The Sanctum had finally quieted. The corridors still carried the faint hum of Kiaria's suppressed energy, and the air felt cleaner–too clean, as if the world itself had paused to breathe again after his storm of wrath.
"Oiesa, we'll meet again," Kiaria said softly, his tone calm yet resonant with a strange promise. "And when we do, your family's burden will end. This is my word."
The girl's eyes brimmed with tears. The Grandmistress nodded faintly from beside them, unwilling to meet his gaze.
"Grandmistress," Kiaria said with a polite bow, "I need an alchemy chamber. And a place for recuperation."
The old woman nodded quickly. "Follow me. We have both. You may use my quarters to rest–none will disturb you."
"Thank you," Kiaria replied, his tone gentle yet carrying the weight of someone who no longer needed permission to command.
They walked through a long corridor of amber-lit runes. The faint aroma of herbs grew stronger with each step until they arrived at a domed room wrapped in spirit wards. At the center stood a cauldron forged of dark-gold metal.
Kiaria ignored the cauldron.
When the Grandmistress left, Kiaria exhaled softly. Grandfathers, he called within, I can heal any wound through the scar on my forehead. Is it fortune… or misfortune?
A deep, echoing hum rolled through his consciousness.
"We can sense it," said the Golden Dragon's voice, slow and cautious. "We cannot see anyone else in your sea of consciousness. Yet, we can feel the sense of something else that far superior than us. We do not hold authority over that mark in your forehead and that ability. Only the being tied to it can answer. However, remember this: healing is not always fortune. A life without pain is a blade without an edge."
"Life and Death refine the soul," added the Azure Dragon. "Interfering with that cycle leads to stagnation. Do not heal others unless their life truly depends on it. More than that, each Life and Death situation provides chances to experience new insights."
Kiaria nodded silently. He understood only fragments, but their words imprinted deeply in him.
He turned toward Diala's room and found her meditating in the glow of recovery seals. Her breathing had steadied, though faint scars still lingered along her arms. He whispered, "Recover well. Take these pills after recovery. It will vitalize your meridians. This time, you must walk the pain yourself."
Then he closed the door quietly and went to the alchemy chamber.
The room pulsed faintly when he entered. The air shimmered with raw heat, not from spiritual fire and flames, instead from the strong medicinal ingredients in the chamber shelves. Kiaria stood at the auxiliary chamber and summoned Coiled Twin Dragon Cauldron.
Kiaria looked around the cauldron. Once rusty now glowing like royal and divine prowess. His eyes burning with determination.
"Grandfathers," he said inwardly, "this is my first time performing alchemy. Guide me, and I will not fail your expectations."
"Good," said the Golden Dragon, his tone approving. "Show us what you have in your ring."
Kiaria opened his spatial ring. A cascade of ingredients poured forth–leaves shimmering with frost, crystals humming softly, powders glowing faintly. Only one item remained untouched–the Soul-Amity Flower.
But the Twin Dragons had already sensed it.
Ah…, good collection. Having Soul-Amity in spatial ring. Not bad.
Dragon Emperors thoughts are interlinked to eachother through cauldron emerald. "Indeed," said the Golden Dragon. "But for now, we start simple. A test, before you earn the right to touch such relics."
Kiaria's brows arched. "A test?"
"Yes," the Golden Dragon said, amusement lacing his tone. "Tell us, child–between pills, concoctions, and essences, which form of alchemy reigns supreme?"
Kiaria thought deeply. "Pills," he said at last. "They're refined, solid, and pure. Concoctions are crude mixtures, and I've never heard of essences in alchemy."
The Azure Dragon burst into laughter that shook his sea of consciousness.
"You've been listening to half-learned fools! Pills, concoctions, essences–none is superior. Each has its time, its vessel, its necessity."
"Listen closely," the Golden Dragon said, his tone shifting into patient gravity. "A concoction is a diluted version–a gentle balance of impurities and harmony. It's the only medicine mortals can safely use. Pills are refinement incarnate–compressed purity, immediate and powerful. But they are also merciless. A weak body cannot bear them. Even though concoction has impurities, numerous ways to add neutralizers to eliminate side effects."
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"Essence, however," he said, "is the breath of creation itself. When a single plant or creature holds everything within, it cannot be mixed nor divided. Its contents must be extracted as vapor–essence. One breath can heal a hundred wounds or break a thousand souls."
Kiaria's eyes widened. "So that's why essence isn't common."
"It's not rare, child–it's terribly incomprehensible," said the Azure Dragon darkly. "Few who refine essence survive their own creation."
Kiaria bowed his head. "I understand."
"Good. We will start with a simple pill–the Body-Soul Rejuvenation Pill," the Golden Dragon said. "Fetch these: one Purple Dew Mount Leaf, five Ripple Flowers, two Shoot Vein Rose Nodes, and two Beinli Feathers."
