Mana initiation ceremony part 1

Arthur's heart pounded in his chest as he opened his eyes, finding himself back in his mother's bedroom.

The remnants of the white world were still fresh in his mind, but he couldn't dwell on them for long.

The pain coursing through his veins had subsided, but his body still felt charged with an unfamiliar energy. He turned his attention to Agnes, who had supplied him with a portion of her mana.

Agnes looked at Arthur with concern in her eyes trying her best to stop her voice from quivering as she asked"Are you alright, Young master? The initiation didn't go as planned. I've never seen such a reaction before."

Arthur shook his head, trying to process everything that had just transpired. "I... I don't know, Agnes Something strange happened".

He tried to recall what happened to him during the ceremony.

Arthur 's Pov

Startled from my sleep, I found myself abruptly awakened by Agnes. As I began to utter words of confusion, she swiftly gestured for me to remain silent.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation etched across her serious face, I nodded nervously, understanding the need for silence.With Agnes leading the way, we moved in hushed footsteps through the dimly lit corridors of the castle.

The weight of the darkness outside hinted at the early hours of the morning. From my past experiences, I estimated it to be around 4 am, a time when the world seemed suspended in a mysterious tranquility.

As I entered my mother's room, I was relieved to find the other maids already gathered, awaiting our arrival. Matilda swiftly closed the door behind us, sealing us from prying eyes of the duke's guard.

With a sense of anticipation in the air, she tore down a magic scroll, causing it to emit a brief, ethereal glow before vanishing from sight.Eleanor, visibly relieved, let out a sigh, exhaling a mouthful of pent-up air. Her voice carried a sense of weariness as she spoke, "It was incredibly challenging to maintain our silence.

With the silence scroll in effect, even if we were to scream, no one would notice."Beatrice, ever vigilant, nodded in agreement. "Indeed, we can utilize our voices to communicate, but we must refrain from moving anything or causing damage to the room.

We need to ensure that potential clues remain undisturbed. Furthermore, we must be cautious in our use of magic. Restrict it to spells no higher than the third grade, as any displays of powerful magic might attract the attention of the castle's vigilant wizards."The gravity of our situation sank in further as we absorbed Beatrice's words.

We were treading a dangerous path, and any misstep could have dire consequences. But the determination in our eyes remained unwavering.

We understood the risks involved.As I took in the sight of the magic circle drawn in the center of the room, a sense of wonder filled me. Four magic crystals, each representing different attributes of wood, water, light, and earth, were carefully positioned at the corners of the circle.

Curiosity overwhelmed me, and I turned to Agnes, seeking an explanation for their purpose.

"Agnes," I inquired, my voice filled with curiosity, "what is the significance of this magic circle and the crystals?"Agnes, ever knowledgeable and resourceful, answered with a tone of concern, "Young master, due to your weakened state, the traditional mana core initiation ceremony could further harm your already poisoned body. To safeguard you and provide support, we have prepared this reinforcement magic circle. The four magic crystals embedded within it will not only aid in healing you but also help alleviate your pain, enhance your resilience, and assist in mana control."

The magnitude of their preparation left me awestruck. The devotion and care my maids poured into ensuring my well-being was overwhelming.

But their efforts did not end there. Beatrice stepped forward, holding out a vial of potion, her eyes filled with a mix of determination and self-blame."Young master," Beatrice began, her voice tinged with remorse, "this potion is the result of six months of research. I regret that I cannot completely cure you of the poison, but this potion will temporarily suppress its effects.

According to my findings, its effects should last for approximately 15 days."Her words struck a chord within me, and tears welled up in my eyes. I could feel the weight of Beatrice's self-blame, and I couldn't bear to see her burdened with guilt.

With a soft, trembling voice, I spoke, "Beatrice, please don't blame yourself. This ceremony will be successful, and we will find a way to leave this place. My dear maid, have faith in your abilities to craft a potion that will eventually cure me.

