Rise of The Abandoned Husband

Night fell over the Avery estate like a heavy curtain. I stood by the window of my room, watching as lights flickered on throughout the sprawling compound. The ethical debate that had consumed me all day had finally resolved into crystal clarity.

"So, you're going through with it?" The Man with the Mustache lounged on my bed, idly examining his nails.

"I don't have a choice." My voice was steady, my resolve hardened. "Isabelle's life depends on this."

He nodded, unsurprised. "Where will you start?"

I turned from the window. "Tilda Avery gave me more than permission today. She gave me information."

"Oh?" He sat up, suddenly interested.

"During our conversation, she mentioned two names in passing – Colin McDaniel and Jeremy Thornton. The way she emphasized them... it wasn't subtle."

"You think they have the formula?"

"I'd bet my life on it." I checked my watch. "It's nearly midnight. Most alchemists will be either sleeping or working in the pavilion. Perfect time for a little... reconnaissance."

The Man with the Mustache grinned. "Want company?"

"No." I slipped my jade pendant around my neck, feeling its comforting weight against my chest. "This is something I need to do alone."

The hallways of the estate were dimly lit as I made my way through them, staying close to the shadows. I'd memorized the layout earlier that day, noting which wing housed the visiting alchemists. Colin McDaniel, a middle-aged alchemist from the Eastern Province, had been assigned a room in the western courtyard.

I moved silently, avoiding the occasional servant. Years of training had made stealth second nature to me. When I reached Colin's door, I paused, listening. No sounds came from within.

Just as I was about to try the handle, voices from around the corner made me press against the wall. Two servants walked past, deep in conversation.

"—hear about the commotion in the pavilion today?"

"Three alchemists caught stealing ingredients from each other's stations. Nasty business."

"The Averys encourage it, you know. They always have."

Their voices faded as they turned the corner. I waited another moment before approaching Colin's door again.

It was locked, but that hardly mattered. A simple application of my inner energy against the mechanism, and it clicked open. I slipped inside, closing the door softly behind me.

The room was empty. Moonlight spilled through the windows, illuminating scattered papers and open books on the desk. I moved toward them, scanning quickly. Pages of calculations, ingredient lists, but nothing resembling the Concentric Pill formula.

A noise in the hallway made me freeze. Footsteps approached, then passed by. I released the breath I'd been holding and continued my search.

After fifteen minutes of careful examination, I had to conclude that Colin wasn't keeping the formula in his room. Perhaps he carried it with him at all times. Or perhaps Tilda's hint had been misleading.

I left as silently as I had entered, making my way toward Jeremy Thornton's quarters in the eastern wing. The night was growing older, and I needed to find that formula before dawn.

Jeremy's room was also empty, and a more thorough search yielded nothing useful. I stood in the center of the room, frustration building. I was missing something.

"Think, Liam," I muttered to myself. "If you had a valuable formula, where would you keep it?"

The answer came suddenly – Colin and Jeremy might be working through the night. Not in their rooms, but in private locations away from the main pavilion where other alchemists might spy on their work.

I needed to find them. But where?

I closed my eyes, extending my senses outward. The Avery estate was massive, with multiple buildings scattered across the grounds. I'd need to search systematically.

Starting with the smaller alchemy workshops that dotted the property, I moved from building to building. Most were empty or occupied by alchemists I didn't recognize. Time was slipping away, and my frustration mounted.

Then, as I approached a small cottage near the edge of the property, I felt it – the distinct fluctuation of energy that indicated alchemy in progress. Someone was working inside, and they were using techniques that required significant skill.

I crept closer, peering through a window. Colin McDaniel stood hunched over a workbench, carefully measuring ingredients into a mortar. His lips moved silently as he counted drops of some glowing liquid.

But he wasn't alone.

Two figures stood in the shadows behind him – men I didn't recognize. They were perfectly still, watching Colin work with predatory intensity. The moonlight glinted off something in one man's hand – a blade.

I tensed, instinctively reaching for my own weapon. These weren't alchemists. They were something far more dangerous.

As I watched, one of them stepped forward, placing a hand on Colin's shoulder. The alchemist jumped, nearly spilling his mixture.

"Time's up, McDaniel." The voice was cold, emotionless. "Where's the formula?"

Colin's face drained of color. "I-I'm working on it right now, can't you see?"

The second man moved into the light. He was tall, with a face like carved stone. "Not the pill. The formula. The complete version."

"I don't have it!" Colin's voice rose in panic. "I swear!"

The first man sighed dramatically. "We were told you possessed the genuine article. Are you calling our information faulty?"

"I don't know what you were told, but—"

His words cut off as the man's hand closed around his throat.

"We are not patient men, McDaniel." The grip tightened. "And our employer is even less so."

I had a split second to decide. This wasn't part of my plan. These men weren't alchemists competing for the prize – they were something else entirely. Assassins? Mercenaries? Either way, they were about to kill Colin, and with him, my chance of getting the formula.

Decision made, I moved.

The cottage door splintered under my kick. Before anyone could react, I was inside, positioned between Colin and his attackers.

