The bar was cloaked in a shroud of dimly flickering candlelight, casting long, wavering shadows that danced upon the timeworn wooden floor. The atmosphere was thick with tension as Maria, the fire mage, sat at one corner of the bar. Her amber eyes were ablaze with a tempestuous mixture of anger, confusion, and an ever-present spark of curiosity.

Opposite her, seated with an air of nonchalance, was Syzoth, the enigmatic alchemist who had disrupted her life with revelations both astonishing and perplexing. The parchment he placed before her glistened with an otherworldly aura, and a vial containing the coveted Flame's Respite Elixir stood as a beacon of temptation. Maria's hand hovered over the document, trembling in contemplation.

"Why, in the name of all that is holy, should I accept this proposition. You are not the only alchemist that can make this elixir. I can just go to another one, and get it from them"

"That is only in the case you find an alchemist that is insane enough to even consider making this. You don't want to know what they risk in making forbidden elixirs and potions. Hell, you might not even find one. Maybe if that alchemist that you normally went to were still alive, you may have still the ability to get some of them."

"What do you mean she is no longer alive?"

"Oh, you didn't know? Her workshop was found burned down. It seems something in there went wrong, and now she's no longer alive."

That was the first time she knew of it. How could it be? Just a month ago, Maria had a small dinner with Elorana. She may have even considered her a friend.

"How do you know this? Why do I not know this.?"

"You are no alchemist. And alchemist always keep in tab with one another. Every alchemist is assigned to a specific place in a city, so that if a new alchemist were to start learning it's secrets, they would know were to find a senior. And if one were to suddenly disappear, or die, the alchemists would be the first ones to know. 

And I have my own friends. Friends that provide some clear important insight on some matters of some places."

Maria looked back at the parchment. She knew what this was. By signing with her blood, she would swear on her true name to uphold the terms on the parchment. After it is done, it would be no longer possible for her to not uphold the terms. She didn't know what would happen if she didn't uphold the agreement, but no one was stupid enough to try.

"You have before you an opportunity," Syzoth began, his voice as cool and enigmatic as his demeanor. "The elixir I offer surpasses the one you've been taking all these years. And I can make many more, and even better ones in the future. Who knows? Maybe I can make it so that one day you, and all other mages, would be able to freely use magic? Wouldn't that be fantastic?"

Maria's gaze shifted from the elixir to the parchment and then back to Syzoth, her brow furrowed in skepticism. "And what, pray tell, do you want in exchange for this 'gift'?" she asked, her words laced with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.

With a subtle flourish, Syzoth gestured toward the parchment, the ink upon it shimmering with an ethereal glow. "If you don't want to read the parchment, then I guess I can tell you. It's a simple agreement, Maria," he explained. "In return for my continued supply of this elixir, you need only sign this document. In return, you promise not to pursue me, to keep my presence hidden from the others in Leon's cohort. In essence, you will let me remain in the shadows."

Maria's jaw clenched, her mind a battleground of emotions. The Flame's Respite Elixir held the promise of liberation from the torment that had accompanied her powers. It was a balm for her very soul, a respite from the agony that had become a constant companion. But Syzoth's terms were enigmatic, and she knew that making a pact with him might carry its own hidden perils.

"Tell me", She began, her voice edged with a cautious undertone, "why did you choose me. If you knew so much about me, I am sure you could do the same thing with someone else from our cohort. What would you gain from offering me such an elixir? What do you gain from this arrangement?"

Syzoth's eyes glimmered with a cryptic light. "The reasons are my own, as are the consequences of revealing them," he replied. "Suffice it to say, we share a common interest. You want the elixir, and I want to remain undisturbed. Our needs align."

The seconds ticked by, and the flickering candle flames seemed to echo Maria's inner turmoil. She knew the pain she endured, the fire that scorched her from within. The prospect of a more potent elixir was alluring, but the enigmatic aura surrounding Syzoth and his motives sent shivers down her spine.