Chapter 52

"If this turns out to be a joke, then I'm really disappointed in you," his father said as Kaelarys led them down the hallway.

Kaelarys kept his eyes forward, but couldn't help grinning. "You've known me for 28 years and you really think that badly of my sense of humor?"

He had to admit that his humor was often ahead of what people who still shat in a hole and saw killing as a sport considered funny, but that wasn't his problem in his eyes.

"And you've known me for 28 years and you really think I'm naive enough to believe in something like immortality?" his father replied, rough and dry, with the familiar undertone that always came up when he wasn't in the mood for games.

Kaelarys did not allow himself to be put off. "Of course not, father. But that's exactly why you're here, isn't it? And when have I ever let you down or failed to keep a promise?"

His father gave him a hard look, but the argument was a killer argument. It was rare for Kaelarys to disappoint anyone, especially when he had promised to do something.

"And that's the only reason I'm here."

His aunt, who had been listening quietly until now, now joined in the conversation with a teasing tone. "That you doubt him, dear brother, disappoints me. If you think so little of your son, I wouldn't mind adopting him."

Kaelarys and his father gave her a puzzled look.

"What? I've always recognized and supported his talent. Merely being the mother on paper of someone like that is something anyone would envy," she defended herself, arms crossed.

His aunt always surprised him. She had always been much stricter in his childhood, but it turned out that she could change her personality as fluently as a chameleon changes its color. Perhaps all the blood magic had twisted her mind, something he hadn't paid much attention to just yet, but something he definitely would look into in the future.

"Don't worry, you'll be my favorite aunt forever," he said, patting her lightly on the shoulder.

"But I'm your only one," she said, confused.

"Exactly," he grinned back

---

"What powerful magic," his aunt said in amazement as she looked at the shimmering blue water in the pool." How does it work?"

"The process is beyond your understanding of the human body, but I'll try to explain it as simply as I can." He pointed to another pool where a human had just been processed.

Saying it was strange enough, but seeing it was even weirder, even for him.

"This pool is where the entire process necessary to extract the serum - the blue substance you see here - takes place," he explained calmly. "Basically, the human body is broken down into its basic components, the DNA, which are then used to trick the body into aging backwards instead of forwards."

His aunt frowned, obviously trying to comprehend what she was hearing." The DNA?"

"Yes," he replied, "but let me simplify it. Think of DNA as the blueprint of who we are. Every single cell in our body follows that blueprint to function and grow. When we age, that blueprint starts to wear down, and our cells don't work as well as they used to. What this process does," he gestured to the pool, "is essentially refresh that blueprint, making our cells think they're young again. It's like taking an old, worn-out book and magically restoring all the faded pages so it looks brand new."

"And what is the cell?" asked his father, taking more and more interested in what he had created.

Kaelarys smiled, glad to see his father's growing interest. "A cell is the basic building block of all living things. Imagine a city, and within that city, each building, each factory, and each stone represents a cell. Every one of these cells has a specific job, whether it's producing energy, repairing damage, or defending the body. Now, just like a city can start to fall apart if its buildings get old and worn down, our bodies start to age when our cells don't function as efficiently. This process I'm showing you rejuvenates those cells, essentially rebuilding them so they function like new again."

"And you think you've found the key to immortality through this... manipulation of the DNA and cells?" his aunt asked while looking at him.

Kaelarys could sense their skepticism when it came to immortality, even his aunt. She had defended him before, but even she needed to be shown to actually believe in it.

But when it came to the human body, it was different. This wasn't some out-of-this-world logic.

"Yes," he replied without hesitation, "but I have brought you here to let my words speak in deeds. Any questions you have, we can sort out afterwards, once you've seen it with your own eyes."

With a nod, he turned away and walked to a side chamber, from which a slave was led into the room. The man's eyes widened when he saw the pool of shimmering blue substance.

Kaelarys motioned for him to lie down in the pool.

The man hesitated briefly, then stepped forward, trembling, and slipped into the liquid. The blue substance immediately enveloped him as he disappeared completely into the pool.

There was no violent reaction of the kind one would expect, just silence as Kaelarys, Aelor and Valaena kept their eyes on the pool.

After a short time, the first thing that came out was a hand that grabbed the edge of the pool and pulled itself up.

His aunt gasped when she saw the man's face.

The deep wrinkles in the man's face had disappeared, his skin had firmed up and his hair was a deep, shiny black. The sagging in his muscles was gone and there stood a young, strong man full of life.

"Unbelievable," his father whispered as he walked close to the slave and took his arm in his hand to examine him.

His father let go of the man's arm and took a few steps in his direction, while his aunt continued to look at the rejuvenated man with an intense interest.

"I know what you're going to say," Kaelarys said quietly before his father could speak up.

His father only sighed, a slight smile on his face that expressed both pride and concern. "That, my son, is both a blessing and a curse. I hope you know that."

Kaelarys raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "A curse? In what way?"

"You are giving our family a gift of inestimable value," his father explained, taking another step closer. "But you must understand that it will also attract others if it ever comes out."

"It won't," Kaelarys replied with an almost casual certainty as he snapped his fingers. The man who had just emerged rejuvenated from the pool burst into flames, so quickly that he didn't even have time to scream properly.

His aunt took a startled step back, her eyes wide with shock. "What the... Kaelarys!" she cursed, glaring at him.

His father, on the other hand, remained stoic, ignoring both his sister and the now dead slave. "That's not what I meant," he said calmly.

"I get your point, Father," Kaelarys replied, seeking his father's gaze. "But those who take the serum will just have to hide in Azorath. Then no one will ever know."

His father laughed softly, a bitter laugh that echoed through the room. "That's your plan? A life of captivity for eternity, hidden from the world because no one must know the truth?"

Kaelarys' face darkened briefly before he replied firmly: "No. Only until Valyria goes to ruin."

"What?" His aunt literally screamed, her eyes widening in horror. "Valyria is going to fall? What are you talking about?"

They both ignored her as they focused fully on their conversation.

"And if Valyria falls? Then what? Do you think the God-Emperor of Yi Ti will stand idly by while the secrets of eternal life lie hidden here? Or the barbarians from the west? They will swarm here like moths to a flame, just like every other madman from the known world," his father said sharply.

Kaelarys only smiled smugly. "But that's exactly what I want, isn't it?"

His father's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Kaelarys, his mind racing as he pondered the meaning behind his son's words.

"Wait...," he began, his voice quiet. "You want this? Then...your plan is not to simply survive the fall of Valyria, but... Conquest?"

Kaelarys' lips curled into a thin smile as he returned his father's gaze.

"Right," he replied calmly. "How long do you think anyone ever had to prepare for a war? A few weeks, months, maybe years in rare cases? Look at what I've achieved in 28 years. What do you think will happen if I have centuries to plan my conquest?"

His father stared at him before he began to chuckle softly. The chuckle gradually increased until he finally laughed out loud like a madman.

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God, I don't know how I feel about this chapter either, lads.

But it is written down.

Can't do much anymore.

Yours,

Jasonenrick!