Arcane Alchemy:The forbidden Rites

A wicked plan

King Darius:

“What does the color purple mean?” the king asked, his voice calm but edged with curiosity,as everyone was during the selection ceremony earlier that morning.

Lysander, the kingdom’s most skilled Alchemist, bowed deeply before responding. “My lord… I am… baffled as well. This is the first time anything like this has happened. The other Alchemists and I can only form a theory, though we are not certain.”

The king’s sharp eyes narrowed. “A theory, Lysander? Speak clearly. What are your thoughts?”

Lysander swallowed nervously. “We… we believe… that he may possess the ability to wield both Arcanist energy and Alchemy, my lord.”

The king stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Are you suggesting that Prince Eldan is both an Arcanist and an Alchemist?”

“We are merely speculating, my lord,” Lysander corrected carefully, bowing again.

“Hmh. I see.” The king leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the armrest. “You may go.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Lysander said quickly, bowing once more before retreating.

The king turned to his trusted bodyguard Dax,who had been standing silently beside him throughout the discussion. “Do you think it’s possible?” he asked, his voice low.

Dax hesitated, then nodded slightly. “He might be, my lord.”

The king’s lips curled into a slow, almost manic chuckle. “My dear boy… he can barely kill a fly.He is weak as a kitten.” He added a mocking laughter,But then it was interrupted by a violent cough.

He coughed into a handkerchief. When he removed it, streaks of blood were visible. His face paled slightly, but his eyes remained sharp.

“Has the witch arrived yet?” he asked, his tone impatient.

“No, my lord,” Dax replied. “But she will be here soon.”

“There isn’t much time left, you know,” the king muttered.

“Tell me, Dax… do you know why I despise my grandfather?” King Darius asked lifting his gaze again.

Dax blinked. “Your grandfather, the Great King Arvellan? He was revered as a”

“A coward,” Darius said sharply. “That is what he was.”

Dax fell silent.

The king continued, his voice low and venomous. “He feared the Ice Stone. The greatest power in existence. Instead of embracing it, instead of using it… he ordered its destruction.”

He scoffed.

“He sent three mages to deliver the Stone to that old hermit in the mountains,the only man capable of destroying it.”

His fingers tightened around the handkerchief.

“But they never returned. And the Stone… was never found.”

Dax absorbed this quietly.

“For years,” Darius continued, “I searched. I turned kingdoms upside down. I chased rumors like a starving dog.” His eyes filled with obsession. “And yet… nothing.”

A tense silence filled the room.

“But now,” the king leaned forward slightly, a smile stretching across his lips, “there is speculation. A whisper. The faintest trace of where it might be.Imagine it, Dax. A relic that can bend life and death.”

Dax’s jaw tightened.

“For a man who can command life and death itself,” Darius murmured, “the Ice Stone would make you… unstoppable.”

A thin smile pulled at the king’s lips, but it faded quickly. He exhaled shakily, pressing a trembling hand to his chest.

“But my body has start to fail me,it won’t let me wield it.”

Dax straightened slightly.

The king continued, bitterness filled in every word. “My bones ache, my lungs burn, and my heart…” He looked down at the blood-stained handkerchief. “…my heart betrays me with every breath I take.”

He clenched the handkerchief in his fist.

“I have wanted,yearned,to get my hands on that relic for decades. To feel that power surge through me. To become the ruler my grandfather never had the courage to be.”

His voice deepened.

“But my body has begun to rot before I’ve even touched destiny.” His eyes flickered with helpless rage. “I was… at the verge of giving up.”

Dax remained silent.

Then the king slowly raised his head.

“Until one of my spies returned,” he said, “With news I never expected.”

Dax’s gaze hardened.

“He tells me about a witch named Vanya?”

He smiles slowly. “A woman who can create Soul Stones,a substitute for the Ice Stone itself. A woman who revived a lost and forbidden ritual everyone dared.”

His fingers tapped the armrest, excitement trembling through them.

