these ruins." He responded, while placing his hands on each design embedded into the stone pillar.

After the Jedi Master removed their hand from the pillar and put their gaze back on the female, he spoke in response to her question about what drew him to the location. "You can say both. The Force drew me to this exact location where I stand, but I have been looking for this place for quite some time now. It’s hard to find something that isn’t supposed to exist, am I right?" His voice echoed throughout the room within the ruins in which both were currently standing.

Meri Vale​

​

​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri shifted her weight slightly, the toe of her boot nudging a loose pebble as Vex's enthusiasm settled between them. His smile was… warm. Unexpectedly so. And though her first instinct was to shrink a little under the attention, she found herself instead drawing a quiet breath and letting her focus drift back to the markings on the pillar.

"It's difficult to imagine how something like this could go unrecorded," she said softly, fingertips hovering just above the carved spiral without touching it. "Most of Naboo's forgotten structures leave traces in old surveys or abandoned dig logs. But this place…It's as if someone erased it on purpose."

Her voice carried a gentle curiosity, but there was a carefulness beneath it—like someone choosing each word as though it might echo longer than intended.

When Vex mentioned puzzles, her eyes flicked toward him, studying his expression before slipping away again.

"A puzzle makes sense," she admitted quietly. "The motifs repeat in a way that suggests progression, not decoration. Spiral… triangle… curved lines. It might be telling a sequence, or mapping something."

Her fingers fidgeted against the edge of her notebook, a small, unconscious habit.

The mention of the Force—spoken so easily, so matter-of-factly—made her blink, confusion briefly crossing her features. Not fear, just the mild disorientation of someone who didn't quite know how to respond to something she didn't understand.

"I…suppose anything that lasts this long must draw people to it," she offered carefully, unsure how else to answer. "Even if they don't know why."

She stepped a little closer to the pillar, keeping a respectful distance from him.

"You said you've been searching for this place. Was it because of these markings? Or…is the puzzle part of something larger you're working on?"

Her tone stayed soft, but steadier now—drawn forward by the shared mystery, even if speaking to a stranger still set a quiet flutter in her chest.

Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

Master Vex Drakkon listened carefully as Meri brought up a suggestion to the ruins being erased from history completely. It wasn’t impossible, especially when people across the galaxy were more than capable of doing such things. Plus, this happened in the past on several different occasions, where someone or something wanted to keep things hidden from everyone. "Exactly! Now, the question at hand is, why would they want to keep this place hidden?" The Master Jedi responded with a question of their own.

As Meri began to point out the symbols and what they could possibly mean, that was when Vex began to smile once more because Meri was much more intelligent than most of the younger Jedi he came across in the past. "Very good. Your attention to detail is nearly impeccable," He responded, while pointing to the three symbols on the pillar. It was indeed a puzzle and if either one of them wanted to keep moving through the ruins, they would have to solve this puzzle, and much more.

Vex finally removed his right hand from the pillar and tucked it away within the Jedi robe he was wearing. Behind him was an entrance to a long hallway that seemed to stretch for hundreds of feet. It was the next step to finding out the mystery of why this place was erased from history. But before Vex would continue forward, Meri asked a series of short questions, both of which Vex would easily answer. "Correct," He paused, turning his attention to the doorway behind him. "I don’t know how much you know about the Jedi, but this place has drawn me here for reasons many would call unnatural. The Force guided me here. Almost as if it was luring me here for something greater than myself." He replied, glancing over his shoulder, looking at the entrance with hope of getting answers when this was over.

Just before Master Vex Drakkon would venture deeper into the ruins, he looked back to Meri and smiled once more. "Now, would you like to solve this little mystery, or would you like to sit back and study more of the pillars?" He asked curiously, hoping that his gut instinct about this girl was correct. There was much more to Meri than met the eye, even if she didn’t know it, Vex could sense that she was a complex being, one who didn’t care for company much. But that was just the tip of who she was, at least that is how Vex felt in the moment.

Meri Vale

​

​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri's breath caught in her chest when he praised her attention to detail. Compliments were not something she received often—certainly not from strangers, and definitely not from someone who carried himself with the quiet confidence Vex did. She lowered her gaze, unsure what expression she was supposed to wear in response. The safest thing was to look at the stone again.

