The Lore of Spellsinger Aldus of the Realm

To my precious Bao-Bao,

They are letting me send this out; I hope it gets to you. I am unharmed, but I am a captive. I won’t say who or where because I don’t want you to get involved. Suffice it to say that this Great Burning business has unfortunately brought out the worst in some of us wizards.

I don’t know what my future holds, but I wanted to use this chance to tell you that I’m so proud of you. I still remember those days when I taught you my craft, how to use your voice to breathe magic into the world. I remember your first halting notes piercing the air before you could walk, imitating the tones from my bell. Your frustration as you struggled to get all the minor scales perfect and to expand the edges of your range. And your delight when you first used the dulcet tones of the Twilight Aria to make a jar of water glimmer in the night. These moments we will always have.

I regret how things went later. I was too dogmatic, too resistant when you wanted to study alchemy. I didn’t understand why you wished to leave the Capital, why you rejected the career I had planned for you. I still think you would have been legendary, performing your spellsinging in the Grand Palace of the Arts. Ah, it would have been glorious to see your talent acknowledged by the best and the brightest, the adoration you would have received from the multitudes!

But, here I am again, harping on what could have been; this is supposed be my apology! I can see now, what I didn’t see then. You are a pioneer, not a diva. When I saw one of your nightshade potions, and realized what you had accomplished, I knew that history will remember you, just not in the way I had anticipated.

I looked for you, you know. I realized my error, but you are not to be found. Even in the 7th Realm, I was searching before being apprehended. The reach of the Quantum Shadow is long.

They are looking at me impatiently. Bao-Bao, please know that whatever happens, I love you and cherish you. I’m so happy and grateful I got to raise you and learn about the woman you’ve become. You are strong, and you will be OK.

Please don’t try to find me.

-Dad

Entered by: 0x380B…9229 and preserved on chain (see transaction)