THE ALCHEMIST'S REVELATION

Jason and the others entered the bakery. Inside, Grandpa Mark stood behind the counter, handing a loaf to a cheerful customer.

"Have a nice day now," Mark said with a smile, turning toward them. His expression brightened at the sight of his grandson but quickly turned curious as his gaze landed on Jack.

"Ah, glad you all are back," Mark began, his tone light before pausing to take in the tall, imposing figure standing beside Anna. "And who is this handsome young man with you?"

Jack stepped forward, his posture respectful. "Good day, sir. My name is Jack, and we've found something important—something we believe you should see."

Mark's eyes flicked from Jack to the rest of the group, noting their serious expressions. Jason approached, pulling the weathered red book from under his arm and handing it to him.

"Grandpa," Jason said, his voice tinged with urgency. "What do you know about this?"

Mark accepted the book, his fingers brushing over its aged cover. He opened it, flipping through the pages with familiarity. Anna stepped closer, her voice soft yet probing.

"Your name is in here," she said. "Whoever wrote this… knew who you were."

Mark let out a weary sigh and closed the book. "I suppose it's time I told you the truth."

The group exchanged curious glances as Mark began. "Back in my younger days, long before I came to Camelot, I lived in a small kingdom far from here. I had a dear friend named Darius—a brilliant man, skilled in the art of alchemy."

Mark's voice grew heavier as he continued. "One day, Darius came to me with a radical idea. He wanted to stop the dragon attacks plaguing the villages by merging his essence with the Queen of Dragons herself. He believed that if he could become one with her, he'd gain control over all dragons and bring peace."

Anna's brows furrowed. "That sounds… risky."

"I told him as much," Mark replied grimly. "I warned him that such an experiment was dangerous, but Darius was determined. When he presented his idea to a group of talented alchemists, they mocked him. Humiliated, he disappeared shortly afterward and I never saw him again."

Mark paused, his hands tightening around the book. "Years later, after I became the fire elementiel, I traced the escalating dragon attacks to a lab in East Camelot. There, I found Darius—but he was no longer the man I knew. His body had become a grotesque fusion of human and dragon, his power on par with that of an elementiel."

The group listened in stunned silence as Mark's voice grew solemn. "He had succeeded, but his success came at a terrible price. His mind was fractured, his humanity slipping away. It took every ounce of my strength to stop him. That was forty years ago."

"I thought I'd ended it for good… but now, it seems he had a backup plan."

Connor folded his arms, his expression grave. "That explains why the dragons have been acting so strangely. Someone's been pulling the strings all along."

Anna turned to Mark, her voice tentative. "Pa… who is the Dragon Queen?"

Jack spoke up before Mark could answer. "The Dragon Queen was part of an ancient race of dragons known as the High-Borns. After the Great War, five hundred thousand years ago, only two of them remained and the dragons fled to the Dragon Continent."

He paused, his tone darkening. "But everything changed when "HE" came. One of the High-Borns was killed and the dragons were driven out from their homeland."

Mark nodded. "The Queen hibernates for five centuries at a time. During this period, she's unable to command her dragons. Darius must have seized that window of vulnerability to carry out his plan."

Jason's jaw tightened as he faced his grandfather. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before, Grandpa?"

"Because I wasn't certain. I had my suspicions, but I couldn't bring myself to believe that Darius might still be alive. But I guess I was wrong."

Anna crossed her arms thoughtfully. "The dragons gathering in the south… it must be because of that egg. It's drawing them there."

Jason frowned. "But the knights already searched the south and found nothing."

Jack stroked his chin, his expression contemplative. "We need to find that egg and destroy it before it hatches. There's no time to waste."

The group nodded in agreement until Connor suddenly spoke. "Wait. If Darius fused with the Dragon Queen, shouldn't we try to separate them instead of killing him outright?"

They turned to him, surprised. "If we destroy the Queen," Connor continued, "we'll only create a power vacuum. She helps maintain balance among the dragons. Without her, things might get even worse."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You make a fair point. But separating them? Do you know anyone capable of making a potion strong enough to undo a fusion like that?"

Mark's expression brightened slightly. "Actually…" he said, "There might be someone."

The others leaned in, curious.

"Unfortunately, Merlin isn't here at the moment," the king said, his voice calm but firm. "In fact, he isn't usually around at all."

Jason, Anna, Connor, and Jack exchanged glances, sighing in unison.

