The rain had slowed to a drizzle, leaving the streets slick and shimmering under the dim city lights. Jeffery and Rita pressed themselves against the shadow of a nearby wall, gasping for air, each heartbeat hammering in their ears.Jeffery could have easily escaped alongside Rita with his supernatural speed or even break through the walls, but he couldn't. Although Serah had healed him, his Ether was almost depleted. He was even weaker than Rita at this moment. And the tug of the Dark Stone on his soul was making everything worse."Think anyone saw us?" Rita whispered, voice tight with adrenaline. Her fingers traced the wet bricks, grounding herself against the cold.Jeffery shook his head slowly, eyes scanning the street. "No one. Not yet. But we can't stay here."I can't even stand, he thought within himself as his legs trembled slightly, betraying the exhaustion he had fought to suppress.The hum of the Dark Stone had faded, but Jeffery could still feel the faint echo of it beneath

After Jeffery finished talking, the crimson light pulsed once more before settling into stillness. The air grew heavy, humming with quiet energy as the glow faded from the room. For a moment, neither Jeffery nor Rita spoke. Their eyes were locked in the Philosopher's Stone which was in Jeffery's hands. It still felt like a dream but the stone was very much alive—Ether and Qi pulsing through it."How... how did it—" Rita began, but her words faltered as the light flickered again, this time brighter, sharper.What's... Jeffery's expression changed—his pupils dilated, his body going still. The glow from the Stone intensified, wrapping around him like a shroud of molten light."Jeffery?" Rita stepped closer, alarmed. "Hey—Jeff, talk to me—!"He didn't hear her. He couldn't.The light enveloped him completely, and before she could reach out, Jeffery's body jerked once before going still—and then his consciousness was pulled away.He was standing once again in that boundless expanse of ligh

The double doors of the Eden Mansion creaked open just as dawn came. Cold winds seeped into the parlor, causing the curtains to sway gently.The fire in the parlor had long died, leaving the place cloaked in chill and silence. The chandeliers hung above in the ceiling, illuminating the entire place softly with golden lights.Aadam stepped across the threshold, shoes dragging faintly against marble. His once-tailored suit was in tatters, and the forest's dirt clung to his collar. But his posture—tall, proud, whole—was wrong. No broken man should walk like that.I hope she's still at home, he thought within himself. I can't wait to surprise her with good news...From the staircase above, Cora froze. For a heartbeat, she thought she was staring at a ghost.She had seen Jeffery kick him so hard his spine snapped. She had watched as the guards carried him about of the ballroom. And then he had totally vanished afterwards. No trace of him was found.She had been terrified that Jeffery had s

By noon, the Prescott estate buzzed with life for the first time in months. The banners had been redone, servants hurried through the corridors, and news crews gathered at the gates. The press didn't know exactly why—nothing had been revealed to them. The only thing they knew was that Mrs. Evelyn Prescott was making a 'historic announcement'.Inside, the great dining hall gleamed under crystal chandeliers. Aadam and Cora entered arm in arm, perfectly dressed—his black suit pressed sharp as a blade, her emerald gown flowing like water. They looked every bit the noble pair stepping into destiny.Mrs. Prescott stood at the head of the long mahogany table, flanked by her brothers-in-law Leon and Martin. A team of legal clerks sat nearby, documents ready, whole two journalists adjusted their cameras for the official statement.The air reeked of nobility, formality and perfume—and something colder.Evelyn gestured to them, "Mr. and Mrs. Eden. Thank you for joining us."Cora smiled graciousl

Panic clawed at Rita Stirling's throat as she stormed through the marble halls of the Stirling family Mansion, the news replaying like a nightmarish scene on every screen. Aadam Eden, or worse still, Aadam Prescott. The name screamed across feeds, beneath headlines that might as well have read: FLAMEL'S DEMISE US COMING.Her fiancé, Jeffery Flamel—the alchemy genius, her ticket to securing the Stirling and Flamel legacies—was now a hunted man, thanks to the one person they had underestimated.All this while their attention had been focused on the late Daniel Stirling, Captain Daniel and the Prescotts, neglecting someone like Aadam who had remained silent for a long period of time.She burst into the study, slipping on the polished floor as she halted. Serah, the mysterious alchemist with eyes like crystal lakes, sat calmly sipping herbal tea, her expression a masked of detached curiosity. The room reeked of sandalwood incense, a scent that usually soothed Rita's nerves but now felt li