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Alchemy's Curse
"Why are we here?" Ivan demanded. "What do you want?"
"I am waiting," Kasui smirked. "But, I grow tired now. Perhaps it is time I brought Isaac here. The boy must be so fed up with sitting in his cell and doing nothing."
"No!" Ivan struggled, but the ropes chafed his wrists and it hurt. He gave up in defeat. "Please. Don't hurt Isaac."
"Silence," Mia spoke in a monotone. "Lord Kasui no longer wishes for your voice to disturb him."
"Mia!" Ivan exclaimed. "You've got to stop this! Don't you know he's just controlling you?"
"It is useless," Kasui raised his hand, a shining light emitting from it. "Mia cannot hear you. She will certainly not respond to your futile words. Now... come, Isaac."
Ivan gasped as a pulsing light appeared in the centre of the room. It grew so bright that he was forced to squint as he looked, and he saw a dark shape growing in the middle of the light. The dark shape eventually took on the form of a spiky-haired person and Ivan realised to his horror that it was indeed Isaac. The light disappeared and Isaac fell forwards, letting out a cry of surprise.
"What am I doing here?" Isaac got to his feet and looked around wildly. "Ivan... why are you here?"
"He caught me using telepathy and brought me here," Ivan said miserably. "I shouldn't have done it."
"So that was why you stopped..." Isaac glared at Kasui. "Are you after a fight?"
"No, it is not a fight I want," Kasui stepped towards Isaac, who immediately reached for his sword. "You cannot hope to beat me with just a sword. Do not resist, and it will be less painful."
"I'm not giving you the power of the Mars Star," Isaac gritted his teeth.
"The power of the Mars Star..." Ivan's eyes widened. "What does that mean?"
"I do not have complete Alchemy," Kasui explained. "I did absorb pure Alchemy, but that gained from the forming Golden Sun... I did not get it all. The Wise One gave the power of the Mars Star to Isaac."
"I don't understand this at all," Ivan muttered.
"No..." Isaac backed away. "No!"
"You cannot resist," Kasui waved his hand again. Isaac found himself bound tight and unable to move. To his horror, Kasui placed his hand flat upon Isaac's chest and golden light began to flow out of Isaac and along his arm. Isaac felt a strange tugging sensation, and as time passed, it began to feel like his entire flesh was being ripped off and he groaned in pain. He was partly relieved when he was released and sank to the floor, the pain fading away.
But there was no use in being relieved now. His enemy had complete Alchemy.
"I'm sorry, Wise One," Isaac gritted his teeth. "I have failed you."
"No! Isaac..." Ivan sighed. "... It isn't your fault, Isaac. You couldn't do anything!"
"You have failed," Mia spoke again. "You are a worthless being. My lord will seize the world, and inferior people like you will be powerless. You will fall easily. All and every one of you."
"Mia, stop it!" Ivan shouted.
"And now," Kasui looked down at Isaac, kneeling on the floor. "What to do with you useless people? I no longer have need for any of you."
Isaac looked up and shivered. For an instant, he felt like he was staring death in the face. Cold, icy death. And Ivan and Mia would... they would follow...
"No! I can't let you!" Isaac jumped to his feet, drawing his sword. "I don't care how strong you are. I-"
"Idiot," The blue-haired man waved his arm through the air in a swift motion, and Isaac found himself sent flying back by what felt like a gust of wind. He landed hard on his back and let out a gasp. "You cannot defeat me."
Isaac lay on the floor, his back aching, and he felt despair surging through his body. He had good as lost already. Weyard would be taken over by a power hungry maniac. They would all die. Tears pooled up in his eyes and he looked up at Mia, who walked towards Kasui. Her expression remained blank. She was completely under his power, and would probably feel nothing if he killed her. She would fall like a lifeless doll falling from a child's hands, and Isaac wouldn't be able to save her.
Isaac turned his head and looked over at Ivan, pained by the sight of his friend tied up and helpless, sitting against the wall. Ivan was not looking at him, but rather at the floor, a sullen defeat in his expression. Ivan had tried to help, but his chance had been stolen from him, and now he couldn't do anything either.
"I'm sorry," Isaac whispered.
"Isaac..." Ivan raised his eyes, looking into Isaac's, which were filled with sorrow and defeat. A chill ran through him when he realised what it meant. Isaac had given up. Faced by a powerful foe, he knew his life was forfeit.
"You have done very well, Lord Kasui," Mia spoke again. "Is there anything you wish of me?"
"Mia!" Isaac screamed. "Stay away from him!"
"What is wrong?" Kasui sneered. "You worried that I will take her first? She wouldn't even notice. Her soul has been completely swallowed by my power. I wonder which would be best, for me to release her as I kill you, or for you to watch her die. Or watch both your friends die and then perish." Ivan let out a soft whimper of fear.
