Elder Sun slowly returned to his chair.
The wood creaked beneath his weight, a low sound, almost a groan, that echoed through the silence of the room. He was still observing Kyrian as if trying to comprehend something impossible. His eyes, once sharp and evaluative, were now fixed on the young man with an expression that mixed admiration and disbelief.
First test. Memory and comprehension. Passed with distinction.
Second test. Flame control. Passed with distinction.
Now only the final stage remained. The most important one. The stage that truly defined an alchemist.
Pill refinement.
Lio Han rose from his chair.
His robes, the dark green mantle embroidered with golden threads, swayed gently as he walked toward the enormous bronze cauldron at the center of the room.
The dark metal gleamed beneath the light of the formations, and the runes engraved on its surface pulsed in a slow, steady rhythm, as if the cauldron were alive.
He stopped beside it. Then looked at Kyrian.
