THE ALCHEMY OF SEPARATION

Back in Merlin's chamber, Alina and Anna carefully arranged the various potions and ingredients across the long wooden table. Nearby, Connor stood beside a towering stack of books, flipping through pages at an inhuman speed.

Alina inhaled deeply, then exhaled, clenching and unclenching her fists. "I can do this. I can… do this."

Anna, noticing her nerves, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry. We're in this together."

Alina glanced at her, then managed a small, hesitant smile. "Yeah… Y-yeah."

With a loud thud, Connor dropped five thick tomes onto the table, causing a small cloud of dust to rise. "None of these books are useful," he announced.

Alina's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait—you read all of those in just a few seconds?! Each of them has at least fifty thousand words!"

Connor scratched the back of his head. "Well, elementiels can process information a lot faster than humans. So, it was no problem at all."

"Amazing…" Alina whispered, shaking her head in astonishment.

Anna clapped her hands together, drawing their focus. "Alright, so what do we do now?"

Alina pressed a finger to her chin, thinking. "In order to create a potion that can separate two merged beings, we need something that's already fused together."

With a flick of her wrist, she conjured an apple and an orange. A faint glow pulsed in her palm as she brought them together. Magical symbols appeared in the air, weaving around the fruits as they slowly melded into one.

"Incredible…" Anna murmured, watching in awe.

Alina gave a small, proud smile. "Thanks. But merging things together is much easier than separating them." She dusted off her hands and continued, "To separate them, I have to focus on both of their unique properties very carefully."

Connor stroked his chin. "To ensure that the essence of one doesn't remain attached to the other, right?"

Alina brightened. "Exactly! If I don't get it just right, the properties might mix in unpredictable ways. Creating a potion for this fruit won't be too difficult, but…" Her voice trailed off, her expression growing serious. "We're dealing with a man and the Queen of Dragons. This won't be easy."

Anna tilted her head. "Wait… if you can merge the fruits with a spell, why not also use a spell to separate them?"

Alina sighed. "Like I said, separation magic is complex, even for experienced spell casters. Potion-making is more simple—it's easier to produce than raw spell craft. If I were as powerful as Merlin, I could easily cast a spell to solve our problem, but…" She bit her lip. "I'm not."

Connor placed a firm hand on her shoulder, his voice steady. "We've got your back. Just tell us how we can help."

Alina looked at both of them—their confidence, their unwavering determination. Her fingers tightened into a fist, resolve hardening in her chest.

"Alright," she said, determination burning in her green eyes. "Let's begin."

Jason's eyes burned with rage as he glared at the massive egg before him, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. Jack studied the egg with careful precision.

"There it is," Jack murmured. "It's giving off immense energy. It seems like it's going to hatch soon."

Jason barely acknowledged his words. His mind was already racing ahead. "Now that we've found it," Jack continued, "we should head back and—"

"Hey." Jason's voice was low but firm. His knuckles tightened. "Don't you think it would be better if we… destroyed it now?"

Jack turned to him, his brows furrowing in confusion.

Jason kept staring at the egg. "Think about it, Jack. What if Darius' power is too great for us to overcome? What if the moment he hatches, we lose any chance of stopping him?" He exhaled sharply. "Destroying it now would be the safest option."

Jack studied him closely. "I understand what you're saying, but we need to think about the future. The dragons need their queen. Without her—"

"Why should I care about them?!" Jason's voice rose sharply, his expression contorting with barely contained fury. "That monster… he's the reason… why…" His voice cracked as a single tear slid down his cheek. "Why Stacey is gone."

Jack's eyes widened.

Jason wiped his face quickly and stepped forward, his hands curling into fists. "I'm going to destroy that egg. Now."

Jack moved before he could take another step, grabbing Jason's arm and holding him back with firm resolve. "Jason, I'm sorry. I really am," he said, his voice softer now. "But we had a plan, and I can't let you go against it."

Jason's body tensed. The air around them crackled as heat and lightning began to surge from his body. Jack's eyes widened as the surge of energy disrupted the air around them.

