In the heart of the opulent small town, exuding wealth, the full moon night whispered an intriguing omen in the air. In the forge, Detue and Alnia stared at the whale with tense eyes while Almin, next to the round being, maintained a serious and contemplative expression.
"You’ve lived together for a month and had time to know the true nature of Almin," the whale spoke calmly, fixing its gaze on the eyes of the two in front of it. "He and I are evil cultivators. If you believe that we are the true evil of the world, even knowing him, then there’s nothing more to discuss."
Almin remained silent, but his mind was immersed in deep reflection. The consequences of his past actions echoed in his consciousness. Taking so many lives and turning into this type of cultivator instigated instinctive enmity in anyone. This was the main barrier for his master, who had surely crossed paths with such ruthless cultivators in the past; no one desired the proximity of uncontrolled bloodshed.
The whale communicated mentally through the array; this was the final test. If they didn’t accept their nature, seeing the world with their own eyes and not through prejudice, they couldn’t be trusted. And consequently, they couldn’t left alive.
Alnia was visibly affected, holding Detue’s hand tightly, clearly frightened. It was evident that she had witnessed the actions of these evil cultivators before, and the fear consuming her was palpable. Detue took a deep breath and pondered for a few minutes before turning to his disciple and speaking calmly.
"I’ve witnessed all kinds of people over the years. I can assure you that those who scare me the most are not the bloodthirsty ones wielding deadly blades, but rather those who pretend to be allies, stabbing me from the shadows."
Detue held his gaze firmly, and he continued. "In this very city, hundreds of years ago, an alchemist was judged and killed by Doara. He secretly kidnapped and refined the life energy of people to prolong his own life, with the youngest being his main targets."
He sighed, recalling even darker examples, but the trembling in Alnia’s hands indicated that it was enough. He continued gently. "Once, I saw Val’s... I mean, Almin’s grandfather. He was a young alchemist who came to take an entrance test in the city, but I felt something sinister in him and made him fail. Now, knowing his fate, I can understand why Almin took an evil path. Circumstances often lead people to take extreme measures."
Alnia seemed to dive into deep thoughts while Detue turned his gaze to Almin, who was clearly tormented with himself, and nodded, satisfied. Then, he addressed his two disciples. "People hesitate, make mistakes, and sometimes deviate from the right path. That’s not harmful, as it broadens everyone’s journey and wisdom."
He turned to Alnia with an affectionate look. "The only thing that matters is what is inside him now, not his past. Do you feel that Almin or his friend wished harm to us?"
The young woman sighed deeply, gently shaking her head. Detue smiled, nodding, and turned to the whale. Alm was already getting annoyed with the seemingly senseless speech, but Bruno agreed with the old man. Those words fit perfectly for them, and Bruno wanted to follow a new path this time.
***
It was midnight when a message reached Doara, who was in her room. The communication came from her recently acquired first slave. She jumped, stunned to learn that the experiments were successful, and he felt secure enough to forge the furnace immediately. In the end, success was complete.
"I knew I shouldn’t have listened to that fool Detue. If I had done this with the dwarves before, everything would have been faster. I wasted too much time because of his useless pity; the strongest have the right to do whatever they want; that’s the only law I should have followed."
She murmured, then clenched her fists, extremely excited. A few minutes later, she felt two presences at her door and waved, authorizing immediate entry. They entered calmly. The expressionless whale approached and knelt while Detue, at its side, gave her a cold glance.
Doara smiled, exchanging glances with her old friend, and said, "I already expected you to react like this. However, it’s too late; I followed your guidance, and there was no progress. Now, that I acted according to my will, the results are unfolding."
Old Detue sighed and spoke calmly; he could superficially understand the real power of this furnace: "Doara, please. You already have extensive knowledge, wealth, and the ability to influence many people. You are not superior to anyone. How can you consider using others’ lives to gain even more?"
Detue’s eyes emptied, recalling an innocent and nostalgic past. "We used to be always together, and you promised me that you would let everything go when you managed to rebuild the city your father helped build. I waited for you... even when you had already conquered everything. But... is there no limit to your greed?"
Both exchanged deep looks in silence for a few minutes, and the whale began to tremble slightly while Alm almost exploded with impatience at this strange scene. Soon, Doara sighed heavily.
"Cultivating is challenging the heavens and being above everything. I loved you for so long. But the world is vast, full of endless possibilities."
Each of her words escaped shrouded in deep anguish, filling the space for a few seconds. Silent minutes passed, then her expression changed completely as if she had finally accepted her conviction.
It was at that moment that Detue noticed the change within her. Looking out the window at the large full moon, her eyes trembled, recalling the dreams of the future they once shared on a night very similar to this. If they were mortals and hadn’t had the possibilities and long-term futures, they would certainly have married, had children, and lived peacefully. Then, their lives would be extinguished in a few years, like the subtle flame of a candle. It would be a short life, but he wouldn’t hesitate to give up his centuries of existence to live it.
With a deep sigh, Detue accepted the cruel fate at that moment. Living for a long time was a universal desire, but time was cruel, life was an unpredictable mess, and it certainly brought the best and worst out of each person. That was its nature, and he could only accept it, praying to the heavens to be merciful to her.
Doara puffed up her chest in conviction and spoke seriously. "I won’t go back, and I have no regrets." Then, she turned to the whale and waved. Without hesitation, the round creature handed over a spatial ring, and she quickly retrieved the contents.
A silver furnace emerged, its presence reverberating with the laws of the world. She clenched her fist around it and felt all the runes with anticipation; then, her whole body trembled with extreme excitement. It was perfect.
She turned to her old friend and spoke seriously. "You can still join me..."
"No. I don’t want to be a part of this. I’m bidding farewell; I’ll find a place to die away from conflicts." He interrupted, turning to leave with a sigh.
Doara saw his back receding for a moment, then snorted. Her consciousness entered the furnace as a white-blue light eclipsed the silver, covering the room. The furnace was at a supreme level, and to ensure that, Alm and Bruno even used the lucky amulet without hesitation.
In the next moment, Detue halted his steps, feeling the space around him closing in. He then turned to the woman in front of him, with his eyes filled with extreme regret and pain. He knew she wouldn’t allow an alchemist of the same level to leave, risking the creation of new competition. Her greed and desire for power were above everything.
Behind Doara, the sound of something heavy and giant rising faintly echoed. "Finally satisfied?" The whale spoke, looking at the old man.
Doara heard that, astonished, and turned to the whale. "What are you..."
The whale didn’t bother explaining; both Alm and Bruno were tired. So, they made a subtle move. A rune in the center of the furnace lit up, black as the abyss, standing out like a demonic eye opening.
The woman saw that and felt an ominous premonition, but when she tried to activate her consciousness in desperation, she felt her whole body petrify. The space around her compressed as if gravity was imprisoning her. Suddenly, her entire vision darkened.
Inside the room, Detue observed the furnace floating and its runes fading. The woman he once loved was no longer in that room, and he knew very well where she ended up, lamenting. The whale simply touched the furnace, and the black rune changed from black to red without any sound or disturbance. In the next second, the Yin of death flowed lightly from that divine yet nefarious furnace.
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