Fragments of Alchemy: The Code Keeper

Advancements

The Keeper calmly walked around the giant table to his extravagant chair at the far side of the room, where he sat down. Tajana followed closely, while Chadwick and Thea trailed after her.

“Thank you for coming to our aid, Keeper,” Tajana said, sounding incredibly formal, but nonetheless thankful for the Keeper’s help. She tilted her head in gratitude.

“Yes!” Chadwick said quickly, coming to stand beside Tajana. “Thank you.” He bowed his head and blushed crimson.

Thea stared at them and then glared at the Keeper.

Tajana looked over at Thea with big eyes, gesturing with her head to the Keeper, but Thea ignored her and clenched her jaw so tightly, her ears started to roar.

“Of course, of course,” the Keeper replied. “It was my pleasure.” Then he looked at Thea. “I will no doubt be returning soon to rescue Owen from that Eternity Prison.”

Chadwick’s mouth fell open in surprise. “Al’s father is alive?”

The Keeper nodded.

Tajana put her hand over her heart. “Oh, I’m so happy to hear that!” she said with a smile. She put her hand on Thea’s shoulder. “Yes, we must go back to rescue him as soon as we can!”

“I’m coming to help!” Chadwick said, turning to look at Thea. He gave her an encouraging smile, and Thea couldn’t help but feel a surge of warmth in her chest, knowing she had friends who would help her make this right and be there for her during this tough time.

Thea finally stepped forward and said, “Thank you, Keeper.”

“Now, you are all probably wondering why I invited you to my chamber.” The Keeper got to his feet and walked toward the tapestry on the wall, and the three followed. “First, I would like to formally acknowledge your bravery, creativity, and teamwork, Tajana Pomoći and Chadwick MacNamara.”

The two stepped forward.

“Normally a Pair will receive their official Decree before their Joint Trial starts, but in this case…” He held up his hand, and a floating piece of parchment materialized before them. On the paper the following words appeared before their eyes.

Help her escape.

“Keeper!” Tajana said, bringing her hands together and bouncing on her toes. “Did we pass our Joint Trial?”

“You did indeed, with flying colors!” the Keeper replied with a gentle smile.

“Yes!” Chadwick said, pumping his fist. Then he cleared his throat and said, “Thank you, Keeper.”

Thea scoffed, and Chadwick looked over and smirked at her.

“Althea,” the Keeper said, turning to Thea. “There is also the matter of your lost Mentor.”

Thea bit her lip and looked up at the dark watery ceiling as her eyes overflowed with more tears.

“The loss of Todd Alder is no doubt weighing heavy on your heart,” the Keeper said. “I will not presume to know what you are going through. However, life must go on, and at Blackthorn and Burtree, that means your studies must resume, and learning must continue. And with Chadwick’s recent Advancement, I cannot help but notice an opportunity for two Spectrum Scholars to be Paired together.” The Keeper winked.

Chadwick looked over at Thea with a genuine smile. “Al will be my Protégé?” he asked excitedly.

“It is done,” the Keeper said happily.

Thea felt a tiny burst of hope at the thought that she would be working with Chadwick But she couldn’t help but feel guilty, because the only reason why she was getting Paired with Chadwick was because Todd had died; and he was dead because of her. Feeling happy at the thought that she’d be working with Chadwick only made her feel worse than ever about Todd.

“You alright, doll?” Chadwick asked.

Thea swallowed and tried to put on a happy face for her new Mentor. Chadwick had said that two Spectrum Scholars ought to work together. He was obviously excited to be Paired with her, and Thea was just as excited, despite the fact that her new Mentor insisted on calling her Al. She wanted to show him that she was happy to be Paired with him, despite how unhappy she felt right now, so she blinked the tears out of her eyes, summoned a sad smile, and nodded at her new Mentor.

“Remember what I said, you hear?”

She nodded again, remembering how they had both helped each other feel better in spite of their mistakes.

