It was nearing midnight when Andre returned to the group.
"Is there a specific spell you're going to use?" Sarah asked as soon as he entered.
However, she was ignored as Andre, without wasting time, turned to Alex and instructed, "Take a bath and strip down to your underwear. Then sit quietly in the room."
The abrupt command caught everyone off guard. The idea of Alex sitting half-naked in the middle of a ritual felt strange, if not outright absurd.
"Why would you ask him to do that?" Sasha questioned her tone as a mix of confusion and concern.
Andre, unfazed by her skepticism, explained, "This ritual isn't recorded anywhere across the globe. And if you're wondering why I asked him to remove all clothing, it's because even the smallest interference—clothes, dirt, or anything else—could obstruct my connection. These eyes of mine will need to see through his physical body to connect with his astral self. You do know what an astral self is, right?"
