Да, когда я начинал все это, я не ожидал, что сложится именно так. Но, с другой стороны, я более чем доволен, тем, как все развернулось.
At my command, the streets turn red with blood as the failed chimeras - ugly creatures unworthy of existence - run rampant, cleansing the city of the weak. Their screams merge with those of the populace as they destroy all resistance, leaving nothing but chaos in their wake. But the real success is due to the advanced chimeras, my masterpieces. Twenty-four chimeras have surpassed all expectations. Each one of them, the perfect embodiment of my work, now roams the city like hunters, capturing survivors and bringing them to the palace grounds. It was almost time for the final stage of my plan, alchemy on a scale never seen before.
Ever since we began perfecting the chimera experiments, an idea had been deeply ingrained in my mind. The Homunculus, a creature created through alchemy, has already demonstrated the power of human souls from the city of Xerxes as fuel.
Why not turn the entire city into an alchemical circle? It was perfectly designed for that - a circular structure, stone walls serving as natural boundaries. And its inhabitants. they would be the primary victim, the raw material for the red stone itself.
For months now, I have been meticulously laying the foundation. My chimeras, moved surreptitiously through the streets, carving alchemical symbols in specific places. With each mark, the circle grew closer to completion. The city was turning into one giant alchemical complex. Its walls, originally designed to protect the people, were now a trap, ensuring that not a single soul could escape the transformation.
The process would soon begin, and the townspeople would unknowingly contribute to my final creation. Their souls will fuel the circle, their lives will be drawn into the churning vortex of energy that will yield the purest red stone. The anticipation of this moment - when the final alchemical reaction begins - fills me with trepidation.
And then there's Rahit... I have to hand it to him, of all of them he was the only one who was smart enough to start figuring out my true intentions. He poked his nose into my affairs, always getting too close to my secrets, trying to figure out all my plans. But unfortunately for him, his curiosity sealed his fate. Now he sits helpless, chained to this stone chair, powerless to stop what is about to happen. Artain, his once brilliant mentor, is now nothing more than a chimera, a docile beast to serve my purposes.
When I look at them, I have no remorse. They too will be part of the sacrifice. I could spare them, but why? Rahit, Artayne - both will be destroyed along with the city when the circle is activated. The alchemical reaction will make no difference. Every living soul within the circle will become raw material for the red stone. Their fates are sealed. Everyone's fate is sealed. This city will fall, and in its ashes I will find something far greater - a stone forged from tens of thousands of souls.
Rachitus, restrained not only by the alchemical bonds that held him in place but also by his unyielding sense of rightness, spat out the same hackneyed rhetoric I'd heard a thousand times before.
- You're a monster, Dorian. Worse than anything you've created! One day God will punish you for your sins. You will not escape judgment. Mark my words!
His voice shook with fear, anger, despair-so predictable, so human. I couldn't suppress a quiet laugh. How many times had I listened to this empty nonsense? How many humans, chimeras or misguided alchemists, had tried to appeal to the crumbling morality they clung to like a lifeline? And Rahit, despite his intelligence, was no different.
- God, punishment, sin...," I mocked him with a slight smirk. - Blah, blah, blah ...It's all so tedious. Do you think I don't know what fate awaits me at the end of my journey? Every alchemist who dares to go beyond their mortal limits will face the same truth - there is a gatekeeper waiting for all of us. But the big question is, what price will I pay before I find myself at the gate?
I leaned closer, lowering my voice almost to a whisper. - But those thoughts are for another time. Right now, we have much more interesting work to do.
Rahit, not fully realizing the significance of my words, asked in a slightly shaky voice, "What gatekeeper? What gate of truth are you talking about? What do you mean by saying that all alchemists are doomed to the same fate? And how do you know all this?"
The desperation in his voice made it clear that he wasn't just challenging me - he really didn't understand. He was clinging to some last thread of logic in this nightmare I had created for him.
- You wouldn't understand, Rahit," I finally said in a dismissive tone, turning away from him, 'This is not something you can just 'know' with words. It is something that has to be experienced. And believe me, you're not ready for it, and neither are many people alive today.
His irritation was growing. - You think you're so much better than everyone else because of your power, your knowledge. But you've gone too far, Dorian! Alchemy has its limits for a reason. What you are doing is more than just crossing boundaries. You are challenging the most natural order of things!
I let out a bitter laugh. - The natural order of things? - I repeated, shaking my head slowly. - "The natural order is nothing but a prison. The laws of nature, of life and death, are fetters. And you, Rahit, like all those short-tempered alchemists before you, have spent your whole life building yourself cages in the name of morality, of balance. But I, - I destroyed those cages. I've done what others only dream of. And yes, there is a price.