“Good.” Chadwick smirked, his hazel eyes bright with excitement. “Let me know if you need anything, alright?”

“I will,” Thea said around the lump in her throat, flashing another teary smile at him.

“New schedules will be prepared for you all,” the Keeper said. “Congratulations, Chadwick and Tajana, and good luck, Chadwick and Althea! Now, will you two excuse me to speak privately with Althea?” The Keeper held up his hands, ushering Chadwick and Tajana to the door.

Chadwick and Tajana nodded, though Tajana couldn’t hide her shock, and Chadwick gave Thea a strange look as the two turned to leave the Keeper’s Chamber. Thea stood watching them walk away, feeling strangely disconnected from her friends. Chadwick gave her a big smile and flashed the thumbs up sign before he left the room, and Tajana waved before she pulled the door shut behind them.

“Althea, I have some very important questions for you,” the Keeper said as he spun to return to his chair.

“What about my questions, Keeper?” Thea asked, forcing herself to remember her manners, even though she was unable to keep from asking the question.

“With Owen trapped in an Eternity Prison and your mother no doubt feeling rather distraught at the moment, I am sorry to say that your questions will have to wait.” The Keeper took his seat and raised his eyebrows at Thea. “That Eternity Prison was your doing, wasn’t it?”

Thea shook her head, feeling suddenly lightheaded. “No, the Shadows—they made me—”

The Keeper put up his hand. “I know, my child, I know. Your Kundalini is plainly deposed again, which left your Spirit vulnerable to their control. I only wanted to assure you that there was nothing you could do to prevent Owen’s imprisonment, which you plainly already know.”

Thea nodded.

“Now, allow me to return your Kundalini to its proper resting place.”

Thea nodded and sat down on the floor in the Ardha Padma meditation position, and the Keeper held up his hands and said, “Praesum!”

Thea felt a peaceful sensation come over her as her Kundalini entered her body through her Crown Chakra and slowly descended through each Chakra until it was pulsing calmly at the base of her spine, tightly coiled at her Root Chakra. “Thank you Keeper,” Thea said, and she got to her feet. “When will we go rescue my dad?”

“You will need to perform the Conversion,” the Keeper said. “Only the original Converter can undo an Eternity Prison. That means we must wait until you’re ready.”

“I’m ready!” Thea started, but the Keeper held up his hand.

“Your Kundalini was forcefully ripped away from your Root Chakra, which will further complicate your Kundalini Syndrome, making a long and complex healing process all the more difficult. You need time for your Kundalini to properly coalesce with your Root Chakra before you can even begin to bring your Kundalini Syndrome under control. Therefore, I have determined that we shall wait at least a month before we will attempt to rescue Owen.”

“But Keeper,” Thea interjected.

The Keeper raised his eyebrows at Thea and stared hard.

She bit her lip and held her tongue. Finally, she dropped her head forward in a sullen nod.

“In the meantime,” the Keeper continued. “I suggest you focus on your studies. Prepare yourself for your Joint Trial, and keep your spirits up! There are dark times on the way, and everyone will need to be prepared.” The Keeper rose to his feet and gestured for the door.

Thea turned and walked to the door with the Keeper, trying hard to hide her disappointment. “Keeper?” she said as they reached the door.

“Yes, Althea?”

Thea hesitated. The Code Breaker and the Keeper both knew about Thea’s natural ability to Convert without a Circle or Code Word. They both knew that Thea was special, but for some reason, her father didn’t want the Keeper to tell Thea why. She forced herself to remember that the Keeper had said her questions would have to wait. The Keeper was under Oath to keep what he knew a secret, after all. Instead she said, “Will you tell my mom about all this?”

The Keeper smiled and nodded. “Of course I will.”

“Thank you,” Thea said.

“You’re welcome; now get some rest,” the Keeper said, and Thea let the Keeper usher her from the room. “Report to Tenebrous the Bookkeeper tomorrow morning for a new Spectrum Scholar vest.”

