Chapter 1: Awakening

An old man sat on his porch smoking a cigarette.

No one knew where this place was or who this person is. Yet he seemed to be waiting for something. Or perhaps someone.

In the distances he sees a black dot seemingly getting bigger and bigger. The old man stands up and extinguishes his cigarette.

"So the time has come, my old friend."

As the dot gets closer the outline of a horned lion, and from this lion sprouted a pair of glorious golden wings.

As the lion gets close it starts to land, a man pops from behind the Lions mane and jumps to the ground carrying what seems to be a small pouch.

"Victor you old bastard, seems you have not aged well."

"At least the beauty of your Lammasu* contrasts what it was carrying on his back. I assume you're here to give me the child?"

"Yes-" The man takes off the small pouch from his chest. "This little fellow here is Callum, wonderful child. Did so much as make a sound the entire trip. So at least we know he will not take after his grandfather."

"And what of Adria?" Says Victor as he takes Callum from the man's arms.

"I am afraid I was too late they got to Tom before Adria gave birth-"

"What of the ceremony?"

"Failed, at least at first. They killed the nurse but in a desperate attempt Adria sacrificed herself and before death could place its seal, Hecate was swayed by Adria's love and placed her seal before death had the chance."

A lone tear travels down Victor's right cheek. "Then give me the boy, I will assume responsibility since I neglected my last one."

"It's what Adria and Tom would've wanted." The man says as he gets back on top of his Lammasu and flies away.

"Well child-" Victor says exasperatedly "guess it will be just the two of us from now on."

5 years later

Callum was turning 6 when peculiarities started to occur around him. He noticed, for example, that when he sat by a fire that the flame would start burning in his direction as if he was the most delicious piece of wood. Or when it's raining that drops of rain would almost bend to his movements.

But the biggest peculiarity was at Holy Orchard Memorial Cemetery, Callum found when he walked by he'd hear moaning as if a wind was blowing through a forest. Yet there was no forest, nor was there any wind.

Callum decided to ask Victor, his grandfather and guardian, about this one day.

"Come boy, rather than tell you I'll show you instead."

Victor took Callum to the river behind the house, then proceed to walk into the river.

"Watch closely Callum. It's very important."

Callum curiously look at his grandfather and thought, "i think grandpa has lost it"

Then he sees his grandfather put his head down and quickly bring it back up, only instead of his usual dull brown eyes they are a glimmering blue.

Victor starts to move as if he was boneless. Callum found this old but realized as he watched that he was having trouble predicting where his grandfather was going to move too next.

Then, the movements abruptly stop. But the water still seem to move as if someone was walking through them. A small circle appears around Victor. It grows larger and larger until it takes up half the width of the river with him being the epicenter.

"Listen here Callum," Victor says as his eyes pierce towards Callum, "when someone is born, there is a ritual called The Vinculum, or the bonding, in this ritual a sacrifice is made. The sacrifice in my case was my eye."

"But grandpa, why did you have to give up your eye?"

"You see Callum, when a child is born their souls are pure. It's similar to a new piece of paper, it's untainted. Powerful beings like to use this paper as a canvas to paint a new vibrant picture that will help them increase in power. But in order to draw on the canvas paint is needed. The paint we give is our sacrifice. And the better the paint the better the reward."

"How do the beings become more powerful by painting on our soul?"

"When drawing, although you only see the paint or ink at the end, what really makes a masterpiece is the brush. You see after sacrificing a higher being will give you a part of their power and with this power you will gain their; abilities, personalities, physiques, or maybe even all three. For example the being that bestowed me my powers is called Charybdis, the sea creature of whirlpools. With his power I can move like and create whirlpools."

"How will giving us some of their powers make them stronger?"

"Well while your soul nurtures as you grow, so does that beings piece of soul left in you. Then once your soul is equal to the piece bestowed on you, or if you die before than that piece of soul goes back to its owner a little bit stronger than it was before."

"Well then grandpa, who bestowed me with powers?"

"I am not sure child, we will find that out tonight when you offer a drop of blood for your awakening ceremony. Then we will know."

Later that evening beneath a great oak, Callum and Victor stand next to an altar with a thick book on top of it.

"Grandpa what is this?" Callum asks curiously.

