Page 77 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts (Hospital for Immortal Creatures #3)

“My wife, the altruist…” Sobek remarked.

Renenutet ignored him. “Unfortunately, humans didn’t limit themselves to the white magic they paid for with my necklace.

Once their eyes were opened to magic, they desired more.

They began making deals with the Higher Powers.

To this day, I can’t tell whether magic corrupted them – or simply revealed what had always been there.

It was greed. Insatiable, tainting even their ability to love.

And no matter how much they received, it was never enough. ”

Renenutet sighed. “Those deals with the Higher Powers were far beyond the humans’ understanding, and the consequences came swiftly. New diseases emerged – of the body, of the mind. Humans poisoned themselves for a taste of power they couldn’t contain.”

“I don’t understand. What about the immortals’ origin story that’s told on Earth? Gord, Sandir…?” Amelia asked.

Renenutet smiled. “Gord was our ruler. It was he who tasked us to initially visit Earth – and, later, to fix the mess we created. The Higher Powers were gaining control over Earth and threatened to conquer it, jeopardising the balance across the entire universe. That’s when we came up with the idea of creating a new species.

One that couldn’t be controlled by magic. And Preni, our geneticist, had a plan.”

Amelia straightened her back, curious to hear more.

“She created a hybrid embryo using genes from a humanid and a human. Then, Gord allowed her to do the unprecedented – to use an alchemical process and insert into the embryo’s structure a particle from each of the Earth’s kingdoms: quartz crystal, wood thread, bat blood.

That way, he would belong to Earth, but at the same time, he would be a creature that didn’t obey the laws of magic, couldn’t be bargained with or bound by spell.

” Renenutet arched an eyebrow at Amelia.

“That firstborn embryo was Sandir, and his blood was immune to deals with the Higher Powers.”

“According to the story, necromancers and vampires came from Sandir?” Amelia asked.

Renenutet took another sip of her wine. “That’s true.

After the success of the first embryo, we created more like him – and others similar to him: vampires, necromancers, and hybrids between the two.

They reproduced and spread across the Earth.

Since not all of Earth’s population depended on Higher Powers any longer, the old chain broke.

But those new species had their own flaws.

Vampires, though capable of remarkable chastity, were often driven by unchecked desire.

Many multiplied like rats, their lust uncontained.

Necromancers, for all their potential for great kindness, lived as spiritual bridges – never fully part of the world they served.

Over time, their distance bred envy. They inspired fear, and fear further isolated them.

And the worst part? Those new species were far stronger than the old ones.

At some point, it wasn’t the Higher Powers who posed the greatest threat to Earth.

The very beings created to restore balance began to tear it apart from within. ”

Amelia was finally understanding Callan’s story. ‘But by the time I was born, Earth was already home to necromancers, vampires, and nymphs, as well as witches and humans,’ he’d said.

Renenutet pursed her lips. “Gord decided to create a new kind – but this time, he withheld physical strength. Power had already proven too dangerous, too easily corrupted. He believed that if strength were removed, so too would be the drive for domination. In theory, this new species would restore order not through control, but through influence. Through beauty, humility , and subtle manipulation of emotion and energy. Creatures of allure, not aggression. They were meant to soften the world, to inspire harmony rather than impose it. That was the intention. Preni used her DNA as a base and wove in Earth elements – quartz, oleander, and blood from an eagle. Thus, the first nymph, Ana, was created.”

Renenutet curled her lips, glancing at her husband.

“What we didn’t foresee? The emergence of interspecies wars.

Between witches and nymphs. Between vampires and necromancers.

Between humans and immortals. Since we bore the blame for what was happening, we made one last attempt to save the Earthlings.

The final hybrid between a humanid and a human, intertwined with gold, blood from two magnificent animals, and an invisible element known only to Gord and Preni.

That’s how Callan was born. From him came manticores and lycanthropes, but this time the energies didn’t stabilise. ”

Amelia ignored the flutter in her chest at his mention. “Why?”

