Ghelgath examined Grey, who lay unconscious on the floor. "I wonder how a frail-looking kid like this could be the key to my successful revival," he thought. This boy was said to be the reincarnation of a powerful soul mage. Yet, from the looks of it, the kid wasn't even aware of his hidden potential.
"What he said better be true," Ghelgath mused as he continued to scrutinize the boy. He couldn't wait for his resurrection; his current form only held 40% of his original power. He would've lost his life today if not for Edwin also being able to use only 30% of his power in his current body.
He had proposed a false deal to Edwin, claiming that if Edwin sent his son to him, he would find a suitable host. Edwin, desperate to find a suitable vessel, had foolishly agreed.
"That boy, Lukas... there's something about him I can't quite explain," Ghelgath thought. He then decided to clear his mind of his worries, as he had already sent his vessel to deal with Roshan, confident that there was no way he would fail. Just as he thought of his vessel, a portal appeared, and the teen hurriedly stepped in, bowing his head.
"What's the good news? Have you completed the job?" Ghelgath asked expectantly.
"My Lord, all the members of the region in Valoria are dead. The high priestess is unconscious and seems to be beyond recovery," the boy said, panic in his voice.
"Hmmm... could this be Edwin's doing?" Ghelgath thought aloud.
"That fool? I'd end his life if he were involved in this," the boy said with determination.
"Don't be so hasty. I doubt he'd try something like that in the condition I left him," Ghelgath spoke.
Ghelgath turned his attention back to Grey. The unconscious boy held the key to his full resurrection, and he couldn't afford to let anything jeopardize his plan. Intricate runes and symbols suddenly surrounded the boy on the floor and began to glow faintly as Ghelgath chanted an incantation under his breath.
"It is time for my resurrection. Prepare to hold my power, boy," Ghelgath spoke to the teen.
"Yes, my lord, finally!" the teen shouted in excitement.
The air around them shimmered with dark energy as Ghelgath continued his ritual. Grey's body began to twitch slightly, and his breathing grew heavier. Ghelgath's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Yes, awaken, boy," Ghelgath urged. "Awaken and become the key to my resurrection."
Grey's eyes fluttered open, but they were unfocused, and he seemed disoriented. Ghelgath knelt beside him, placing a hand on his forehead. The boy's body convulsed as the dark energy surged into him, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Bear it, boy," Ghelgath commanded. "You are the key to my return. Embrace your destiny."
Grey's cry echoed through the chamber, but Ghelgath showed no mercy. He tightened his grip on Grey's forehead, forcing more of the dark energy into him. The runes on the floor glowed brighter, casting an eerie light throughout the room.
After what felt like an eternity, the convulsions ceased, and Grey lay still once more. Ghelgath released his hold, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. The ritual was successful; the boy's latent power had been awakened.
"Good," Ghelgath said, standing up. "You are now ready to serve your purpose."
Grey's eyes slowly regained focus, and he looked up at Ghelgath with a mixture of fear and confusion. "Who... who are you?" he asked weakly.
"I am Ghelgath, your master," Ghelgath replied. "And you, boy, are the vessel through which I shall return to my full power."
The boy's eyes widened in terror, but Ghelgath paid no heed to his fear. He turned to the teen who had just reported back to him. "Prepare the final phase of the plan," Ghelgath ordered. "We must not delay any further."
The teen bowed deeply. "Yes, my lord. I will see to it immediately."
As the teen left the chamber, Ghelgath turned his attention back to Grey. The boy's potential was now unlocked, but he needed to be molded, controlled. Ghelgath couldn't afford any resistance.
"You will learn to obey," Ghelgath said, his voice cold and commanding. "Your power is now mine to command."
Grey's expression shifted from fear to a blank, resigned look. The dark energy that had awakened his potential also bound his will to Ghelgath's. He was now nothing more than a puppet, a tool for Ghelgath's resurrection.
"Good," Ghelgath said with a satisfied nod. "You will serve me well, boy. Together, we will achieve greatness."
Ghelgath turned away from Grey, his mind already racing with plans for his resurrection. With the boy's power at his disposal, he would be unstoppable. The world would soon tremble before him once more.
As Ghelgath prepared to leave the chamber, he couldn't help but think of Roshan again. There was something about the boy that unsettled him, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. But he pushed the thought aside. With Grey's power now under his control, Roshan was no longer a threat.
Or so he believed.
A FEW HOURS LATER...
