Chapter 24) Mistress Selena.

Back inside the research lab, Selena was going through her system profile. While conducting the Domination Ritual, she had felt something change in her body. An electrifying change.

[Current Stats on Host Mystic.]

[Name: Selena Monte-Carlos.]

[Nature: Phantom Level Mystic.]

[Affinity: Fire of the Dragon Lotus.]

[Rank: 1/100]

[Soul Creature: Fury Dragon.]

[Soul Weapon: Lasso of Infinite Blaze.]

[Mana Points: 20000/20000]

[Health Points: 550/600]

[Strength: 400/600]

[Agility: 425/600]

[Stamina: 400/600]

[Perception: 500/600]

[Charisma: 600/600]

[3 New Skills have been activated.]

[New Skill 1: Volcanic Vengeance> Phantom Level control of the fire element. Mystic can now create miniature volcanoes and fire pools. Mystic also has the ability to become one with fire by energizing physical features to become that of pure flame. This skill is destructive and requires enormous amount of mana.]

[New Skill 2: Mistress of Hell's Gate> Mystic has the ability to summon fire demons from the chasms of Abyssal. Fire demons can take on the form of fiery dragons and snakes, but can also appear as gigantic monsters as the Mystic desires. Hell weapons can be summoned during combat. Mystic also has the passive ability to travel from one place to another through the boiling fires of Lazuli's core.]

[New Skill 3: Supreme Spellcaster> Runes, spells and charms have received an added potency. Only Mystics above Phantom level can break the spells cast by Mystic. Spells, runes and charms can be fueled by energy from summoned volcanoes, fire demons and Hell Weapons.]

Selena read all this with excitement. She had leveled up to Phantom Mystic by just performing the forbidden ritual. All the new skills looked powerful, and amazing. She couldn't wait to try them out.

If she could do all this as a Phantom Mystic, then anything would be possible once she became a Celestial. She could travel to other galaxies, gain all the power she desired and conquer all other planets if she wanted. That was her main goal. To become the most powerful being in the world.

"That smile on your face, it's too mischievous for my liking." Justin smiled too as he approached. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing beyond ordinary." Selena replied.

She was frustrated with him for breaking her line of thoughts, but didn't show it.

Justin reached for her to pull her to his chest. "The ritual is almost done. You have achieved your greatest desire."

"Yes." She smiled at him, running her long fingers through his hair. How she wanted to sink all her fingers through his head and pull out that sweet tongue of his.

The poor man thought she loved him. He thought her smiles and kisses were genuine. Shame that he knew nothing about her. Yes, she had revealed to him about her nature as a Mystic. But that was just it. He wasn't aware of her true emotions towards him, how much she loathed the very idea of being around someone so weak. A human for that matter! He didn't know that she had specifically sought him out among a long list of other candidates.

Selena had left the Academy five years ago after becoming an Astral Mystic. She had felt suffocated and suppressed inside the great enchanted walls of the academy and couldn't take it anymore. All those rules and laws about the right way a Mystic should behave and act became a hindrance to her. She had wanted more. She knew she was meant for more than simply destroying dungeons and levelling up. She was smart and serene enough to become something more powerful than a Mystic.

She spent a few years roaming over lazuli, conquering dungeons and causing trouble here and there. She ended up in Abyssal a couple of times for actions the Academy deemed too terrible for comfort. When she became a Wizard Mystic, the voice whispered to her for the first time. The voice had spoken of greater powers, abilities and adventures. The voice had told her about the Domination Ritual and the requirements to make it happen.

That was where Justin came in. He was a wealthy human that owned a global pharmaceutical and biotech company. He had biologically enhanced goons to protect him and do whatever he asked, his own personal army. With his resources, Selena had been able to find all the hospitals where the Unconscious Humans with strange crystal cores had been admitted. She had already harvested a lot of cores before coming here, the last place. Ferling City hospital.

During their time together, she had formed a love bond between herself and Justin. Well, the love came from Justin alone, but that was ok. As long as it was there, the ritual would've worked. If the Ghost boy hadn't shown up to save his mother, Justin would've been the one to be imprisoned in the void. He would've been the Void end of the connection to Selena, the World end. He had no idea how the situation changed in his favor because of the ignorant novice mystic.

Justin kissed her cheek. "After this, we will go on a vacation to some place far away. Maybe even another galaxy. We deserve it after working so hard to get here. Do you remember what you promised me?"

"Of course I do." She stared into his eyes. "I will make you a Mystic. With the powers I will get from completing the ritual, I will make sure you become just like me."

Justin nodded, his face lighting up with excitement. "I own a high tech company that has been researching to make humans live for eternity. Unfortunately, I haven't made much progress. The most we get from the enhancement and drugs is two hundred years. Two hundred years is too short for us to be together. I want to love you forever. You did say that once a Mystic becomes Celestial, they are immortal?"

"Yes, and that is exactly what I will do for you, My love."

Selena was going to do the exact opposite. She had no use for Justin anymore. His one dream had been to live for a long time, hence the many experiments and bio enhancement research his company invested in. Selena had used that do draw in him. To use him to achieve her goal. Well, his time had run out. Immortality? Ha...he would burn in hell tonight.

The funny thing was that she was actually starting to like him. He was easy to be with and please. There was never a dull moment with Justin. But loving someone was a weakness. It was a weakness she could not accommodate. She had gone down that road before and ended up in a cell pit at Abyssal. Selena had vowed never to fall prey to the lie that was called love again. No, Justin would have to go.

Still staring lovingly into his face, she began to script a rune of spells around them. Golden sparks blossomed over Justin's head and he looked up in confusion.

"What are you doing?" He laughed nervously.

"Relax, My love. I'm simply begining the process of making you a mystic."

"But the ritual isn't complete yet. Can you do that without first becoming a Celestial?"

Selena continued what she was doing. "Don't you trust me?"

"I do. And I love you with all my heart."

Selena cringed at the sincerity in his voice. How wrong he was to fall so hard for someone like her. How unfortunate. The spell she was casting would put him to a deep sleep forever. It would be painless and peaceful, the best she could do for his sorry soul.

"Mistress Selena!"

"Don't disturb me." She hissed at Droid. Only a few seconds more and Justin would be asleep for all eternity. Imagine the irony.

"I'm sorry, Mistress, but there's something wrong with the portal."

She lost her concentration immediately and the runes vanished. Cursing under her breath, she rushed towards where the goon was standing. Justin was right behind her.

Selena didn't need to ask what the problem was. One glance at the dark portal to the void and she knew something wasn't right. The portal had been as silent and black as the night sky the last time she looked at it. That wasn't the case anymore.

"Why is it glowing like that?" Justin wondered aloud. "And should it be rippling?"

Selena for all her wits was also wondering the same thing. Had she gone wrong somewhere with the ritual? That was impossible. She had followed the steps the voice gave her down to the last spell. She had harvested the right amount of Crystal Cores and used the bond between a mother and her mystic son to form the link. It was only a few minutes left before the ritual would be completed. Nothing should be going wrong.

Faster than even her eyes could follow, two daggers shot out from the portal. She saw the glint of gold pass in her peripheral vision for just a split second before she heard gasps of pain. Looking around, she found one of the daggers buried deep inside Hector's chest. The other was in Droid's throat. The Gild Gaters, she was familiar with them. No manner of biological enhancement could save them from weapons of such power. The two goons crumpled to the floor, and before Selena could even react, the daggers vanished.

A figure stepped through the portal. If she wasn't actually seeing it, Selena wouldn't have believed it.

Justin gasped. "Ghost Boy?"