Kiaria arranged them swiftly and set the rest back into the spatial ring. The cauldron hummed as he placed his palms over it. Flames burst from beneath–five hues intertwining, forming a spiraling five-color flame—the colors reflecting the bloodline's elemental cognition.
"Child…, your Five Elemental Bloodline–a good foundation for alchemy and refining." Azure Dragon commented.,
"Begin," the Golden Dragon instructed. "Purple Dew Mount Leaf and one Beinli Feather first. Let the flame soften their structure, mid intensity."
The leaf curled, hissing softly, releasing a fragrance like dawn mist. The feather glowed silver, melting into translucent threads that drifted into the mixture.
"Now," said the Azure Dragon, "crush the Rose Nodes in mortar and pestle using spiritual power–add them gradually. Keep your flame exactly at the cauldron's mid-region."
The liquid turned a soft violet, shimmering under the cauldron's light.
"Patience," warned the Golden Dragon. "Control is everything. Flame too high, and you destroy the essence; too low, and impurity wins."
Kiaria's focus sharpened. Sweat beaded on his forehead, yet his energy stayed calm. Slowly, the mixture began to swirl in rhythm–like a living vortex.
"Good. Now, split flame to both upper and lower rims. Compress the flame heat toward the center. Add Beinli feather and five Ripple flowers to it. Encase it in a spiritual-seal bubble till it reaches the mid region of cauldron.
Kiaria cautiously added the ingredients. The molten ingredients merged with Beinli feather.
Ripple flowers circled around the Beinli feather and turned into essence.
"Keep your spiritual flame away from touching the Beinli feather directly." Golden Dragon instructed.
The flames adjusted as Dragon instructed. The Beinli feather melted as the Ripple Flower essence fused into it to form pink rings.
The cauldron thrummed, its lid rattling slightly as energy built inside.
A faint light rose from within–a nascent semi-solid pill, glowing pink in purple.
"Now condense. Refine. Purify it until your blood answers the cauldron."
Kiaria's hands trembled. He felt the cauldron resonate with the dragon bloodline in his veins. Light erupted, forming a sphere of brilliant color. The pills emerged at last, suspended above the cauldron's heart–smooth, radiant, flawless.
"Fourth-grade five pills," said the Golden Dragon, impressed. "Exceptional for a first attempt. Do you know why flame kept away from Beinli. Even though Beinli feather requires direct heat to melt, but direct heat can burn other molten ingredients, causing a loss of efficiency. High pressure heat avoids direct flame but compensate with same energy of heat. Now take one and experience it. Alchemy cannot be understood through words alone."
Kiaria smiled faintly. "Understood."
He took the pill in his hand–warm, pulsing softly–and swallowed it.
For a heartbeat, serenity. Then–chaos.
The chamber shuddered. His veins ignited with unbearable pain. The pill's energy tore through his body like molten metal. His physique rejected the pill's contents.
"Grandfathers…!" His voice broke into a gasp. "It burns–"
"This kid!" the Azure Dragon shouted. "He's never taken a pill before!"
Kiaria's spiritual sea waved with turbulence. His consciousness was ripped apart by overwhelming energy. His scales shimmered along his arms, glowing red-hot.
"Suppress him!" ordered the Golden Dragon.
Both dragons roared in unison. Golden and azure talisman seals appeared above Kiaria's spirit body, pressing down, but the energy rebelled harder–crushing like poison, even out of their control.
"It's not working!"
The air inside his spiritual sea twisted violently–space itself began to tremble. Then, from the smallest island among the floating islands, a blinding radiance flared.
A figure emerged.
The Primordial Spirit.
His form was veiled in light–tall, silent, infinite. With one step, the turbulence of Kiaria's consciousness calmed.
He raised a single hand and gently hit his palm on Kiaria's head.
The pill's energy and content splashed out through his skin without any injuries and burned content remnants into nothingness. The violent heat subsided; the storm fell still.
The Primordial Spirit's gaze fell upon the dragons. Its presence alone forced them downward, their bodies rippling under the unbearable gravity of gaze.
"We went too far," the dragons bowed deeply, and said. They become silent and ashamed.
When the Primordial Spirit vanished back to the floating island, the sea of consciousness grew calm once more. Kiaria floated, trembling, his energy stabilizing slowly.
The Primordial Spirit re-sealed the island, hiding his breath, form, and presence once more.
The Golden Dragon spoke after a long silence, his voice quieter now.
"Child… you cannot consume pills or concoctions. Your body rejects refined matter. Your mark isolates you from artificial purity."
"Perhaps this curse… or blessing… will shape the path ahead." Azure Dragon murmured.
Kiaria opened his eyes. The cauldron before him was still smoking faintly, but the chaos was gone. He sat in silence, breathing heavily, the realization sinking deep into him.
He would never be like others. He could create–but never consume.