Inside the portal in Theramore Mage Tower, Arcane Energy surged like a raging ocean. A glaring purple crack was torn open in space, and with a series of crackling sounds and the acrid smell of burning parchment, a disheveled figure tumbled out of the Portal.
Antonidas —the once-mighty Archmage of Dalaran —looked utterly wretched. His long, silvery-white hair and beard were a tangled mess, like bushes swept by dragon's breath. His once-noble purple robes were now covered in suspicious stains: the left cuff was the black of ink, the front a coffee brown, and there were several holes at the hem that looked like they were from Ancient Magic Theory Essentials corrosion. Most striking of all was the book he clutched tightly in his arms, the pages of which were worn and frayed from repeated readings.
" Jaina!" His hoarse voice sounded as if it had been sanded down. "You know I'm working on a crucial chapter! If it's not absolutely urgent—"
The old mage's complaints ceased abruptly. His gaze passed over the bubbling magical cauldron and froze on two figures in the center of the laboratory. Jaina was wearing her usual blue robes, while the dark-haired woman standing beside her caused Antonidas's cloudy eyes to widen instantly.
She was a stunningly beautiful woman. Her long, silvery-white hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall woven from moonlight, shimmering like pearls under the magical lights of the laboratory. She wore a well-tailored silver robe, with the city emblem of Theramore pinned to her collar, and a crystal staff twirled between her slender fingers. But what was most striking was her face—her smooth, jade-like skin was without a single wrinkle, and only her sharp eyes revealed a wisdom beyond her years.
"Where is Professor Aegwynn?" Antonidas looked around like a wary old cat, completely ignoring the stunning beauty before him, even frowning his deeply wrinkled brows. " Jaina, how many times have I told you! Don't bring things into the lab so casually—"
The silver-haired woman suddenly chuckled softly, a laugh as clear and melodious as a wind chime. Jaina could no longer contain herself, covering her mouth and laughing so hard her shoulders shook.
Aegwynn —yes, the silver-haired beauty—stepped forward gracefully, her black calfskin boots clicking crisply on the floor. She spoke in a deliberately unfamiliar tone, "Sir, are you looking for an old lady with a face full of wrinkles?"
Antonidas instinctively took a half-step back, his withered fingers already touching his staff. "Who are you? How do you know—"
"Because," Aegwynn suddenly switched back to her signature languid tone, her hand on her hip in the same pose as in the legends of Dalaran for millennia, "I am your 'old lady' senior sister, junior brother Antonidas."
The old mage's jaw dropped with a "click." His gaze swept across Aegwynn's face, from her smooth forehead to her pert nose, then to her rose-like lips, finally settling on her still sharp, eagle-like eyes—that was indeed Aegwynn's gaze, the kind of piercing gaze that could see right through a person's soul.
He rubbed his eyes, afraid he was hallucinating. After confirming several times that what was standing in front of him was not an illusion, not magic, and not a ghost, he was stunned.
"This is impossible," he muttered to himself, slamming the ancient book in his hand onto his foot with a "thud," raising a small cloud of dust.
Jaina finally suppressed her laughter and stepped forward to explain, "Teacher, Lady Aegwynn received Elune's blessing and regained her youth."
Antonidas stood frozen in place, as if petrified. For a full minute, the only sound in the laboratory was the bubbling of the magical cauldron. Finally, he uttered, "Impossible. Elune is not some generous goddess. You haven't been deceived by some Evil God, have you?"
Jaina lowered her head and whispered, " Deren offered some small items to Elune and received a reward: a wish. He chose to restore Aegwynn's youth."
"Hiss!" Antonidas gasped. "This isn't right! What makes your advisor so special that he's gained Elune's favor? It's about restoring youth! I can't even please that Moon Goddess. What did he sacrifice? Tell me, Jaina!"
Jaina glanced at Aegwynn, and the former Guardian nodded. Jaina then said softly, "It's nothing much, just a bunch of fragments of Deathwing's Source Armor and parts like his tail and claws."
"Hiss... hiss..." Antonidas gasped twice more. "How did that kid, Deren, get pieces of Deathwing? Did he cripple Deathwing?"
"Wasn't he with Onyxia, the Black Dragon Princess? And the Black Dragon Father and Daughter fought once, blowing Swamp of Sorrows upside down. So they picked up some scraps from Deathwing." Jaina answered, head bowed. She didn't dare tell her teacher the truth, after all, it involved the most crucial secret of the Deren.
"What? Who is your consultant kid?" Anthony's tone became impatient.
"Alright, junior brother, don't frighten Jaina. We can talk about some things later." Aegwynn quickly interrupted his overly curious junior brother, wanting to get down to business.
"Yes, yes, yes! I need to fix my appearance. It's so sloppy and impolite." Antonidas also realized the important matter. Facing his beautiful and youthful senior, his image was completely ruined.
Suddenly, the old mage shuddered as if struck by lightning.
"Wait for me for five minutes!" he shouted, rushing toward the Teleportation Array with an agility far beyond his years, nearly knocking over three rows of bookshelves and a precious planetarium along the way.
Jaina and Aegwynn exchanged bewildered glances. Before they could even discuss their options, the Teleportation Array erupted with a dazzling blue light once more.
The figure that walked out almost made Jaina bite her tongue.
The disheveled old scholar was gone. In his place stood a dashing middle-aged gentleman: his snow-white beard had vanished, revealing a sharply defined jawline; his once-messy silver hair was now meticulously groomed, tied back with a sapphire-encrusted headband; his previously filthy robes had been replaced by a well-tailored dark blue velvet tuxedo, adorned with the Dalaran emblem at the collar, and he even wore a light spray of Winterspring perfume. Most strikingly, he held a red rose glistening with morning dew in his hand.
"Senior sister," Antonidas's voice suddenly sounded thirty years younger, as he performed an exaggerated courtly bow, a rose twirling gracefully between his fingertips, "How do you think of me today?"
Jaina sighed, rubbing her forehead. "By the power of Arcane... Teacher Antonidas's time has come."
Aegwynn was taken aback for a moment, then burst into a silvery laugh. She took the rose, sniffed it lightly, and suddenly did something that made everyone's eyes widen—she gently brushed a petal across Antonidas's cheek.
"You used Time Magic quite well, little Anthony. The disguise only took a little while." She blinked, a sly smile playing on her lips. "You also used Longevity Magic quite well, managing to maintain your middle-aged appearance for so long."
The old sorcerer's ears instantly turned as red as the roses in his hands, and he stammered, "To... to study magic. One must live a little longer."
Third update. Still asking for votes and subscriptions.