Madam Vespera offered no immediate response. Instead, she slowly started approaching Lucian. She stopped right in front of him. Her sharp eyes wandered all over his face, studying every little detail about him.
After observing him for a while, a soft smirk appeared on her face.
“Well, well. Quite a charming young master we have here. So this is the person for whom I have to perform the ritual?”
“Yes,” Selene replied.
Her expression grew serious. Turning towards Madam Vespera, she spoke with barely restrained desperation.
“Madam Vespera. Please, begin as quickly as possible.”
“Now, now.” The woman waved a dismissive hand.
“One should never be in a hurry, when dealing with such matters which are beyond normal understanding.”
“A careless mistake can be far more troublesome and dangerous than waiting a few extra minutes.” Madam Vespera said in a serious voice.
Selene opened her mouth to say something but just pressed her lips and remained silent.
Meanwhile, Lucian was bewildered watching the current exchange. He expected some serious old women to come, but instead, he had been introduced to a woman in her prime, who sees the entire situation as a source of amusement.
Nevertheless, he had no reason to refuse, so he agreed to the ritual.
Madam Vespera set her small bag upon the table and started preparing for the ritual.
First, she took out a few uneven pieces of chalk. They looked different from regular chalk. There were various unusual colours mixed in the chalk. It seems they were mixed with various unfamiliar ingredients.
Madam Vespera carefully started drawing a full ritual circle on the round tabletop.
The circle’s markings were a pale greyish white, speckled with tiny dark flecks. At first it looked simple, but Lucian soon noticed strange symbols drawn around its edge.
Once she finished with the preparations, she positioned two chairs at opposite ends of the table, placing them directly across from one another.
“Here, young master. Take a seat.” She said softly.
Lucian followed the instruction. He sat in one of the chairs while Madam Vespera occupied the other.
She asked the maids to draw the curtains, shutting out the last traces of light. Before long, the room was swallowed by darkness.
Madam Vespera then lit three candles and placed them at three separate points on the table, arranging them in the shape of a triangle. Their flickering flames cast faint shadows across her young face.
She settled into her chair and turned her attention towards Lucian.
“Now, young master, would you be kind enough to tell me every little detail about your dreams?”
Her voice was deep and strangely melodic, almost like a distant chant.
“And please, do not leave anything out. Tell me everything about the strange dreams you've been having over the past few days.”
Her words echoed through the room, carrying an unusual rhythm. There was something peculiar about the way she spoke. As Lucian listened, he felt an inexplicable urge to answer her questions. It was as though her words were reaching into his mind, gently pulling his memories to the surface. He felt that he couldn’t hide anything from her.
Unable to resist the strange influence, Lucian began recounting every detail of the dreams he had experienced over the past few days.
Madam Vespera remained silent throughout his explanation, watching him closely as she listened. Her expression was blank.
When Lucian finally finished, the room fell silent.
Madam Vespera offered no immediate response. She simply sat there, her gaze fixed on him, as though she was lost in deep thought.
She then reached into her bag and took out a small wooden box. Its surface was made of dark oak wood and faint carvings ran along its edges. Without another word, she placed the box in the center of the circle. She lit two candles which were kept at each side of the box.
The candles now formed the shape of the star.
Madam Vespera reached into her bag and pulled out a small red pouch secured with a drawstring. She loosened the cord and opened it, revealing a strange powder inside. It shimmered with a silvery-white hue, though faint traces of bluish-purple seemed to glimmer beneath its surface. Even at a glance the powder felt mysterious.
She scooped up a handful of the mysterious powder and gently blew it towards each of the five candles.
The moment the powder touched their flames, their colours shifted. The ordinary golden light transformed into a deep purple glow. The flames flickered violently for a brief moment before growing brighter, burning with an intensity that seemed almost unnatural.
Lucian watched in amazement as the strange events unfolded before him. He wanted to ask what was going on, but seeing the gravity of the situation he remained silent.
Something had shifted within the room.
An unfamiliar energy seemed to mix into the air. It was invisible to the naked eye, yet Lucian could feel it deep within his bones, like a faint vibration running through his entire body.
Then Madam Vespera began to chant.
Her words were strange. Her voice moved in an eerie rhythm, each word seemed to linger in the air long after she had spoken it. As the chant continued, the atmosphere grew heavier and heavier. The candle flames danced wildly, their purple light stretching strange shadows across the walls.
The longer she chanted, the stronger the sensation became.
Finally, her voice fell silent.
Madam Vespera slowly lifted her head and looked directly at Lucian.
Something about her eyes had changed. The light that had once rested within them was gone, leaving behind only darkness. Even her pupils had turned an unnatural shade of black, blending almost seamlessly with the rest of her eyes.
“Place your hand on the box.” Madam Vespera instructed in a deep tone.
Lucian glanced at the box before resting his hand over it. Madam Vespera laid her hands over his. Her fingers were surprisingly cold.
She closed her eyes and again began speaking a series of strange and unfamiliar chants. Lucian couldn't understand the words, yet their strange cadence seemed to linger in the room even after she fell silent.
Just as she finished chanting, Madam Vespera opened her eyes and lifted the lid of the wooden box. Lucian leaned forward, expecting to find some ritual instrument. What lay inside was the last thing he had expected.
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