Below, one of the dragons lurking near the volcano snapped its head up, sensing the disturbance. It let out a deafening roar, and within seconds, dozens of dragons took flight, their glowing eyes locking onto the two intruders.

"We've been spotted!" Jack said.

A torrent of fire and lightning rained down from above. The two dodged the attacks swiftly as the dragons swooped in with lethal precision. They twisted and turned in the air, narrowly avoiding the deadly blasts, before pushing themselves toward the rift that separated this hidden realm from the real world.

With one final burst of speed, they tore through the barrier—escaping the dimension just in time.

They crashed into the forest, hiding beneath the cover of thick trees as dragons circled above. After a few tense moments, the beasts let out guttural growls and retreated back into their hidden world.

Jack slowly emerged from behind a tree, scanning the sky. "Looks like they're gone…"

Jason stepped forward without a word. Jack reached for him. "Jason, wait—"

"Forget it, okay?!" Jason snapped, his hands trembled at his sides as he turned away. "Let's just… get back to the others."

Jack watched him go, his brows drawn together in concern.

The moment Jack and Jason opened the door to the chamber, they were met with chaos.

Smoke billowed from overturned cauldrons, foam spilled across the floor, and the scent of burnt herbs lingered in the air. Connor stumbled out, coughing, his face partially covered in soot. "Oh, hey, you two," he wheezed. "Any good news?"

Jack blinked as he took in the disaster-stricken room. Anna and Alina stood near a cluttered table, looking equally exhausted.

"I see," Connor continued, shaking some foam from his sleeve. "This… is good news, I guess?"

Jack sighed but nodded. "Now all we have to do is finish this potion on time."

Alina winced, rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah… sorry about the mess. It's, um… not as easy as it looks."

"That's alright," Jack reassured her. "Now that we're all here, things should go a lot smoother."

They all nodded in agreement. But amidst the chatter, Anna's gaze flickered toward Jason, who stood apart from the group—arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

Slowly, she approached him, leaning against the wall beside him. Nudging him lightly with her shoulder, she offered a small smile. "Hey, you."

Jason barely glanced at her. Anna studied his face. "What's wrong?"

Jason exhaled, his gaze falling to the ground. "It's… nothing. I just want to put an end to this as soon as possible. We can't afford to waste time."

Anna's expression softened. "I get it," she said gently. "But don't carry this burden alone, okay? We'll find a way through this."

Jason hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah." But his voice lacked conviction.

As he walked away, Anna watched him, concern flickering in her eyes.

Jack clapped his hands together, gathering everyone's attention. "Alright. We still have time to work on the potion before the egg hatches. Let's give it everything we've got."

Everyone nodded in unison.

After hours of relentless work, exhaustion crept in—but finally, they had something.

Alina stood before the group, summoning a snake and a bird into existence. With a flick of her wrist, she merged them into a single, twisted creature. Taking a steady breath, she lifted a vial of shimmering liquid. "Okay," she murmured. "Let's hope this one works."

She poured a single drop onto the fused creature.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the beast twitched. Its form shimmered and warped—until, in a flash of light, it split apart. The bird fluttered onto Jack's shoulder while the snake coiled harmlessly around his arm.

Jack carefully examined them before nodding in approval. "They're fine. No lingering effects."

Anna collapsed onto the floor with a dramatic groan. "Finally! But… will it work on Darius?"

Alina wiped the sweat from her forehead. "This potion is strong. Concentrated with enough energy to break the bond." She looked up. "It should be enough."

Jason turned to her, eyes sharp. "Then what are we waiting for? We should use it on him now while he's still in the egg."

"We can't just pour it on the egg," Alina countered. "The potion has to touch him physically. We have to pour it inside him for maximum effect."

Jack nodded. "And right now, neither he nor the queen is fully developed. It's risky, but if we all work together, we can take him down."

Connor stepped forward. "Then let's move. We need to show this to the commander."