"I…don't know if it's impeccable," she murmured, fingers brushing the edge of the spiral without quite touching it. "I just…notice things."

When he spoke of the place being intentionally hidden, her shoulders lifted in a small, thoughtful gesture. "It would make sense," she said softly. "Destroying records leaves questions, but removing the existence of something entirely…" Her fingers tightened faintly around her notebook. "That takes intent."

But then Vex moved—hand withdrawing from the pillar, body turning toward the long corridor behind him. Meri hadn't truly seen that entrance before; the shadows masked the far end, the depth stretching so far she couldn't guess where it led.

Her heart gave a slight, unsteady flutter.

A hallway like that wasn't frightening, not exactly—but it was unknown, and unfamiliar places had always made her feel a little unsteady, especially when she was not alone.

She listened as he explained the Jedi—something she'd only heard in passing, mostly in stories or half-whispered mentions in markets on distant worlds. When he spoke of being drawn there by something unseen, she tilted her head, curious but wary of sounding ignorant.

"I don't really know very much about the Jedi," she admitted quietly. "Or…about anything like what you're describing." She didn't say the Force. She didn't have the right words for something so large and abstract. "But sometimes places have a presence. A…feeling. Even if you don't understand why."

She hesitated, unsure if she'd said something foolish, then quickly looked back to the markings to hide the warmth creeping into her cheeks.

When he asked the final question—whether she wanted to go deeper or stay behind—she froze for a moment, caught between instinct and curiosity.

Her instinct said to stay with what she knew. The pillars were familiar, grounded, safe. And Vex…was new. Kind, but new.

But her curiosity tugged at her, soft and persistent, the same way it always did when she stood on the edge of a discovery. "I…" Her voice thinned, then steadied. "I don't want to get in your way." A beat passed. "But I would…like to see what's down there. If it's all right."

Her fingers tightened around her notebook again, not as a shield this time but as something solid to hold on to.

"I won't slow you down," she added quietly. Even though she knew she probably would.

Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

What impressed Master Vex Drakkon the most, is the mere fact that Meri had a better attention to detail than some of the more outstanding Padawans within the Hidden Path. It was remarkable, to say the least, and Vex sensed something more about the young girl the moment they began their conversation. The Force had ways of showing who was capable of breaking through their limits to allow that sensation to expand, grow, and mold into something so much more. Maybe this was Vex’s calling, to help the Jedi thrive once more. Regardless, the Jedi Master wouldn’t ponder on it much for the time being.

As Meri spoke of the ruins once more, Vex did not ignore her words. Instead, he hummed lightly, while looking between her and the long corridor behind himself. He wondered what else could be hiding within, even if he had a slight clue to what would be found deep inside the ruins. But what caught his attention, causing him to put his full attention back on the young girl, was how she mentioned the Jedi and the fact she didn’t know much about them, which allowed Vex to smile warmly. "You will soon enough." He replied with an ardent tone. It wasn’t a warning, but more of an invitation for Meri to ask any questions she may have.

With both of them now ready to begin their adventure through the abandoned ruins on Naboo, Vex looked over his shoulder, speaking to the young girl with a response to their assessment of how they explained to Force without truly knowing what it was. "That feeling you get. That presence you feel at certain places," He paused for a brief moment, taking in this moment with honor and pride all at once. "That is the Force. It is everywhere, even in all living beings such as yourself and I. But there are only a certain few who can use that feeling for the greater good." He finished speaking, then began to step through the long hallway.

Once they both were inside, walking slowly down the corridor with curiosity coursing through their veins, the patterns returned, except now they were on both sides of the wall. It was the Triangle, followed by the Spiral, and ended with the two curved lines in sequence, over and over again. Master Vex studied each pattern as they ventured along, trying to make sense of the symbols and what they could possibly mean. But as they continued on, there was a stone door with a circular device planted directly in the middle of the door that had one open slot on the device. If Vex and Meri would take a better look, they would see the two curved lines within the open slot. Maybe if they twist the device in the correct order, the door will open for them to continue within the ruins. "Thoughts?" He spoke, while raising his right hand to their chin, thinking of what they could do to keep moving.