- What price?! - Rahit demanded an answer, his voice rising with growing panic. - What have you seen? What did you sacrifice?
His breathing became ragged, and for a moment he looked like one of the failed chimeras - wild, desperate, caged by forces beyond his comprehension. He wanted answers, but none of my answers satisfied him.
- Truth," I said quietly, "comes at the price of ignorance. And once you pay that price, you can never go back. But, as I said. you're not ready for that.
- You keep hiding behind riddles," Rahit grumbled, "If you have seen so much, why don't you want to explain? What are you so afraid of? Because I think you are afraid, Dorian. Afraid of what you're chasing.
I stepped closer, feeling the weight of the stone in my palm, its purple glow casting shadows across his face. - Do you still think it's all about fear? No, Rahit, I am not afraid. I am beyond that. I've seen what's on the other side of the gate, and I was able to escape from where no one gets out, just on a whim.
His eyes narrowed. - Then what is it? What did you see beyond the gate, what exactly lurks there?
I took a deep breath. - What every alchemist who dares to open the gate sees: the Truth. The ultimate knowledge of the universe. The ability to alter reality itself. But there is a price to pay for understanding this truth. Every soul who seeks it must sacrifice something, and sometimes everything. Everything I do now is simply an extension of that journey.
- You can't... You can't play god, Dorian. - he muttered, though his voice was weak and the words seemed hollow.
- God? - I asked, almost amused. - I'm not playing god, Rahit. I am just mastering the 'game'.
Outside, the chimeras were already fulfilling their grim purpose, spreading through the city like a plague. The streets, once filled with life, were now filled with the sounds of chaos-the shrieks of terror, the gnashing of claws, and the relentless march of my creatures. The streets were painted with symbols I had painstakingly devised, carved on every corner, secretly painted for months. The whole city was the basis for my grand scheme, and the final scene was about to unfold.
Then the door behind me creaked open, and I felt someone enter the room. The air was filled with the sound of claws scratching on stone, and I turned to face him. My smile grew wider as the first perfect chimera, my most prized creation, slipped into the room. A massive reptilian figure with cold, unblinking eyes - silent, calculating, and completely obedient to my will.
Its very presence confirmed what I already knew: everything was ready.
- Good," I murmured, barely containing the excitement in my voice. It was time. All my hard work, every sacrifice, every shattered life had led to this moment. - This city," I said, turning back to the chimera, "is about to become something much bigger. It will be remembered, but not in the way its inhabitants imagined. No... they will be remembered as the source of the greatest alchemical achievement the world has ever seen.
The chimera blinked, sticking out her split tongue as if tasting the air, sensing the tense atmosphere. Her presence reminded me of what was at stake, what I wanted to accomplish.
I picked up the red stone that had once seemed so powerful in my hand, but now was nothing more than a primitive prototype compared to what was about to happen.
- Let's begin," I whispered, stepping forward. Chimera and Artane stayed behind, watching in silent reverence as I approached the center of the circle.
The dimly lit basement of the palace was colder than usual, despite the warmth emanating from the alchemical circles etched into the stone floor. I could hear the quiet shouts of the townspeople outside as they were driven into the palace grounds, filling the designated areas that would complete the grand procession. The chimeras - both failed and improved - did their job with ruthless efficiency, allowing no one to escape, outside the city.
Rahit's face was pale, his gaze darting between me, the circle, and the massive lizard-chimera lurking at my back. His earlier defiance had turned to silent terror. Artein, on the other hand, was eerily calm, though I could sense a mixture of curiosity and fear in his eyes. Even now, deep down, he was still an alchemist driven by a thirst for knowledge.
I stood in the center of the great alchemical circle, and the intricate symbols carved throughout the city converged beneath my feet. Power pulsed beneath me, a living pulse that connected every soul, every life within the city. Months of preparation, months of sacrifice were about to culminate in a single moment of creation.
With those words, I pressed my palms to the ground, activating the circle. The air crackled as the symbols engraved on the streets, buildings, and walls of the city began to glow a dark red. The ground beneath my feet shook, sending a wave of energy outward, sweeping across the city. Outside, the first wave hit the gathered townspeople. There was a deafening roar as the alchemical energy rushed through the crowd. Screams echoed throughout the city as the transmutation began. Symbols flashed, drawing life energy from every living thing in the crowd.
