Chapter 16: Arrival
In the three years since his declaration, Dane worked non-stop to find his solution to eliminating the Darkness. Using multiple formulas and dozens of small pieces of Darkness, he began to close in on a more concrete way to use the Darkness for the Ultimate Light and not become lost in its thrall.
For the first three months, Dane faithfully visited Ariel's home, surprised by the speed of Airel's pregnancy, but threw himself into his work at the realization that their plan was coming to fruition. Unfortunately, his attention to his work eroded his visiting Ariel, turning the weeks into months as he poured over his research, cleansing shades of Darkness and memorizing the feel of it being pushed away in the local area.
As Nanahuatzin told him so long ago, the Aurora crystals amplified the Light of his and Ariel's love, but it wasn't enough alone. Absorbing the Darkness in small bits and then channeling it as he had in the past did seem to have the desired effect, but at the same time, he could feel the Darkness trying to overpower him more with each experiment.
With the help of Tasia and Vieren, Dane created gems made of concentrated Ultimate Light. Holding these gems while absorbing The Darkness eliminated its effects on him, only to deplete and corrupt the gems after a single use.
"It has no form, yet it fills the world; it has no substance, yet it taints even the purest of hearts; it has no will, yet all who see it succumb to it. No greater truth exists," Dane groaned, leaning against his hand at his desk, clutching his skull and jaw. Below his sight, he opened his palm, revealing scars where The Darkness carved his skin like canyons with each experiment.
"There has to be a way to channel this Darkness without succumbing to its corruption!" If their child would use The Darkness to eliminate it, there needed to be a way to avoid corruption. The amounts he or she would be using were thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of times more than Dane was using now. Even an army of Aurora Clerics dedicating their Light to ensure corruption of the child wouldn't happen wasn't enough.
As Dane felt the world close around him, ease washed over him as if a weight had lifted from his shoulders. Coming out of the laboratory, he noticed the acolytes and other clerics could also feel the comfort in the air.
"Have you done it, master?" Vieren asked, staring at the air all around them.
"No, I didn't do this. This is… wait here," Dane instructed, bolting through the chapel's front doors, sprinting for the cottage that used to serve as the base for the Aurora. As he neared, the feeling became stronger, making all the forest's colors seem brighter and more vibrant than he'd ever seen. With only a few more strides, Dane slowed to a walk, peeking around the corner of the cottage to see Ariel facing away from the door. She wasn't here in her spectral form, nor was she using another pseudo-body: it was Ariel, the goddess herself.
With respectful and nervous steps, Dane walked closer, realizing just how much time had passed since he'd visited her temple last. Ariel turned to him with an almost blank expression, smiling dimly when she caught sight of him. From his observation, her posture no longer suggested her pregnant form, so he could only assume she held their child within her arms. Dane stopped, swallowing and sucking on his now dry lips. Though again, Dane noticed her arms didn't appear to carry anything.
"Ariel, I thought you couldn't come to Usoria." he stammered, swallowing again. Ariel's voice wasn't angry, but it didn't have the same warmth he'd known it to have.
"I can for short periods. But I must leave much of myself within my home."
"Then, are you here to scold me for my scarce visits?"
"I have been lonely these past three years, but that is not why I am here. I thought you should meet your daughter before too much time goes by." The skin in his hands felt sticky, and a lump formed in his throat.
"D-daughter?"
"Yes, our daughter. Our warrior of Light." Ariel smiled, reaching behind her for something. Dane saw a tiny hand gripping the cloth near the edge of her skirt.
"Come, Rhinne, say hello to your father." Ariel coaxed, leading a small blue-eyed girl with long champagne-blonde hair from behind her. The girl reluctantly moved around her legs, clinging to Ariel's skirt and hiding her face against her leg, her light blue dress like a beacon for Dane to see.
"H-how is this possible? She's already so big, yet only three years have passed. How old is she?"
"In Usorian time, she is six years of age. Time within the Temple used to flow erratically compared to Usorian time, accelerating or slowing without reason. Since Rhinne's conception, time within the temple has stabilized to be twice that of Usoria."
"Then, doesn't that mean she will age much more quickly? She could surpass us both in age and die before I complete my research!"