Meri Vale​

​

​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri walked beside him at a careful half-step behind, her fingers brushing the worn spine of her notebook with every movement. She didn't know what to do with his confidence—you will soon enough felt too large, too certain, as if he saw something she couldn't quite imagine in herself. But she didn't challenge it. She only nodded, gaze dropping briefly to the floor as they entered the long stone hallway.

The symbols repeating along the walls—triangle, spiral, curved lines—immediately drew her attention. Her pace slowed, eyes tracking the sequence on one side, then the other, mapping the rhythm and placement without needing to think about it. Patterns steadied her. They made sense, even when everything else felt too big.

Vex's explanation of the Force washed over her quietly. She didn't quite know how to respond to something so abstract, so vast, and so… intimate. A presence in all things? In her? The idea felt too large to hold, so she tucked it away gently, like a note she would study later.

When they reached the stone door, she exhaled softly, grateful for something she understood—something real, something with edges she could trace. Her gaze followed the circular device, the slot carved with the curved-line symbol. "The patterns on the walls repeat in the same order," she murmured, almost more to herself than to Vex. "Triangle, spiral, then the curved lines. Over and over."

She stepped closer, running her fingers lightly over the stone—not touching the mechanism yet, just feeling the shape and weight of the carvings beneath her palm. "If the door only shows the last symbol," she continued, quieter but steadier now that she was in familiar territory, "then the device might need to rotate through the sequence." She glanced up at Vex, unsure if offering her thoughts was overstepping, but pressing forward anyway because she did know puzzles. "We should try starting with the triangle," she said softly. "Then spiral. Then end on this one again."

A slight pause, her hand hovering over the device. "And…maybe be ready to step back. In case it does something unexpected." Her tone wasn't fearful—just practical. Patterns had rules, but ancient ruins often had teeth. She looked to him then, waiting for permission to try.

Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

Master Vex Drakkon continued to stare down the door with many thoughts filling their mind, wondering exactly what it would take to get through, even if he knew the answer already, but felt it was necessary to test the young girl. She was very intelligent, very focused, and determined to unravel the truth of what these ruins held within. Those reasons alone were the very reason Vex wanted to test Meri with how the puzzle in front of them precisely functioned.

As Meri began to speak quietly, reciting the symbols in which they were seen, Vex smiled lightly, glancing down at her proudly. The young girl stepped forward and it was as if she knew how to open the stone door all along. It was simple, but a small test that she passed with flying colors. "Again, very good." He praised the young girl once more for their keen eye and the confidence that seemed to ooze from them during this situation. It was magnificent, to say the least.

Meri’s interest in the archaeological arts was incredible, especially for someone so young and untrained. Their determination brought back memories of Vex’s childhood. A time when things were never as easy as they seemed, but with sheer determination, the confidence followed and allowed a young Vex Drakkon to see things in a whole new way. It was the beginning of a change for him, something about the force lured him to the darkest of ruins, searching for relics of the past. That is how Master Vex became so obsessed with history and what it meant for all.

When the young girl stepped forward and placed their hand on the stone mechanism, Master Vex watched carefully, making sure that nothing was disturbed in the process. Meri was curious to what these ruins held behind every wall, her determination to get there was obvious, as well. As she spoke, not only was the young girl aware of what might happen if something went wrong, Meri knew to be extremely cautious of puzzles because they came with traps to ensure that whatever was hidden away would stay that way. "Give it a try, young one. The force brought us this far, I don’t sense it will guide us in the wrong direction." He stated calmly, placing both hands at the spine of their back.

Meri Vale​

​

​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri drew in a slow breath, steadying herself before she touched anything.

She didn't look at Vex when he spoke—not out of disrespect, but because her attention was already narrowing, her awareness funneling inward toward the mechanism and the patterns carved around it. Praise made her uneasy; puzzles did not. This was the part she understood.

"The symbols repeat," she said quietly, more to herself than to him. "Not just on the walls. On the floor too. And the wear on the stone…" Her fingers hovered just above the circular device, never quite making contact yet. "It's heavier on the left edge. People turned it the same way. Over and over." She swallowed, then continued, voice gaining a thread of certainty. "The triangle comes first. It always does. It's… direction. Choice. Then the spiral—continuation. Movement." Her gaze flicked briefly to the curved lines etched into the slot. "These come last. They're a boundary. An end that isn't final."

