Odys recalled that the Fountain of Youth might be a hoax—part of the ritual the King of Immortality had prepared to advance to Demon. Still, he used the Flight Spell to reach the Future.
Cattleya and the others were discussing the Fountain of Youth. The Admiral of Stars glanced at the Gus Staff in Odys's hand, then scattered a handful of colored powder, conjuring an image for him of a ship inside the ruins.
It showed a captain's cabin. No one was inside, but someone had left a Feysac phrase on the wooden floor: Fountain of Youth.
At the end of the phrase, the trail of blood suddenly veered off and stretched away. There were also clear drag marks across the room.
It looked as though someone had tried to leave information about the Fountain of Youth, only to be dragged away by something after writing a single phrase.
"I've heard a few legends about the Fountain of Youth," Odys said.
Cattleya caught his implication. "You don't believe it exists?"
"I do." Odys smiled. "There may well be a Fountain of Youth, but there's an eighty or ninety percent chance its water has severe negative effects.
"Let me put it this way. If it turned you into a monster but gave you eternal life, who here would try it?"
Anderson, who had been delighted a moment ago, looked disappointed. "Can't you let us keep a little pleasant fantasy?"
Deep down, though, he knew the Admiral of Mysteries was probably closer to the truth. Given how Beyonder powers tended to distort things, even if the Fountain of Youth existed, it should come with an unacceptable price.
"Let's set aside how the Fountain of Youth might keep someone young," Cattleya said. "First, let's discuss the ship."
After a pause, she continued, "If