Suddenly, the door opened. Isaac turned and didn't know whether to feel relieved or horrified when he saw who was standing at the door.
"Everybody!" Ivan exclaimed in surprise. "You came!"
"Of course we did!" Sheba ran into the room, the others following.
"Alex!" Felix exclaimed. "Isaac... what's going on?"
"You're kidding me? You got tied up?" Garet looked down at the sheepish Jupiter Adept.
"Um... kinda..." Ivan held out his arms. "A little help here, please?"
"Eh, okay," Garet pulled out his sword and sliced neatly through the bonds holding Ivan's arms together. Ivan sighed in relief and undid the bonds around his legs, before rubbing his painful wrists.
"We've got a bit of a problem," Isaac got to his feet. "Actually, it's a rather big problem."
"So, you are all here now," Kasui smiled. "Very well. You will all perish."
"Your time is up," Mia said blankly. "You will die as my lord asks."
"Mia!" Isaac cried out again. "Come back to your senses!"
"So, Alex has Mia under his control," Piers guessed. "And you tried to rescue Mia."
"Doesn't seem like you're doing a good job though," Sheba sighed. "Why is he still alive?"
"It is complicated, is it not?" Kasui chuckled. "I am not Alex, not in his entirety. I have his body, but not his soul, just his desires. When the Wise One defeated him in battle upon Mt. Aleph, he only had three quarters of Alchemy. However, he fell into the bowels of Mt. Aleph and into a chamber where the Stone of Sages lay. There, he claimed pure Alchemy but he lost his soul in the process and I was born of what was left of him. A being with Alchemy."
"You only got three quarters of Alchemy? Why?" Felix asked. "Where's the fourth quarter?"
"It was in Isaac," Kasui answered.
"Was?" Garet repeated.
"He took it from me," Isaac hung his head in shame.
"It's not Isaac's fault," Ivan immediately leaped to his defence. "Isaac was powerless."
"Then where is Alex?" Jenna asked.
"..." Kasui shrugged.
"You don't know?" Piers frowned.
Jenna heard the voice whispering to her again and froze, listening intently. It told her to take the stone out of her pocket. She reached into her skirt pocket and clutched the sapphire, pulling it out. It was warm and glowing bright blue. Jenna found herself running forwards, her mouth opening to shout, but she couldn't, and she flung the stone. It went spinning in the air, to land in the outstretched hand of Mia. Jenna flailed and fell to her knees, staring in horror. What had just happened to her? Why had it gone from her to Mia? What was going on?
Mia looked down at the gleaming sapphire in her hand and smiled. It was whispering to her, reaching through to her soul, and begging her to do something. She looked up at the body of Alex and realised what she had to do. Mia clenched her fist tightly and drove it into his chest, pressing the stone firmly against the place where his heart was.
Everybody in the room let out a cry of surprise as Mia pushed the stone into Alex's body. A bright glow of light exploded from the stone, encompassing Mia and Alex, and everybody had to shield their eyes from it. Mia snapped back into consciousness and looked away, squeezing her eyes shut against the glare, still pressing her hand against his chest.
When the light faded, Mia stepped away from Alex, shaking profusely. She turned and ran to Isaac, who pulled her into a tight hug.
"I'm so sorry," Mia whispered.
"Me too," Isaac murmured.
"Okay, what was all that about?" Jenna demanded, getting to her feet.
"I..."
"Alex?" Sheba frowned.
"I am Alex..." Alex looked down at his hands in a dazed confusion. "I... was dead... and... the Wise One... robbed me... I remember falling... I found... the Stone of Sages..."
"I got it!" Ivan exclaimed. "Alex's soul must have been sealed in that stone Jenna had!"
"Then Alex was the one who lured us here," Felix said. "He used us to reunite his body and soul."
"Alex is back," Mia frowned. "Now he can carry out whatever he dreamed of."
"And you..." Alex looked up at the group, eight Adepts staring accusingly at him. "I remember all of you. I... I still remember what has happened between the time I lost my soul and when I regained it. I now have everything I wanted. I have the power to shape this world, to live forever, to be... like a god."
"No!" Isaac shouted. "You can't be! Nobody has that right!"
"Shut up," Alex said coolly. "I give myself the right. I am Alchemy. I possess the ultimate power. I can now be the one to control Weyard, to crush it within my grasp, create a new world if that is what I desire."
"We wont let you!" Garet exclaimed.
"Alex, you can't do this," Felix protested. "It's not right. You can't use the power for that. Alchemy should not be used for evil. You should..."
"Use it to improve the world?" Sheba suggested.
"Improve the world?" Alex smirked. "Don't make me laugh. I will decide in my own time what to do with Weyard. I could make everybody loyal to me, worship me. And those who stand against me... will perish!"
