Dawn of a ruined friendship

- Alright! Enough talking, let's get down to business with this little device. Said Owen, an evident excitement in his voice.

- As you wish!

They then moved to the front of the workshop where they would resume their experiment with the cups and flowers to better understand and confirm the theory of mana links.

- Let's pick up where we left off, young Alpheus.

- Okay!

- What we need to do is simple: the link between these two objects must manifest, which is where the device we... 'I' just designed comes in.

The small device Owen had designed overnight was about the size of an apple and shaped like half a watermelon.

As he had explained, it had the capability to highlight the link between two objects sharing the same type of mana.

This would be possible thanks to the mana circuits created inside the device to channel the mana from both objects, facilitating this process.

"Watch closely, young one," said Owen as he placed the device between the cups.

"I start by infusing a bit of my mana into the device, just enough to get it running. Then, it should be able to do the rest."

After the old elf scientist transferred some of his mana into the device, they waited a few seconds for it to take effect. Alpheus was the first to notice the change.

- Hmmm! I can feel it. He said, moving his hand closer to the objects.

- What did you say? Owen asked, wanting to understand Alpheus' words.

- The mana in the objects is reacting. I can feel it; they are drawing closer... almost... and there, they are now one.

As Alpheus spoke these words, the two cups suddenly moved towards each other, skirting the device in the middle to collide as if they wanted to become a single entity.

"INCREDIBLE!" Owen exclaimed, even more astonished.

He couldn't decide which was more surprising, that the link between the mana of these inanimate objects was so effective, or that Alpheus was able to sense the movements of the mana so precisely.

- Is it really that amazing? Alpheus asked, perplexed by Owen's reaction.

- It seems you don't realize what we just witnessed. The force with which the objects came together is proof of the powerful link uniting each form of existence with its counterpart. Not only does our experiment prove my theory about Links of mana is right, but it also shows that these links are not to be taken lightly. We could achieve remarkable things by using them correctly.

- I understand better now.

- There's more.

- Hmm?

- It's truly remarkable that you can sense the movements of mana with such precision and ease. Your understanding is simply phenomenal. I'm sure you also have a gift for manipulating it.

- You can deduce all that from this simple observation?

- I may look like an old scientist lost in his research for years, but I also have some combat experience.

- Oh?

- Yes, I was once a member of an adventurer's guild. I needed money to pursue scientific studies, so I joined for a while.

- How was it?

- I lived the best moments of my life as an adventurer. My life was far from monotonous, full of twists and turns of all kinds. It was also during that time that I met my best friend. My best friend... before things changed... hmmmm..."

As these memories resurfaced, Owen began to take on a saddened, melancholic expression. Alpheus, understanding this immediately, changed the subject without wasting time.

- As you mentioned earlier, it's true that my mana manipulation is quite good.

- Hmm?

- I can control it to the point of changing the nature of mana in certain elements, transforming them into others.

- You can do that!? Owen asked, filled with doubt, as the young boy seemed confident.

In response, Alpheus simply opened his right hand, conjuring a ball of water. While the scientist observed intently, Alpheus whispered the words, "transform". With a simple gesture of his hand, the ball of water turned into a flame, just as he had done against Captain Clifford but on a larger scale.

- That's extraordinary, who would have thought such mastery of mana exists. And at such a young age, too. Said Owen, congratulating Alpheus. "My old, wise self can tell: you and your friend are certainly destined for great things. I can't fathom how hard your quest is, but know that after hearing about your goal, I will do everything in my power to help you."

- Thank you. Replied Alpheus, bowing respectfully.

***

It was already past noon when Atlas finally woke up. He had fallen into a deep sleep after talking to an unconscious Asha, exhausted from the all-nighter he had pulled.

"*sigh* I wonder how long I've been sleeping," he said to himself, sighing as his head still rested on the patient's bed. Lifting it to look at Asha, he added, "I wonder how long it'll take for her to wake up? Will it really take more than a week? ...Huh... what!? What the...!?"

Atlas couldn't believe his eyes. As he worried about Asha's recovery time, the bed where she was supposed to be lying was empty.

"Where did she go?" Atlas wondered in shock. "Could she have already woken up? That would be fantastic, but why did she leave without saying anything? Ugh! So many questions, I need to find her."

With this determination, he got up from his seat. Before leaving the hospital through the window, he took the time to quickly write a letter with a quill and a piece of paper from the nightstand, thanking the doctor for his services.

