More Rituals

Running over to Randy, Max tries to help his friend, only to be held back by Vespera's firm grip.

"Let me go! Let me help him!" Max yells, struggling against Vespera's restraining hold.

"Relax, Max. You need to chill," Vespera says, her tone shifting to something more serious as she maintains her grip on the struggling boy. "Professor Bain knows what he's doing. Let him take care of it. You can't do much right now - you just need to sit here and watch."

Max steps back, understanding that even though every fiber of his being wants to push through her, he can't overcome her supernatural strength.

Alex stands nervously, his toe tapping a rapid rhythm against the stone floor. 'I thought he said nothing would happen during the ritual. Why is Randy on the ground coughing up black gunk?' The thoughts race through his mind as anxiety builds in his chest.

Professor Bain rushes over to Randy's side, pulling out a vial similar to the one he'd administered before. With practiced movements, he helps Randy drink the mysterious liquid.

"Here, drink this and tell me how you're feeling," Professor Bain instructs, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. "Explain what happened."

Taking the vial, Randy pops the lid and drinks it down quickly, as if trying to wash away something foul. The liquid spreads through his body like fire through his veins, sending tremors across his frame. Gradually, clarity returns to his eyes, chasing away the fog of confusion.

"Sure, it felt like something was trying to..." Randy pauses, gathering his thoughts. "It was trying to hurt my mind, maybe take it over. Then my heart started pounding - thump, thump, thump - so loud it felt like my eardrums would burst. The headache came next, like an ice pick driving through my brainstem." His voice grows stronger as he continues, "But I also felt such raw power, like I could command death itself."

Randy holds up his arm, examining his veins with a mix of fascination and horror. Where once they carried normal blood, now they pulse with something darker, thicker, more sinister.

"What... what happened to me? What's my bloodline?" His questions tumble out in a rush of anxiety and confusion. "You said nothing bad would happen. Why did I feel such pain, only to feel invincible moments later? What was that?"

Professor Bain's expression turns thoughtful. "From what I can tell, you've awakened a necronic-based bloodline - necromancy, blight, origin, curses, hexes - that sort of magic. That's normal enough." He pauses, brow furrowing. "But the splitting headache you mentioned... when you say the bloodline tried to change your brain..." His voice trails off before continuing with renewed urgency. "Did it feel like your thoughts were becoming someone else's?"

"I guess it felt more like my thought patterns were being rewired," Randy explains, struggling to articulate the alien sensation. "Like if I thought chicken was just fine before, suddenly I'd believe it was the most magnificent thing in existence - but only if it was dead, as if death itself added value." His voice trembles slightly at the implications.

Professor Bain's hand moves in quick, excited motions, invisibly scribbling notes in the air as if he can't contain his academic fervor. "I have to document this," he mutters, his gestures growing more animated with each passing second.

"And now? How do you feel compared to before the ritual?" The professor's voice carries an edge of scholarly anticipation.

"I feel... fine, I think." Randy flexes his fingers experimentally. "Lighter somehow, faster maybe? It's strange - every heartbeat sends this pulse through me. It gives me strength, but it's cold, like ice flowing through my veins."

"That's your bloodline manifesting," Professor Bain explains, his eyes bright with academic excitement. "From what I can tell, your ancestors were part of a lich family. Lich bloodlines fundamentally alter your physical form, preserving it, pushing it toward immortality. That coldness you feel? That's your cells being restructured at the DNA level, slowing their natural deterioration." He catches himself, realizing he's slipping into lecture mode. "But we can explore the specifics later. We need to complete the ritual for your friends first. Take some time to adjust - your OSAI and I can answer any questions afterward. For now, just rest and get accustomed to these new sensations."

Having little choice, Randy stands and rejoins his friends, his movements still carrying traces of uncertainty.

Max meets him halfway, concern etched across his features. "You good, man? What happened back there? You were coughing up this black stuff..." His voice trails off, clearly struggling to process the sight of his friend convulsing on the ground, expelling that mysterious dark substance.

"Thanks for worrying, Max." Randy manages a weak smile. "I'm fine - better than fine, actually. I feel stronger, faster, somehow sharper." He touches his temple lightly. "Had a splitting headache, but it's gone now. Just... give me a minute to adjust to all this."

"Yeah, no problem, man. We'll give you space," Alex offers softly, having followed Max at a more cautious pace, his own anxiety visible in his measured steps.

