Elric stood frozen, hand inches from the vial, as the growl deepened into a rumble that shook the stones beneath his feet.
Lira, lantern raised high, gasped as a shape emerged from the gloom—a hulking creature of bone and bark, like a tree carved into the form of a beast. Its eyes glowed faintly red, but not with rage—with pain. With centuries of guarding something it no longer remembered.
"Elric," Lira whispered, "it's not attacking."
He lowered his hand slowly and stepped back. The creature growled again but did not lunge. Instead, it circled the altar, settling beside it like a loyal dog returning to its post.
"This isn't a beast," Elric murmured. "It's a sentinel."
He turned his gaze to the vial again.
---
The liquid inside pulsed faintly, like it had a heartbeat of its own.
Etched onto the altar were words in an old dialect—part Latin, part something more primal. Elric squinted, translating slowly:
"Here lies the Blood of the First Healer. May it grant sight to the blind and burden to the wise. To take it is to awaken the memory."
Lira stepped closer. "Do you think it's magic?"
Elric's eyes narrowed. "No. I think it's knowledge... compressed into blood."
He didn't touch it. Not yet. Instead, he opened his journal and began sketching the vial, the carvings, and the creature. This wasn't just a discovery—it was a turning point.
"I need to study this more," he said. "We can't risk waking something we can't put back to sleep."
---
Meanwhile, in the village, Selene had made herself at home.
She stood at the clinic window, watching the villagers with a serene smile that never reached her eyes. A small boy limped past outside, clutching his leg. She stepped out.
"Let me see it," she said softly, kneeling.
The boy hesitated, then lifted his trouser. A swollen bruise marked his shin. Selene placed her hand on it—and the bruise vanished in seconds, skin smoothing as if it had never been hurt.
The boy blinked. "You're a healer too?"
Selene only smiled.
But inside, her thoughts were sharp as glass.
> "So the prince seeks the roots... while I plant seeds above."
---
Back in the underground chamber, Elric sealed his notes and closed the journal.
"We need to go," he said. "Before sunset."
But as they ascended the stairs, the stone behind them shifted slightly. The creature below gave a final groan… then went still, merging back with the wall like moss on stone.
Outside, the mist had thickened.
And as Elric and Lira stepped out, a raven sat on a branch above the ruins—watching them with one silver eye.
---
That night, Elric returned to the clinic to find Selene sitting at his desk.
She looked up from his journal.
"You've changed a lot since the capital," she said calmly. "But you still leave your secrets half-written."
Elric's eyes hardened. "Who are you really?"
Selene closed the journal with a soft thump.
"Someone who remembers what you've forgotten."
She stood. "The blood you found… it's only the beginning. And the Council isn't the only one watching you now."
She left without another word.
And Elric, for the first time since arriving in this world, felt something colder than fear.
He felt hunted.
---