Magic that manipulated time placed a great strain on the caster. It required great amounts of mana and concentration for it to work properly. Some casters who had dabbled in time manipulation magic would end up with their minds broken or severe body injures. Ansem had read about a magician who had tried to use time magic, only to end up in a pile of fleshy goo when he was done. In spite of its dangers, time magic could forward, backwards and even stop the flow of time as long as the caster was able to supply the necessary mana and withstand the physical strain.
Ansem continued to channel all his mana. His intent was to stop time, not just slow it down. It had been years since he last attempted to use time manipulation. It could be the end of him. However, he felt responsible for Gustav's current condition. He got careless. Now he had to fix it.
The image of the clock in his mind came to a standstill. Everything around him was deadly still. No sound. No movement. This would be enough to drive an ordinary person insane.
His attention fixed on Gustav's body and the invader inside of him. There, near the left thigh, Ansem found his target. It was an elongated shape, about five inches long. Raising his right hand infused with manga, turning into a wedge, thrust into Gustav's thigh with the speed of a diving falcon.
Ansem's hand dove into the flesh and grabbed the invader. He had to be careful to extract it. Any mistake would result in ripping a huge chunk of flesh from Gustav. Also, he was infusing mana, and this could very well end in the destruction of his soul.
The thing in his hand squirmed and tried to slip away. This took Ansem by surprise, since everything had to be still. Could this creature use its own mana as a way to counter the time manipulation spells? This was slightly amusing, and Ansem considered examining it later.
And with a swift motion, Ansem removed his hand. Successfully extracting the invading creature.
Now was the time to null the time manipulation spell. Slowly draining the mana, the clock in his mind began to turn, and everything around him began to move again. He was tired. But the extraction wasn't over yet.
"What the hell is that thing?" Rosya yelled.
Ansem gazed at the creature in his hand. It was in the shape of a large slug, with a human-like face. It squealed and squirmed, trying to bite him.
"Now, detective. Stab this thing when I pin it on the floor."
Rosya felt disgust and horror when she saw the human slug. How could something that hideous be inside Gustav? What was going on?
"Snap out of it!" Ansem scolded.
"Right!" Rosya replied.
As Ansem said, he pinned the human slug on the floor. Tightening his grip to keep it from escaping.
Rosya, in spite of feeling sick to her stomach from the sight of the slug, rushed in with a knife in hand and stabbed the creature. She had lost count of how many times she had stabbed the slug. It only matter that it finally stopped moving. She had never experienced before this bloodlust, this desire to end the life of something. A pool of sickly looking yellow fluid formed underneath the human slug.
Ansem finally released his grip on the slug, and breathed a sighed with relief when he saw that Gustav was no longer in pain and was resting on his back.
Rosya watched as Ansem went into one of Gustav's closets and began rummaging through them.
"What are you doing?" Rosya asked. Still reeling from the events that had transpired.
"A box," Ansem replied.
"What for?"
Ansem drew out a plastic box and, under the stunned look of Rosya, grabbed the human slug and tucked it inside the box.
"I'm going to take this to my workshop and analyze it." Ansem explained.
"Just burn the damn thing," Rosya opined. "Why do you even want to keep that thing?"
Ansem analyzed the remains of the human slug. The remains of the human slug had a contorted face in deathly anguish, but its sleek body hadn't lost any of its luster, like polished lacquer.. He knew this creature wasn't from the human world or created. They brought it into this world using a summoning ritual and made to incubate inside a human body as a precautionary method to keep its intended victim quiet. But what could have happened if allowed to incubate further?
It bothered him how he could've missed it. Maybe the rapid growth was an unintentional side-effect of the elixir he gave Gustav. Next time, he would be more careful.
Gustav groaned as he slowly stood up. "Did you get it?"
Ansem flashed a mischievous smile and showed him the box. "Yeah, do you wan to see?"
"No." Gustav replied, "get rid of it. But what was it?"
Ansem looked into the box again.
"It's a creature from another dimension that was implanted in you."
"Implanted on me? They went that far?"
Rosya helped Gustav sit on a sofa.
"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"A lot better, thank you for your help." Gustav replied with a smile. "I've put you through a lot, haven't I?"
Rosya got a little flustered and looked away.
"We're partners, right? Helping each other is only natural."
"Now, Ansem. Why would they implant that creature in me?"
Ansem pondered the question.
"To keep you from pursuing any further? Or perhaps something more sinister. Some creatures from other dimensions would incubate inside host creatures, later to take over their body."
Gustav sat back and sighed. "I sure got my work cut out for me this time."
"At least we have one thing clear." Ansem placed a lid on the box he was holding. "That hospital is the place we were looking for."
Gustav thought that Ansem was right. Someone used the hospital as a place to experiment on Abbey Dodson and all those people.. But he only had to find a connection between them. That was the place where they probably were holding Natalya.
"You mentioned something about a Blood Moon, right?"
The Blood Moon, the event where Ansem mentioned something about a ritual. Natalya's purpose.
Ansem nodded.
"Tomorrow night, it will be at its zenith. If we're going to act, better do it quickly."
**
The time was drawing near. The masked man dressed in a white robe, joined by three female figures, walked into Natalya's room. She was sitting in the same spot where he had left her. She stared at her visitors. It was a strange sight. All four of them dressed in white from head to toe, their faces covered, holding strange instruments in their hands.
"Time draws nears," the masked man said.
The three women walked slowly towards Natalya. She drew back, but they grabbed her and forced her to stand up. Slowly undressed her as the masked man lighted the thurible he was holding in his left hand as he began to recite words in a language that Natalya didn't understand, but had a deep effect on her she didn't understand.
Was this the cleansing ritual the masked man had talked about? What was the purpose? What were they going to do to her?
Natalya just closed her eyes and tried to brave her current predicament. She knew she wouldn't get any answers from her captors.
The three women caressed Natalya's body. Not out of sexual pleasure, but it was an important part of this ritual. After caressing Natalya's body, the three women prepared the ink and got the brushes ready.. Then began to trace symbols on her body as they chanted along with the masked man. The symbols on her body spread a tingling sensation all over Natalya's body that made her twinge. She could feel the energy draining from her body. Her senses became cloudy.
What was going on with her body? Was this magic?
With the pleasant smell from the thurible and the tingling of the marks on her body, Natalya slowly sat on her knees. The masked man was pleased. The cleansing ritual had been a success. They almost cleansed Natalya. But there was one last step.
The purpose of the ritual was to clean the body and the soul of the taint of the modern world. With the Blood Moon nearing its apex, Natalya had to be ready to join the others. The masked man was delighted to see the fruits of his labor.
He knelt in front of Natalya and examined her. Her eyes were cloudy, and she looked dazed.. it would offer no resistance from her. The others didn't require this last step, but she was special.
"Now, for the final step." The masked man snapped his fingers.
The three ladies disrobed, their bodies baring the same marks as Natalya. Each took a ceremonial knife and slashed themselves. Blood began to flow to the floor, turning the sigils on the floor crimson. Slowly the blood began to flow towards Natalya. Once it came in touch with her body, the blood turned from a deep crimson to a cold purple glow. A flash of light followed. The three ladies had turned to statues of salt and crumbled to the ground. The ritual was now truly finished as glowing symbols appeared on Natalya's body.
"Excellent." the masked man. "The masters will be pleased."