"Her soul is partially mortal, meaning part of her life is tied to Usorian time, leading to her rapid childhood while in the temple. But her soul is also partly deific; once she has matured, she will age almost imperceptively. As such, Rhinne isn't fully either; she is something in-between. We are in uncharted territory now." Dane closed the distance between them with slow but happy steps, crouching to see his daughter's soft-featured face better. As he came within arms reach, Rhinne peeked a look at him, backing away behind Ariel's skirt once more with wide eyes.
"Mommy?" she whimpered, clutching at Ariel's skirt more until she knelt and put an arm around her, bringing her to the front once more.
"It is alright. Dane is your father. He won't hurt you." Dane reached out his hand, scooting closer to allow her tiny hands to reach him. Before she touched him, Rhinne backed away into Ariel's arms, whimpering again until Ariel hushed her gently and reached out her hand instead, placing it in Dane's palm.
"See, there's no need to worry." Timidly Rhinne unfurled from Ariel's embrace, reaching out and putting a hand in Dane's next to Ariel's. Dane felt the world change. He could feel his eyes begin stinging as a lump formed in his chest, and the weight of his responsibility hit, not to the world, but to his daughter. This child wasn't just a weapon. No, not a weapon, not in the slightest. Her large doe eyes further distorted his vision, wiping his eyes. Rhinne was his daughter, a part of his flesh, a part of his very soul, and it was his duty to care for and guide her as she grew, not simply to use her. Slowly he closed his thumb around her soft, tiny hand and gently shook it in greeting.
"Hi there, Rhinne. I'm your father."
The strings of black energy snapped shut around the unsuspecting couple, dragging them through a growing pit of dark swirling goop. Within moments, they dropped into a stone brick cell, surrounded by fierce, giant knights.
"What is this? What is it you want?" the man screamed, trying to break the bands holding him on the floor.
"If it's money you want, m-m-my father can get you all you want." the woman screamed. Will chuckled under his breath, pushing up his hexagonal-rimmed glasses and walking into the swirling dim light of the bands.
"What we want is far more precious than gold or silver. Your contribution to Kritas is much appreciated," he said, the light hiding his eyes with its glare. A woman with blood-red hair stepped out from behind him, her eyes glowing with a sickening green light, putting her hand out. A tight feeling began to rise in the chests of the couple when a violet circle shone around them, revealing a white-haired man standing motionless with a dark metal staff in his hand. Clouds pulled from them, distilling into a pale pink liquid inside a small bottle. Within moments, the couple fell still as the Thrall Knights gathered them up and tossed the corpses into the gorge.
"Oh my, Will. You are taking the title of King of Spiders quite seriously. Even I wouldn't have been so heartless," Hilda commented, handing the bottle to Arkarium as he readied an alchemic Matrix.
"He provides us with the Life Forces we need to finish the last of our research, Hilda," Arkarium replied dryly. Will grinned, writing a note in his journal before adjusting his glasses again.
"Indeed: any butterflies that come into my web should be grateful for the opportunity. Besides, where else would we get the life forces for our work?" Hilda draped an arm over his shoulders and kissed his cheek.
"You are such a terrifying noble." she teased, walking to Arkarium and watching as the reaction worked. The Master Alchemist began to grunt and strain, holding his hands against the pressure building between his palms. Tense minutes passed as the reaction intensified, lighting the room with a pale lavender glow, and tremors filtered through the ground.
With a howling whisper, all sound ceased, and the pressure disappeared; the candle's light dimmed as a chill filled the room, making a thin frost build on the stones and table. All that remained was the single glowing crystal in the center of the matrix, pulsing with a faint chime like a tiny bell. Hissing whispers howled around them when all the shadows swirled and pulled into the crystal. A pulse like a loud drum pounded from it, shoving everyone back hard, ripping through the halls and above the ground, ringing the hollow bell within the clocktower at the center of their city above.
Arkarium lowered his arm, staring at the pale rose-colored crystal hovering above the matrix, pulsing with almost otherworldly power. Reverently he reached out to it as the crystal seemed to be drawn to his palm, no bigger than a thimble but brimming with energy.
"I've done it!" he whispered, his voice shaking with excitement as he carefully stood, turning to show Hilda.
"Is that…"
"It is an imperfect crystal, but yes, this is what you sought after; Life eternal with your youth and beauty intact." Hilda reached out for it, her hands shaking as she picked it up.
"It may be imperfect, but its power is perfect enough."
