"Humans and their pitiful emotions," the ancient spirit mused, its voice echoing through the dimly lit room. "Look at the one who made such petty promises in protecting his last blood. Broken, battered, and shattered, with all hope gone. Do you truly wish to abandon her in this cruel world? She will not survive for long, perhaps a year at most, but that is all."
"It's all useless... I'm... too... weak ... to ... do... anything, the world isn't a fair place right from the start." He forced himself to say, blood dropping from the corner of his lips.
"And you are giving up so soon. Those words you said, are just excuses for the weak."
"Remember to always protect her. She's your blood, a Mikado, and deserves to be treated better, no matter what." He heard a soft voice, which he recognised instantly, accompanied with a flash of memory.
"Don't you ever give up my son, even when the life throws every damn thing at you. Stand high! Don't let it bring you down!"
"You're a Mikado, a special one right from birth, don't lose hope no matter what!"
"No! No! That's true! I can't just give up that easily, I need to stand firm, I need to give in my best! I can't leave her in this cruel world!"
"So long as there's someone left to protect, I'll keep on rising back to my feet!"
"Huh? His aura has risen. There is an undeniable air of mystery surrounding this boy, a quality I'm unable to decipher. Perhaps he possesses the strength and resilience necessary to harness the powers that threaten to escape. Let's see how things go!"
"Do you yearn for unimaginable power?"
"Are you willing to sacrifice half of your soul?"
"This... Is this all real or... my head's just messed up."
"Well, I'll just follow along. Do I yearn for unimaginable power? Yes!"
"Even if it means sacrificing my humanity, I don't mind! I have so many promises to fulfil. I'm willing! I'm willing to sacrifice my soul!"
The book emitted a blinding red glow in response, which covered the entire building. A wave of energy surged around the room, with Alex unable to keep up, passing out due to blood loss, and was unaware of the changes being made.
The blood red energy seeped into his pores, and his skin began to glow. His veins were pulsating, with red energy being pumped quickly. His skin slowly turned a shade pale with his eyelids flickering. The wounds healed rapidly, including the deep cut in his chest.
A large amount of blood spurted out from the book covering his entire body. The blood seemed to be alive as they moved towards his face, passing through his eyes, nose, and ears.
Just as he began to regain consciousness, he found himself being drawn into the book. He appeared in a space covered in blood, reaching up to his knees. The sky was blood red, including the two blood moon shining brightly. Alex felt a force pulling him down and couldn't resist. He was plunged into the blood-like river, completing the process.
There, he felt a heart-wrenching pain. He could feel his entire being trying to be ripped apart.
"ARGHHH!" He let out a loud cry as he could feel his bones and organ getting destroyed and regenerating over and over again. He felt a sharp pain from the deepest of his soul.
"This is here I come into the process," slowly the ancient being poured his essence into his being. The pain slowly died down as the process went on. He could feel a wave of energy pouring into his magic core, causing a soothing effect.
"The blood will sustain you for several months before you require another transfusion. The rest is up to you now. Our paths will cross once more," a voice whispered to Alex as he gradually came to his senses.
His eyes shot open, and for a moment, it was radiating a reddish glow. Slowly, it reverted back to normal with his system functioning once again.
Alex held his head, slowly massaging his temple. "What the hell happened?!" He thought, getting off the ground.
"Remember, I'll be watching you, any wrong move and I will kill you!" He heard the voice echoing in his head with a warning, before it gradually faded.
Alex could feel his body extremely reinvigorated, the flow of blood, the steady beat of his heart, everything felt surreal. Just as he was taking in this, he noticed a red glow from the corner of his eyes.
Beside him, a large book slowly floated before the ground. "What's this book?" He thought, stretching forth his hand. Immediately, he touched it. He felt a pulse was let out, with the glow fading away. The book floated over the air, hovering for some seconds before falling down.
He caught the book, turning it to the front page. Written boldly on it in blood-red letters were 'The Blood Grimoire.' He read out loudly.
"What does that mean?" He thought, scratching the side of his head. The book, in response, turned to the first page.
"A blank space?" Alex muttered with a confused expression. Slowly, he saw words forming, written in the same blood-red letters.
"Welcome, you have awakened me, mortal. Speak your desires, and I shall grant you the power you seek. But be warned, for the price of such knowledge is steep."
"Be warned, for the price of such knowledge is steep?!" He read out loud with a weird look. "What's that supposed to mean?" He thought, with a shrug, he flipped to the next page.
He saw a magic circle with a title boldly written at the top. 'Blood Manipulation.' And then more words covering both pages.
The words on the page begin to writhe and twist, forming intricate patterns and symbols that seem to dance before his eyes. Each word pulses with power and knowledge, beckoning him to delve deeper into its secrets. The pages themselves seem to come alive, whispering secrets of forbidden magic and untold power. He felt a surge of excitement and fear as he readied to delve in.
"Ugh," just as he was about to delve in, he heard a soft groan from behind him. "Who's there?!" He shouted in alarm. Looking behind, he saw Ray, half of his body already covered in a strange blackish liquid.
"Help... me," he groaned. Alex was short of words, staring with wide eyes. "There have to be some way I can help him," he thought. He saw how Ray had protected Zoe and didn't want to see him die this way.
"Maybe the book can help, hey-"
"There's nothing the book can do to help... uhm... I can do to help him, he's a lost case," he heard the voice in his head once again.
"C'mon, they have to be a way. You were the one that healed me, right? This won't be that hard." Alex said, looking all over the place.
"I said, no! He can't be helped, you should be thankful you're alive!"
"Alright, alright," he said, holding his throbbing head. "For a moment I thought he was going to blow my brains out," he said with a chuckle.
"I can help."
"You said what," Alex said loudly. " Hmmm... I thought I heard a voice," he said, on getting no response.
"I can help you."
"What's this now...," he pondered.