While mixing the ingredients for the life potion, he repeated the recipe in a low voice: "Two leaves of aurora herb, three drops of crimson liquor, a bit of wolf fur, and just a touch of celestial essence."
Each element was carefully placed in the glass container. Already familiar with the process, he shook the mixture for exactly two minutes, finishing with two taps of his index finger, allowing the ether to complete the preparation.
"Hmm, I think this bottle will yield three more medium potions," he murmured to himself, unaware of his mother's proud gaze.
"You are already the best alchemist I know, my love," she said with a smile.
He blushed. He always considered himself still an apprentice, especially compared to his mother's skill, a magnificent alchemist.
"And you are the best flatterer I know!" he replied modestly, but taking the opportunity to make her laugh.
She smiled, caressing his face tenderly. "Your father would be proud of you, you know?"
Whenever she mentioned his father, his mother always looked melancholic, with tears in her eyes. Because of this, he avoided bringing up the subject, knowing how much it affected her. Raised only by his mother since he could remember, he knew only that his father had been an adventurer who traveled across Leruth.
After his death, she settled in Ahamura and opened a small potion shop, where she practiced alchemy.
"Yes, mother... he certainly would," he said, trying to close the subject.
After cleaning the counter and finding himself covered in experimental potions, he looked in the mirror and realized he needed a bath. With a brief farewell to his mother, he left through the front door of the shop and turned left into an adjacent alley, walking almost automatically while dusting himself off with a cloth.
Amid the winding path of the alley, focused on removing the potion dust, he was suddenly hit by a force from the left.
Like a leaf in the wind, he was thrown, flying a few meters. His reaction was almost mystical: with the agility forged in his 18 years of life, he extended his right hand towards the wall and, in an act of pure magic, relaxed the muscles of his arm, channeling his energy.
The surrounding air cooled at a supernatural speed, and ice fractals began to form, weaving an ethereal ramp that diverted his trajectory, elevating him gracefully.
Below him, Sven, his loyal and best friend in the city of Ahamura, had caused a small cataclysm against the wall, cracking it with the force of his collision.
"Hey, genius!" he said with irony, smiling in a way that clearly showed their camaraderie. Sven, a resident of the southern zone, had recently taken on the task of being the news messenger, weaving the essence of local events.
Sven's expression, furious, revealed the anger he felt at failing in something related to his abilities in such a way. But soon his eyes fixed on the real tragedy below, a puddle of water had turned his precious load of newspapers into a heap of wet paper, erasing the magical words they carried.
"HOLY SHIT! The old man worked hard to make these editions today."
Gray watched the scene with a mix of concern and guilt. In front of him, Sven, usually so cheerful and energetic, looked furious, holding soaked newspapers. In normal situations, Gray wouldn't care and would turn his back, saying a loud, "Deal with it!"
That day, however, he felt a bit more compassionate.
"Man, I'm really sorry," Gray said, approaching with a look alternating between the newspapers and Sven.
"What can you do... I was clumsy. It's not your fault," Sven replied, with an uncommon sadness in his voice. And here, yes, Gray became truly worried. Was Sven taking the blame for something?
He was unsettled. Sven would normally react with a joke or a tease, but his guilty and disheartened admission was something out of the ordinary, and it disturbed him completely.
"Wow, you're really down..."
Observing the still partially dry pages, Gray had a sudden realization, as if the wet pages mixed in his mind with the potions he created in his laboratory.
"That's it!" he exclaimed suddenly, attracting a confused look from Sven.
Kneeling before the newspapers, Gray knew he didn't have much time; there was still a dry part on each sheet. Determined, he extended his hands towards the wet papers, concentrating intensely. His silver eyes began to glow, a sign of the ether flow activation in his body.
"How are you going to recover that?" Sven asked, curiosity replacing the sadness on his face.
Gray wasn't sure if he could do it, but he was determined to try. It was a matter of honor and friendship; he needed to do everything in his power to help Sven and save the newspapers.
Sven crouched beside Gray, watching him closely. Gray, recalling his alchemy lessons, began to explain his plan, "Everything in Leruth is part of the whole..." he murmured. "All I need to do is control the ether of the water in the newspapers and separate it. By doing this, the mixed parts will detach, and the newspapers will dry."
Sven watched, impressed by Gray's control over ether. Gray, on the other hand, felt a bit embarrassed by Sven's admiration, knowing that Sven was also very talented in his own domain of ether. He focused his attention on the task at hand, setting aside comparisons.
With precise movements, Gray concentrated on the wet pages. Under his influence, the water began to glow and slowly separated from the newspapers, as if being purified.
"What did I tell you?" he said with confidence, though inside he was surprised by his own success.
"Man, that's insane!" Sven exclaimed, visibly excited as he grabbed his bag with the now dry newspapers, in his usual manner of speaking. "You actually proved useful for something, huh?"
Gray felt relieved with the return of Sven's usual personality. If he was joking like that, it meant his mood was better.
"You better thank me properly, you useless guy. You owe me a drink," Gray joked, throwing in a sort of "let's see if it works" attitude.
Sven laughed, adjusting the bag on his back. "Deal! I'll make sure to pay. Tonight, at the guild's tavern," he agreed, sealing the deal with a smile.
Gray nodded, heading home and looking forward to a good bath. However, Sven didn't miss the chance to make one more of his jokes.
"By the way, Scarlet sends her regards, handsome," Sven said with a mischievous tone before walking away to continue his deliveries. He knew exactly how to make Gray blush, especially when mentioning Scarlet.
"No! Don't even think about it!" Gray tried to shout, but it was too late. Sven was already running off in the distance, laughing loudly. He knew Sven would bring the girls to the tavern that night as a sort of arranged date. And Gray was terrible with women, especially with Scarlet.
"Oh, heavens…" he murmured, knowing he had no choice; he would have to go. After all, he had been the one to suggest the drink.
"All right, Gray. Stay strong," he said to himself, lightly slapping his cheeks as a gesture of encouragement. "It's not like it's a date, after all…"
Walking towards his house, Gray paused at the door for a moment, looking up at the sky of Leruth. It was a typical morning, with birds flying high, and he always found himself smiling when contemplating these scenes. He thought about the freedom of flying, the wind against his face, and what it would be like to experience that sensation.
Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath, feeling the ether around him. He loved Leruth, delighting in thoughts about the origin of everything and the mysteries involved. He imagined his parents' travels, exploring the various forms of ether and discovering the continents of Leruth.
Then, with a resigned sigh, he acknowledged, "Man, it's definitely going to be a damn date!"