However, Arthur continued, his tone lightening. "But I believe his apprentice is in the castle. From what I've heard, their skill is said to rival Merlin's own."

Their expressions brightened instantly.

The King gestured toward a large wooden door at the far end of the hall. "You will find them in the chamber beyond."

As they approached the door, Anna turned to the others, her expression serious. "Alright, guys. We're about to step into the workspace of the most powerful wizard in the world. Let's try to be… graceful."

They all nodded in agreement. With a deep breath, Jason pushed open the door.

The moment they stepped inside, all expectations of an orderly chamber vanished. The room was a whirlwind of chaos. Books floated through the air, flipping their pages on their own.

A broom swept the floor tirelessly without a hand to guide it. Various magical tools and alchemical equipment buzzed, whirred, and clattered in a frenzied dance of activity.

In the middle of it all, a young woman frantically attempted to regain control.

"Oh my—visitors?! Now?!"

Startled, she tripped over a stack of books and fell, her hood slipping off to reveal long red hair, striking green eyes, and a faint scar along her right cheek. She looked up at them, eyes wide.

"Welcome… I wasn't exactly… expecting anyone."

Connor stepped forward, offering her a hand. "Are you alright? You seem kind of… overwhelmed."

"What? No, I'm completely fine," she said quickly, before glancing around at the floating objects with a helpless sigh. "…Okay, maybe a little overwhelmed."

Then, her eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait. Are you people… elementiels?!"

Anna folded her arms with a confident smirk. "Yep, that's us."

She stared at them in pure astonishment. "That's amazing."

They took a moment to look around the chamber. Despite the mess, it was clear that this was the workspace of someone gifted—if not particularly organized.

"I apologize for the, um… disaster you've walked into," she continued, dusting herself off. "I was just trying to get things in order. My name is Alina."

Before anyone could respond, a large tome suddenly flew straight into Jason's face with a heavy thud.

"Ow!" Jason grumbled, rubbing his forehead as Alina rushed over, snatching the book away.

"I am so, so sorry!" she said in a panic.

Jason scowled, crossing his arms. "Watch it, alright?!"

Anna frowned at him. "Hey, don't yell at her like that," she said, stepping between them before turning to Alina. "Are you okay?"

Alina looked down, her voice softer. "It's alright. I deserved that."

Connor studied Jason's face but said nothing.

Meanwhile, Jack addressed Alina directly. "We heard you're Merlin's apprentice, which means you're highly skilled in magic and potion-making."

Alina blushed slightly, scratching the back of her head. "Well… I wouldn't say highly skilled, exactly. Honestly, I don't think I'm very good at all. I can barely use Light Magic."

Anna tilted her head. "Light Magic?"

Alina nodded. "Yeah. There are different types of magic. Light Magic is the most powerful, while Base Magic is for beginners. I've mastered Base Magic, but my knowledge of Light Magic is… minimal at best."

Connor raised an eyebrow. "But what about potions? Are you good with those?"

"I know the basics," she admitted. "Why? What do you guys need?"

Jack stepped forward. "We need a potion that can separate two beings that have been fused together."

Alina's eyes widened. "Wait, what?! That's… well, that depends on the fusion itself."

Jason leaned against the wall, folding his arms. "The fusion is between a man and the Queen of all dragons."

Alina's jaw nearly dropped. "What?! That's insane! I mean, I—I don't even know if that's possible."

Anna stepped closer, her voice firm but kind. "Please, Alina. This is important. If we don't stop this, a lot of people could get hurt."

Alina held her chin, deep in thought. After a moment, she exhaled. "Well… it shouldn't be impossible. But I'll need help."

Jack nodded. "Then it's settled. Jason and Anna, you two will stay here and assist Alina with the potion. Connor and I will search for the egg—"

"No!" Jason cut in abruptly. "I want to find that egg too."

The room fell silent. Everyone turned to him in surprise.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Alright… Then Connor will stay behind while you and I search for the egg."

"Good," Jason said briskly, heading toward the door.

Anna watched him go, concern flickering across her face. "What's gotten into him?" she thought.

Jack followed, but before stepping out, he turned back. "Alina, we're counting on you. Good luck."

Alina nodded. "Y-yeah. I'll do my best."

Connor clapped his hands together. "Alright, ladies. Let's get to work."

Anna grinned and threw her arm around Alina's shoulder. "Right!"