Bab 10: Chapter 10: The Path of Freedom
* As they stepped through the door, the mansion begins to resist Damian's decision. Hall ways twist violently, doors slams shot, and chilling voices urge him to turn back, this was clearly a sign that his ancestors did not want him to break free from the cursed bloodline and Nerrisa clearly understood this through the unusual behavior of the mansion. As they moved on, one of the portraits on the wall spoke to Damian, it figure looks like that if Damian's grandfather, it said to Damian : come on Damian my boy!!, Why are you taking the cowards way out, as an alchemist you need this mansion, everything you need is right here, why are you walking away, embrace your destiny my boy", Damian's mind was captured by these words. Nerrisa looked at Damian and in his eyes he was clearly paying attention to the words of the unholy portrait on the wall, Nerrisa quickly steps in, grounding him. " Damian being an alchemist doesn't mean you should wear the. Mistakes of your ancestors, you can create a new way, a new path for yourself through alchemy ", she said, trying to remind him that sometimes the greatest strength is in refusing the path set for him, even if it angers his ancestors, "Damian," she says, her gaze distant, "you're not alone in this struggle. I've never told you this, but my family also had a history with alchemy. It's one of the reasons I understand what you're going through. My great-grandfather was a gifted alchemist, though not as well-known as your family. He wasn't searching for power or influence but knowledge. He believed alchemy could heal, make life better, even fix the world's imperfections."She pauses, breaths in and out . "But the deeper he went, the more he lost sight of that vision. What started as healing quickly became about perfection, transforming our bloodline, crafting a legacy he thought would make us stronger, more resistant to sickness and infections, and above all he would test his own experiments on himself, but eventually, he began experimenting on others, even his own children. By the time he died, my family was became broken, paranoid, haunted by his failed ambitions and his obsession with control." Nerrisa looks directly at Damian, her expression filled with a mixture of empathy and pain. "My father rejected that path completely, though he still carried scars from it. He swore to shield me from everything alchemical, but the shadows of that past were always there. Like you, I inherited his work, the secrets, the expectations though they weren't as deeply entrenched as yours. And when I finally found my way to those books, to that history, I had to decide whether to open the door to the legacy or walk away." She closes her eyes, as if reliving the moment she made that choice. "In the end, I chose freedom, Damian. But it was one of the hardest decisions of my life. I lost family, For a long time, I wondered if I'd made the wrong decision. I felt empty, like I'd left behind a part of myself. But every day, I remember why I walked away. I saw the destruction that comes from obsession, the way it twists people. She lets her hand fall, her gaze softening as she looks at him. "So, when I tell you that freedom is a path worth fighting for, Damian, I'm telling you from experience. This place" she gestures to the mansion around them, "it wants to own you, to keep you bound to a legacy that will consume you if you let it. But you can break free. You can find your own path." Her words linger in the silence, and Damian can feel the depth of her story sink into his own fears and uncertainties. Nerrisa's choice becomes a reflection, a guidepost, urging him forward. The mansion may try to hold him, but in her strength, he finds a glimpse of his own. Together, they begin to walk forward, united by the shared choice to forge a path away from the darkness that has long haunted their families.
As they push forward, Damian discovers a hidden chamber that his ancestors may have intended to keep sealed. Inside, he finds writings and familiar symbols from a forgotten relative who attempted to choose freedom but failed. Damian reads through the notes, the unfinished notes warns the mansion's manipulations, encourage Damian that it's still possible to escape the cycle. This writing builds more courage and self of adventure within Damian as he now have no regrets towards his decision. Now they came to a transient end, shadows lurking in the chambers take shape, a final test sent by the mansion to break his resolve .As Damian and Nerrisa settled in this newly discovered chamber, a cold rush fills the air, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of old, bitter herbs and metallic tinctures. A massive, shadowy creature materializes before them ,a being forged from twisted fragments of alchemical energy, swirling and roiling like dark smoke. Its form seems to shift with each heartbeat, a living abomination of his ancestors' failed experiments and fractured desires, left to haunt the halls as a guard of the family's secrets. The creature moves toward them with it claws stretched out, its glowing eyes fixed on Damian, as if it can sense his inner desires to flee the mansion and everything that his family owns, Nerrisa takes a step back, her hand instinctively reaching toward him. "Damian… this isn't like anything we've faced before, she said with her heart racing.
* Damian tightens his grip on the old alchemical amulet he had found in his grandfather's study, feeling the weight of his bloodline pulsing within it. For a moment, he's tempted to face the creature without tapping into the alchemical powers that have so long defined his family. But something within him shifts, a new resolve, a different understanding. He doesn't need to surrender to the legacy; instead, he can reshape it, refine it to serve a purpose truer to himself. He looks to Nerrisa and nods, a spark of confidence in his eyes. "This time, I'll face it on my own terms. Not with the power my ancestors sought, but with something they might have forgotten, control, clarity, and purpose."
Drawing a deep breath, Damian steps forward and begins to channel his ancestors' alchemical knowledge, but with a subtle twist. He closes his eyes, letting his mind sift through the fragments of lessons he'd once resented: formulas whispered in the dark, symbols etched in half-remembered dreams. He envisions the creature as both a challenge and a final test, an embodiment of the family's history that must be confronted and reshaped.
The air around him crackles as he raises his hands, tracing an intricate alchemical symbol in the air with fluid precision. Instead of raw power, he channels something far more refined, a carefully balanced blend of energy that draws from his family's legacy but tempers it with his own intent. The creature hesitates, sensing the change, its shifting form momentarily still as if startled by this new alchemy.
Damian continues, layering a sequence of transmutations that bend the shadows around the creature, binding it in a web of light and symbols. Each symbol he traces reflects a lesson learned and improved upon, a reminder of the sacrifices, the cost, but also the wisdom earned. The creature struggles against the binding, but Damian's control remains steady, his focus unbroken. He's no longer simply wielding the power; he's commanding it, redefining it as his own.
With a final surge of energy, Damian unleashes a contained burst that envelops the creature, reducing it to a faint, lingering mist. The shadows dissipate, leaving a hushed silence. Damian whispers this words calmly: "Spirits of dark, bound by descent,
In form of shadow and intent,
By wisdom drawn from ancient flame,
Return to dust, release thy claim.
Through iron, earth, and fire's will,
I bind thee now to cease, be still.
By truth and light, dissolve and part,
Dust and shadow—begone, depart!"
* The oppressive energy of the mansion loosens, as if acknowledging his mastery and control, a tentative acceptance of his choice to refine the legacy rather than be consumed by it.
Damian takes a deep breath, feeling the weight of the mansion ease slightly. He turns to Nerrisa, who watches him from behind, her eyes fill with joy and happiness. "It worked," she murmurs, her voice filled with relief and admiration. "You used their power but made it yours." He nods, feeling a new sense of calm. "This was the only way I could honor them and myself." They exchange a brief, understanding glance before continuing forward, one step closer to breaking free of the mansion's hold, but this time Damian seeks to rewrite the families alchemical history but not in this mansion, as it has be marked with failures and monstrous entities and mistakes.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone