After the ritual had commenced, Kai and Nyx stood solemnly around the intricately carved magic circle, etched into the cold stone floor with glowing ancient runes.
The symbols shimmered and pulsated violently, flaring between bursts of black and white light, as though two opposing forces were trying to devour each other. The entire chamber trembled with raw energy.
"In the name of the Sacred Arcane Order, IâKai Frostbladeâdo hereby relinquish all command, control, and spiritual binding over my servant, Aether!" Kai declared in a strong, unwavering voice, pushing his arm forward. "With full awareness and uncoerced will, I offer him to Nyx Shadowfall, by right of ritual and law!"
His voice echoed like thunder, resonating with the magic circleâs rhythm. His clothes rippled around him as if caught in a storm, while strands of his hair floated, lifted by unseen forces.
Energy surged from the core of the circle, reaching out in jagged lines of light like veins awakening.
Nyx Shadowfall stepped forward gracefully, her heels tapping softly against the trembling ground. She raised her hand, palm outward, and her eyes narrowed with amusement and hunger.
"In the sacred name of Arcane, and under the eternal witness of the Contractual Gods, IâNyx Shadowfallâdo accept Kaiâs servant as mine, and mine alone," she intoned with a silken yet resolute voice. "From this moment forth, I claim ownership and command of the entity named Aether. His soul, body, and fate shall now belong to me."
The moment her words concluded, the ground let out a low, ominous rumble. The magic circle beneath them flared violently, shifting between blinding white and abyssal black, faster and faster, until it looked like a spinning vortex of divine and infernal forces colliding.
"W-Whatâs going on?!" Leon gasped from the side of the room, his eyes wide with disbelief as the very foundation of the mansion quaked beneath their feet.
Then, without warning, thick black chains shot from the circle, rising like serpents from the earth. At the same time, golden chains burst upward in counterpoint, emitting a celestial glow. They slithered through the air, weaving around Kai and Nyx in intricate patterns, before snapping tightly around their wrists.
Kai flinched, a sharp hiss escaping his lips as a searing burn spread across his forearm. A similar reaction came from Nyx as she gritted her teeth, her lips curling into a crooked smile of delight rather than pain.
And then, the circleâs centre split open with a sound like shattering glass, revealing a portal of writhing energy overhead. From that dark rift above, a chained figure began to descend.
Thud.
Aether crashed to the ground, his body bound in a chaotic fusion of black and gold chains, his limbs twisted uncomfortably.
Nyx slowly crouched beside him, her eyes glinting like a predator who had finally claimed her prize.
"Oh? You finally came..." she purred, brushing a few strands of hair from Aetherâs face with a gentleness, "Welcome to your new fate, My toy"
Aether groaned as he blinked against the sudden brightness. "What... whatâs going on here?" he muttered, his voice hoarse, confused, and laced with irritation.
Nyxâs tone turned mocking. "Oh, donât worry. Your dear master has abandoned you. Youâre... unwanted now," she whispered, her fingers trailing along his cheek with a sly grin that dripped with wickedness.
Aetherâs eyes slowly turned toward Kai. He scanned the room, the circle, the chains, the flames etched into the wallsâand he understood.
âWhy?â he thought, confused. âWhy would Kai give me away? He... he would never...â
Kai stared down at him, his lips curling into a satisfied grin. "Finally... Finally, youâre here. You fucking bastard. Youâre going to pay for everything... For what you and that wretched womanâmy motherâdid to this world!" His voice trembled not with fear but with manic joy.
Kai raised his hand, where a small bud-like tattoo pulsed on his palm. "I agree!" he shouted.
The black and gold chains swirled toward him, coiling around the mark on his hand like vines eager to feed. As the chains touched the tattoo, it flared brightlyâthen began to melt away like wax, the glowing bud shrinking and fading.
Nyxâs lips curled upward as she mirrored the gesture. "I agree," she whispered, her voice laced with anticipation. The chains recoiled from Kaiâs palm and drifted to Nyxâs, spiraling around her arm and pressing themselves into her skin.
As the contact solidified, a new tattoo began to carve itself into Nyxâs flesh, glowing with an eerie light. The bud from Kaiâs palm had transferred completely, embedding itself into Nyx like a sacred brand.
Aether suddenly winced, struggling violently as the chains around him tightened with a harsh, metallic groan. "Fuck...!" he cursed under his breath, eyes clenching shut.
!~Ding~!
[âNotice: Initiating Pseudo-Ownership Transfer Procedure]
[Previous Holder: Kai Frostblade | Current Assignee: Nyx Shadowfall]
[Engraving Transfer in Progress: Transmuting Slave Sigil from Host_A (Kai) to Host_B (Nyx)]
[Estimated Completion: 92%...]
Aether gritted his teeth, sweat forming across his skin as the chains wrapped around his body glowed brighter, burning into his flesh with symbols that danced and morphed like living code.