The dark chamber was filled with an oppressive silence as Grey stood at the center, his eyes vacant and devoid of emotion. Ghelgath loomed over him, his spectral form flickering with an otherworldly light. The ritual had been prepared meticulously, with ancient runes etched into the floor and walls, glowing a sickly green in the dim light. The air was thick with the scent of incense and the hum of dark energy, pulsating in rhythm with the beating hearts of those present. The teen stood with expectant eyes, Ghelgath's power and will was finally going to be transferred into him. He couldn't be happier.
"Begin the incantation," Ghelgath commanded, his voice echoing through the chamber with a cold, authoritative tone.
Grey, now a puppet under Ghelgath's control, nodded mechanically and began to chant in a low, monotone voice. The words of the incantation were ancient and powerful, resonating with the very fabric of reality. As he spoke, the runes around them began to pulse and flare, the green light growing more intense with each passing second.
Ghelgath watched with a mixture of anticipation and satisfaction. This moment had been long in the making, and now, finally, his resurrection was at hand. The vessel, a teenage boy with latent power, stood ready to receive his essence. All that remained was for Grey to complete the ritual.
The air grew colder, and a faint wind stirred within the chamber, swirling around Grey and Ghelgath. The energy in the room became almost palpable, a heavy, oppressive force that pressed down on everything within its confines. Grey's voice grew louder, more insistent, as he continued the incantation, his words weaving a web of power that bound the two souls together.
Ghelgath's spectral form began to shift and contort, the essence of his soul drawn towards the vessel. He felt a strange mixture of pain and exhilaration as his essence was pulled from its ethereal state, the dark energy coalescing and condensing into a tangible form. The runes on the floor flared brighter, their light now almost blinding, as the ritual reached its climax.
Grey's voice reached a crescendo, his chanting now a desperate, almost frantic plea to the dark forces that governed the ritual. The room seemed to vibrate with the power being unleashed, the very walls shaking under the strain of the energy being manipulated. Ghelgath's form shimmered and solidified, his essence now a swirling mass of darkness that hovered above the vessel.
"Now, Grey," Ghelgath hissed, his voice a mere whisper, yet filled with authority. "Complete the transfer."
With the final words of the incantation, Grey raised his hands, the air around him crackling with raw energy. He directed the dark energy towards Ghelgath's essence, the power flowing through him like a conduit. The swirling mass of Ghelgath's soul essence surged forward, drawn irresistibly towards the vessel.
The teen stood motionless, his eyes closed, his body rigid as the dark energy enveloped him. He was ready for this. The essence of Ghelgath, a dark, writhing mass, began to merge with the boy's form. The air was filled with a deafening roar, the sound of reality itself being torn asunder as the two souls merged.
The process was excruciating, a battle of wills as Ghelgath's essence fought to dominate the vessel's soul. The boy's body convulsed, his muscles straining against the overwhelming force being imposed upon him. Grey, still chanting, directed the energy with precision, guiding the essence into its new host.
As the merging continued, Ghelgath's essence began to take hold. The boy's convulsions grew more violent, his body writhing in agony as the dark energy reshaped and reformed him from within. The runes on the floor pulsed in time with the surges of power, their light now a blinding, sickly green.
Ghelgath's voice echoed within the chamber, a triumphant cry that mingled with the boy's screams. "Yes, yes! Embrace my power, vessel! Accept your new fate!"
Finally, with one last, earth-shattering scream, the ritual reached its conclusion. The runes flared one final time before winking out, the chamber plunged into darkness. The oppressive energy dissipated, leaving behind an eerie silence.
The boy's body lay motionless on the floor, his form now changed, reshaped by the dark essence within him. Ghelgath's essence had taken hold, merging with the boy's soul to create a new, powerful being. The boy's eyes snapped open, glowing with an unnatural light, and he slowly rose to his feet.
"I... am reborn," the boy spoke, his voice a twisted amalgamation of his own and Ghelgath's.
Ghelgath's triumphant laughter echoed through the chamber, a sound filled with malice and power. The resurrection was complete. The world would soon tremble before him once more.
"Yes!!! It is done" The teen said after the ritual was complete. He now possessed all of Ghelgath's powers and his will. Everything Ghelgath wanted to do, he would carry it out unfailingly. "First, I'd dispose of this puppet," The teen said as he pointed his hands toward Grey and released a pure blast of reddish blue mana which killed Grey instantly.
"ah ah ah aha haaaaaa...." He laughed like a maniac.
The next day...