Thea nodded and left the room. Her mother was waiting for her, and she came forward for another hug.

“Fiona, may I speak to you?” the Keeper asked at the door.

Fiona looked at the Keeper and then back at Thea. Then she turned to the Keeper and nodded bravely.

The Keeper glanced around the grand Antechamber, which had almost emptied of the crowds that had been waiting for them to return just minutes ago. Aunt Fanella and Uncle Van were still waiting with Quentin, along with a few Keeper’s Animarum. “Fiona, I’m sorry to say that Owen was trapped in an Eternity Prison because Thea’s Kundalini was deposed, and a Shadow forced her to perform the Conversion.”

Fiona gasped and looked at Thea. She felt her face go hot with embarrassment, and she stared at her knee-high boots.

“Thea is the only one who can undo the Eternity Prison and free your husband. I have returned her Kundalini to its proper resting place, but we must give her time to recover and bring her Kundalini under control before she can return to free Owen.”

Fiona’s lips trembled, but she nodded her head and hugged Thea gently. “We understand,” she said, speaking for Thea as well as herself. “Thank you, Keeper.”

He nodded, and Fiona led Thea down the hallway toward their apartment. Aunt Fanella and Uncle Van followed, but Quentin came up right beside Thea.

“Hi Thea!” he said.

“Hey Quent,” Thea replied.

“Boy, am I glad to see you,” he said with a genuine smile, and he hugged Thea tightly.

“I’m glad to see you too,” Thea said with a grin as she returned the hug. “I have loads to tell you!”

“Not tonight,” Fiona cut in.

“Aww!” Quentin whined.

“Come on Momma!” Thea chimed in. “Can’t we stay up a little?”

“Mum, can Thea come over for the night?” Quentin asked at the same time, turning to look at Aunt Fanella. “Please?!”

Fiona and Fanella looked at each other, as Thea and Quentin pleaded and begged, and finally Fanella smiled, and Fiona gave in. “Okay, okay,” she said. “But please don’t stay up too late. It’s nearly midnight.”

“Yes!” Quentin said, and he ran on ahead to his apartment, and Thea gave her mother one last hug.

“Night, Momma!” She gave her a quick peck on the cheek and hurried after her cousin.

“Goodnight, Thea,” Fiona shouted after her.

Thea turned and waved goodbye as her aunt and uncle reassured her mother that they would keep an eye on her. Fiona blew a kiss, and Thea waved with a bright smile and ran on after Quentin. She followed him all the way inside his apartment and back to his room.

“What do you wanna do?” Quentin asked as he jumped on his bed, sat cross legged, and pulled the covers up over his head to form a makeshift tent.

Thea settled down near Quentin. She thought about everything that had happened since she last saw her cousin. “How about a bedtime story?” she suggested with a tearful smile.

“Only if it has a happy ending!” Quentin said, pointing his finger at her.

Thea blinked the tears back. She told herself that everything had happened in the best possible way. Tajana and Chadwick had survived, only one brave Alchemist and one brave Chemist had died, and everyone else had escaped, save for her father. And in a way, the story was unfinished, she knew, because there was still the very important task of rescuing her dad.

So Thea nodded reassuringly and said, “Of course there will be a happy ending.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Dear Readers,

Thank you so, so much for reading my book! I hope you enjoyed the adventure. Please consider writing a review for me or clicking that little star if you enjoyed this book. I’d appreciate it ever so much! I’d love for other readers to find my book too, so if you know of anyone who you think would enjoy this book, please consider sharing it.

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This is only the beginning of my Fragments of Alchemy series. You can currently find the sequel to this book, The Code Breaker, on Wattpad. I decided to post it on there so I can enter the Wattys. If the sequel gets shortlisted (like this book did) then I won’t be allowed to post it here on FindNovel.net until November of 2024. Of course, if I don’t get shortlisted, I will put The Code Breaker up on FindNovel.net sometime in November of 2023.

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