The Peculiar Alchemist

77 || Not So Innocent

It was becoming a bad habit of his, but Aubrey had stolen something once more just to satisfy his curiosity. He couldn't wait, and in that moment he did it without thinking, and suddenly the mummified man's diary was in his possession making him wonder if Kellen knew about this little theft and let it happen or was completely unaware.

Either way, Aubrey was alone now with a diary he thought would be interesting, but when he opened it he found himself getting a little bit disappointed.

It was not written in a language he could understand, but before he lost all hope and closed it, he remembered that this might not be a problem someone like him would be facing. The first solution he came up with was the result of years of living as someone without magic. He really was about to slowly translate the diary word by word in order to understand its contents, but then he stopped and remembered that it wouldn't be necessary.

That just a spell would be enough.

Frankly he was a bit excited at the idea, and despite so easily taking himself and Kellen to wherever the diary his and then back didn't feel as amazing as what he was about to do. He searched his room for an empty notebook not wanting to alter the original diary in any way and placed it on his desk wanting the contents of the diary to be copied there in a language he'd understand.

It felt surreal when he opened it and found that it actually happened. He's not sure why he is surprised anymore, but it just felt like he could do anything.

Aubrey found himself happily sitting down to read the harrowing experience the man had gone through, but as he read on he learned a few things that made him sit up in surprise. It got weirder the further he got and halfway through it the man claimed he got in contact with real magic. Something which sounded bizarre until it became clear that the man was not a spellcaster.

In fact he did not believe that magic existed, and everything he had relating to it was stolen and not created as Aubrey had initially assumed. This wasn't the diary of an ill-fated brilliant alchemist, this was just a thief who stole something he did not know anything about.

The stone had looked precious and was well-protected, so of course he thought it would be valuable. As the man continued writing what happened, Aubrey noticed large gaps in years with the man expressing elation at first when he suspected that he serendipitously became immortal, but that elation soon turned into horror when he found out that he was an aging immortal.

Nothing could ever kill him, and no matter what he tried he always found himself suffering in agony as his body slowly healed itself.

The words started to become more frantic and desperate, the man wished for death and chased after it. There was nothing more he regretted than stealing that stone because he knew it was what had caused his suffering. If Aubrey had read the original script, he'd see that the man's handwriting became less legible as the words went on. It all became less interesting and more pathetic that Aubrey started skipping pages until he reached the last one.

"Mr. Abbott?"

Aubrey couldn't help but read the name out loud feeling a little bit rattled. Perhaps he should be less surprised that somehow an Abbott had been involved, but it wasn't the stone's creation they had been involved in, but in its concealment.

If what the man had written was true, it would seem that a charitable man that was referred to as 'Mr. Abbott' had helped him go into hiding and even provided the man with the basement he was found in and all its accommodations. This Abbott had claimed that he was fearful the man would be accused of witchcraft and tortured because of it since he couldn't die.

According to the man, the basement was better than any place he lived despite it being underground, and the nice Mr. Abbott had promised him help. Something which made him feel immensely grateful at the time, but now he knew the truth after so many years had passed. Help was not coming for him.