Magic on a slow fire

"Four elements created the world. The fifth will destroy it." Fire, Water, Earth, and Air have shaped history, fueling the wars of kings and ensuring the survival of commoners. But beyond them exists something else: the Unbound Ingredients. They do not obey mages. They do not follow the laws of the Four. To touch them is a crime. To study them is a death sentence. Most believe they corrupt the very soul. Nat is no ordinary man. He believes the Four Elements are not the pinnacle of magic, but a cage designed to limit it. Venturing into forbidden zones to harvest what others call poison, he uncovers a truth older than the world itself. Can one man master that which refuses to submit, or will the Four Elements erase the heretic who dared to taste the forbidden?