Faelan moved with a focused intensity that Aurelion had never seen before. He placed a few glass funnels over a low flame, carefully melting down the materials, extracting their essence.
He distilled the liquids, collecting them, and mixed them in precise ratios. Throughout the process, he added the drops of five Snow Ripper blood one by one, each drop causing the mixture to sizzle softly.
During this time, Aurelion stood to the side, a silent observer, committing every step to memory.
Finally, Faelan added the last drop of blood. The potion, a swirling mixture of crimson and murky green, bubbled violently for a moment before settling.
Faelan let out a long, slow breath. "Finally," he said, turning to Aurelion. "It's done, lad."
He stoppered the glass flask. "Let's begin before it cools too much."
Aurelion stared at the still bubbling liquid. "Are those bubbles normal?"
"The effect of the Snow Ripper's blood," Faelan said. "I wouldn't normally add this ingredient, but..." he shrugged, "we can call it normal."
"Then let's begin," Aurelion said.
"Come on then, lad." Faelan led him to the side of the room. They passed through a door into a smaller, stark chamber containing a single, inclined bed with leather straps dangling from its sides.
Aurelion scanned the room as Faelan placed the potion on a small table next to the bed and gestured for him to lie down.
Once Aurelion was on the bed, Faelan began to secure his limbs and waist to the frame with the straps.
As he worked, his voice became serious. "I will inject the potion in five separate parts, Aurelion. There can't be too much time between each injection. If you can't bear it, I will stop the process. But for you to get the full benefit, your body must be pushed to its limit, and I need to inject the entire dose. Your job is to fight this poison with your energy."
"My energy is more than aggressive," Aurelion stated. "My body will defend itself even if I do nothing."
"Good," Faelan said with a brief smile, which quickly vanished. "I will check you throughout the process and warn you of any dangerous situations."
Aurelion nodded. "I understood."
Faelan picked up the first syringe, the crimson green liquid within it seeming to pulse with a life of its own. He found a vein in Aurelion's arm with ease and slowly pushed the plunger.
The first injection was a silent invasion. An unnatural cold spread from Aurelion's arm, a frigid toxin that sought to freeze him from the inside out. His own energy, golden and aggressive, instantly lashed out to meet the intruder.
Faelan watched the boy's skin faintly shimmer with a golden light. "Your energy is indeed aggressive, lad," he noted. "But you need to let it spread. Let the potion circulate."
"Impossible," Aurelion hissed through gritted teeth.
"You must, or the potion will be going to useless," Faelan insisted.
Aurelion's jaw tightened, the muscles in his neck cording with strain. "Do another."
Faelan blinked. "Another?"
"Do it!" Aurelion roared. As he did, his own energy flared, becoming more ferocious. A faint, golden steam began to rise from his skin.
Shaking off his surprise, Faelan prepared the second syringe and injected it before too much time had passed.
With the second dose, the cold vanished, replaced by a singular, all consuming fire. It felt as if his very blood was boiling. Despite his tolerance for pain, his body arched against the restraints, the leather straps groaning under the tension. The double dose was pushing him hard. He let out a low growl, a sound more beast than boy, and tiny blue sparks began to dance across his skin.
Faelan took a half step back, observing with his eyes. The struggle continued for several minutes, a silent war waged within the boy's body. Then, as Aurelion felt the first wave of agony begin to subside, his voice cut through the room. "Next, Faelan!"
"You can wait a little longer, lad," Faelan advised.
"If you do, the potion's effect will diminish," Aurelion countered.
Faelan glanced at Aurelion's skin, which had taken on a faint reddish green hue. Seeing it slowly fade back to its normal pale color, he sighed, drew the third dose, and injected it.
The pain returned, amplified. Aurelion's body went ramrod straight, trembling uncontrollably. He fought to calm himself, forcing his good eye shut.
He didn't just endure the agony, he embraced it, using its sharp edge to plunge his consciousness into the Void Focusing state.