People - men, women, children - convulsed as the energy pierced through them. Their bodies began to dissolve into streams of purple light, their souls detached from their physical forms and pulled into the stream. I watched in awe as the very essence of their existence was drawn to the center, to me.
The power rushed into the center of the circle where I stood. Forming a new one - a red stone. It began to pulse, growing in size with each passing second, feeding on the thousands of souls it absorbed.
Artein, began to convulse as the alchemical energy reached him. His eyes widened, and for a brief moment, something resembling, joy appeared on his face. His animal features contorted in an expression of euphoric surprise. - I... Now I understand... - he exhaled, his voice shifting to a hoarse whisper. "Alchemy... it's limitless... there's so much... more...
But this euphoria was short-lived. As the transmutation took over his body, he was pierced by a pain far more intense than he had ever imagined. His body began to fall apart, dissolving just like the citizens outside, but unlike them, he felt every agonizing second of it. The knowledge he had sought for so long was now just out of reach, slipping away from him as the pain overwhelmed him.
His last moments were a mixture of bliss and agony, the realization that alchemy held more secrets than he would ever be able to uncover, and the bitter truth that he would never get the chance.
- Artein! - Rahit screamed, his voice full of agony as he watched his teacher fall apart before his eyes. - No! Hell no! You shouldn't have messed with him, I told you...
His soul was also ripped from his body and sent to the vault like the others. But unlike Artaine, Riakhit's last thoughts were full of sorrow, cursing the day he had allowed all this to happen.
I could feel the pressure building, the weight of each soul condensed into the red stone that now floated in front of me. The stone was massive, much larger than I had expected - about two fingers thick, and glowing with an intense crimson light. It pulsed in my hand, warm and filled with the energy of tens of thousands of souls. It was beautiful.
Outside, the city was dead silent. The once vibrant streets were empty, only empty shells remained of the buildings. People's bodies were destroyed, their souls turned into pure alchemical energy, leaving behind nothing but ashes and ruins. The once thriving city was now an abandoned graveyard, similar to the legendary city of Xerxes.
I looked at the small, imperfect red stone that had served me for so long. It now seemed dull and lifeless, a mere shadow of the new stone.
After my success, I walked out of the palace to see the aftermath. The city, once full of life, now sank into a sepulchral silence. The streets, where the footsteps and voices of thousands echoed, were now silent, untouched by a single living soul. The buildings stood tall but empty, their former occupants turned into the red stone I clutched in my hand. Only alchemical symbols remained, carefully painted all over the city - silent witnesses to the great alchemy that had taken place.
It was strange to see the city like this - an abandoned monument to my accomplishments. The air seemed heavy, and the weight of what had happened hung like a fog over the ruins. But there was no time for reflection. This city, with all its symbols, with all traces of life, was to be wiped off the face of the earth. No one was ever to know what had happened here.
Slipping my hand into my pocket, I pulled out a small old red stone - the same one I had carried with me for so long. Its power, though much less than the newly created stone, would be enough for what I had in mind.
I knelt down and pressed the old red stone to the ground, focusing my will. A familiar ripple of energy ran through my veins as I activated it one last time. I felt a shudder beneath me, the ground reacting to the alchemical energy. The ground shook, the symbols flashed a dying purple light one last time.
Cracks formed in the streets, small cracks at first, but they grew wider and deeper with each passing second. Buildings shook, their foundations sagged, and the ground beneath them cracked. Huge cracks opened up, swallowing entire neighborhoods of the city. Towers collapsed, collapsing with a deafening rumble into the abysses below. Streets sagged and buckled, stone and steel fell apart, and the earth swallowed everything around it.
I watched as the city collapsed in on itself, like a dying beast falling under its own weight. The alchemical symbols, once bright and powerful, crumbled into dust, carried away by the wind. The shaking intensified, and it seemed as if the very structure of the city was crumbling, the once proud structures turning to ruins and ash.
The old red stone that was faintly glowing in my hand began to crack. Its power, which I had used for so long, had finally reached its limit. As the final tremor swept through the city, the stone crumbled to dust, its energy drained. And watched as the last remnants of it scattered in my palm, dissolving into thin air.
I shifted my gaze to the horizon, I had a new red stone in my other hand, pulsing with power. It was time to move on. I had much more to learn, to explore alchemy and reach new heights. This was only the beginning.
With a slight movement of my hand, I pointed to the horizon. - My journey continues. The ashes of this city will mark the beginning of a new era in history.
So, the ground was prepared for the next chapter of my alchemical journey.