Sarai was all too aware of Dimir’s heavily fortified laboratory, dedicated to his alchemic research. It ranked among the most securely guarded sites in the entire kingdom, owing to the nature of his work. As his sole apprentice, she knew its precise whereabouts, yet even she lacked access. Only two individuals held that privilege, and one of them lay dying beside her while the other remained a mystery.

As they descended, navigating the long and winding staircase, they eventually arrived at the bottom where a solitary door blocked their path at the well-illuminated corridor’s end. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than a sturdy iron door, devoid of windows, a keyhole, or any discernible indication that it was indeed an entrance.

Illiah exerted a strained effort, supporting Dimir more securely against his shoulder, preparing to push against the door. However, Sarai swiftly intervened, slapping his hand away. “Don’t touch it,” she cautioned, her commanding voice causing Illiah’s eyebrows to shoot up.

“Princess Sarai?”

Sarai took a deep breath, steadying herself as she chose her words carefully. “I apologize Commander, but you need to proceed with the utmost caution,” she said, her voice tinged with a mixture of apprehension and pride. “There is a reason why this location remains untouched by any additional security..” She could tell her revelation held an air of mystery around Illiah. A tantalizing secret that separated this room from the rest of her opulent life as a princess, both of which, she understood how little he really knew.

“I see,” Illiah said while placing Dimir down against the wall. “Then how are we to get inside?”

Sarai thought for a moment with her hand to her chin. Time is not on our side, I will have to wake him up.

“Leave this to me,” she said.

Illiah could see the conviction in her eyes. “Very well, princess. Though, I must say. Despite this illness I continue to hear about, you have proven rather resilient. I admire your strength – I will leave now in search of your father.”

“Ride fast, Commander Illiah,” Sarai said. Illiah softly bowed to her and took off through the corridor from whence they came.

As she watched the elf sprint back towards the stairs, a few muffled noises came from behind her. She turned to find Dimir struggling to hold up his arm with something clutched within his hand. Upon grasping his arm to seize the item, Dimir’s arm collapsed to the stone floor. She could hear the full weight behind it and understood his time was more limited than before.

“D-Dimir,” Sarai quickly shouted. No response came. With a surge of anticipation and a flicker of trepidation, Sarai gazed upon the item she now held. It seemed to be no more than a blue orb of some kind. It was heavy and fit snugly in the palm of her hand. Nothing she had ever seen before, but had no idea what it meant.

Maybe he heard us talking about our lack of entry? Sarai had always been the intuitive type, which made understanding things a little easier, despite a lack of experience to articulate it well. She clasped the blue orb tightly in her hand and looked at the iron door without a clue as to how to proceed. She reflected just how many times she was tutored in this legendary location, and yet had never opened the door herself. Or even seen it as it opened for that matter.

The stories of boobytraps and death that surrounded failed attempts into the vault of legendary alchemic prowess plagued her mind. Sarai found herself slowly stepping towards the unyielding iron, her hand trembling as she reached out towards it. Her fingertips began to sweat in its foreboding presence.

With each step, came the weight of responsibility bearing down upon her shoulders. If she couldn’t open the door, Dimir would surely die from the blood loss with the added possibility that more mercenaries would come down and take her away.

The stress forced a bloody cough to escape her mouth only to be caught by her other hand. Perfect.

Two more steps and she stood face to face with the metallic slab. Sarai sighed heavily, “I hope he heard us.” She raised the small blue orb up to the door.

A lime-green light of various alchemic symbols revealed themselves on the orb and began to swirl. The orb grew heavy and pulled Sarai’s arm down. She grunted but threw her bloody hand underneath to support the surprise.

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The words then stopped roaming around the orb then revealed themselves against the door. The characters began to move on the door, as if dancing in the fanciest ballroom.

She could almost hear the echoes of Dimir’s teachings, urging her to tread carefully, to unravel the mysteries that lay hidden within. She had a feeling she knew what the characters were trying to say. It was some kind of code. A language he made up no doubt. Every few seconds the dancing symbols would move, then pause for a few more seconds before shifting again.

