Chapter 30: This was only the beginning.
John didn’t waste another second.
With a deep breath, he reined in all the scattered thoughts in his mind.
His eyes turned sharp, focused, and unwavering as he leaned over the cauldron.
The faint flicker of his pale blue flame began to dance beneath the round-bellied cauldron, its rhythm syncing with the beat of his heart.
He had already arranged the ingredients from the second batch of materials, roots, herbs, spirit grass, and a vial of thick crimson essence.
One by one, he added them in, carefully controlling the flame and letting the heat lick around the cauldron’s base like a whisper of wind.
The air was tense, but John’s expression was calm.
He isolated himself from the murmuring crowd, from the occasional claps, and the pride-filled voices of those who had succeeded.
His world narrowed to the ingredients, the flame, and the precise timing the technique demanded.
Every movement was calculated.
Every flick of his wrist had purpose.
But then, just half an hour later, a sharp voice rang out.