The three boys, still shaken by the ritual's intensity, settle into the chairs Vespera had thoughtfully provided. Their movements betray their lingering unease, each lost in their own thoughts about what they'd witnessed.

"A necrotic bloodline..." Vespera purrs, her voice carrying a dangerous sort of admiration. "How fascinating. They're quite rare, you know. The few I've encountered were..." Her eyes narrow predatorily, studying Randy with newfound interest, "...quite remarkable individuals."

Randy averts his gaze, breaking the uncomfortable eye contact with Vespera. The weight of her attention feels almost physical, like being sized up by a particularly interested serpent.

"Max, you're up next," Professor Bain announces, drawing everyone's attention.

Not to waste time Max heads his call.

Walking forward, Max follows Professor Bain's lead, his footsteps echoing through the ritual chamber. Unlike Randy's hesitant approach, Max strides toward the circle with confidence, telling himself that if his bookworm friend could handle it, so could he.

Reaching the center of the ritual circle, Max extends his arm without prompting, having observed Randy's process moments before. Professor Bain carefully positions the ornate syringe while explaining the procedure.

"Your OSAI will whisper the necessary incantations in your ear," Professor Bain instructs, drawing the blood with practiced precision. "Keep your palm facing downward over the blood. You may close your eyes, take deep breaths—whatever helps you maintain focus. Do you have any questions?"

"Nope. Let's get this done," Max replies with stone-cold determination, steeling himself for what's to come.

"Best of luck," Professor Bain says, retreating to join the others at the circle's edge. "Whenever you're ready, Max."

Nodding his head Max begins to voice back the words.

"Sai'aen crua sankir thuul, serath ris amon. Thalos vrenai tor myar faeth," Max intones, his voice steady despite his racing heart. As the ancient words leave his lips, a dense resonance builds within his bones, his marrow singing with awakening power.

The blood in the bowl responds, rising like a crimson tide to meet his outstretched hand. Unlike with Randy, where the essence had sought his veins, Max's blood races straight for his bones. It seeps through his skin, diving deep into his skeletal structure, rewriting the very DNA of his marrow and bone.

Agony tears through him as his entire skeletal system begins to transform. Max clenches his teeth against the pain, feeling his bones simultaneously breaking and strengthening with each passing second. Through the excruciating sensation, he perceives his body growing more powerful, his skeleton reinforcing itself from within. Knowing the ritual must be nearing its end, Max steels his resolve, determined to endure whatever comes next.

Max stands heaving, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession. His body pulses with newfound power, growing incrementally larger - a change imperceptible to untrained eyes but staggering to the seasoned observers around him.

Finally, his transformation complete, Max collapses to all fours, gasping as if he'd sprinted for miles without rest. Professor Bain hurries to his side, kneeling beside the exhausted student.

"How do you feel, Max?" the professor inquires, studying his student's transformed physique.

"Better," Max manages between breaths, a fierce grin spreading across his face. "Stronger than I've ever been. Strong enough to take down that brat with a single punch." He clenches his fist, eyes blazing with thoughts of revenge as he turns to face Professor Bain. "So, what bloodline did I awaken?"

"First, tell me what you experienced. When the blood entered your body, where exactly did you feel the strengthening pain?" Professor Bain asks, his scholarly interest evident.

"My bones," Max replies, flexing his fingers experimentally. "Every bone in my body - felt like they were shattering and rebuilding themselves in split seconds."

"And your mind? Any changes in thought patterns or other organs?"

"No, just the bones."

Professor Bain's eyes light up with understanding. "Well, Max, you've definitely awakened a bloodline of the blood art variety. Now, you might be wondering - isn't blood magic exclusive to vampires?" He pauses, a hint of ancient knowledge in his voice. "While vampires do possess blood arts, they weren't born with them. Humans created vampires millennia ago. Some human families still retain blood arts, though they're exceedingly rare now. Most were either converted by vampires or..." his voice darkens slightly, "eliminated due to competition."

Rising to his feet, Professor Bain extends a hand to help Max up. "To determine your specific blood art, we'll need to conduct further tests. But for now, we should let Alex complete his ritual. Can you stand? Follow me if you're able."

"Yeah, I'll follow," Max says, cracking his neck as he rises. His transformed physique carries a newfound presence, each movement radiating confidence as if he's discovered the strength of titans within his bones.