The physical world faded. He was back in the familiar emptiness, but this time it was a battlefield. A chaotic storm of gold, green, and red energy raged within him. He took command of his golden energy, launching a planned, strategic assault on the invading forces. This time, the energies met in a violent stalemate, neither side able to gain ground.
Back in the room, Faelan watched the boy, whose closed eye and serene expression were a terrifying contrast to the violent tremors racking his body. The stalemate held for nearly five minutes. Faelan looked hesitantly at the fourth syringe in his hand, then back at Aurelion.
Even in his trance, Aurelion could perceive the physical world as a pale echo. He sensed Faelan's hesitation.
"Next," he bit out through clenched teeth while his eyes still closed.
Faelan paused, then nodded to himself. "Alright." He administered the fourth injection.
The effect was instantaneous. Aurelion's golden energy faltered, buckled, and began to be suppressed by the potion's relentless assault. The pain intensified tenfold. "A momentary pain is nothing!" Aurelion roared inside his own mind, and as his golden energy was pushed back, it began to grow wilder, more desperate.
The poison spread further, faster. Faelan prepared to intervene, but then, the poison's advance halted, unable to claim any more ground.
Faelan leaned closer, peering at the boy. This time, Aurelion's eye snapped open. A chilling smirk spread across his face as he looked at Faelan. "Send it, Faelan!"
"Have you gone mad, lad? You can barely handle this. You need to recover!"
"Do it, Faelan! The time is now!"
"The Captain entrusted you to me! No!"
As he spoke, the golden sparks dancing on Aurelion's body began to flicker, turning a dusky, corrupted shade. "I can't suppress my energy much longer, you fool! Do it!"
Faelan froze.
For a moment, his scientific mind took over. He wasn't looking at a boy. He was looking at an unprecedented phenomenon. The energy crackling around Aurelion was no longer the pure power of a High Elf. It was twisting into something primal, something wild...
It felt like staring into the heart of a storm. This wasn't just strengthening, it was like a metamorphosis. And Faelan realized with a jolt of excitement that he was witnessing the birth of something terrifying.
He snapped back to reality, grabbed the fifth syringe, and pressed it to Aurelion's arm. "You're insane, lad."
Aurelion let out a short, sharp laugh that was cut off by a gasp of pain as Faelan pushed the final plunger.
With the fifth injection, Aurelion's golden energy couldn't hold out any longer. But just as the poison was about to claim victory, the scattered golden energy turned black, and the sparks became pure black.
Aurelion spoke, his voice was calm. "I am not insane." His face then contorted with rage. "JUST THİS CAN'T KİLL ME!"
With his roar, a circular shockwave of black lightning erupted from his core. It was a crushing wave of force that slammed into the walls. The room shook violently, and the air crackled, instantly filling with dust.
In her quiet, pristine study, Nylessa watched the roiling cloud of dust obscure the image in her transparent sphere. When the dust finally settled, it revealed room. The small chamber was a wreck, the inclined bed was splintered and broken, and lying motionless amidst the debris was Aurelion. Across from him, a shimmering barrier of wind collapsed around Faelan, who stood unscathed but wide eyed.
Nylessa watched as Faelan rushed to the boy's side, his face etched with a concern and sheer astonishment. He knelt, placing his hands on Aurelion's shoulders to check on him. "Lad? Aurelion, can you hear me?"
Aurelion's arm, now free from the shattered restraints, moved. He simply pushed Faelan's hands off his shoulders to make him stop. A rough, low voice escaped his lips.
"Get off me... I'm fine."
Watching this from her sphere, a slow, genuine smile spread across Nylessa's face.
"So," she murmured to the empty room, "this is the boy the War Chieftain and the Captain have invested in... Interesting."
An amused voice suddenly echoed from the shadows behind her. "Did the little light catch your eye too, Nylessa?"
Nylessa's smile vanished, replaced by a subtle frown. Without turning, she spoke to the shadows. "Announce yourself when you arrive."
A soft chuckle answered her. "But that is what I just did."
"Why are you here?" Nylessa asked.
Another giggle echoed from the darkness. "You know me. I always show up when I see something interesting."