the ceremony

Tyler took him to a vast library where ancient books sparkled, as if they were treasure chests holding the secrets of time, The lighting was dim, and the corners of the place reflected an aura of mystery, Tyler approached one of the books and carefully opened its pages, Then, in an unexpected moment, he cut his finger with his thumb, and drops of bright red blood fell onto the pages of the book, Suddenly, the book shook and sparkled as if it had been pulled from a world of fantasy, and a faint sound emanated from the forgotten shelves, summoning a hidden door to life.

Tyler took his first step toward the door, signaling Leo to follow him, The two began descending narrow stairs where torches flickered, casting their light into the suffocating darkness, leading them to a massive gate that slowly opened as Tyler recited a strange incantatio, As the door opened, they were greeted by two figures cloaked in black, mysterious shadows that instilled fear in their hearts.

They offered them two cloaks, and then Tyler took one and gestured to Leo that his task was complete, Everyone gathered around a peculiar stone table that seemed to carry an immense wealth of secrets, Leo stepped forward towards the duke, who stood behind the table, surrounded by an atmosphere of dignity, The elder spoke to them, saying, "Now, the ceremony of the anointment will take place."

Each of the organizers grasped their knife, beginning to spill their blood into the awaited metallic cup, Blood flowed to fill the cup in a majestic scene reminiscent of ancient rituals, The duke took the golden cup and cut his hand as well, pouring his blood into it; and extending it to Leo, and asked him to drink it, Leo did not hesitate; he drank it, driven by a hidden sense of strength and determination.

Then an old woman, with wise eyes holding indescribable secrets, stepped forward, She extended her hand towards Leo, and he reached out to her, feeling her iron grip that held his hand firmly in place, She took out a needle and began to engrave ancient, mysterious, and painful letters onto his wrist, he screamed deeply from the pain, but she did not stop; she continued her work until she completed what she had started, Upon finishing, she asked him to place his hand in a strange black liquid while holding his hand tightly, further confusing his thoughts.

As he submerged his hand into the liquid, his eyes began to shimmer with a crimson hue, Leo screamed in conflicting emotions, "I can't! This is driving me insane!" But the duke, in a firm tone, said to him, "Prepare yourself and control yourself before I cut off your hand!"

Leo's scream rose in the air, chaos taking hold of those present, but the old woman firmly replied, "We have finished." Leo pulled his hand from the vessel, clearly marked with a strange word in black, like a permanent specter that would not fade.

At that moment, the elder shouted: "Today, we welcome a new member who shares our blood, and our blood shares his," Leo Lumer", Congratulations on your anointment; Now you must find your weapon ".

Leo rose from the ground and approached the wall adorned with hanging weapons, showing clear signs of hesitant indecision, He chose a massive rifle, declaring, "I will choose this."

The duke smiled indulgently and replied, "I think you do not understand yet, It is not you who chooses your weapon; it is the weapon that will choose you," Leo looked at him in astonishment and asked, "What do you mean?"

The duke replied, "Close your eyes and follow your instinct." Following the instructions he received, Leo closed his eyes and began to walk toward the weapons, His steps halted at one of the swords, as an inner voice urged him to allow his hand to touch it.

He opened his eyes to find a sword shimmering, The sword shone with a silvery light, radiating a mysterious glow that urged him to seize it, Leo turned to the duke and looked at him with curiosity, But the duke's features were serious, while everyone else's eyes were fixed on him, as if they were awaiting a decisive moment.

The one they called "the leader" said loudly, "Is it wise to let him take the sword?"

The elder responded firmly, "It is fine; he is one of us now."

Everyone exchanged glances filled with scrutiny and caution, They raised their hoods, extending their hands to greet Leo, welcoming him as a new member of this mysterious world, Leo shook hands first with the duke and the leader, then moved among the others, traversing their quiet words of welcome, He reached Christopher, who tightened his grip, but Leo ignored him as if he hadn't sensed his presence.

While Leo examined each of them, he noticed many of their behaviors seemed dull, His attention was drawn to the pale girl, whose complexion was as white as a corpse and whose skin was as icy as frost, Her hands trembled as she swiftly pulled her hand back, making Leo feel a strange anxiety.

Then he ended up by Tyler, who couldn't contain his laughter, saying, "Finally, there's someone my age to talk to," But Christopher interrupted, saying, "Don't trust him too much, Tyler; You never know when he might turn against you, after all The blood of the scoundrels runs in his veins."

The duke seethed with anger, raising his voice: "And my blood, as well as my daughter's, runs in this too! So do not stir discord here, Christopher!"

The tension in the air was palpable as Leo looked at Christopher with a smirk before exiting the place, wielding his sword triumphantly, His steps were firm, as though the sword had become part of him, binding him to his new fate from which there was no escape.

As the silence intensified, the idea began to crystallize in Leo's mind, he was no longer a passerby or an ordinary youth, but had been reborn as a member of this enigmatic world, and despite the fear and anxiety he felt, something within him began to burn, like a spark in the dark, Each step he took left a new scar on his heart.

At that moment, Leo realized he was no longer alone in this endeavor; he was born among peers who possessed different dimensions of life, each carrying a story and a tale,With everything he experienced, new powers began to unveil within him—powers he had been waiting for a long time.

And there, amid the atmosphere filled with tension and challenge, Leo stood on the brink of an adventure that would bear within it the dark journey, and the choice between submission or fighting, With determination, he decided not to retreat but to strive to prove himself, as if his sword had planted in his heart the resolve to face this new destiny courageously.