"There is but one step I require to complete this crystal, and only one person can give me what I need." Hilda raised an eyebrow and glowered at the old alchemist, greedily clutching the crystal.
"And who would that be?"
"The White Mage." Will interrupted, closing his book of notes with a satisfying slap. Hilda gripped the crystal tighter, letting out an annoyed sigh while walking to the other side of the room.
"That white-haired buffoon is too set on ridding the world of what he calls 'The Darkness.' And it's what we need to create this crystal. What do you need him for?" Arkarium placed a hand on his chin, stroking his beard.
"Dark Alchemy allows me to bend and twist Life Force into whatever I want, but with my current method and matrix, the power of the crystal is poisonous and will corrupt your youth over time. My spies report that The White Mage can reverse 'The Darkness' into something else. With that knowledge, I can create a perfect Crystal of Everlife."
"I doubt he'd want to even share his findings with us. Besides, once he finds out what we're doing to create these crystals, he and his self-righteous sect will come to stop us for good."
"Then what If I were to approach him as a fellow researcher? I'll ask him what he knows and bring it to Master Arkarium." Will suggested, smirking at Hilda over his shoulder. Hida shivered; she swore every time she looked at him, she could see hazy spider legs hovering over his back out of the corner of her eye.
"Could you convince him that way? He is much more attuned to the Darkness than you think. And he disappeared nearly nine years ago; how would you even find him?"
"Hilda, my dear, your desire for youth and beauty drives you and prompted your failure to enlist his help. On the other hand, I have been searching for what the Darkness is. All I do, even for you two, is for a better future; I doubt he'd turn that away." Will smirked, reaching for a bag and packing it with various books, scrolls, food, and paper. Arkarium stood over him, looking down over his nose with steely eyes.
"His last known location was in the Forest of Peace, West of the Dragon Forest in Leafra. There aren't many places where he could disappear and go unnoticed." Will surmised.
"We shall be waiting for your return, Will." Arkarium thrummed, putting a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"It will be glorious," Will growled, leaving through the sewers of Kritas to find the White Mage. Hilda stared at the crystal, holding it to the light, watching the swirling clouds within. With a crazed smile, she slammed the crystal against her chest, clouds of black swirling around her as she doubled over. Arkarium heard the breaking crystal, turning back to see Hilda doubled over as clouds swirled around her.
"YOU FOOL!" he shouted, reaching out to cast a counterspell, but Hilda's glare stopped him. The crystal slowly fused with Hilda's body, flowing through her like a river of ice. A cloud of sick yellow power appeared around her, moving around her body like a slow flame. After another few seconds, Hilda's grunts of pain mellowed into hard breathing.
"I told you the crystal is incomplete. Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?" Arkarium scolded, holding his hand out to help her to her feet. Hilda's once golden-brown eyes glowed with the same sick yellow power that now permeated her very being.
"But it didn't. And now, I have what I want."
Three weeks passed as Will trekked across the Nihal desert, stopping in Arentia for a resupply of food and water and leaving for Leafra soon after. Nightmares plagued him every night, and what sounded like hissing whispers constantly buzzed in his ears. As he traveled, clarity slowly came to him as he left the fog of Kritas' Dark Alchemy. His stomach churned, and his skin paled; the realization that so many lives ended by his hand in Kritas and, by extension, Hilda and Master Arkarium fell on him like a wave.
His mission to find The White Mage remained, but he now vowed never to return to Kritas. He needed to atone for all the atrocities he committed.
It took him only a short time to find the outer border of the Forest, but something made him hesitant to enter. The whispers haunting him pushed him on; there may be a chance The White Mage could help him atone and put him on a path of redemption.
It felt like days passed in the forest while he searched, constantly aware of a dark presence somewhere out of sight. Sometimes he thought he could see a pair of eyes staring at him, only to disappear into the midnight-like air. But with each hour, panic and dread grew, as did the desperation for forgiveness driving him on. The shadows closed around him, and the whispers became louder, making him sleep less and less. And then, it happened. After waking from a particularly vivid nightmare, Will sensed something in the shadows around him; it was cold, like a breeze in a blizzard cutting straight to his soul. Large violet eyes appeared in a great shadow before him, its shape swirling like a cloud of soot in the form of a person.
Reaching for his journal with shaky hands, Will turned to the center pages, reading over a spell he had learned earlier that year as a blast of fire shot from his palm. The Inferno shot through the cloud, leaving no sign that it had done anything.