"Tsk... I don't think I can find her just by scanning the area or trying to sense her aura. Especially since I don't know how long she's been gone."

Though his chances were slim, Atlas still did his best to find Asha, scouring the rooftops of Santa Rosa. But after only a few minutes, he gave up, realizing it was impossible. He then headed to old Owen's workshop, hoping to find an answer.

Upon arrival, he unceremoniously kicked open the door to the workshop.

"Is she here?" he asked, out of breath.

Owen and Alpheus jumped at Atlas's sudden entrance.

- Calm down, man. Alpheus said vaguely and serenely.

- Who are you talking about, lad? Owen asked.

- Asha. Hmm... it's a long story. But to keep it short, she was gravely injured, so I took her to the hospital yesterday and we spent the night there. But while I was sleeping during the day, she disappeared."

- What!? She was seriously injured!?

- Yes, but her wounds were mental, so I can't say what state she's in right now.

- She's strong, I'm sure she's fine. But you need to explain. What happened, what did you do to lead to this?

Atlas then explained what they had experienced to Owen and his companion.

- Damn! His grudge knows no bounds!

- Hmm? Do you know this... Elias? Alpheus asked, following the old man's words.

- Unfortunately! He was my best friend back when I worked as an adventurer.

- Wow! exclaimed Alpheus in surprise.

- Tell us, Owen. Why is he doing all this? Atlas asked, curious to know the truth behind the whole story.

the old man hesitated, but ended up answering anyway:

- ... It's because of my research.

"When we met in the guild in town, something immediately drew us together. We were both passionate about science. What fascinated us most was the relationship between Aspell's magic and the science of the other world. Those were good times."

- But, how can he hate you so much now?

- Well, Alpheus, the Links of Mana theory I told you about, it was actually him who developed it.

- That devious merchant!? Alpheus was astonished.

Atlas, meanwhile, was completely lost, as he was too busy chasing after a beautiful gazelle.

- Links of Mana?

- Yes, I mentioned it to young Alpheus. It's a theory that says types of mana are linked together.

- Awesome! Atlas marveled. "But where's the problem with him having created it?"

"The problem is that I'm the one working on it now while he wallows in the black market.

He did come up with this incredible theory that will likely revolutionize the world in a few years, but he knew very well that his talent and scientific knowledge wouldn't allow him to conduct in-depth research on the subject.

Although he was passionate about science, he was always better at fighting, so he discussed it with me, and we started working together."

OWEN'S POV:

- How's it going, buddy? How are you this morning? Elias asked me as I sipped my morning coffee in the guild building.

- Same as usual, I'm here to save up for the last year of my studies.

- Wow! You're already in your final year? I still remember the day you joined the guild, not even sure if you'd be able to pursue those studies. But look at you now, haha! He said, laughing and giving me a friendly but firm pat on the back.

- That's true. You should have done the same. I said, removing his hand from my back and not forgetting to give him a few pats in return.

- No... you know I have other plans. I intend to extend my influence throughout the kingdom of Eryas.

- And how do you plan to achieve that?

- Dude, we possess what everyone dreams of knowing without even realizing it. This theory, when we reveal it, not only will we be the most famous in the elf kingdom, but the high-ups of every kingdom in Aspell will want to offer us a fortune for the research related to it.

- I'm not sure it's the best choice for our research.

- Don't worry, Owen. I got this. By the way, come closer. He asked, whispering. "To tell you the truth, I'm planning to set up a black market. The most prominent one in the kingdom. It'll serve us for all kinds of business and multiply our gains."

- How do you plan to run a black market while being famous? Isn't that a bit absurd?

- What world do you think we live in? The big shots running the world are all involved in shady dealings. Most are corrupt and kill innocents to keep their power. We don't live in a fairy tale world. So if I can benefit too, with you, my brother, I won't deny myself.

...

- *Sigh* I'm skeptical about your idea. The problem when you reach such a degree of influence or wealth is that you can say goodbye to a peaceful life. I replied after a brief moment of silence.

It was clear that I was against his proposal. The idea of being the center of attention bothered me, not just as a matter of preference, but because of everything it could cause.

... Death!

****

______________________________

Hi guys, for those who want to dive a little deeper into the world of the book, I'll put the link to my Patreon below:

patreon.com/Death_Side

There you will find exclusively, images of your favorite characters, information about them and also about the world of the book, without forgetting the possibility of chatting with me.

Plus you don't need to be a paying member to enjoy certain privileges. So go for it! ;)

----------