#Chapter 113 – Suppression Research

Damon The air in the apothecary vaults always smelled faintly of steel and scorched earth—like too many failed potions had been burned away and never quite forgotten. The torches here were magical, flickering with cold blue fire that cast long shadows across the shelves stacked with sealed vials, ancient herbs, and dust-covered records bound in dragon-hide. It was quiet. That was part of the appeal. No whispers. No rumors. Just science and magic and the possibility of truth. Myra was waiting for me when I arrived, already gloved and leaning over her polished stone workspace. She looked the same as always—silver hair twisted into a tight braid, sharp eyes beneath thick lenses, posture straight despite the years. She was a relic from my father’s reign, but one I’d chosen to keep. She didn’t speak right away. Just offered a nod and gestured toward the table, where a rune-etched tray waited for the vial I carried in my cloak pocket. I removed it carefully and placed i