"What's the matter, little mage? Can't face your sins?" the shadow growled, slowly approaching. Will could hardly breathe, gathering his things and beginning to run, driven by panic. He dared not look behind him, knowing that thing was closing in. Jumping to the side, Will used a tree as cover, trying to calm the thunder in his chest and the blizzard in his lungs. Peeking around the tree, he couldn't see the creature, but still, he dared not move. Letting out a breath, he turned back to see the beast salivating before him, holding its clawed hands wide. Will screamed as he turned to run, only to be met with its claws, tearing through the flesh of his back and the tree, throwing him to the ground.
"What's the matter, O King of Spiders? Is your crown a farce?" The shadow thrummed, picking him up by the scruff of his robes, holding him in the air to meet its gaze.
"How the mighty have fallen," it said, dragging a claw down his leg. Searing pain roared through him, feeling like winter spread under his skin. Looking down, Will saw that black ooze dripped from the wound instead of blood as ash swirled into the air.
"I'm going to enjoy making you feel every last ounce of torment you inflicted. It will take weeks," the shadow growled, taking one of its claws and driving it through Will's calf. Again, he cried out in pain as the shadow dropped him to the ground, raising its claws to strike his back again.
"So this is how it ends?" Will thought, beginning to feel the ice spreading through his legs and back, sapping his strength as he tried to crawl away. Rolling onto his back Will spread his arms out, waiting for the strike that would no doubt kill him. Instead, a beam of bright white light cut through the shadow, making it turn to face whatever was behind it, only to have several more beams of light punch through its form until it dissolved into nothing but ash.
As his consciousness faded, he could hear muffled voices in the distance as someone appeared in his vision. The person seemed to be calling out to him, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. The tone of their voice seemed worried as they called to someone else. Within moments, he was lifted and carried by someone in armor, running through the forest. As his vision faded, he saw a large white building in the distance as whoever was holding him called out.
To Rhinne, it was strange living here in Usoria; time was always so much slower. Maybe slower wasn't the right word; time felt measured and finite compared to her time within her mother's temple. There were some oddities, especially having two birthdays in the space of a year with her mother and only one birthday while spending time with her father in Usoria.
The passing years revealed dozens of questions Rhinne had about herself and the power she had within her. She could lift the mood of everyone around her just by being there. She could understand nearly every magical concept and spell known to the Aurora, especially those dealing with the Ultimate Light her father studied so profusely. The more she understood about her power, the less afraid she became of the world, seeming to push away all The Darkness around her. Additionally, Rhinne could instinctively feel the pain and hurt within any person's heart and soul. She could feel their Darkness; whatever her power was, she could reach within a person and remove their Darkness or conquer it, helping to re-ignite the light within them.
Her current month-long visit was in preparation for her 18th birthday; an event usually met with a massive celebration with all a person's closest friends and family. Unfortunately, her father, Dane, seemed more interested in his research than her birthday, constantly locked away within his laboratory. It was the one place within the Aurora Temple she was utterly terrified of and not allowed to go, which left one burning question in her mind over the years: why? Why was this one room off-limits to her, and why did she fear it so much?
But this day, she would put aside those questions as she was busy helping an acolyte weave a complex spell to set off magical fireworks for her party. Sprigs of blue and red flowers, snippets of emerald green ferns, and drops of white liquid all mixed in a mash of sweet-smelling potion. As she wove the final spell over the mash, Eleanor burst through the front door carrying someone in her arms, shouting for Dane and Tasia to help the young man.
Rhinne was about to return to her magic fireworks when she felt a chill from the infirmary. Usually, she could feel The Darkness within anyone as a blot or stain on a person's soul. But this feeling was far more intense, like a snowstorm against her skin. Whoever was in the infirmary needed her to help overpower The Darkness within them. As Eleanor came out, Rhinne ran to her and caught her arm.
"Who did you bring in?"
"I don't know. An Omen was attacking him, and it looks like it got him good." She explained, holding out her gauntlet, dripping with a thick black ooze sizzling on the metal.
"If Master Dane and Tasia don't do something soon, he won't make it." As Eleanor left to clean her armor, Rhinne stood in silence. She'd been on patrols with the Clerics before and faced the Omen creatures. But she and the Clerics managed to conquer them before The Omens harmed anyone; was this the result of a successful attack?
A moment later, Vieren stormed out of the hallway and called for any High Clerics at the temple. Rhinne crept to the infirmary door, peeking inside to see her father and Tasia buzzing around a young man; her father used a healing spell while Tasia cleared and cut away swaths of black ooze. All around them, Rhinne could see the lights dimming and the cold feeling becoming even more powerful.
"Can you make the healing spell stronger?" Taisa demanded.
"I don't think I can. This young man is already weak, and I don't want to strain his Life Force." Tasia growled in frustration, moving faster within a wound on the young man's back, splashing disinfecting salves onto the injury. After a few minutes, Tasia grabbed a medical alchemy matrix, closed the skin, wrapped a potion-soaked bandage around the young man, and sighed heavily.
"I've done everything I can for him."
"My healing spells can't help him any further. We'll need a miracle if he's going to make it." Dane sighed, both of them standing defeated beside the bed. Rhinne timidly approached and looked over the young man's face. He couldn't have been much older than her. His light golden hair appeared soft, like a cloud lying around his face, making it stand out against the blue officer's suit he wore. Rhinne became enamored, inching closer for a better look.
"I can help him," she murmured, coming closer with more reassured steps.
"What?" Dane asked, confused.
"I can help him. I can get rid of The Darkness affecting him."
"Rhinne, I haven't taught you to combat this Darkness. It isn't just his soul that needs healing."
"The Ultimate Light must meet Darkness in all its forms to defeat it. Didn't you tell me that, Father?"
"Yes, but this is more advanced than you are ready for."
"Father, I know I can do it. Just trust me; I was born for this, remember?" Dane wanted to stop her, to send Rhinne away and keep her safe from this potent form of Darkness infecting the young man. But Rhinne was also stubborn when helping people with their Darkness. With a sigh, he stepped aside, readying a shielding spell in case The Darkness tried to corrupt her when Tasia whispered to him.
"Are you crazy? She doesn't even know basic first aid! Let alone a complex medical-"
"Rhinne is a child of the Ultimate Light. She was born with the power to fight against The Darkness. Let her try." Reluctantly, she stepped back to watch. Rhinne moved closer, looking over the bandages slowly turning black and listening to his labored breathing. Closing her eyes, Rhinne sifted through the myriad of emotions surrounding him; that was The Darkness of the Omen that attacked him. She could quickly eliminate that, but it wasn't the only Darkness in him.
"Well, Rhinne?" Dane asked.
"If it were just the Omen's Darkness, it would be easy. It's his Darkness synergizing with it and making the wounds worse," she said, pushing past the Omen's Darkness until she found the source of the young man's Darkness. She could almost physically feel it washing against her like an ocean wave. Slowly reaching out, she held her hand over him. Black ooze seeped from the bandages, reaching up to her fingers. Dane was about to cast his readied shield around her but saw the ooze burn away when it touched Rhinne's finger.
A golden glow began falling from her palm like snow, burning away the ooze with each tiny orb. The glow enveloped her arm as more tiny orbs of light spread over the boy, burning away the ooze faster and faster when a bright golden light filled the room as if a bomb had detonated. Every trace of the ooze disappeared in an ash cloud, making the entire room feel lighter.
As the light settled, Dane reached out to catch Rhinne as she collapsed, holding her steady for a while as she regained her footing.
"Ho my, you were right; I wasn't quite ready for that." Rhinne snickered, holding her head as her lightheadedness passed.
"It's as I thought; you aren't ready to channel that much power. Give it time; you'll get there." Dane urged as Tasia unwrapped the bandages, seeing no trace of the black ooze or the flesh underneath rotting away. Reaching for another matrix, Tasia closed over the last of the wounds.
"He seems stable now. Can you use a healing spell to do the rest?" Tasia asked, pulling away the matrix and revealing dark scars on his back and leg.
"Sadly, no. I cannot channel enough power to reverse the damage done by an Omen." he sighed, thinking of Vieren and Mars and the scars they carried after facing the Darkness of the Raegonian Gavesite. His attention was drawn to Rhinne as she stood next to the bed.
"What was that power?" Dane thought in awe, noting that the surrounding area still felt light and the Darkness hadn't pulled back like in his experiments.