"That is your grimoire. It is a book that will lead on down the path of power. When you place a drop of your blood it will bind to you so that only you can use it and will always notify the being who blessed you to imprint the grimoire with their powers and how to use and develop them."

"That's so cool, I'm going to be the most powerful. Uhhh. Wait what are we called?"

Victor chuckles "The ones who make a bond are called The Auctor. They are the higher beings, and that means anyone from creatures to God's and even powerful humans. The one receiving the bond are called the Vinctum, which is what we are. Now if there's no more questions let's get on with the ceremony, what do you say?"

Callum takes a deep breath and says, "I am ready now grandpa, what do I do?"

"Just prick your finger and let a drop of blood drip onto it's cover."

Callum walks up to the altar and picks up the obsidian knife next to the grimoire. Then he pricks his finger.

A single drop of blood falls from his finger and makes a gentle splash on the cover.

Then.

Nothing happens.

"Grandpa, did I do it wrong?"

"I don't know what happened, maybe we are a day to early. Let's try again tomorrow."

Callum nods. As he turn around to leave he pierces his hand on the corner of the altar and another blood drop falls onto the cover.

BOOM!

A loud bang fills the quiet evening. Then complete silence fills the air.

Victor notices Callum is kneeling on the ground. "Callum, are you alright? Callum look at me, are you ok?"

Callum begins to stand up, his head still hanging down.

"What happened grandpa? I don't feel too good." Callum says forcefully as if a greater pressure is pushing on him and he can't breathe.

Victor rushes over to check and see if what happens and as he nears the altar Callum finally raises his head and Victor sees his eyes.

The left eye orange a calm warm fire that will not only keep you warm but keep the darkness at bay, the right eye black. No not black, darker deeper than black. A void, a void that makes a soul freeze just from a gaze as if that was the last thing it will ever see. An eye that makes one feel as if death himself was there to reap your soul and drag you to hell.

"Callum, quickly tell me the name on the cover of your book!" Victor urges.

"It's says Hecate, what's a Hecate?"

"Not what Callum, who. Hecate is the goddess of; magic, sorcery, necromancy, and is the one who will guide those seeking mystery with her 2 torches."

Victor thinks to himself 'That explains the orange eye, but Hecate guides souls away from the underworld. She doesn't pull them in so what exactly does the void eye mean?'

"Grandpa it also has another name."

Victor inhales sharply, "what is it? What is the other name?"

"It says Messorem. Whose that?"

'Impossible, why would a reaper leave a seal and bond with someone. They have no interest in the affairs of the living.' thinks Victor.

"A Messorem* is a reaper of death. They collect the souls of the children who fail the Vinculum. It's best that you keep this a secret as having bonded with a reaper is unheard of and therefore potentially dangerous so ignore that half of your grimoire until you are powerful enough to protect yourself."

Callum lifts the first page of the grimoire. But the pages are empty.

Confused Callum asks Victor, "Grandpa there's nothing on here-"

Suddenly Callum hears a voice in his head.

'Greetings Callum Vivifica, I am Hecate. The one was inspired to place my soul in your. I know you must have a lot of questions but now is not the time for you to receive answers. Now is the time for you to get stronger, strong enough to find answers yourself.'

'How can I get stronger?'

'I will bestow some of my powers to you, you soul is strong enough to focus on two of my powers. Once you've mastered these two I will bestow you more.'

'What two powers will I receive?'

'The art of elemental magic and shapeshifting. These are two of my fundamental powers and will build a stable foundation for you to grow.'

A bright light envelopes Callum. The temperature seemingly both hot and cold, the climate both wet and dry, then lightning can be heard rolling in the background.

Victor notices that Callum seems to be growing and shrinking also.

The light is quickly absorbed into Callum and he is left standing there with his grimoire in his hand.

He opens it once again and this time there were five things written on the frist page:

Fire affinity lv. 1: Able to create small flames, also able to manipulate existing fire to a small degree

Water affinity lv. 1: Small control over water, must be in liquid form

Earth affinity lv. 1: Able to manipulate the earth to a small degree

Creation magic: able to gain new affinities by combining pre existing ones

Minor shapeshifting lv. 1: able to change minute details of ones appearance