“She is my key, Dax. My bridge to the power I was denied.”

King Darius leaned back into his chair.

“Dax,” he said quietly.

“My lord?”

“Summon Prince Aziel,” the king ordered, his smile stretching into an evil curve. “Tell him I need to see him at once,there is something that needs to be done.”

************

Prince Eldan:

Inside the candlelit warmth of the Queen’s chambers, the mood was softer but tense.

Prince Dalen sat hunched over near the fire, his shoulders drooping, hands clenched tight around his knees. He hadn’t spoken a word since returning from the ceremony.

Queen Yara watched him quietly, her fingers gently toying with the edge of her silk shawl. “You’ve been staring at the same spot for hours,” she said softly, her voice smooth and low. “My son, tell me what troubles you.”

Dalen’s head jerked up, “What troubles me? Everyone saw it, Mother. Everyone.” His voice cracked. “They all got blue or red. Even Zah. Even Ryn. But me” He swallowed, the memory still burning. “The orb didn’t even glow properly. It flickered… then Purple.”

Queen Yara rose from her seat,She knelt before him and cupped his face gently. “Your worth isn’t decided by the color of a globe, Dahlen. That orb doesn’t know your heart.”

From across the room, a scoff cut through her comfort like a blade.

“Heart doesn’t win battles, Mother.”

They both turned.

Prince Rian,lounged carelessly on a chair, one leg crossed over the other, his expression unreadable. “Power does. And the orb knows who has it.”

“Rian,” Yara warned softly.

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m only saying the truth. Dahlen is weak.”

Dalen shot to his feet. “Shut up, Rian!”

Rian smiled faintly, his voice low and taunting. “Temper won’t help your chi flow either.”

“Enough!” Queen Yara’s voice cut through the tension.

Silence followed. Only the crackling of the fire was heard.

Then, softer, Yara said, “You two are brothers. Do not let rivalry poison what the world will already try to destroy.”

Dalen sat again, chest heaving, guilt washing over his anger. “I’m sorry, Mother.”

She brushed a thumb over his cheek and smiled faintly. “I know.”

Rian exhaled through his nose, looking away.

Before the moment could settle, a knock echoed at the door.

“Enter,” Yara said, her tone returned to calm.

The doors opened, revealing Prince Aziel, the eldest, the crown prince. He stepped inside with his usual quiet poise.

“Forgive the interruption,” he said with a polite bow toward his mother. “I wanted to check on them.”

“Always thoughtful,” Yara said warmly. “Come, your brothers could use your calm spirit.”

Aziel walked in, still dressed in his ceremonial robe. He looked at Dalen for a long moment, then smiled faintly. “I heard my little brother’s been hiding in here.”

Dalen frowned. “I’m not hiding.”

Aziel chuckled. “You look like you are.” He came closer, crouching beside him. “You know, when I placed my hands on that globe, I was terrified too.”

“You? Terrified?” Dalen looked at him in disbelief.

Aziel nodded. “Of course. Every mage is. But courage isn’t about not being afraid,it’s about standing there even when you are.”

Dalen looked down. “Everyone says that color has never appeared before. What if it means I don’t belong anywhere?”

Aziel reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Then maybe it means you belong everywhere. Maybe the world just hasn’t caught up to you yet.”

Queen Yara smiled faintly, her eyes soft. “You hear that, my son? Sometimes destiny comes in strange colors.”

For the first time that night, Dalen let out a small laugh. “You always know what to say, brother.”

Aziel stood up and ruffled his hair. “That’s what big brothers are for. Now, stop worrying. You’ll see,the purple glow will make sense one day.”

At that moment, another knock came. It was Dax. “Your Majesty, forgive me,but His Highness, the King, requests prince Aziel's presence immediately.”

Queen Yara’s expression dimmed. “At this hour?”

“Yes, Your Majesty"Dax bowed.

Queen Yara frowned.

She turned to Aziel, worry flickering briefly in her eyes. “Go, then. Do not keep your father waiting.”