"You really are no different," Isaac rushed at Alex, holding out his sword. "I will not allow you to enslave Weyard!"
"You will die first," Alex disappeared. Isaac gasped and stopped in his tracks, not realising that Alex had reappeared behind him. Isaac let out a pained gasp and looked down in horror to see the tip of a blade sticking out of his chest, gleaming red. It was blood. His blood. Isaac moaned as the blade was pulled out, and slumped forwards, blood running fast down his clothes and pooling up on the floor.
"Isaac!" Mia shrieked, rushing towards the stricken Venus Adept and clutching him tightly, her hands shaking. "Isaac... no!"
"M-Mia..." Isaac's teeth chattered and he coughed, his chin being splattered with droplets of blood. "I... I want to... tell you..."
"Don't die, Isaac," Mia whimpered, wrapping her arms around him, tears running down her face. His blood was staining her clothes, but she didn't care. "Please, don't die!"
"... I love... you..." Isaac was also tearful, as he looked into the face of the distraught girl. "... I'm... sorry..."
"I love you too," Mia whimpered, stroking Isaac's pale face. "I love you."
"Mia..." Isaac was shivering, as he used up all his energy to look around at his friends. They were all standing in a group, looking at him in stunned horror, not wishing to believe what they saw. He looked back at Mia. "... Please... don't you die. Please... don't... ... ... my body... ... is growing... cold..."
"Cold?" Mia hissed. She remembered a man she had watched die once, a man who she had been unable to save with her healing skills. The last thing he had spoken of was cold. "No... no... no, I won't believe it! No!"
"Mia," Isaac whispered, his eyes closing. Mia screamed in anguish as he fell forwards into his blood. A few slow breaths, and then his body was still. Mia whimpered, turning Isaac's body over and sobbing as she looked into his vacant expression, covered with blood. She reached out and closed his eyes, her teardrops splashing freely onto his still body.
"ISAAC!" Mia howled, clutching his body and burying her face into his still warm torso, her entire body shaking as she cried in grief.
"How pathetic," Alex sighed. "Now will you continue to oppose me?"
"We will," Piers drew his sword. "I will."
"You idiots just don't learn," Alex clenched a fist. Piers gasped, dropped his sword and fell to the floor, clutching his chest. His eyes widened and his mouth flapped open. He was trying to speak, but he couldn't.
"What are you doing to him?" Sheba demanded.
"Crushing his heart," Alex replied.
"Stop it!" Felix yelled, pointing the Sol Blade at Alex.
"Felix!" Jenna exclaimed. "Be careful!"
"Too late," Alex sniffed, as Piers froze. He remained in position for a slow, painful second, his hands slipping away from his chest before his body pitched forward, bringing forth fresh cries.
The remaining Adepts looked at Alex in silence, their faces a mixture of horror and fear. Alex was too powerful. He could kill them all in seconds.
"Anybody else?" Alex asked.
"You asshole!" Sheba screamed, running forwards and swinging her staff. Felix let out a warning shout, but Alex had already shot what looked like several missiles of ice at her. Sheba stopped and chuckled miserably. "Oops... I messed up pretty badly there, didn't I? Felix..." Her eyes rolled to the top of her head and she fell down, her body going still.
"SHEBA!" Felix screamed. He ran forwards, the Sol Blade howling. "MEGIDDO!"
Alex waited until the attack was over, and sniffed dismissively. Felix gulped upon seeing that the attack had done very little damage at all. Alex didn't even have a scratch upon him. "You underestimate me, Felix."
"You killed Sheba," Felix shuddered. "How could you do that? Why? Why are you doing this?"
"I cannot allow people who oppose me to exist any longer," Alex shrugged. "But, since we were friends once, your death will be painless. Be thankful." He waved his hand, and Felix released a soft gasp, falling to the ground. He was dead before the sound of impact came.
"Felix..." Jenna sobbed. "... No..."
"Jenna, hold yourself together!" Garet grabbed Jenna's arm. "Don't..."
"He killed Felix!" Jenna tugged away, glaring at Alex. "I'm going to kill him for what he did!"
"You can't kill him!" Garet protested.
"I can at least try!"
"But, Jenna..."
"We're going to die anyway! I might as well die fighting!"
"We're going to die," Ivan whispered. "We're going to die. I don't want to die!"
"So, you're scared to die?" Alex warped out and warped back in, a foot's length away from Ivan who gasped and almost fell over at his sudden appearance so close. "Shall I make it better for you?"
"No..." Ivan whimpered. "I... I can't... Please..."
"Such a coward all of a sudden," Alex smirked. "I guess you were never such a fighter after all. Is this really how you want your friends to see you in your last moments of life? A coward?"
"I don't care," Ivan looked down, a tear trickling down his cheek. "Let them."