“The manticores were created for patience, spared from lust and untouched by magic, yet their nature was built on pure rage. They spread aggression like wildfire, igniting conflict wherever they went. The lycanthropes were born for abstinence – until consumed by hunger. When their voracious bloodlust surfaced, no restraint remained. It was time we accepted that, no matter what we did, Earth could never return to its former state. Each species avoided one corruption, but became a vessel for another. We believed we were creating balance. What we built was a world fractured by sins. Then Gord decided to no longer interfere in earthly matters…”

“And the reptilians?” Amelia pressed.

“After creating the new species, Preni began to change. She started showing signs of obsession, a conviction that balance could only be achieved through her hand. She wanted more – entire ecosystems shaped by her hand. Naturally, Gord forbade it. But she persisted. She possessed the knowledge and vision – but not the final alchemical substance needed to animate her creations. That secret was guarded solely by our Elders, and Gord refused to grant her access. Therefore, she turned to the one person who would never say no – Gord’s despised and underestimated brother.

Triceus was always eager to rub Gord’s nose in something.

So when Preni approached him, he agreed without hesitation. ”

Renenutet’s lips curled at the edges. “Together, they created the first reptilian – Arius. They hid him in Antambazi, far from the eyes of the Higher Powers so that no one would interfere with his reproduction or the growth of a reptilian colony. No one but Preni and Triceus knows what went into the reptilian DNA. But I’ll tell you this: Arius is the closest thing to a humanid this Earth has seen in centuries.

You might consider reptilians to be your enemies.

Believe me – there is no race more hardworking, more relentlessly focused than theirs.

Under different circumstances, I think you’d admire them. ”

Amelia wrinkled her nose. After her time in Antambazi, she doubted she’d ever admire a reptilian.

Renenutet leaned back slightly, a shadow passing across her face. “Gord was furious at Preni’s disobedience, and since he couldn’t punish his brother, he transferred all his anger onto her. He exiled her, stripping her of her powers and burying them on Earth.”

A silence stretched between them. Amelia blinked slowly, her mind circling the name – the exiled geneticist, the obsession with balance, the buried power. “Preni… The Queen. She’s Preni, isn’t she?”

Renenutet nodded, appearing satisfied at Amelia’s deduction. “That’s her.”

Amelia’s heartbeat quickened. They weren’t fighting a mere humanid – but the genetic essence of the immortal species.

Oh, my God. The impaired regeneration… Of course, they couldn’t defeat her.

The Queen wasn’t just powerful. She was the origin.

She was the damn genetic code of the immortal species!

Amelia curled her trembling fingers into her palms, forcing herself to concentrate. There was still so much she didn’t know. “And the Sacreds?”

“Gord needed a way to control the species. So he created the Sacreds from the essence of each species – the core, primordial magic that animates all of them. Each Sacred then became their equal in power – opposite to the energy it was made from. But once he created them, I warned him they were too powerful. So, we scattered them across Earth. How they were eventually found, I have no idea.”

“The Queen created a new species,” Amelia said. “Harpies. They resemble nymphs, but with wings.”

Renenutet pursed her lips, pondering it. “Without Gord or Triceus’ blessing, these species are merely experiments. They won’t survive. But that doesn’t mean Preni isn’t a problem. If she activates the Sacreds, she will regain her powers as a humanid and find a way back to Surat.”

“If she does activate them, she will kill herself,” Sobek pointed out.

Renenutet glared at her husband. “I mean, if she activates them and somehow survives. In that case, she’ll gain enough strength to attack Surat, and we’ll have no choice but to retaliate – a battle that will take place on Earth.”

Amelia’s heart clenched. “If you fear a war, why don’t you do something to stop it now?”

“Earth is not our territory,” Sobek said.

“We have no right to interfere after Gord’s command,” Renenutet explained. “Not unless we’re attacked, as would happen if Preni restores her powers.”

“So, you won’t do anything about the disrupted regeneration?” she asked.

“We have no business on Earth,” Renenutet repeated.

Amelia concealed her resentment. “Then will you at least tell me what causes the regeneration issue?”

Renenutet fixed her eyes on her. “I’m just the godmother; she’s the geneticist. I can’t tell you how she creates the diseases, but I can tell you her real name. The name no one but I know. Prenatheia, daughter of Gord and Priyanka.”