So, instead of shedding tears, let's face this challenge with smiles. And for the record, Beatrice, you look truly beautiful when you smile."As the words left my mouth, Beatrice's elven ears twitched and began to glow in shades of red, concealing her embarrassment.

She stammered, trying to find her words, "Um, thank you, young master. I will remember what you said."As the ceremony started Agnes reached for my hand and started to pass her mana slowly.

Her mana felt prickly it was like a small current was passing throughout my body but it felt extremely good like a gentle massage as I was drowning in the cozy environment I started to feel a tingling sensation.

Soon a pain tore through my body,it felt someone has thrown my head into a grinder soon it felt my whole body was burning it felt like hell and as the pain was passing through my body more and more mana was drawn from Agnes and at terrible rate it seems she was also in pain as I can hear her scream,from a corner I saw Beatrice running towards Agnes and yelling.

Beatrice screaming"Matilda, Eleanor hurry up and and support Agnes she needs an infusion of mana".

Soon the pain became more intense and I felt that the voices of my maids were coming from a distance and were gradually fading away I knew I was going to loose my consciousness being unable to do anything as my vision gradually became blurry and my mind fading I remembered the day when me and my friends were visiting the city of Varanasi for Diwali a festival which is celebrated in India and specially in Varanasi.

It is one of the oldest thriving city of the world and said to be the birth place of Hinduism.

After the morning Prayer As we strolled through the bustling streets on our way to the hotel, the distant murmur of voices caught our attention.

Curiosity piqued, we turned our heads to investigate the source of the commotion. There, amidst a gathering of priests and Sadhu's ( Wiseman), a discussion was underway, centering around a recent and unsettling tale that had unfolded within the city.

Intrigued by the prospect of hearing a gripping story, we veered off our intended path and meandered towards the growing crowd.

The air was alive with anticipation as onlookers leaned in closer, their eyes filled with curiosity and perhaps a touch of fear.As we drew nearer, fragments of conversation reached our ears, snippets of a terrifying incident that had shaken the community. Eager to learn more, we joined the group, quietly positioning ourselves to catch every word spoken.

The crowd hung onto every word spoken as one of the preists says"Ram, Ram(greeting) Babaji(Father),have you heard what happened last week."

The old sadhu exclaimed and said"ghor kalyug hai ghor kalyug ( Dark age indeed it is a Dark age) ".

After a while he continues to say that he has heard the tragic suicide commited by one of the families living in the neighbouring street. The revelation of a family's tragic suicide sent waves of disbelief rippling through our everyone's mind.

Everyone was eager to understand how such a horrifying incident could have transpired.With a solemn voice, the sadhu acknowledged the priest's greeting and confirmed his knowledge of the case. He proceeded to explain that the family's fate was the result of their own delusions, a tragic consequence of their misguided beliefs.One member of the audience mustered the courage to speak up, expressing their confusion about the incident and the lack of detailed information available.

The sadhu, his demeanor calm and composed, shared the events that unfolded over the course of three months.

It began when the head of the family encountered a wandering expert, a mystic or tantric as some would call him.

This enigmatic figure suggested that the family perform certain rituals and engage in meditation practices to attain success and happiness.Initially, everything seemed to be going well.

The family experienced a surge of joy and prosperity, as if their desires were being fulfilled. However, tragedy struck when, just last week, they tragically took their own lives.

The sadhu's voice held a note of warning and wisdom as he revealed the true nature of the wandering expert.

He explained that the man they encountered was not a virtuous individual but, in fact, a worshipper of evil entities. The deity the family prayed to turned out to be an Asura, a malevolent being.

The wise sadhu emphasized the importance of remaining calm and discerning during meditation practices. He cautioned the crowd that during their spiritual endeavors, these entities might approach them, disguised as benevolent beings.

They would offer materialistic temptations, such as wealth and power, in order to entice individuals.However, he stressed that accepting their offerings always came at a price.

These entities were easily distinguishable by their attraction to material desires and their failure to offer true enlightenment.As I was remembering this little snippet of my memories that came out of nowhere my consciousness fades away.