Chapter 51
He groaned softly as he slowly woke from his sleep, only to find himself in a sea of silver hair. He blew the strands aside and was rewarded with a sight he had become so accustomed to over the last twelve years that he could no longer imagine anything else.
Lysandra lay snuggled up close to him, her leg bent and wrapped over him, while her head rested gently on his chest. Her face was covered by her long, silky hair, which shimmered in the soft morning light and protected her from the world.
On the other side of the bed, Seraphine lay sprawled across the bed, in a position that would have robbed anyone else of their sleep. He was surprised that she still had a blanket over her at all, lying there as chaotically as she did.
It had hardly taken any persuasion to get all three of them to sleep in the same bed.
Over time, it just felt right and each of the three agreed to it.
The soft chirping of the birds outside was the only sound that disturbed the peaceful silence, as he was content to stay in bed and wait for his beautiful wives to wake up.
He felt Lysandra stir slightly, her eyes still closed, but her hand was already searching for him and clinging to the back of his neck.
He gently stroked Lysandra's back, his fingers sliding through the soft strands of her hair.
"good morning, my love" he whispered into her ear.
Lysandra's eyes opened slowly before focusing on him. A soft smile graced her lips. "Good morning, husband," she murmured before closing her eyes again. "Still in bed at this hour? Should I be worried?" she joked.
Kaelarys returned her smile with that familiar grin she could never resist. "I'm sure Azorath will survive without me for a few hours. And they will have little choice but to let me do what I want. What are they going to do? Kick me out?"
Lysandra let out a soft laugh. "Hardly."
Kaelarys laughed lightly as well. "Well, I don't exactly have a lot planned today."
"Oh really? A day just for you? When was the last time you had so much free time?" Lysandra asked teasingly.
"I wouldn't call it that. I'll still go to Section 0 and check on my projects, but the rest of the day? I'm sure the kids would enjoy spending a little more time with their old man."
Section 0 was hidden deep in the mountain and the only access was cleverly hidden in the palace. He only called it that so that no one but the insiders had any idea what he was talking about.
It was his own personal laboratory and housed everything he studied and researched. From magical experiments to modern developments that he didn't want to entrust to anyone else. Simple things like compasses to weapons that were the equivalent of bombs.
It was his own little Gogossos, if you will. Only he had access to it, and not even Seraphine or Lysandra could enter without him. More to protect them than to hide anything from them.
However, the two of them had often accompanied him to Section 0 and therefore knew what was going on there.
"And you, Lys? What are you up to today?" he asked.
Lysandra raised herself slightly so that she was resting her head on her hands, which were resting on his chest. A naughty grin played around her lips, but Kaelarys noticed immediately that it was different than before, something he recognized instantly after twelve years of marriage. "Me? Well, I was planning on going for a ride."
"On Ruby?" he asked curiously.
Her hand traveled slowly down his stomach. "I was thinking of something else," she replied with a mischievous gleam in her eye that immediately made it clear to him where her thoughts were going before she abruptly sat on his lap.
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Kaelarys felt the wall tremble briefly as he placed his hand against the surface and let his magic flow through the runes that were carved into it. Slowly, the wall parted in the middle and opened to allow him access to a hidden passageway beyond.
Contrary to what one might expect, the corridor beyond was not gloomy, damp or dark. Instead, it had the same luxury as the corridor he had come from. A pleasant breeze flowed through the hallway as he passed through, and the wall behind him closed silently again to make sure no one could follow him.
He had only recently been at breakfast with his family, where he had promised his eldest son Kaelon that he would train with him later on, but that he needed to do something before that.
It was always fascinating for Kaelarys to see how certain facets of his personality were reflected in each of his children.
Kaelon was brave and determined.
Sylas embodied his empathy and loyalty.
Nyssara was adventurous and restless, always on the lookout for new experiences and ready to explore the world.
Lorion, on the other hand, had inherited Kaelarys' thirst for knowledge and curiosity. He liked to immerse himself in books and research and had a sharp mind.
And then there was Calaena, who had a gentle temperament.
The only thing that really upset Kaelarys was the arguments between Kaelon and Lorion. Despite their shared parentage they always were at each other throats. But they were children after all - and when two strong personalities, each with a well-developed ego, clashed, it rarely ended peacefully.
Kaelarys knew that it was not uncommon for siblings to vie for attention and recognition at a young age. Children like Kaelon and Lorion, who both had a strong need for affirmation and self-assertion, easily came into conflict, especially when they felt threatened in their role within the family or during shared activities.
But Kaelarys was optimistic that these tensions would ease over time. He hoped that as they grew older and matured, they would learn to appreciate each other's strengths and accept their differences.
He let go of his previous thoughts as he finally entered Section 0. The corridor opened up into a spacious room carved into the solid rock of the mountain.
The floor was made of dark metal that echoed softly with every step Kaelarys took. It was chilly underfoot, but the room was well-lit.
Several massive tables stood in the center of the room, laden with various devices, tools, and alchemical ingredients.
But none of that interested him today, because his gaze was firmly fixed on his masterpiece, which was in the center of the room.
It was a raised pool, surrounded by stone steps leading up to it. The pool was still empty, but Kaelarys had created it in advance, knowing that this would be the place where the magic would happen. Literally and figuratively.
A deep rumbling sounded from the right, and Kaelarys turned around. In a massive, reinforced cage sat the Umbrahaes, fixing him with its creepy, hollow eyes. The creature had become a focus of his studies in recent years. Its ability to drink blood and thereby gain infinite life fascinated him.
But despite countless experiments, he had not succeeded in transferring this ability to himself or his family without devastating side effects.
Most of those who had undergone the experiment turned into grotesque, barely human creatures. Their bodies deformed to such an extent that they no longer resembled a human being. In rare cases, the mutations were less pronounced, but even these results were far from what Kaelarys had imagined.
He had eventually discarded this option and instead sought another way to achieve the goal of extended lifespan. This masterpiece that now stood before him was the result of his tireless work and sheer boundless determination.
The process itself was incredibly complicated, and Kaelarys doubted that anyone else in the world would ever be able to replicate it.
The basic material needed to make the serum was a human - living or dead, although he preferred to use the dead for practical reasons.
The first step is the so-called cell disruption. This involves dissolving the cell membranes to expose the cellular components they contain. This step is crucial in order to obtain the valuable components required for the next process.
DNA, the carrier of genetic information and the essential material for replication and rejuvenation, is then isolated. This isolation makes it possible to target the genetic core and begin the actual work.
Damaged or aged DNA sequences are then repaired and regenerated. The telomeres, the end caps of the chromosomes, are lengthened, effectively reversing the ageing process. In parallel, defective proteins and other biological molecules are edited to restore them to a state that resembles the youthful vitality that Kaelarys was aiming for.
While all these steps are being carried out, superfluous substances and unwanted components are simultaneously removed so that only the regenerative components that are really needed remain at the end.
The result of this complex process is then condensed in a final step and processed into a highly concentrated serum. This serum offers the possibility of reversing the aging process, which could theoretically lead to an infinite life - provided there is a constant supply of human "raw materials".
Of course, this is not immortality in the classic sense; rather, it means being able to turn back time again and again and thus stop the aging process.
However, in order to obtain this serum in sufficient quantities, thousands have to die to send a person's age from almost dead to his/her prime.
At least that was the theory. Whether it will work is a completely different story.
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New Chapter YEY!
Two things:
1. Leave a review if you liked it lol :D
2. Someone pointed out to me that I could make an aux chapter with some important characters. I did it and I might make it a bit more detailed in the future, but I think that's enough for now.
Yours,
Jasonenrick!