A Chase Through Thornwood
The Thornwood was restless tonight.
The wind slithered through the gnarled branches, carrying the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves. Somewhere in the distance, a predator howled—a sound both animal and unnatural.
Lyra didn't flinch.
Her boots crunched softly against the forest floor, her breath measured. The Syndicate had stolen the map, and she refused to let them escape.
The stolen knowledge of the ancient alchemists… the key to the Primordial Flame's true power… It was all at risk.
Callan ran beside her, his sword gleaming faintly in the moonlight, eyes narrowed in fierce determination.
Behind them, Elaris moved like a phantom, barely making a sound.
The trail was easy to follow—burnt patches of grass where alchemical energy had flared up, footprints leading deeper into the trees. But they weren't alone in the forest.
A crack of branches.
Lyra stopped, hand flying to her satchel.
A shadow moved between the trees. Then another.
They weren't just tracking the Syndicate.
The Syndicate was waiting for them.
---
The Ambush
A whistling sound cut through the air.
Lyra barely had time to react—a blade flashed past her cheek, sinking into a tree behind her.
"MOVE!" Callan roared.
The forest exploded with movement.
Figures cloaked in black and red burst from the shadows, Syndicate assassins with curved daggers coated in shimmering alchemical poison.
Elaris loosed an arrow, striking one assassin clean through the shoulder.
Another Syndicate agent lunged at Lyra. She barely dodged, the dagger grazing her sleeve.
No time. No time.
She yanked a small vial from her belt—Flashfire Elixir.
With a flick of her wrist, she shattered the glass against the ground.
A burst of blinding white light filled the forest.
The assassins stumbled back, covering their eyes.
That was their chance.
"Go!" Lyra didn't hesitate.
They raced through the trees, dodging roots and vaulting fallen logs.
---
The Syndicate's Hidden Stronghold
The outpost was hidden beneath the roots of the forest.
Massive blackstone walls, carved with glowing alchemical glyphs, jutted out from the earth like the remains of an ancient fortress.
The entrance was a gaping tunnel, descending into the depths like the maw of a beast.
Elaris wiped sweat from her brow. "We should go in carefully."
Callan clenched his jaw. "No time for careful."
Lyra exhaled, pressing a hand to the cool stone.
This wasn't just a hideout.
This was an alchemical vault.
---
Crafting the Shadowstep Elixir
To sneak inside, they needed to disappear.
Lyra dropped to her knees, pulling out her alchemical kit.
Ingredients:
✔ Shadowroot – Absorbs light, naturally camouflaging the user.
✔ Nightshade Berries – Enhances agility, allowing for quicker movement.
✔ Powdered Obsidian – A catalyst to amplify the effect, binding the ingredients together.
She ground the berries into a thick ink-like paste, their scent sharp and metallic.
A pinch of obsidian dust—the mixture hissed, darkening further.
Finally, she added a single drop of etherweed extract.
The elixir twisted and churned, releasing a curling vapor that clung to her fingers like mist.
Lyra uncorked the bottle.
"Drink."
The effect was immediate.
A cold chill crawled across her skin, and the world around her warped and blurred.
Elaris and Callan vanished from sight.
They were shadows now.
---
Infiltrating the Vault
Inside, the tunnels stretched deep underground, flickering torches casting eerie blue light.
Shelves lined the walls—ancient tomes, stolen potions, alchemical devices humming with unstable energy.
Lyra's breath hitched.
The Syndicate had been collecting lost knowledge for years.
This wasn't just a hideout.
This was a war chest.
At the far end of the chamber, a stone altar glowed faintly.
Atop it—the stolen map.
But standing before it was a figure draped in crimson robes.
He turned.
And Lyra's heart stopped.
---
Aldric Veran—The Ghost of Alchemy
The man before them was Aldric Veran.
A former Guildmaster. Declared dead years ago.
And yet… here he stood.
His eyes burned with something inhuman.
"I was expecting you," he said.
---
The Truth About the Alchemist King
Aldric stepped aside, revealing the mural carved into the altar.
A towering figure wreathed in flames, holding a chalice of light.
"The Alchemist King," Aldric said softly. "The greatest of our kind. And soon, he will return."
Lyra's throat tightened.
The Alchemist King wasn't just a legend.
His soul was bound to the Primordial Flame.
If the Syndicate activated the ancient sanctuaries…
They could resurrect him.
And no one would be able to stop them.
---
A Battle for the Map
Callan moved first, lunging for the map.
Aldric slammed his hand onto the altar.
A surge of alchemical energy pulsed through the room.
The ceiling shook.
A deafening roar of collapsing stone.
The vault was collapsing.
---
The Escape & The Collapse
The tunnels shuddered, walls cracking.
Lyra snatched the map, stuffing it into her satchel.
Elaris fired an arrow, striking Aldric's shoulder.
He barely flinched.
The walls split apart. Stone cascaded from the ceiling.
The exit was blocked.
They were trapped underground.