Summoning
With a quiet exhale, Blake opened the door and made his way straight to the kitchen. Summoning the dead, known as spiritualism, was far more than a mere spell.
Opening the doorway between the living world and the world of the dead required focus, precision, and strength. Even for Blake, who was now a skilled necromancer, the ritual demanded preparation. A summoning of this magnitude needed a sacrifice.
Necromancers knew the power of a worthy sacrifice: the higher the quality, the less backlash they faced. Luckily, Blake was a powerful mage in possession of the Supreme Lord of the Rings, which could absorb the backlash itself.
However, skipping the sacrifice would drastically reduce accuracy, leaving him at risk of summoning the wrong spirit. Blake preferred certainty over chance, especially tonight.
After a moment's consideration, Blake located a prepared chicken in the fridge—a meal he'd planned for the next day.
"Guess tomorrow's recipe will change," he mused, removing the chicken from the fridge with a satisfied smile. He carefully placed it on the counter and started gathering the remaining materials. Real candles, rope, and large white paper were all essential to the ritual's success. These items were simple but necessary, and Blake had little trouble collecting them around the house.
His quiet scavenging, however, grew noisier as he rifled through cabinets and drawers. Just as he was gathering the rope, a soft rustling sound caught his attention: Nagini had opened the door.
Given her keen hearing, it was unsurprising that she'd heard him moving around, though Blake hadn't anticipated her curiosity so late at night. Reflexively, his Legilimency abilities kicked in, and her thoughts slipped into his mind as though she'd spoken them aloud.
'Why doesn't Blake just take a break?*' she wondered.
'Maybe he's too scared to sleep…after all, he's just a boy. It would be natural to be afraid at night…'
Blake's jaw tightened as he absorbed the thought. 'She thinks I'm afraid?' His pride twinged as he recalled the countless nights he'd spent alone in the forbidden forest practising magic, utterly unafraid.
Nagini's inner monologue continued, her tone softening with compassion.
'Maybe I should go keep him company. I could even ask him to give me another massage… No! What am I thinking?!'
A slight smirk crept onto Blake's face. He'd known Nagini enjoyed the massages he'd given her, but he hadn't realized the habit lingered so strongly.
"Nagini," he called out as he turned around. "Why aren't you sleeping?"
Startled, she bent down to meet his gaze, her expression carefully composed. "Oh… I heard you moving around and thought you couldn't sleep," she replied smoothly. "Since you're awake, why not come over? We could chat for a bit."
Blake noted her tact in not mentioning his supposed fear, though he also felt the faint pull of temptation at her invitation. The thought of sitting down with a beautiful woman late at night was undeniably appealing. Still, his determination to complete the summoning ritual overrode the distraction.
"I'd enjoy chatting, Nagini," he replied, keeping his tone calm, "but now's not the time. I've awakened a new ability."
He delivered the excuse with practised ease, concealing the truth about his plans. Though he didn't want to lie, he had no desire to reveal the system that granted him his powers. Calling it a new ability was a safer explanation.
Nagini's eyes widened with surprise. "Another ability?" she asked, curiosity brightening her gaze. "Dumbledore mentioned you might unlock more powers over time, but I didn't expect to witness one myself. What's this new skill?"
Blake glanced at the items in his hands, his mind racing for a plausible answer. "It's a psychic ability," he said. "I can summon and communicate with the undead." His tone was confident, and he noted with satisfaction that Nagini seemed both impressed and intrigued.
Without waiting for further questions, Blake turned and headed to his room, Nagini following closely behind. Midnight was approaching—the most potent time for a summoning ritual. Spirits, especially the ones he sought, could best be reached at this hour.
Nagini watched him with interest. "So, you're preparing to test this new ability?"
"That's right," he responded, unrolling the large white paper and beginning to sketch an intricate circle on its surface.
Nagini tilted her head, a trace of confusion in her gaze. "I thought innate powers were usually… instinctual. You seem to be preparing a ritual."
Blake's mind raced to justify the anomaly. "Ah… the circle is something I read about in a book once. I figured it might amplify my new ability."
Nagini's face lit with understanding, accepting his explanation without question. Blake let out a breath of relief and returned to his work. He retrieved a white candle and dipped it in dragon's blood, dyeing it red before setting it to dry. He repeated the process with additional candles and the lines he'd drawn on the paper.
In truth, the ritual called for human blood, but Blake saw no reason to harm himself unnecessarily. His system inventory held ample dragon's blood, which would suffice for his purposes. As long as the sacrifice involved blood, his necromantic magic would accept it.
Blake arranged the now-dry red candles along the circle's edge, tying each with red strings according to specific patterns. Finally, he set the raw chicken at the circle's center. This modified version of the ritual required sacrifices, but he'd condensed the process as much as possible. Blake glanced at his watch: 11:55 p.m. Five minutes remained before midnight.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Blake took a steadying breath. Nagini, sensing his focus, stood nearby in respectful silence, only speaking when she noticed him relaxing a little.
"So, is everything ready?" she asked, her tone hushed.
Blake checked his watch. "Yes, just a few more minutes."
Nagini hesitated, curiosity brightening her eyes. "If you don't mind me asking… who are you planning to summon?"
Blake's gaze shifted toward her, and a shadow of emotion flickered across his face. "I'm summoning someone deeply connected to our family. Her name is Ariana Dumbledore."
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