Carefully—reverently—she set her hand against the stone. It was cool beneath her palm, solid and old in a way that felt deliberate rather than abandoned. For a moment, doubt flickered through her. Traps. Consequences. All the things history loved to punish curiosity with. But the mechanism didn't feel hostile. Just…patient.

"I don't think it's meant to stop people," Meri said softly. "Just the wrong ones."

She twisted the device slowly, following the sequence she'd traced a dozen times in her mind. Triangle. Spiral. Curved lines—aligned, not forced. She paused after each movement, listening not with her ears, but with that quiet sense she was still learning to trust. The stone resisted once, then yielded with a low, resonant click that echoed gently down the corridor.

Meri froze, heart racing.

Then the sound of grinding stone followed—not violent, not sudden. The door began to shift, ancient mechanisms awakening with a sound like breath drawn after a long sleep. She stepped back at once, hands dropping to her sides, eyes wide.

"It worked," she said, barely above a whisper. Not triumph but in wonder. "It…wanted to be opened." The doorway parted just enough to reveal darkness beyond, untouched and waiting.

Meri glanced up at Vex then, uncertainty creeping back in around the edges of her confidence. "I think," she added carefully, "whatever's inside… hasn't been disturbed in a very long time."

Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

Vex couldn’t be happier that he stumbled upon this girl. She was brilliant, spotting out things even the trained could not. Impressed was not the word. The Master Jedi sensed endless potential, something he had not felt in almost a decade when he met his estranged sister. She and Meri had a lot in common, especially when it came to archaeology. Both had a keen eye for spotting things others could not, plus the mere fact that the force surrounded them immensely.

When she spoke of the symbols and the possibilities of what they could mean, Vex continued to smile before finally speaking once again. "You could make it through this whole place without me. I sense this is not your first time.." He spoke firmly, watching the young girl place their hand on the stone gently. Meri spoke, revealing a suggestion that was not a theory, but a sheer fact that not everyone was capable of solving such things. Puzzles tended to hurt most people's brain because their main focus was combat and not things that involved much intelligence.

Vex watched patiently, knowing deep down that Meri would make the right choice. He knew that the symbols and their placement were embedded in Meri’s mind, bouncing around like an unsolved math equation. But when she turned the device, the stone was grinding together, but the young girl managed to twist the dial correctly. When Meri stopped on the final symbol, the door pushed back several inches, then began to slide behind the stone wall, allowing them to enter on into the next room within the ruins. "Excellent, Meri! See, you took that challenge on with ease. How about we see what is in store for us next, yes?" He took a step forward to ensure that he would lead them further.

As Master Vex Drakkon continued on through the stone door, he could tell that the next room was completely dark with no signs of light from the surface. It was a small obstacle, one that Vex would diminish with the flick of their wrist. The lightsaber hilt dropped down from within the sleeve of their robe and down into their hand. Just as the hilt was gripped tightly in their palm, Vex ignited the cyan blade to illuminate their surroundings. The room was nearly empty, vases of all sizes were scattered about, some broken into pieces, and others still in pristine condition. "Hm, what are you thinking, young one?" He asked, while continuing to glance around the rather large room with the lightsaber hissing with every movement the Jedi Master made.

Meri Vale​

​

​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri lingered just behind him as the door finished sliding open, the last echoes of grinding stone fading into the silence beyond. When the cyan blade ignited, she flinched instinctively at the sudden light—then stilled, eyes adjusting as the room revealed itself piece by piece.

She didn't step forward right away. Instead, she watched the way the light moved.

The shadows stretched long across the floor, breaking around the vases like water around stones. Some were shattered, fragments scattered unevenly. Others stood untouched, dust-softened but whole. The pattern—or rather, the lack of one—caught her attention first.

"I don't think this was looted," she said quietly.

Her voice was steadier than before, but still soft, as if she were afraid of waking the room too sharply. She crouched near the threshold rather than entering fully, studying the floor.

"The broken ones aren't concentrated," she continued. "They're…random. Like they fell. Or were knocked over accidentally. Looters usually move with intent. They clear paths. Take what's valuable first." She tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing as she traced the edges of a shard with her gaze. "And the intact vases—some of them are positioned too close to the walls to have survived careless movement unless whoever came through knew exactly where not to step."

