The Runic Alchemist

Damian spent two days straight contemplating how to make this work. It had to be him who activated the waygate and created a connection to another soul. Tristan was already registered as one, and they weren't sure if they could overwrite that. But even if that wasn't an issue, how could he explain all this to Vidalia and convince her to let him use the waygate?

Being hailed as a hero had its perks. Even Aramis, despite his contempt, had stopped pressing for further punishment, conceding that Damian had suffered enough. However, Aramis had made it abundantly clear that he would never forgive him for killing his brother. The intensity in Aramis' eyes had left no doubt in Damian's mind that he meant it when he said that to his face.

Still, with that matter unsolved, Damian spent the entire day making calculations, thinking of ways to gather enough mana using parchments to create the massive waygate runic circle.

The spell required an immense amount of mana to function. The runic tool stored over 200,000 mana without breaking—an absurd amount. And that didn't even account for the additional mana needed to activate it. The best he could do with his parchments, without them burning mid-spell, was 12 parchments. He had decided to stick with 9, ensuring the spell wouldn't overload when he tested them.

Although he could combine the parchments, he didn't know how to harmonize the gathered mana into a single source. Each runic circle had a different synergy, each functioning as an individual unit. And even with 50 of those he was doubtful to reach the necessarily 200,000 mark.

"I can't do it alone… Not yet, at least... Unless…"

Damian found himself on the verge of giving up his plan to return to his home, to his world, when he thought of the one person who could help him. Vidalia. She had the mana he needed. If she agreed to let him use the tool, he wouldn't even have to draw the massive runic circle manually. But he would have to explain why he needed it.

Could he somehow trick her into letting him use it without her knowing where it led? But whoever he chose to connect with would be permanently registered in the waygate tool. She could come after him anytime...

It was a huge risk. Letting anyone from this world discover his own could lead to catastrophe. These people had monstrous powers and magic. Even if his world was more technologically advanced with greater weapons, these magical foes could wreak unimaginable havoc before they were stopped. No, that was not an option...

Not that he missed his old world much. His friends were good people but relatively new acquaintances from university. He had left the orphanage years ago and had lost contact while juggling part-time jobs and paying for his education. But there was one person he still cared for deeply: Sister Hadley.

She had been the first person Damian ever remembered. She had raised him from infancy. The church was small back then, and there were only a few children. Together, they worked with Sister Hadley, who was barely 30 at the time, to gather donations and keep the orphanage running on limited funds.

Through promoting their cause, running small campaigns, and hosting low-budget public events in people's backyards, they eventually gained regular donors. The orphanage had flourished over the years. When Damian left at 18, Sister Hadley had become known as Reverend Mother. She had told him to return whenever he felt lost in life. She would be 47 or 48 now, and Damian hoped she was doing well.

That was the one connection Damian felt confident enough about to make a soul bond. But, unfortunately, he would have to shelve the idea until he became powerful enough to generate the necessary mana for the spell on his own.

Yet, for some reason, instead of heading to his work room, Damian found himself walking straight to Vidalia's room. He froze outside her door, aware of the two guards watching him with curious eyes. Damian wasn't even sure why he was there. He hesitated, debating whether to knock or leave.

Just as he was about to turn around deciding not to risk it, the door opened on its own, and Vidalia's voice called out from within.

"Come in, Maximus."

"Uhm… Yes…"

With no other choice than to look suspicious, Damian entered her room. The doors shut behind him on their own, and he noticed vines connected to them, pushing them closed. Now that was a clear flex. Vidalia sat outside on an elevated platform attached to her window, surrounded by green vegetation and fragrant, colorful flowers.

She lounged on a padded chair with a book in hand and a tea set on the table nearby.

Looking at her in that setting, Damian couldn't help but feel mocked. It was as if the scene screamed "RICH & FANCY" behind her in bold letters. What nonsense was he even thinking..?

"What is it? Do you need something?" she asked, sliding the book slightly to the side.

"Uh… No... Nothing..." Damian had been lost in her lavish setting, but her question reminded him what he had just decided on.

"Let me guess… You want the waygate tool, don't you?" She raised her head slightly, locking eyes with him.

"Huh? What? How do you—?"

"You want to go home." She said it with absolute certainty.

She knew. How in the world did she knew? And why hadn't she reacted earlier? She wasn't trying to trick him—there was no point in doing that. That meant she knew about another world, his world. She must have seen it in his memories… But how?

He guarded against it day and night..

"How…?" He could not help but mutter under his heavy breath, his eyes wide in shock.

"How do I know?" Vidalia stood up, moving closer. She turned to the side, resting her hand on the wooden railing filled with greenery, looking out at the thousands of people bustling about in the war camp below. "I got glimpses of it… nothing major, just small things. I couldn't recognize the place.. Then I figured it out.. It was a shock to realize there was a place even we elves didn't know about.."