She began eating hesitantly at first, but after a while, she couldn't get enough of the meal. She devoured it until nothing remained, and when she was done, she curled up in my lap like a house cat. My mother chuckled at the sight.
"It seems she likes you, my son. How do you feel about having a little sister?" my mother teased.
"I don't know; I've never had one before."
I glanced down at the girl resting in my lap, her chest rising and falling rhythmically.
A little sister, huh?
I pondered the thought. I promised myself that I would experience all that I didn't get the chance to in my old life. I guess this was one of them. I stayed with her until nighttime came, and then I went back to my room.
While lying in bed, my mind flashed back to the vampire from earlier. Knowing that I was living in a world with creatures as powerful as that was kind of terrifying. If it came down to it, I wouldn't be able to defend myself. Soon after, I fell asleep.
…
As I slept, I was awakened by the sound of rustling coming from my room. I quickly shot up.
"Who is there?!" I shouted into the dark room.
Slowly, my eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and I noticed a figure standing in front of my study desk.
"Who are you, Dunken?"
"Keep your voice down, boy."
The figure turned to meet my gaze, and a wave of magical energy crashed down on me like an invisible pressure rushing me against the mattress. He was strong, and his power felt familiar. The figure paid me no mind and continued looking at my notes. After a while of silence, he finally spoke.
"This is amazing work. It looks similar, but it's still a bit different," the figure mumbled to himself sounding happy.
He then came closer to me and showed me a page in the book. It was a page with different spells. This particular page had the incantation for a water spell called "Water Blast." As the figure got closer, my eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and I recognized him. It was the old man from before; the one who wielded dark magic and attempted to execute the vampire.
"Answer me, boy!" he shouted, then lifted me off the bed by the collar. "Did you draw this?!"
"Yes, I did draw it," I answered.
The old man's eyes sharpened as if he didn't believe me, but then his grip softened as he plopped me back onto the bed.
"Avery Winchester, do you know him?" he asked.
"I've heard of him."
"His notebook, yes. That's the only possibility; you've managed to obtain one of them. Give it to me."
"You're wrong; all those drawings are mine. If you look closely, you'll see that my work is different."
"I realize," he said bitterly, "but do you expect me to believe a child came up with this? What would a child know of alchemy?"
He seemed set on the fact that I was studying alchemy. But why? No, the most important question was why he was here. The very person I needed had waltzed into my room in the middle of the night. Something was amiss.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
The old mage sighed and took a seat on my bed. Suddenly, his eyes sharpened, and his face turned stiff.
"I came here to kill you while you slept."
I gulped hard, but I managed to keep my composure.
"Why?"
"I was ordered to."
"By whom?"
The old man kept quiet, but I already knew who it was from the moment he said he was ordered. The entire situation became clear to me in that instant.
"The church," I mumbled. "They want my brother to be king since he is the one who inherited light magic."
The old man must have come here to kill me but became intrigued when he saw that I was studying alchemy. There was one reason why alchemy was so powerful in the first place: it offered a secret, the secret of immortality.
I could practically smell the greed emanating from the old man. Even though I was just a child, the small possibility that I could grant him eternal life was everything to him. It was the very reason I was still breathing right now.
"I'm very close to making a breakthrough in alchemy; I only need two ingredients."
The old man's eyes widened.
"Alchemy has been studied for centuries, and no one has even come close to solving it. Vampires and elves have died of old age and have nothing to show for it, but you... a five-year-old child is the one who is closest to solving the mystery? Don't make me laugh," he mocked, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself.
"You've seen my drawings. They are more detailed than those of the great Avery Winchester himself. Out of the many people who have studied alchemy, I bet only a handful knew about magic circles. A five-year-old child is closer to cracking alchemy than anyone you've ever met. I only need two ingredients, and I'm positive that I can figure it out."
The old mage wavered, but I knew he understood my logic. He was old; his skin sagged against his bones. An old man like him didn't have long to live, even I could see that. After a while of silently staring at the ceiling, he finally gave in.
The old mage stared up at the ceiling as if deep in thought. The he mumbled something.
"I'll get to stay with you a little while longer eh, Liora?" His face then hardened as if he had found his determination. "Fine, what are the two ingredients you need?" he asked.
I smiled. I was one step closer to getting what I wanted.
"I need dark magic and spirit magic."
"Need them for what?"
"To study," I answered. "I believe they hold the key to getting what we both want."
"Hah, normally that's a tough ask. Dark magic is as rare as the light magic your family possesses, and only high elves wield spirit magic."
It did sound hard to acquire, but something told me he was capable of it.
"You said normally," I replied.
"Yes, as you know, I possess dark magic, so you're fine in that regard. But as it so happens, there is someone who just came to this kingdom, and she possesses spirit magic." The old mage stared at me, his face as cold as ever. "How long do you think it will take you to be able to use alchemy?"
"I don't know exactly, but it will take a while," I answered, but there was one more thing I needed to know. "Who are you, old man?"
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"I haven't been asked that in a long time. Very well, I am the hero Veyric, the one who wields dark magic and the former prince of Dome."
The hero? I had heard of that. It is the title given to one mage in every generation. It is bestowed upon the one who surpasses all other mages. The one who stands as the last line of defense for the entire human race.
That hero?
Veyric smiled at me cunningly.
"You are one smart child. It's honestly a little bit terrifying, but I guess I won't have to tell you what will happen if you don't live up to your promise."
With that subtle threat, Veyric climbed to his feet and exited my room.
"I'll come pay you a proper visit tomorrow, and we'll see what we can do about that spirit magic." he whistled as he closed the door behind him.