"Evening, gentlemen." My voice was calm, controlled. "Am I interrupting something?"

The two men recovered quickly. The taller one's eyes narrowed. "Who the hell are you?"

"Someone who'd like to speak with Mr. McDaniel." I smiled thinly. "Alive."

They exchanged glances. I took the moment to assess them more thoroughly. Both wore dark clothing, functional rather than decorative. No visible insignia or markings. But their stance and the way they held themselves – these were trained killers. Martial Marquises, at minimum.

"This doesn't concern you," said the shorter one. "Walk away now, and you might live to see morning."

I laughed softly. "I was about to offer you the same courtesy."

Behind me, I heard Colin's ragged breathing. He was terrified, probably in shock. I needed to end this quickly.

The tall one moved first, launching at me with impressive speed. But I was faster. My palm strike caught him in the center of his chest, infused with enough energy to rupture his heart.

He looked surprised as he dropped to the floor, dead before he hit the ground.

His companion froze, reassessing the situation. "You're no ordinary alchemist."

"I never claimed to be."

His hand moved to his belt, pulling out a small, metallic object. A communication device? A weapon?

I didn't wait to find out. In a blur of motion, I closed the distance between us, my fingers finding the vital pressure point at the base of his skull. He stiffened, trying to speak.

"Who sent you?" I asked quietly.

He struggled against my grip. "The... Crimson Flame Sect won't forget this insult."

"Is that supposed to scare me?"

His eyes widened slightly at my dismissive tone.

"The Crimson Flame Sect rules the Eastern Province," he spat. "They'll hunt you to the ends of the earth for this."

I tightened my grip, feeling the delicate bones of his neck shift beneath my fingers. "Tell them Liam Knight sends his regards."

A quick twist, and it was over. His body crumpled beside his companion's.

I turned to Colin, who was pressed against the wall, eyes wide with terror.

"You... you killed them," he whispered.

"Yes." I stepped over the bodies, approaching him slowly. "Just like they were about to kill you."

He swallowed hard. "What do you want from me?"

"The same thing they wanted." I gestured to the dead men. "The Concentric Pill formula."

Colin's face crumpled. "I don't have it. That's what I was trying to tell them."

"Tilda Avery seemed to think otherwise."

"Tilda?" He looked confused. "Why would she think that?"

I studied him carefully, looking for signs of deception. His fear was genuine, but that didn't mean he was telling the truth.

"You're an alchemist working on the Concentric Pill challenge," I said. "You must have some version of the formula."

Colin glanced nervously at his workbench. "I... I have something. But it's not the real formula."

"Explain."

He took a shaky breath. "I have a reputation for creating effective detoxification pills. When I heard about Edward Avery's condition, I thought... I thought I could modify one of my formulas to mimic the Concentric Pill's effects."

"You were bluffing?" I couldn't keep the surprise from my voice.

He nodded miserably. "I needed the money. And if it worked, the recognition would have set me up for life."

I moved to the workbench, examining his notes. The formula was indeed for a detoxification pill, though with several unusual modifications.

"This wouldn't have worked," I said after a moment. "Not for Edward's condition."

"I know." Colin's shoulders slumped. "But it was worth trying."

I turned back to him. "Do you know who has the real formula?"

"Rumors say Jeremy Thornton might have it." He hesitated. "But I don't know for certain."

I considered my options. The night was growing old, and I still didn't have what I came for. But killing these men had changed things. The Crimson Flame Sect, whoever they were, wouldn't take the death of their agents lightly.

"Look," Colin said suddenly, "I don't have the real formula, but you saved my life. I owe you."

He moved to the workbench, sorting through his papers until he found what he was looking for – a folded document sealed with wax.

"This is my modified formula. It won't cure Edward Avery, but it might help temporarily relieve his symptoms." He held it out to me with a trembling hand. "Take it. Please. It's the least I can do."

I accepted the document, tucking it inside my jacket. "Thank you."

"Will you... will you tell anyone about this?" He gestured at the bodies.

"No. But you should leave. Tonight. When these two don't report back, others will come looking."

Colin nodded frantically. "I'll pack immediately."

I moved toward the door, then paused. "One more thing. Did they mention who in the Crimson Flame Sect sent them?"

"No." Colin shook his head. "But they said something about 'the mistress' being displeased if they failed."

Interesting. Something to investigate later.

I left Colin gathering his belongings and stepped into the night. The encounter had given me some information, but not the prize I sought. Jeremy Thornton was my next target.

As I moved through the shadows back toward the main estate, I reflected on how quickly I'd made the decision to kill those men. There had been no hesitation, no moral struggle. Just the cold certainty that they needed to die.

Was this who I was becoming? A man who could take lives without remorse?

For Isabelle, I thought grimly. For Isabelle, I would become anything I needed to be.

The night was still deep, and somewhere on this estate, Jeremy Thornton was waiting with the formula I needed. I'd find him before dawn. And this time, I wouldn't let anything stand in my way.

Colin's voice echoed in my mind as I disappeared into the darkness.

"Will you take my formula? Absolutely!"