Page 80 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

He remained wary of her. After all, he’d entrusted her with his ring, and the Oracle’s letter offered no clarity on whether it had been to protect her or because he’d been deceived.

His inner beast stirred to alertness at the sight of Callan by the window. Mikhail could recognise a wild animal on sight – he was one, after all. He bristled for no apparent reason, and his muscles tensed. While he was willing to ally with this man, he didn’t trust him more than he would a rabid fox.

Alex was trying to catch Callan’s interest, chatting, “Imagine an entire city made of fairy tales, wonders, and treats…”

“You mean this human city contains witchcraft?” Callan asked.

“No, no.” Alex giggled. “I say ‘wonders’ not because there’s actual magic, but because it’s so beautiful, it seems like it was made with magic, even though it’s purely human ingenuity. They call it Disneyland, and—”

Mikhail’s eyes sought the one person he trusted in the room. Viktor had been pensive since they had moved into the cabin. Not unlike Mikhail, Viktor had found his purpose in the Hospital, especially given how close he was to a state akin to Vaka Hara. But Viktor had the twins – the creatures he’d raisedas his own. For their sake, he would remain steadfast, resisting the abyss of his inner torment.

And Mikhail… he had only the Hospital. Or rather, he’d once had it.

He sank into an unclaimed armchair, interrupting Callan and Alex’s conversation. “So, you’re saying the Queen is a ‘humanid’. Let’s start with whoyouare.”

Callan stood by the window, his smile widening. “I’m a failed scientist of antiquity who learned the hard way that vengeance is far more accessible than love.”

Alex gasped. Mikhail frowned. He had no patience for flowery words. Yet, given he’d read this man’s journal, he could hardly be surprised. Mikhail’s gaze briefly flicked to Amelia, who rested her chin on one hand on the sofa’s armrest, refusing to look at either man.

Callan moved towards the centre of the room. “I was born five thousand years ago on Earth, just like all other terrestrial inhabitants – born of a mother’s womb. My mother and father were mortal humans. Originally, two species populated Earth: witches and humans. In truth, it was a single race – some beings possessed magic, while others did not. Those without magic were called ‘humans’ and, over the years, they came to be seen as a separate species. But that does not mean human blood today is free of witchcraft. It has simply been suppressed for millennia, and it would take at least three times as long for it to reactivate – if it ever does.”

“The difference between humans and witches isn’t just magic,” Viktor interjected. “Witches are immortal; humans are not.”

“Among Earth’s earliest inhabitants, that wasn’t the case. Life was indefinitely long, but over time, something changed, altering the genes linked to longevity in humans. I don’t know whether it was natural selection or something else, but thosewho did not actively use magic lost other physical traits as well. Meanwhile, reproduction became much more frequent.”

“If that’s true, it means magic exists in all of us – even if it’s dormant!” Alex exclaimed.

“Of course it does,” Callan said. “Otherwise, magic wouldn’t exist on Earth at all. Each of us is like a transmitter, aiding in its spread, whether we realise it or not.”

Mikhail sank into his chair. Another thing he loathed – magic. It was unpredictable, incomprehensible, and perilous in the wrong hands. The former Oracle had claimed in her letters that Amelia had witch blood.

Mikhail interjected, “I didn’t quite catch – does the story of the origins of the species hold true? The one where you, Sandir, and Ana are the firstborn?”

Callan nodded. “I don’t know where the story originated, but yes and no. Some elements are true. I’m the firstborn of manticores and lycanthropes. But by the time I was born, Earth was already home to necromancers, vampires, and nymphs, as well as witches and humans. I wandered Earth for a long time until I began encountering other creatures like me. Only when I met Ana did I realise I was a firstborn.”

“You didn’t suspect it before?” Mikhail asked.

“I was stronger than most beings, but it was Ana who explained why. She found me when I had lost all will to live. I despised war, which was one reason I refrained from joining the frequent interspecies conflicts. I had other passions in life – I loved exploring its beauty, love, and creativity.”

Viktor nodded in approval. “Your journal mentions you attempted to immortalise humans?”

“What you refer to as my journal is a fragmented translation from an ancient language, but yes, despair over loss drove me to those ill-fated experiments with innocent lives. I would fall in love with the beauty of mortal women, who aged before my eyes,and I longed to grant them eternal youth.”

“How romantic!” Alex sighed dreamily.

“Alas, I’ve always lost those I loved,” Callan continued. “Ana’s arrival was my salvation. She was a masterpiece – not merely beautiful, but divine, speaking the words I most needed to hear. ”

Callan’s focus shifted to Amelia. “When you’re isolated and bewildered, anyone casting a beam of light on your confusion becomes your idol. Ana said she was like me. She wasn’t alone, either. Another man, Sandir, accompanied her.”

Mikhail rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me he’s alive, too.”

A shadow passed over Callan’s face. “I assure you, he’s not, but I’ll get to that in a second. Ana claimed that we all shared a divine father, despite having different mothers. She said our father – mytruefather, not the one who’d raised me – had visited her and revealed the truth to her. Finally, I was getting an explanation for why I always felt unique. And I had found family and friends to share my days with. Together, we wandered the world, revelling in everything this Earth had to offer.”

“Every immortal seems to pass through that stage sooner or later,” Viktor remarked, reminding Mikhail of their years of indulgence as they plunged headlong into life’s temptations.

Callan nodded. “One day, Ana said our father had appeared to her in a dream and warned that in the coming centuries, Earth would face a foreign threat. To save the world, we needed to gather seven artefacts he had scattered on Earth – Sacreds, he called them. So, we went after them. Ana always had leads – whether from an old book, a stray comment, or pure intuition. We overturned mountains, dived into the deepest oceans, desecrated ancient tombs, and burned in volcanoes to find some of these items. The moment I laid my eyes on the ring, I felt a connection. Later, I came to understand that the artefact wasn’t just linked to the manticore species – it had accepted me as itsfirst true bearer.”

“What happened next?” Viktor asked.