Her hand moved unconsciously and pushed the orb into the iron door the moment the symbols stopped moving after the fourth rotation. Sarai blinked and the orb fused into the doorway just as fast. Her eyes widened in awe and disbelief as she took in the sight before her. The heavy slab of metal groaned in protest and it reluctantly gave way.

The room before her was a sanctuary of knowledge and experimentation, filled with towering shelves lined with vials, books, and arcane artifacts. The air was thick with the scent of alchemical compounds and the faint hum of enchantments and running experiments. Proof Dimir seldom left. Strange contraptions adorned the room, their purpose known only to Dimir and perhaps, the enigmatic figure who also fancied access to this forbidden realm of theirs. Sarai became more excited to make note of the newer projects that she had yet to witness.

As Sarai ventured deeper into the heart of the laboratory, her gaze fell upon an unfamiliar figure, cloaked and standing before a podium adorned with a large, open leather book. Only a single brooch, depicting a blue and silver leviathan, offered any clue to their identity, as their features were concealed by the cloak.

Sarai was taken aback, eyes glued to the brooch. “How did you manage to enter this place?” she questioned, her curiosity brimming. The floodgates of her mind opened, and a torrent of inquiries poured forth. “And how did you even learn about its existence?”

“Anything can be found if you search hard enough,” the figure replied cryptically. “It was not difficult to enter. And I believe I have just discovered what I was seeking. The king possessed the first piece of knowledge, and I suspect this to be the second.”

“You know father?” she asked. "Is that how you acquired that brooch? Did you steal that from him too?"

“I encountered him earlier this evening, if you must know, but now I must take my leave,” he said plainly.

Before Sarai could respond, a familiar voice interrupted from behind her. “You will relinquish what you have, thief!” It was Dimir, holding his bleeding wound and bracing himself against one of the bookshelves. Sarai noticed the open vial of green liquid in his hand.

“M-master Dimir!” Sarai exclaimed, her voice filled with concern. She had almost forgotten her purpose and immediately grabbed a few vials and some bandages from the shelves next to her and addressed Dimir’s wound.

Dimir looked at Sarai. “That book, Sarai, is the item I needed to talk to you about,” Dimir confessed earnestly. “I believe there might be a connection between its contents and the nature of your illness. We must acquire that text. Its importance cannot be emphasized enough, as it contains knowledge of the most ancient and profound magic ever unearthed in this world.”

The cloaked figure merely chuckled, a sinister undertone to their amusement, before snapping their fingers. “I care not for your cause, for I too require it,” they declared, their physical form dissipating into a smoky haze right before them.

Sarai stood stunned. “He was a wizard?” she uttered in disbelief.

Dimir’s frustration surged, causing him to collapse to his knees, finding support from Sarai. “No wonder he was able to infiltrate this place…he possesses great power…damn it all!” he exclaimed.

Sarai had been entrusted with inheriting Dimir’s legacy, tasked with safeguarding his knowledge and pushing the boundaries of alchemy for those unable to tap into the world’s magic through the ley-lines. However, the presence of an unknown wizard threatened to impede their progress, potentially obstructing her understanding of her illness and the quest for a cure together with her mentor. She couldn't help but feel shame for not being the kind of person capable of stopping the infiltrator.

Overwhelmed and defeated, Sarai slumped down beside Dimir, her body succumbing to exhaustion. Uncertainty clouded her mind as she grappled with the weight of the night’s events and clasped her hands to her face. Too much had transpired, leaving her unsure of the next course of action.

“Wait, what is that by the table?” Dimir questioned.

Sarai lifted her head and not a meter away, lay four worn pages of a book. “C-could it be?”

“It is possible, princess. It would seem our magical friend did not leave with everything as they intended. We must work with what we have fast before they find out. Let us take this to the royal library.”

“I know it is not far from here, but can you make it with those injuries?” Sarai asked inquisitively.

Dimir looked at her with an eyebrow raised and smirked, “Can you make it with that illness? You have pushed yourself far beyond what I thought capable, despite my alchemic support, Your Highness.”

Sarai merely returned a stern look and slowly pushed against the floor to stand up. “We don’t have time to lose, Master Dimir.” She then walked over to the table and grabbed the paper, “By the Celestial’s luck and grace we will beat all odds,” she said triumphantly.