Amelia grimaced. “Prenatheia, daughter of Gord and Priyanka?”

Renenutet raised a finger in front of her face.

“Be careful. A name is a weapon; thus, it should be used wisely. You wanted the names of the Sacreds? I’ll tell you something even better.

The only chance Preni has to activate the seven artefacts is during the summer solstice on the twenty-first of June.

Then, the Earth’s energy will be at its peak.

Hide with the necklace and don’t let her discover you. ”

Did Renenutet just tell her that the solution was to hide for a day?

“Why won’t you tell me their names?” Amelia asked.

Renenutet’s glossy curls caught the light from the chandelier as she shook her head. “Because you can’t bear the energy of their activated forms.”

So Renenutet was concerned that Amelia aimed to use the power of the relics for herself. “I don’t want to activate them. I want to understand them.”

The silence stretched once more, and it was clear Renenutet wouldn’t reply. Amelia lowered her gaze to the table. It seemed pointless to insist. “May I ask one last thing?”

“Of course.”

“The previous Oracle told me that the Sacreds and the Oracle attract each other, and that’s why Mikhail Korovin, as the owner of the ring, was in love with me. Is that true?”

“Well, since we’re talking about love…” Renenutet snapped her fingers and filled the glasses to the brim with wine.

“The Oracle was our guarantee that we could find the Sacreds in case we needed them. Yes, that’s why they attract each other.

Not the Oracle and the owners of the Sacreds.

If the ring did anything for this man, it was to remove what was preventing him from seeing his love.

That’s what the ring does for its owner.

It removes the barriers you hold because of anger, aggression, or whatever else poisons your heart. ”

Amelia held her breath. Her heart was about to jump out of her chest. At last, she had confirmation that what had happened between them wasn’t just in her mind. “But after he lost the ring, he didn’t remember me…”

Renenutet took a thoughtful sip from her glass. “Perhaps the ring erased his memory of the time with you, to protect him?”

“To protect him from me?”

“To protect him from the memory of you. If he was in a situation where it tortured him.”

Amelia fell silent, the image of Mikhail’s helpless body in the laboratory rising in her mind, bound, forced to die four times a day. Even now, the memory made her ache. “But does that mean he loved me?”

“A heart can either love or not. Barriers can only stop physical passion. In true love, there are no excuses.”

Amelia wasn’t sure she fully understood Renenutet’s words. Still, they didn’t help her with Mikhail.

Renenutet gave her a condescending smile. “It’s good for you to know which wells are dry, so you don’t search for water there. Especially while you’re wearing my necklace around your neck.”

Amelia raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“The only way for you to defeat Preni is by activating the Sacreds. Something she wouldn’t expect, because she knows you’ll die immediately.”

It took a while for the words to sink into Amelia’s mind. “So, the only way to defeat her is… by sacrificing myself?”

Renenutet’s gaze lowered to the necklace around Amelia’s neck.

***

Amelia

A blink, and suddenly, she saw an infinite city of black marble and gold spread out before her.

A blink, and she was lying back in bed.

Amelia stepped onto the floor, still dressed in the same clothes she had worn before meeting Renenutet.

She splashed her face with cold water and headed down to the restaurant.

To her surprise, Mikhail, Callan, and Presiyan were talking like three old friends, with unfolded newspapers on the table in front of them.

They were probably checking for unusual news from the human world.

“What’s the date today?” Amelia asked. Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed 24 Hours , a local newspaper, from the table and read the date in the top corner. June nineteenth. “Is this today’s paper?”

“Yes,” Presiyan said.

“Is everything all right?” Mikhail asked her.

She took a deep breath. “I was on Surat, the planet of the humanids. And I spoke with Renenutet and her husband, Sobek.”

Presiyan’s eyebrows shot up to the ceiling, Mikhail frowned as if he’d eaten something bitter, and Callan’s faint smile warmed her.

She told them everything except the last part of her conversation with Renenutet. That, along with the secret of the necklace, she would keep to herself.