"She's much more powerful than I thought possible. If she finds her own Ultimate Light, combined with my research, she could eradicate The Darkness easily!" Dane thought. Vieren and two more High Clerics burst through the door, ready to offer their light to save the boy's life, only to find the emergency had passed.
"Master, did… were you able to heal him?" Vieren asked, seeing the young man sleeping soundly.
"No, it was Rhinne, my daughter."
"Your daughter? How much have you taught her?"
"For the power she used, I haven't completed enough of my research or taught her enough. It is far beyond anything I have learned." Dane answered, rolling the boy over and adjusting him to be more comfortable. Rhinne once again came closer, studying the face of the young man making Dane tense: Yes, he wanted her to find her Ultimate Light, but he wanted it to be with someone within the Order and not a random stranger.
"What's his name?" Rhinne asked with an almost swooning whisper.
"We don't know yet. Eleanor brought him in unconscious." Dane answered, watching for any sign of hostile intent. When the young man opened his amethyst eyes, he blinked a few times before focusing on the room around him.
"Where am I?" he gasped, beginning to panic when Rhinne grabbed his shoulders and gently stopped him.
"Easy, you're safe here. You're in the medical ward of the Aurora Temple."
"The Aurora Temple? Is this where I can find the White Mage?" he asked, allowing himself to be laid back down.
"Yes, it is," Dane answered, drawing his attention.
"What is your name? Coming to find us here in the Forest of Peace must mean your situation is desperate."
"I am Will Seren. Master Arkarium of Kritas originally sent me to find you, but I can't go back; I won't go back; I won't be his puppet any longer." Rhinne gently touched his shoulder, instantly calming his racing mind. Dane could see the desperation in his eyes, easing his approach to be less aggressive.
"Slow down, young man. I am Dane Altoor, and this is my daughter, Rhinne. Tell me what happened and why you sought me out." With a heavy sigh, Will recounted the last few years of his life.
"I began studying the origins of Dark Alchemy in Kritas almost a decade ago, learning about its power source and its effect on the world. I confronted the Master of Dark Alchemy, Arkarium, and he brought me into his fold, asking me to help guide the usage of Dark Alchemy into a better future. Without my noticing, he manipulated me into enticing criminals to be captured and use their life forces to create a crystal for a less dangerous Dark Alchemy. Over time, the captures led to unsuspecting people when the criminals became wise to our traps.
"Just a few weeks ago, Mas… Arkarium completed an imperfect crystal of Everlife for Hilda and her quest for Eternal Life. Arkarium sent me to seek you out to help achieve the crystal's perfect state. But when I left, my head cleared, and I realized what I had done. I know I can never undo my past, but I ask that I be allowed to stay here and help you find a way to rid the world of Darkness as penance." Silence filled the room as Dane's eyes darkened, walking to the far side, facing away from them.
"Are you sincere in your desire for penance?" Dane sneered.
"Yes, with all my being. If ending my life would make it right, I would do it, but I don't think it would," Will answered. Another long Silence followed, making everyone nervous.
"I can't say you are entirely at fault for your actions: The Darkness is powerfully manipulative if you allow it." Dane again faced Will, a shadow over his eyes, dimming the room.
"But you are at fault for your choices leading you into its control. I cannot judge you, blame you, or forgive you. You must find that on your own until you feel it is enough. Let those scars be a reminder to keep you on your chosen path while you stay here at the Aurora. Rhinne, I leave his settlement in your care." Dane said, leaving the room in silence. Vieren followed him, quietly speaking with him as they ventured to Dane's Lab.
"Master, are you sure this is wise? It could be a trap."
"I am aware of that, Vieren. We shall closely watch him until we know he intends what he says. But there is something else that bothers me."
"Arkarium and Hilda?"
"Yes. Send a Cleric to Kritas. Disguise them well enough to blend in and find out what is happening there. If they've succeeded, there is no telling how far they will pursue this eternal life, no matter how incomplete."
"Shouldn't we find a way to stop them, master? Innocent people are being murdered for a quest of vanity."
"We will; eradicating the Darkness is the best way. I am getting closer, Vieren." Dane assured, smiling at him before entering his lab and locking the door behind him. Dane could hear agitated whispers all around him, drawing his attention to a bottle containing a fist-sized lump on his desk. A tepid smirk played across his face as he watched the mass within, picking up the bottle to see it better. It looked almost like a badly decomposed liver or heart.
"Soon, Usoria, you shall be reborn."