The Castle Ritual

The ancient castle loomed, a silhouette of weathered stone against the overcast sky. Its formidable, centuries-old walls promised history, but upon entering, the A Association members were met not with grandeur, but with a stifling sense of abandonment. The air was thick with the scent of decay and stagnation, and a few members instinctively coughed, swatting at motes of dust dancing in the faint light filtering through grimy, leaded windows. The vast halls and countless rooms were empty, stripped bare of furniture, tapestries, or any personal touches. Just cavernous spaces with bare stone floors, echoing with their footsteps.

"Well, this is certainly... rustic," remarked Diamond_Diva9, her designer boots clicking hollowly on the flagstones.

Laurence, however, practically vibrated with excitement. "Isn't it magnificent? The sheer history! And the energy! I can practically feel it."

He then held up the ancient journal, its leather cover cracked with age, showed to the various member, asking if they could see its content, receiving only reactions of its pages still stubbornly blank to everyone but him. A smile was visible on his face, as if reminding everyone of his linages.

John Curator peered over Laurence's shoulder, a scholar's genuine reverence replacing his earlier skepticism for a moment. "Remarkable preservation for its age, Laurence. The binding, the paper... truly a testament to craftsmanship." He then produced a velvet bag, carefully extracting several more Roman Dodecahedrons, different in appearance, but identical to Laurence's in their intricate, geometric perfection. "I've brought a few from my private collection. We must verify if there's anything inherently special about your specific dodecahedron, or if the properties are... more universal."

"Good idea!" Laurence beamed. "Since I've only got the one, might as well test them all out. Here, take one!" He began distributing the dodecahedrons among the eager, curious, and mildly apprehensive group. Each member now held the small, multi-faceted object in their palm.

"So, now what?" asked Palette Princess, turning the dodecahedron over in her hand. "Do we need to do this at a specific time? Is there an alignment, a phase of the moon?"

Laurence consulted his seemingly blank journal. "The book doesn't mention it. Just 'a quiet place with dense spiritual energy.' And I'm telling you, this place feels right." He gestured grandly around the empty hall. "So, I say we just... find a spot. Stand in a circle, maybe? And give it a go. Try to awaken that spiritual energy."

With a mix of apprehension and eager anticipation, the group complied. They dispersed slightly, forming a rough circle in the vast, echoing space. A hush fell over them, broken only by the gentle creaks of the old castle and their own breathing. Soft, sharp, short, rhythmic – all kinds of breaths were exhaled and inhaled as they focused on the small objects in their palms, trying to perceive a "hum" or "vibration." Some muttered quiet praises or affirmations in their native tongues: a low, rolling Italian phrase from one, a clipped French declaration from another, a few hushed Japanese and Russian syllables, but mostly a stream of murmured English intentions.

Minutes stretched into a tangible silence, filled with concentrated effort. Then, a gasp.

"I... I think I've got something!" FXUnicorn_Cat's voice, usually so composed, cracked with a raw, undeniable excitement. As she spoke, a faint, almost imperceptible red aura, like shimmering lightning, emanated from her body, flickering around her before settling into a soft glow. It wasn't bright enough to truly illuminate the dusty hall, but it was unmistakably there, a visible manifestation of energy.

The sight interrupted everyone else's attempts. Jaws dropped, eyes widened. The silence was replaced by gasps and murmurs of amazement.

John Curator, after a moment of stunned silence, quickly composed himself, his academic rigor returning even in the face of the impossible. He glanced at the dodecahedron in FXUnicorn_Cat's hand. "Remarkable! And that dodecahedron... that's my museum piece, not Laurence's." A strange mix of vindication and profound wonder crossed his face. "This verifies it then. These objects, common or not, are capable of channeling this energy. They're not just trinkets. My god... there are hundreds of these across the world, sitting in collections, in private hands, uncatalogued. We need to acquire every single one."

"FX! How do you feel? Any different?" asked Diamond_Diva9, her voice tight with anticipation.

FXUnicorn_Cat blinked, her eyes wide. "It's... it's like another organ just appeared inside me. Something intangible, but definitely there. And for a moment, I briefly glimpsed strange streams of colorful dots, appearing and disappearing at random intervals around me. And sometimes, nothing at all." She frowned slightly, clearly trying to process the sensory input.

Before anyone could press further, a calm, steady blue pulse began to emanate from StreetLaw. He hadn't been distracted by the commotion, having maintained his focus. The blue light pulsed rhythmically, like a deep, unwavering beat, before settling into a soft, steady glow around him.

Next, a soft, white aura began to form around AluM7, the Japanese girl with twin tail in gothic lolita fashion who had quietly been present in her physical appearance throughout, though mostly communicated via text. As her white aura solidified, thin, occasional black lines would run across it, like cracks in porcelain, before fading away.

Noticing the clear trend, the remaining members didn't need any further prompting. A competitive edge, a drive for unparalleled discovery, ignited within them. They decided to concentrate on awakening again, as if it were a race, each pushing harder into the abstract sensation.

A vibrant, pink aura that constantly fluxed with orange burst forth from the Masked Cipher. Then came SkyHigh Roller, enveloped in a rich, saturated green light. Lord Fitzwilliam, surprisingly, manifested a cloak of pure, solid black, absorbing the faint light around him. Baroness von K pulsed with fragmented purple, like shattered amethyst. Diamond_Diva9's aura was an oddly transparent yellow, shimmering with a subtle, almost unnoticeable distortion in the air around her. Palette Princess flared with multiple colors appearing and disappearing in various geometric shapes, a kaleidoscope of shifting light. G. Hawthorne emanated a serene mixture of green, blue, and white, like a swirling nebula. Laurence, "Larry the Lush," lived up to his self-proclaimed title, glowing with a brilliant, undeniable gold. John Curator, ever the academic, settled into a deep, rusted brown, solid and earthy. Bookworm_Reg shimmered with a teal as if it was raining.

Lastly, and most intensely, Dante's aura erupted. It was a solid inferno red, consuming him as if he were wreathed in actual fire, the raw power visibly radiating off him, momentarily making the air in the ancient hall feel hot. The weight of his presence was immense, far eclipsing the subtle glows of the others.