Estylwen's Entry:

A small light on the desk was the only light source for the writer, who filled sheet after sheet with hastily written words. The room was a mess, the garbage tin lay on its side and the contents were spread over the floor. A cat sat on the cabinet, licking its paw.

A crow settled on the windowsill and cawed. 

"Not now," muttered the writer.

The cat turned its attention to the crow.

“He won't learn like this,” said the cat to the crow.

More furious scribbles from the desk attracted their attention. The man hadn't seemed to notice the cat had spoken.

More moments passed.

“Eureka!” The man exclaimed, holding up a messy sheet to the candlelight. It was covered in ink spots and barely discernible writing. With gusto, he pushed his chair out from under him, moving to the door.

The cat exchanged a knowing look with the crow, and slinked off after the man.

The man entered a large drawing room, decorated with everything he could ever need. Ancient tomes, spell books, hovering orbs of power. Large windows ornately displayed with spiderglass, allowing the sun's hues to enter.

At the end of the room, a well that swirled with the light of a vortex. Standing beside it, expression narrowed, was an older man, gray beard trailing on the floor. He watched the man bring the sheet to a table with hovering orbs, and begin to tinker with one of them.

The crow came to rest on the bookshelf near the gray-bearded man, with the cat curled up at his feet.

“He's convinced he's got it this time.” said the cat.

The man stroked his long beard, staring sadly. “My apprentice doesn't understand. This isn't worth the time.”

The cat turned its face up. “My lord, what if what he says is true?”

“What do you mean?”

There was a sudden spark and smoke, and the three observers snapped their attention to the man and the orb. It was alight in his hands, searing with the same energy as the characters on the sheet. The man mumbled words under his breath, hands closing around the orb. The very walls of the castle began to tremble as the energy surged and convulsed. And then-

[i]Ting![/i]

Like the soft chime of a bell, the orb glossed over like dry lava. The dark layer flaked away, revealing a shiny silver embossed with the same characters that were now absent from the page.

The man seemed relieved, holding the warm orb in his hands. The gray-bearded man could only watch as the apprentice turned towards him.

Could only watch with a forlorn loneliness as the apprentice stepped towards him-

-and through him-

-As he made his way to the well.

A hand pressed against the brim of the well as the apprentice swallowed anxiously, holding up his new orb with desperate hope.

“Surely, this one will do the trick.” He exclaimed to nobody.

“It won't.” The gray-bearded man said softly.

The cat turned to the gray-bearded man. “Is there really no way?”

The apprentice donned his cloak, holding the orb high. Lightning from the orb struck the well, causing the vortex to buckle and froth. He lifted himself onto the edge of the well, staring into the yawning Abyss below, and whispered a single sentence.

“I won't fail you, Master.”

Before he jumped into the bottomless pits.

The gray-bearded man watched with a pained gaze as his apprentice was lost to the depths, before he turned his attention to the cat.

“I had spent the better portion of my life discovering secrets to the universe, even unlocking the way to immortality. Alas, I could never undo a curse like death. The sickness of the dragon took me while the elixir of life could only slow its effects.”

The crow fluttered its wings. “So the boy struggles in futility for you?”

He stared at the vortex solemnly. “The boy… seeks a secret I've hidden that truly does not exist.”

The old man turned his back to the well.

“The boy may try all he likes.”

A pause.

“There is no way to bring me back.”

Another pause.

“There's no way to bring anyone back.”