Jayden sighed, rubbing his temples. "Welp, I've got a lot of work to do." He drew a circle in the air, pointing at Aiden. The circle had a zigzag running from the top to the bottom. As he spoke the words, "Hwarwa Vangwë," Aiden began to float.

Without another word, Jayden walked out of the room, the gust of wind carrying Aiden closely behind him. He entered another room, which was plain, containing only a white bed, a bedside table, and a lamp. Jayden guided the wind to place Aiden gently on top of the bed. "Dar-Tinen," he said, and Aiden fell softly onto the mattress. Satisfied, Jayden left and made his way to his own room.

His room was immaculate. Against the wall stood a strange black sword, and on his desk lay a blue stone, a mortars and pestles, and an ancient-looking book titled The Rosarium Philosophorum, authored by Jaroš Griemiller z Trebska. The book was old and faded. Beside the desk sat Issac, his crow, caged but alert.

Jayden sat down at the desk, flipping through the pages of the book until he landed on something of interest. Just as he leaned in to read, a raspy voice interrupted, "Ha! Jayden, you've been rude to my master."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The voice was deep and husky, like someone who’d smoked too much. Jayden jumped from his chair, and with a swift movement, the black sword appeared in his hands. He demanded, "Who are you?"

Jayden turned around and saw the man behind him. He was wearing a pitch-black mask with a red circle in the center, a black trench coat, and matching gloves. His jet-black hair was messy, and on his back, he carried a sword handle similar to Jayden's.

Jayden’s eyes narrowed. "Jack?"

The figure chuckled. "Yes, it's me, Jay."

Jayden’s expression darkened. "I thought I killed you. You went rogue."

Jack laughed maniacally. "Me? Die? Ha! No. After I went rogue and you tried to “kill me” by overdosing me with Berserk serum, it didn’t work. In fact, it might have just made me stronger."

Jayden’s face remained emotionless as Jack continued. "Well? Nothi-“ Before Jack could finish, Jayden charged, his sword raised for a jump-slash.

Jack blocked the attack with his own sword, gritting his teeth. "Y-You douchebag!" He pushed Jayden back into the alchemy table, breaking it. Jayden groaned as he hit the floor.

Jack Laughed manically, pulling out a syringe filled with blue serum. "Well, goodnight, Jayden." Without hesitation, he stabbed Jayden with the syringe. The blue liquid coursed through Jayden's veins, and within seconds, he was knocked out cold.