"Poor, pathetic little Adept," Alex slashed fiercely with his sword. Droplets of blood flew through the air, as Ivan fell backwards, his eyes filled with sadness and fear.
"I... I'm going to die..." Ivan whispered, watching the blood pour out of his body. "I... I'm actually... dying... Hama... I am so sorry."
"You see?" Jenna exclaimed. "He just killed Ivan!"
"... Don't die first," Garet protested. "I don't want to see you die."
"I don't want to see you die before me either," Jenna sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Then die together," Alex sniffed. He made another gesture at the two Mars Adepts.
Mia screamed anew as she watched Garet and Jenna pitch to the floor, both of them dead within mere seconds.
"Mia..." Alex turned to look at the blue-haired maiden. "You are the last one."
"You killed everybody," Mia stood up, shaking with grief. "You killed everybody! Why?"
"The power, it runs wild," Alex raised a hand. "But, even as I prepare to strike you down, a part of me cries out. It matters not. Go to join your friends."
"Isaac..." Mia whispered, as Alex plunged the blade in her chest. He pulled the sword out and let her fall back onto Isaac's body. Mia closed her eyes shut and welcomed the cold grasp of death.
Alex looked around at the bodies strewn across the room and a sudden realisation hit him. This... this bloody carnage... this wasn't what he had wanted. He remembered now, why he had wanted the power in the first place. Seeing Mia rushing around Imil, trying to save lives, watching people die, he had wanted to put an end to things like that. He didn't want death. He wanted people to live free of worry.
What had happened?
He had forgotten his true goal. He wanted a better Weyard. Along the way, the gained knowledge, the lust for power... it had corrupted him.
Alex looked at his hands and shuddered. These were the hands of a cold blooded killer. He was a killer. This wasn't how he should have turned out. He should have used the power of Alchemy for good, to heal, to help people to live, but something had turned him into a power hungry monster that lusted for blood.
He had to get himself out of the darkness.
And he knew how he could do it.
"The power of Alchemy is great," Alex whispered. "It can do anything. Including... bringing people back from the dead. So many lives at once, brought back... Alchemy can do that. I know it can."
Alex resheathed his sword and held out his hands, placing them together. They started to glow with a golden light. Alex frowned in concentration and the light spread across the room, encompassing all the bodies in its radiant glow. He watched as blood disappeared, as wounds closed up. He listened as the first gasps of breath filled the room. He saw movement. Eyes opened, looked at him. Then the light faded and Alex lowered his hands, looking not at the eight Adepts who got to their feet but at the ground. He was prepared for anything.
"We... we're alive!" Sheba exclaimed.
"That light... it was coming from Alex, wasn't it?" Ivan demanded.
"Isaac!" Mia cried, squeezing him tightly. "Thank goodness... you're alive..."
"Mia..." Isaac smiled and kissed her. However, the others cared little about what they were doing, more about the Mercury Adept standing in the centre of the room.
"There is little I can do to redeem myself," Alex muttered.
"Asking for our forgiveness would certainly be stretching it," Felix snapped.
"Yeah, and bringing us back to life after you killed us? No way. We're still not forgiving you," Garet scowled.
"Why did you revive us?" asked Jenna.
"I am not going to ask for forgiveness," Alex spoke. "I would not stoop that low. But when I killed each and every one of you, I realised that I would gain nothing from that kind of behaviour. I am not suited to using Alchemy. That is why I cannot have it."
"So what are you going to do?" Ivan asked.
"I will relinquish Alchemy," Alex held up his arms. Four glowing orbs of light appeared in the air. Isaac and Mia broke off their kiss to watch the display, along with the others. The orbs were coloured yellow, blue, orange and purple, the colour of the elements. Each orb split into two and floated into the eight Adepts surrounding Alex.
"What did you..." Piers started.
"I have given you all Alchemy," Alex answered. "One eighth of it for each of you, of your own element. Now you can do as you wish to me. Kill me, if you would wish to do so."
There was a pause. Everybody looked around at each other, each of them considering what should be done. Sure, they were all angry over what had just happened, but in the end, Alex had changed. He had brought them back to life, gotten rid of Alchemy, he wasn't a threat anymore.
"We're not going to kill you," Felix spoke for everybody. "If we did, we would be no better than killers. You aren't a threat to us anymore, and you brought us back to life. We will just leave you here. Agreed?" Murmurs rose up around the room, everybody agreeing with Felix's decision. "Then, let's go."
Alex watched on as all the Adepts walked out of the room in single file, some of them throwing glares over their shoulders back at him anyway. He knew he was hated, but they had let him live. Why was this? Alex sighed and sat down next to his sword. He didn't know what he was going to do now, but at least he was free of Alchemy, and the curse it had placed upon him.
