Chapter Twenty-Two

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Grimelda paced around her private laboratory. It had been two days since she sent her apprentice on a mission to find a first-class panacea. While he was away, Grimelda and her fellow brewmasters had successfully brewed a vial of the potion. It sat on her desk as she pondered her next steps. Who should consume the potion first? Certainly not Masters Ipso and Penn, for they were nearing their sixties. Tech wizards like Master Hubert were not an option too; their reliance on technology would hinder their journey to Medela. Brewmasters like her needed to remain at the apothecary. Perhaps Master Gilbert? She lifted her wrist to tap her phone.

A warning blared from the speakers: "Code Black! Code Black! All light and elemental wizards, proceed to Tenebrare!"

At once, Grimelda saw a third of the brewmasters in PANACEA1 remove their equipment and dash out the door. Her blood ran cold. First, Masters Galatea and Gertrude were injured while on duty at their post near the Tenebrare portal. After that, Masters Gaël and Lucia were sent to take over. What chaos was ensuing there to the point that entire divisions of wizards had to be called? Grimelda sighed. She had to focus.

Her phone beeped. It was a word from her apprentice. She tapped and swiped on her screen. Horror filled her heart once she read his message: I tried to get a vial from the black market this morning. I tried to buy from some sorcerers, but I'm cursed now and don't know when I'll recover. I'm sorry.

Grimelda pressed her hand against her forehead. No, no, what had she done? Her desperation cost her apprentice great harm. She should have never sent him on a mission. Now, they had lost another valuable member of their workforce. She replied: Don't apologize, I shouldn't have sent you. Get well soon.

Grimelda's gaze lingered on the potion atop her table. It was clear and odorless, like water, and she supposed it tasted like water as well. She contemplated ingesting it. If she were to go to Medela, then nobody would be left to supervise the brewmasters. But, if not her, then who will? What choice was she left with? She grasped the bottle and held it in front of her.

Someone knocked on her door.

"It's open."

Giorgino entered her laboratory, holding more vials of the same potion. "We've managed to brew five more."

"Excellent. Put them on the desk here."

Giorgino placed them on the desk in front of her.

"Can you stay awhile, please?" she asked.

"Uh, sure," Giorgino replied.

"Good. Close the door."

Giorgino closed the door.

Grimelda sighed. She asked him, "Have you heard of what happened to your student?"

He shook his head. "What happened?"

"He almost died due to a serum overdose."

"He did?" he asked, widening his eyes.

"Don't worry, he should be fine now," Grimelda said. "So for the past year, he's been drinking pure anti-sleeping serum thrice a week. Over time it caused his insomnia and almost killed him. We took him to the doctor early morning yesterday, and he prescribed him an antidote.

"Anyway, the doctor said that he should drink the serum only twice a week at most, and it should be infused with a drink instead of being consumed in its pure form. You'll have to rearrange his schedule as well so that he doesn't keep on getting up in the middle of the night."

"Oh, I didn't know I'd kill him," Giorgino said, guilt painting his face. "I don't know how to apologize."

"It's not really your fault. You didn't know. Anyway, we also have Medela to deal with. At least one of us has to go there."

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