Blood Ritual

Upon his return, Vincent and the griffin arrived, and the first thing Vincent did was shoot Ryker the finger. Ryker shrugged his shoulders in response. "If it helps, I lost some resources." Kyle tossed over three shining crystals. "Here, this is your cut. They can be used to increase your rank and tier."

Vincent sucked them into his inventory and nodded at Kyle.

The rest of the trip was spent with Vincent riding on the back of the griffin. By sunset, they approached an island in the middle of a lake. They all landed and got off. The elders remained outside of the old building and kept watch.

One turned into a prehistoric-looking sea animal, and another became a giant leopard. The whole island was protected on the outside. The air, land, and sea were being patrolled. 

Richard led them down an ancient staircase. There were paintings of the former family heads. It felt like they were watching them pass. Richard arrived at a large stone door.

"This is where we part ways, Vincent. My grandfather is on the other side waiting for you. We will stand out here and keep watch." Vincent watched as they left him and returned to the floor above.

The stone door creaked and rumbled open. "Come inside, grandson." An earthy voice called out to Vincent. He walked inside and found himself having trouble walking. "What you are feeling is the tomb testing you. Pass through the tomb and come to me."

Vincent's breaths grew heavier with every step he took. It was as if the tomb was trying to swallow him. 

He finally passed the tombs and saw a man sitting outside a large magic circle. He held a goblet and a row of daggers next to him.

"Welcome, Vincent. I am Victor, your grandfather. Thank you for complimenting my appearance. I try to stay in shape. Not too shabby for a man who is 529 years old." Victor laughed. Vincent sighed and sat across from him.

"What happens now?" Vincent asked him. "I would like you to open your mind so I may see your memories. I want to know what type of man you are." His eyes were soft, but Vincent didn't believe what he saw for a second. 

He took a breath and let it go. "Is it possible to form a contract with him?" He was asking his system. There was no point in thinking about it since he could read his thoughts anyway. 

[It will cost Host all his wrath points, and the Host can only put one condition.]

Vincent lifted his hand, and a contract was created. His wrath points went down to zero. Victor looked on without a change on his face. "You are a lot like me. In the beginning, I didn't trust anyone either. I will sign the contract. What is the condition?"

"There is only one condition: you can't tell anyone, anything, or entity about what you see in my head. It also covers when you 'accidentally' spill information and will not let you speak about it if you come under someone's control."

Victor approved of the condition and rubbed his finger across the edge of the paper. He was surprised he was cut. He signed his name, and Vincent did too. A notification went off, but Vincent ignored it. Vincent took off his earrings and closed his eyes. 

Victor touched his forehead and went through all of Vincent's memories. He saw the happy days when Theo was alive, the depressing ones that followed, the struggling days with his father. He saw everything that shaped Vincent into the man he was now.

He saw his first waking up in the hospital, the first time Vincent looked at himself in the window, the time Vincent earned wrath points. 

He felt everything Vincent felt, too. The anger to burn and destroy everything. The anxiety he felt when he walked outside, the despair he felt when he thought about his missing siblings. 

Vincent felt utterly bare in front of Victor. He knew his secrets were now exposed, and he couldn't hide them anymore. He felt smaller than he did in the hospital. Soon, Victor took his hand away from Vincent's head. They sat in silence, looking at each other. Vincent had worn the earrings again because they gave him a sense of safety.

Victor broke the deafening silence. "You have had a rough life thus far, but that ends tonight. Tonight, you will be born anew. You will shed your past and step into your future. In times of doubtfulness and uncertainty, call upon me." He placed his hand on top of his head. 

Vincent leaned into the feeling his hand gave off. His hand reminded him of his grandfather's back on earth.

"You don't need to look out for your siblings alone anymore. Theo didn't tell you that you had to do it alone." Vincent's tears started to slide down his face as he felt like he was accepted. This acceptance was not only Victor accepting him as a grandson but as someone from the same world.

"Now, all that's left is for you to sit in the circle and drink my blood. It sounds easy, right? I will warn you that the more blood you drink, the higher and purer your own will become. The cost is immense pain. If you can drink this entire goblet, you can reach at least 60% purity on top of the blood you have inside of you now."

Victor took a dagger and cut his wrist. Vincent flinched, but there was no expression of pain on Victor's face. Vincent watched as the goblet was filled with the crimson liquid. He was thankful for his bloodlust skill.

"You should strip down to your underwear to not ruin your clothes. It can get pretty messy." Vincent took his advice.

He grabbed the goblet and walked into the middle of the circle. He looked at Victor. "Speak your name and say I surrender my blood, soul, and fate to you. I wish to be reborn how I am meant to be. Drop some of your blood as well."

As he stared at the magic circle, Vincent felt he was looking in the abyss. He pricked his finger with the dagger Victor tossed to him. He dripped some on the ground. He tossed the dagger back to Victor.

"I, Vincent James Frost, surrender my blood, soul, and fate to you. I wish to be reborn how I am meant to be." The circle activated, and he put the goblet to his lips. 'Bottoms up.'