Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen


When we reached the courtyard, guards were scattered everywhere, weapons drawn, terror and fear on their faces.

I knew of grathor the spinebreaker, they used the strongest of iron to gain him to his cell,

He was one of highgale strongest warriors before an old alchemist tried a potion that was supposed to make warriors stronger and more fierce but the potion worked too well, it turned him to a beast.

He killed the alchemist as well as every other skilled alchemist who tried to change him back, he was the reason highgale had few alchemists, he hunted them down and murdered them in cold blood.

And with time he left highgale and left in the forest where he was a terror to both highgale and other nations.

When we finally got him, the elders thought he was way too valuable to kill, their plan was simple: try to change him back, or try to train him into a secret weapon.

Grathor towered in the center, chains still dangling from his wrists, eyes wild, breath coming in animalistic growls.

He grabbed a guard by the throat and lifted him above his head

And then, the unhinged appeared as mysteriously as before.

Not from behind a wall.

Just… appeared.
Like he stepped out of the air itself.

“Oh Grathor,” he sighed. “You never learn.”

Grathor snarled and charged at him.

I gasped.

The unhinged flicked his wrist.

He drew on air and picked on a little rock on the floor, he danced with it and spat on it and at lightning speed it enlarged and hit grathor in the groin.

Grathor crashed to the ground face-first, unconscious before he hit the stones.

Everyone froze.

The unhinged dusted his hands.

“Honestly, escaping during breakfast hours?” He clicked his tongue. “Poor manners.”

The guards stared in disbelief.

Maximus stepped forward, voice low, dangerous.

“How are you here? We left you at the hall.

The unhinged raised a brow.

“How did you even escape your cell”

“I didn’t.”

He pointed behind him.

We all turned.

At the far end of the courtyard, walking calmly through the prison gates.

Was the unhinged.

Another one of him.

He walked toward us lazily, yawning, escorted by confused guards who looked like they’d seen a ghost.

The unhinged standing before Grathor?

He disappeared, I was confused at first, I didn't understand how this was happening.

Maximus’ face was drained of all colors.

“You projected yourself?”

The unhinged smirked and stepped past him.

“Please. Projection is for apprentices. That was a multi-state echo. Completely different art, takes years of practice and you can only do it once in a while.”

He winked at me as the guards pulled Grathor away.

Then he turned, walked back into the prison wing…

…and shut the cell door himself.

I turned to the king, slightly excited and amused. “ Your majesty, you see why I just must have him as my teacher

“luna ,” he said quietly. “What you just saw… he is far too dangerous.”

“No,” I said, breath trembling. “He is far too powerful to ignore.”

“He’s insane.”

“He saved your guards,” I countered. “He prevented a massacre. He did it without killing anyone. And he went back to his cell on his own.”

Maximus looked shaken.

“He broke every law of alchemy today,” he muttered.

I stepped closer.

“He could have left that cell at any point in time in the past, your majesty but he didn't.”

“my lord ,” I whispered, “let him teach me.”

His eyes widened.

“Absolutely not,” he breathed.

“Please,” I said. “He didn’t help the kingdom. He helped me. He’s trying to tell me something.”

A master-level illusion.
One only an alchemist far greater than rumor suggested could pull off.

Maximus gripped my arm.

“what would the elders say if they find out I let out a maniac”

I let out a deep sigh, again with this elder stuff.

“You don’t understand,” I said, breath unsteady but firm. “He wasn’t here. Only the illusion of him was.”

The king stared, “Which means he’s more dangerous than I thought.”

“Exactly,” I said. “He’s the most powerful alchemist in this kingdom, maybe in any kingdom. And he knows things even I don’t.”

Maximus looked at me like I had lost my mind.

“Annabelle, I will not let a deranged criminal”

“He teleported,” I said. “Performed a master-level technique. He knows about the stolen crystals. He knows about the past, he may seem crazy but he's what I need.

The king’s jaw clenched.

“That is exactly why I need him,” I finished quietly.

“No,” he said immediately.

“
He swallowed hard.

“The High Alchemist from the Silver Provinces”

“Won’t help me,” I said. “Not with this. Not with what I am. Not with what I’ve changed.”

He was silent for a moment, he was quite a hard person to convince at least when it got to me, but when it's his brother, or the elders, he's a pullover.

“You really want the unhinged…”
He took a slow breath.
“…to be your teacher?”

“Yes,” I said steadily.

He closed his eyes.

“I cannot agree to this,” he whispered.

But he didn’t say no.

And that was enough.

“Okay fine, “if you really think this is the best choice I won't stop you Luna, but the moment he acts as a threat to you or this kingdom, you will take the blame for it.

I bowed happily, yes your majesty.

Then he walked out. I was too happy and excited to notice that Adrian was watching me, I was about to leave when I turned to him unknowingly.

Our eyes locked together, he looked dangerous, I could tell I was confusing him and he didn't like it, but I loved it.

With the unhinged now on my side, my path was about to become much more clear, not only would it better my alchemy, but it would answer all my questions and give me direction.

I bowed politely in the direction he was standing and turned to leave, but there was only one thought on my mind.

I already had my secret weapon, I was finally ready for revenge for what that monster did to me.

For how they killed Abel, for their betrayal and I was going to use it well.

He and his hag of a mother will scream and beg for mercy for everything they did to me and everyone else.

For I am going to be their worst nightmare, The reborn alchemist Luna.