Sweat dripped steadily from his Umbra's hair, mixed with something that colored it red.
Blood.
He shuddered violently, but not in pain.
Increasing anxiety. Fear at its possible peak.
The locked circle still seemed miles away from disintegration.
Even though he'd evidently shattered its magical spell configuration.
In spite of his unwavering resolution – so opposed to his body's capability – his fingers began to slip away from the locked circle.
His eyes widened in sublime fear.
He didn't want to envisage what would happen if they slipped away completely.
He could now feel the familiar steaming personality, trying once more to repossess his mind.
He couldn't let that happen. That meant as much as a vain death for him.
He fought valiantly, trying as much as possible to execute the two will-exhausting tasks simultaneously.
Unlock the circle, and keep his body his.
His lungs screamed as though they were on fire. The very air here seemed to kill more acutely than poison.
He could feel sharp little needle-like sensations stabbing down on him.
Effects of the ghosts swooping around him.
Maybe, they weren't here to pay homage after all.
Pain multiplied rapidly within him, spreading to the very depths of his bones.
He could feel nothing again in his own body.
Only just a firm resolution that he would complete this necromancy.
Whether dead or alive.
'Well…if I die, then I can't complete it…'
Then, he just had to remain alive…at the very least until he was done…
Umbra couldn't believe that he could still think rationally, despite being submerged in so much pain.
And what he was trying to do just meant sacrificing his life for the sorcerer, Maris Djata.
An absolutely unwise thing to do.
Well...until then, he could continue to hope for a helper…
Just then, a cackling sound rent through the tumult with an uncanny symphony.
Umbra glanced around wildly, still feeling the heavy effects of the torment while moving his body.
His heavy eyes searched for the source, the dying purple glint scanning desperately for any hopeful occurrence.
The magic circle's disintegration process just seemed to be hastening up.
The runes began to swing a lot faster than before. The formation array opened slowly in a flurry of ruins and energy.
It surely meant victory.
But it would mean a Pyrrhic one.
He tried to pull back from the circle. He'd done enough, in his opinion.
But the circle didn't think so.
But then, something more despairing happened.
Something that dampened his rising morale.
His hand was somewhat stuck to that stone altar.
He couldn't see it, but he tried to pull free.
To no avail.
'Well, this is it…my time has come.'
There's no disputing it…he was going to die here.
His so-called 'father' couldn't help him at the very end.
He needed a new savior.
He laughed to himself as that thought sprouted in his mind.
It was absurd to hope for a savior.
Only he could grant permission to this 'temple'.
Also, in his current anguished state, he was gradually losing his mind.
And subsequently, his will.
Anything…anyone…
Forget it…it's all over…
Is this what it really felt like?
Death.
'I'm dead…'
—––––––––––––––––
Elsa found herself standing in a huge dim lit temple.
She had no idea on how she got here, but in the light of her arrival here, she had no inclination to dwell any longer on logical reasoning.
But, she had to be here…or rather, brought here for a reason.
She looked around. She then noticed that something was wrong.
Somewhere up front, dull purple aura swirled around malevolently.
So thick that it obscured the other end of the temple from her.
That looked more extraordinary than anything she'd ever seen before.
And that was saying a lot, since she had a powerful experimental witch for an aunt.
She had to find out why.
Wait a moment…she might be risking her life.
How could she just walk into a cloud of ominous aura, intending to resurface unhurt?
Well…she had no clue.
But why then was she brought here?
And by who?
There had to be some reason. Even the gods didn't toss mortals into strange worlds.
No…they did. But they won't to her. She was a direct descendant.
She then remembered that gods loved playing with their descendants a lot.
She recalled her aunt's arcane behavior, after she had collapsed.
Whoever had possessed Aunt Dora at that time, was responsible for this absurdity going on.
It was crystal clear enough for anyone to see.
Well…she'd better get going.
No! An inner voice rebuked her.
'You don't really know what to expect…so it's better you stay back…"
However, her curiosity took the better of her.
Also as she deliberated, a tiny wince streamed into her ear.
It sounded so surreal, but Elsa was dead sure it was real.
A real human sound in this world of fantasies.
Without a second thought, she slinked into the cloud of aura.
Something awkward happened.
It looked like a whirlwind from far off. So she hadn't expected to get in that easily.
However, it did not buffet her when she came close.
This boosted her confidence.
Perhaps, she was unassailable here. Somehow untouchable.
It happened in several novels she had read.
The main character gets translocated to a place where he's more like an apparition and untouchable.
She threaded through the gaze, squinting into it.
She could slightly see, but nothing more than blurry shapes.
And there were many of them.
Elsa didn't worry a lot about this, because she saw another issue to worry about almost immediately.
The source of this tremendous clash of powers.
A huge green magic circle loomed over the whole background.
But the circle's aura was clearly inferior to the purple aura, which dominated it.
A boy stood in the center of it all.
Then she saw the flailing long hair and realized…
The same one in her vision a few minutes ago…stood there.
His hand outstretched, gripping the base of the circle.
The aura swirled around him, seeping from his body in voluminous amounts.
This was the source. He was the source.
Her mouth dropped open, in spite of herself and present dilemma.
She was awestruck.
Anyone who possessed this kind of aura was surely a demi-god or something higher. Far stronger than her father in fact.
But she couldn't continue to derail.
The boy obviously needed her help, and that was why she was sent here.
Just what she figured out actually.
But, what kind of help could she render someone so insanely strong?
She surveyed the scene, so that she could find what was amiss.
But nothing seemed to be.
No…she tried harder, not missing out any details.
Then, she looked up at the majestic circle.
Something was happening to it. It seemed to be breaking apart, although on a hasty scale.
It looked like the boy couldn't handle the rate of the circle's unlocking.
But, it looked like the boy kickstarted the process already.
He could now leave it, and watch the spontaneous action go on.
Suddenly, her eyes twinkled in realization. It seemed so clear.
How come she hadn't seen it earlier?
The boy obviously tried to get away, all in futility.
From her point of view, he gave up and fell unconscious.
She began to run, trying to focus her eyes on him.
The swirling aura thickened and swirled even faster, as though trying to prevent her from getting to him.
No more did fear restrain her.
The boy needed her help, and she would give him her full assistance.
She stopped, wildly glancing around.
In her split moment of distraction, she lost track of where the boy was.
Only huge shadows loomed above her threateningly now.
She began to peer even more deeper, till she found his tall outline through the haze, standing with a bowed head.
A crushed spirit. Why had he given up so easily?
She could find out later. But for now, he needed instant assistance.
She grappled through the fog in that direction, groping around till her hands hit a solid body.
Finally!
She grabbed his arm tightly. His body steamed so much that she wondered how he still had unburnt clothes on.
What would have been her reaction if she found him naked then?
She felt herself blushing furiously, in spite of the current state of things.
She pulled hard, and felt herself crash to the ground.
Nothing happened. The boy remained stuck. Unmoving.
Her strength seemed like nothing compared to his. Her hands couldn't even wrap around his properly.
She had to try again. Harder.
She grabbed his arm again, but something distracted her.
Something that literally curdled her blood.