Meri finally rose and took a few careful steps inside, keeping well clear of the fragments. She didn't touch anything yet. Touching came later—after understanding. "This feels like a transitional chamber," she added. "Not a vault. Not ceremonial either. More like… storage that wasn't meant to be visited often. Which might be why it was left behind when the rest was sealed."

Her eyes lifted briefly toward Vex, then returned to the room.

"If there's something important here," she said, almost apologetically, "it won't be obvious. It'll be hidden in what people would normally overlook." She paused, then gestured gently toward the far side of the chamber, where the shadows seemed just a little deeper. "I'd start there," Meri said. "Where the light doesn't want to go."

Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

The current room was coated with ancient history, a mural on both walls of Jedi Knights with their Padawans. Along the trim of each mural were the same symbols that started with the triangle and ended with the curved lines. It was a perpetual scene within the ruins, one that Master Vex Drakkon would remember for the rest of their life. These ruins would mark the very beginning of something more for the Jedi Master. Whether it was learning something new, or passing down knowledge to those who deserve it. Regardless of the matter, Vex had a very important mission to finish.

The bright blue illumination was just enough for both Vex and Meri to gain sight just mere feet in front of the blade itself, while some of the room remained untouched by the light. She spoke about the vases and how she thought this room was untouched. If that were the case, then they might get lucky, and find exactly what Master Drakkon had come looking for this whole time. "Maybe so, but we have to ensure this is not some sort of dead end." He replied, turning the lightsaber slowly to their left that caused the weapon to hiss with every movement Vex made.

As Meri put on their investigation of what the possibilities of the rooms use, Master Drakkon stepped forward a little more, his boot gently pressing down on some sort of trigger. Only a small click was heard that echoed inside the room. Vex quickly looked back without moving his foot from its current position. "Meri, don’t take another step!" He said with caution, warning the young girl of something that just happened. Vex quickly looked down at his feet with the lightsaber blade pointed downward.

Vex calmed his breathing just in case it was a trap that he triggered. But as he looked closer at his feet, the symbol of the curved lines were barely shown underneath. It was a single button that would trigger something in the right sequence. "Come look at this and tell me your thoughts." He spoke to the young girl, before removing his foot from the button to only hear the small click echo throughout the room once more. Vex wanted to ask more questions about what he was seeing, but the Master Jedi was also interested to see if Meri was able to figure things out on their own.

Meri Vale​

​

​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri stopped instantly when he warned her—so fast it was almost instinctive. Her foot hovered mid-step before she set it back down where it had been, careful not to shift her weight again. Her heart kicked hard against her ribs, but she forced herself to breathe slowly, deliberately, the way she always did when fear threatened to rush her thoughts.

She didn't move closer right away. Instead, she crouched where she was, lowering herself to the stone floor so she could see without advancing. Her gaze fixed on the spot beneath Vex's boot, tracking the faint lines of the symbol as the light caught it.

"The curved lines," she murmured, more focused than frightened now. "They've always come last." She leaned forward just slightly, bracing one hand on the floor, but still kept a careful distance. "In the murals. On the door. On the mechanism." Her brow furrowed as she thought it through. "They don't start anything. They complete it." Meri shifted her angle to see the surrounding stone, scanning for subtle differences in texture or wear.

"If stepping on it first didn't trigger anything," she continued, "then it's probably not a pressure trap. It's… a confirmation. Like the final mark in a sequence." She glanced up at Vex briefly, then back to the floor. "I think it needs the others first. Triangle. Spiral." A pause. "Direction, then movement. The curved lines only mean something once the path has already been chosen." Slowly, she rose just enough to point—not touch—toward the surrounding floor and walls. "If there are other symbols nearby, they'll be set farther back. This one's too exposed to be dangerous on its own." Her voice softened. "It's meant to be found, not avoided."

She straightened a little more, confidence threading carefully through her caution. "I don't think you triggered a trap," Meri said. "I think you found the end of a pattern. We just haven't seen the beginning yet."

She stayed where she was, waiting—not pushing forward, not retreating—ready to follow his lead once they understood the floor beneath their feet.

Vex Drakkon