Chapter 496: Immortality Is Just a Curse
Chapter 496: Immortality Is Just a Curse
Wade twirled an exquisite quill in his hand.
The pale golden pen had intricate magical runes etched along its slim length, and the long, slender feather was as white as snow. The connection between the quill and the feather was reinforced with a series of interlocking silver rings, forming a bird in flight that spiraled around the pen.
This was the result of Wade and Nicolas Flamel's efforts over the past few days.
Since it was a whimsical creation, neither of them considered the cost. Flamel's collection included all kinds of alchemical materials, and he didn’t mind using extremely expensive and rare materials for this small quill.
The new Daydream Quill lived up to its high cost, weaving dreams so vivid that it was nearly impossible to distinguish them from reality through the senses alone. The only thing that kept one aware of the dream was the spell, which provided a subtle sense of clarity.
But that was just the surface appeal. The quill’s greatest feature was its ability to write continuously, maintaining the daydream for as long as the ink lasted.
No alchemist could resist the urge to perfect a newly created magical item.
Although Flamel and Wade had designed various "anti-addiction" mechanisms, Flamel’s modifications ensured that the daydream would last until the ink ran out.
Before the dream ended, the user would live in a world that felt entirely real.
Of course, this was a one-of-a-kind quill. Other Daydream Quills were limited to a maximum of thirty minutes.
After completing the modifications, Nicolas Flamel reluctantly handed the quill to Wade.
"Why?" Wade asked. "This is your work. You could keep it."
"No..." Flamel shook his head. "The gift you gave me is enough. This one... it would keep me from returning to reality."
The old man looked at Wade with a wistful, yet resigned smile.
"I’m old, Wade... too old to fight the inner desires that easily draw me into this fabricated illusion."
He slowly stood up, shakily walking to the wall and gently touching two long wooden boxes on a shelf. One was Wade’s gift, and the other was one of their recent test creations.
"I’ll keep these two, but even these, I won’t use often... I’ll save them for the end, and then journey into the longest night with Perenelle in the most beautiful dream."
Perenelle, Flamel’s wife, was also over six hundred years old.
Wade had met the long-lived lady yesterday. Although she was a few years younger than Flamel, perhaps due to her weaker magical power, she looked even more aged.
The Elixir of Life couldn’t truly prevent them from aging. Pale as paper, Perenelle seemed to be half in the realm of the dead.
Despite her efforts to be welcoming and kind, even a few words seemed to exhaust her.
Hearing Flamel’s words, Wade raised an eyebrow in surprise, wanting to say something but held back.
Flamel understood immediately and smiled. "Did Morrie tell you not to ask me about the Philosopher's Stone? It’s fine, you can ask, Wade—what alchemist wouldn’t be curious about the Philosopher's Stone?"
With that, Wade boldly asked his question.
"Sir, did you really destroy it?" Wade asked curiously. "What if... when the time comes, you regret it?"
Lamer laughed and held out his hand, showing it from both sides.
His palm looked as if it were made of white clay, devoid of blood, and his nails resembled layers of peeling paper.
"Look at me, child, look at me..."
Lamer whispered, "Even if others don't say it, I increasingly feel like I'm not truly alive... more like an alchemical creation infused with a soul."
"No... I should say, my homunculus is more alive than I am."
"I am a ghost from six hundred years ago, having stolen a little time from the cracks of the ages, but Death has always stood behind me, never leaving... I am the ash left after the coal has burned out, without warmth, and I don't even know if I am real."
"For Perenelle and me, immortality long ago ceased to be a blessing; it has become more like a curse from the gods."
"So... yes, I destroyed the Philosopher's Stone. Because—just as you said—I know how greedy I am for life, and I feared that in the end, I would suddenly lose the courage to move forward."
"So you left yourself no way back", Wade remarked with a sigh. "But isn't that a kind of bravery?"
"No, Wade", Nick Lamer shook his head. "True bravery is like Albus Dumbledore's. He never fears what lies ahead, no matter what. Even if the path is completely dark, he would be the lighthouse to guide the way... but I chose to run away."
The candlelight flickered in Nick Lamer's eyes, and Wade saw a mix of sorrow and admiration in his gaze.
Wade whispered, "Professor Dumbledore?"
"Yes", Lamer smiled faintly. "You know, I once wanted to give him the Philosopher's Stone. At his age, which is only a sixth of mine, he seemed like a young man to me, with a long road ahead. But... do you know what Dumbledore said?"
Wade: "...Death is a great adventure?"
"Ah, you've heard it, haven't you?" Lamer laughed. "He also said... he had found something more precious than immortality..."
The old man looked into the clear eyes of the young man, as if hearing Dumbledore's unwavering response once again—
"I don't need eternal life, Nick."
"The continuation of life isn't in a cold stone; it's in those young eyes..."
"Seeing them with a light in their eyes, reading books in the library, running on the grass, watching them learn to make spells spark from the tips of their wands, I see my life and thoughts continuing in another way."
Wade waited for a moment, then, seeing that Lamer seemed lost in thought, he couldn't help but ask, "Something more precious than immortality... is it 'love'?"
Lamer whispered, "No, it's you... and children like you... in Albus's eyes, you are the true 'Philosopher's Stone.'"
Wade was stunned.
"He made me realize how foolish and arrogant it was to try to avoid death—true immortality lies in legacy."
Lamer laughed. "Wade, I once thought of giving my collection of books and research to Dumbledore, but then I realized he has enough troubles. So... would you accept this gift?"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
