Volume 1: «Preparation»

Chapter 1: «The Ritual»

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At the top of a high mountain, at night, something was happening. Scary? Not really... It was more like something extremely complicated...

On a round altar stood a tall man, about two meters tall. His skin was pale, his nose was straight, dark circles about his eyes, and he was lean and wore a baggy black robe, matching the color of his long shaggy hair and severe eyebrows.

— The time has come... — said the grim sorcerer, hoarsely and lifelessly.

Following, his hands emerged from under the sleeves of his robe, they reflected the man's overall image well, looking long and thin, and his fingernails were dead-black. With a sharp movement, his arms were crossed in front of his chest, his fingers forming a magical sign.

The sorcerer closed his eyes, and then a gray light burst from his chest, it was bright, but at the same time slowly fading. The light came from an amulet that was shaped like a spiral.

His eyes opened, his arms began to spread apart, and the gray light conversely began to shrink until it became a small sphere, mysterious and gloomy, like a miniature sun. It was clear from the man's face that he was having trouble keeping the powerful energy concentrated in the amulet. So the sorcerer decided not to hesitate and continued the ritual.

— Through space, through time, through life and death... — He whispered an incantation, or rather a mantra, and then crossed his arms in the elbows, put his palms together, fingers pointing to himself.

Then, in a fluid motion, his arms were straightened... The right hand was raised up, while the left hand was lowered down at the same time. The man inhaled deeply, as if trying to drink the air for the last time, and then, as he exhaled, he drew a circle with his hands in front of him.

— It worked... — The sorcerer opened his eyes wide and said.

In front of him a black portal was formed, the coordinates of the movement of which, even approximate, were known only to its creator, no doubt brilliant, but at the same time insane...

The man watched the portal for a few moments, and then, discarding any doubts and fears, closed his eyes. After a moment, the gray little sun, concentrated at his chest, flashed even brighter than before, and turned into a flickering beam, rushing straight into the black abyss...

The portal disappeared, and the altar, the mountain, and the surrounding areas, along with the body of the ritual performer, turned into dust...