Awakening, I stretched, and only then noticed that it was already dark outside. Quickly tapping the emblem twice, I checked the time — it was half past eleven. Getting up from the bed and taking my keys, I headed to the door, opened it, stepped into the corridor, looked around, inserted the key into the lock, and after hearing the click, went downstairs. There were only a few students on the first floor; some were talking to each other, while others were reading books.
Stepping outside, I headed toward the academy. I had forgotten to ask the dean whether I would need to explain to the guards why I was coming to the academy so late, or if it was freely accessible at any hour, but there was no point worrying about something I could no longer change.
Magical lanterns illuminated the road leading straight to the academy. As I approached, I noticed the gates were open. Passing through them, I immediately headed to the swordsman wing where the trial was held. Tapping the emblem once more, I saw that I only had a few minutes left, and I had no desire to find out what would happen if I arrived late, so I quickened my pace, barely paying attention to my surroundings.
After climbing the stairs, I headed toward the swordsman wing without meeting anyone along the way. It seemed as though the academy was empty — I saw neither professors nor students. Perhaps they monitored the academy by other means, but it still felt strange to see the gates open so late at night while no one was visible inside.
Approaching the testing room in the swordsman wing, I knocked. Hearing the dean's voice telling me to enter, I stepped inside and saw him sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. In the center were drawn circles, each flowing with mana, and beside every circle stood a candle filled with some kind of liquid.
Seeing me, the dean stood and approached. He was dressed the same way as during our first meeting earlier that day.
"You almost made yourself late. Now let me explain how you must activate the ritual." The dean said coldly, handing me a bottle filled with an unfamiliar liquid before continuing.
"You must mix this liquid with your blood and apply it all over your body. Take this — you will drain your blood into this container until it is full. After that, pour the elixir into it, stir it three times, and spread the mixture over your skin. Then sit in the center of the large circle and meditate. You must fall into the place where the goddess resides so that she may awaken your mark."
While explaining, the dean handed me the elixir and a container for the blood. It was small but surprisingly deep. Sighing at the thought that I would have to spill my blood again, I removed my uniform, leaving only my underwear on.
I began considering where to make the cut in order to fill such a volume without passing out from blood loss. The dean returned to his chair and closed his eyes. I sat down on the cold floor, drew the knife across my arm near the elbow, and waited as the container slowly filled.
Gradually, I felt weakness spreading through my fingers and toes. My head began spinning. I had to place the container on the floor and brace myself with my healthy hand to keep from collapsing. Time dragged painfully slow. After a few minutes, I could no longer feel my legs, and my supporting arm began to tremble. Though I couldn't see my face, I suspected it was becoming paler by the second.
Seeing that the container was nearly full, I turned my head toward Ama`Lein, who silently nodded. Rising from his chair, he approached me, examined the container, tapped his ring twice, and a pill appeared in his hand. Handing it to me, he watched as I swallowed it. I immediately felt the wound on my arm slowly sealing shut, while sensation gradually returned to my limbs.
But I had no time to dwell on it. Taking the elixir with trembling hands, I poured it into the blood and began stirring it with my finger. The substance was thick and viscous, requiring all my strength just to mix it three times. Once done, I began rubbing it into my skin, starting from my legs and slowly working upward. I had expected warmth, but unfortunately the mixture was freezing cold. Feeling my body shiver, I hurried to spread it faster. The last places were my neck and face.
Once finished, I stood and staggered toward the center of the circle. It felt as if hours had passed, though in reality only a few minutes had gone by since I entered the room. Reaching the center, I knelt down, straightened my back, and closed my eyes. Soon, I began hearing voices — first quiet, then louder and louder until they became screams inside my head.
"Alurik, you may open your eyes." A melodic voice I recognized spoke.
Opening my eyes, I looked around. We were once again by the bonfire, but now I could clearly see my companion.
"Goddess Ges, am I correct?" I asked, bowing to her.
"Yes, I am Goddess Ges. But you may simply call me Ges. I know why you came here. But first, tell me — are you prepared to become my herald in your world? If you accept, you may place yourself in great danger." Ges asked as she stepped in front of me.
As I understood it, being her herald meant becoming her chosen one. The dean had not told me what such people were called, or perhaps he didn't know either.
Thinking over her words, I reflected on my own life. I had no talent for magic, my parents had disowned me, and I had been stripped of my title as prince of the empire. Slowly, anger began to rise within me. If I had power, no one would dare stand in my way. As the saying goes — the strong rule the weak.
"Yes, I agree to become your herald if you grant me the power to destroy our common enemies, whom I am certain either already exist or will appear in the future." I answered confidently.
"Power... all of you ask for power. Why not wisdom?" Ges asked, studying me closely.
"Wisdom comes with time. Wisdom without power means nothing." I answered.
She tilted her head slightly, smirking.
"And yet power without wisdom is worth little as well. Power can be deceived, manipulated into making foolish mistakes where strength becomes meaningless against cunning."
"Without mistakes there is no experience, and experience is wisdom." I replied.
"Even if that mistake costs you your life? Would that still be experience, or merely foolishness?" Ges asked.
"It would still be experience. One may reason while observing from afar, but when standing at the center of events, you never truly know what may influence the outcome." I answered, not entirely sure where these words were coming from.
Nodding at my response, Ges walked behind me, placed a hand on my shoulder, and forced me onto one knee with brutal pressure. Turning my head, I saw her smiling — she clearly enjoyed inflicting pain.
"You could have simply asked me to kneel instead of doing it like this." I muttered through clenched teeth.
"That would ruin the pleasure of seeing pain on your face, little Alurik." Ges laughed at my reaction.
I felt something wet touch my back and instinctively tried to reach for it, but Ges immediately pushed my hand away.
"I would not advise touching your back right now, unless you wish to die." Ges whispered softly, the last words brushing against my ear.
I lowered my head and waited while she continued whatever she was doing. At first, I felt nothing. Then came light tingling, like insects biting at my skin. Soon it worsened into the sensation of tiny needles piercing my back. The pain intensified more and more until I could no longer endure it and screamed.
I tried to rise but couldn't. I felt a hand pinning my shoulder firmly to the ground.
"Scream louder. This is only the beginning. Don't hold back." Ges purred.
Pain spread from my back into my chest, then my neck, and finally my face. I thought I would lose consciousness, but unfortunately for me, the agony would not allow me to faint.