Under Nyxâs palm, the new sigil bloomed fully into life, flaring one last time before dimming into a dormant red hue. At the same time, Kaiâs tattoo vanished completely, the skin left unmarred as if it had never been there.
And then... everything stopped.
The tremors faded. The lights dimmed. The circle fell still.
"...Thatâs it?" Nyx asked, blinking in mild surprise. Her tone was curious, almost disappointed, as if she expected more spectacle.
Kai nodded slowly. "...I guess so. This was my first time attempting this ritual. I wasnât sure what would happen."
!~Ding~!
[âNotice: Ownership Transfer Complete]
[ Aether is now under the Pseudo-Ownership Contract of Host_B: Nyx Shadowfall]
Just then, the circle beneath them began to shimmer again. Its edges twisted upward, the design rotating like a spinning disc of bladed light. Runes lifted off the ground, ascending into the air like petals in a windstorm.
Everyone instinctively stepped back.
"The circle... itâs moving?!" Nyx exclaimed, her voice tinged with fascination and caution. "Why is it rising like that?"
No one had an answer.
The circle pulsed once moreâthen burst into countless tiny particles of glowing ash, scattering in all directions and disappearing into the air.
Nyx suddenly clenched her palm as she stared at the result of her plan unfolding before her eyes.
In Nyx Shadowfallâs hand, the once dormant petal-shaped tattoo pulsed, twisted, and slowly began to morph. Like a blooming time-lapse, the tattoo transformed into a full flower, each petal unfurling one by one with fluid motion, almost as if it were a real video playing across her skin. The veins of magic inside it shimmered with life. Nyx blinked, genuinely surprised for a moment.
Aether, still on the ground, groaned softly as the chains around him began to dissolve into glowing dust, evaporating into the air like steam. His body slumped as he collapsed forward, panting heavily, sweat pouring down his face. It felt like the ritual had drained something vital from himâhis strength, his essence, or... perhaps a piece of his soul.
"Haha... thatâs it, then," Kai muttered, an amused grin forming on his lips as he turned to face Nyx. "Now, youâve got what you wanted... Itâs time to honour your end of the deal."
Nyx gave a small nod. With a casual flick of her fingers, she snapped them.
Behind her, a thick plume of black smoke flared to life. From within the curling shadows, a skeletal figure began to materialise.
Its body was tall and thin, wrapped in remnants of faded armour. A massive sword was gripped tightly in its hand, the blade etched with ancient glyphs that glowed faintly. Its face was a distorted human-like skull, but its pale bone seemed too smooth, too cleanâalmost porcelain. Cold mist leaked from its empty eye sockets and ribcage, releasing a chilling aura that filled the room.
Kai took a nervous step back, gulping. "I-Itâll obey me, right?"
Nyx raised her hand once more, her fingers moving through the air like she was painting symbols into the invisible fabric of space. The skeletal creature slowly began to dissipate, its body melting into a stream of white smoke that glowed softly like pale fire. It condensed into a hovering orb of cold energyâa soul compressed into obedient form.
"Yes," Nyx said simply. "Itâs yours now."
Kai hesitated, then extended both hands. The orb floated gently into his palms. He shivered visibly as it made contact.
"Itâs cold..." he murmured, voice low with awe and apprehension. He turned to Leon, who nodded approvingly, stepping forward to receive it. With careful hands, Leon took the soul and placed it inside a reinforced obsidian box, sealing it tightly with a quiet metallic hiss.
With that done, Kai slowly turned his gaze toward Aether, who still lay sprawled on the floor, struggling to catch his breath.
"Now, before you take him away..." Kai said, his tone sharpening. "I want one answer from him."
He stepped forward and knelt beside Aether, gripping his chin and lifting it up forcefully. Aetherâs half-lidded eyes flickered between shades of black and white, almost as if he were caught in a storm of opposing forces.
Kai frowned deeply.
âWhat the hell is going on with his eyes...?â he thought. âIs it because of the ritual? Or something else?â
Still, he didnât care enough to dwell.
"Where is my mother?" he asked coldly.
Aether didnât respond.
Kaiâs eyes narrowed. "Tell me where she is," he said again, more firmly this time, his hand tightening on Aetherâs face.
But again, no answer came.
Kaiâs patience cracked. Veins bulged on his forehead as he stood and shouted, "Motherfucker!!" His fist rose sharply into the air, ready to strike down with furyâ
Thuck!
In a split second, Aetherâs hand lashed out and seized Kaiâs throat with terrifying speed and precision. He lifted Kai like a ragdoll, his fingers digging into his neck with crushing force.
"Arghhâ!" Kai choked, struggling wildly as his legs kicked, trying to find footing. His eyes bulged in panic as the grip on his neck tightened with every second.
"YOU BASTARD!!" Leon roared, lunging forward to helpâbut it was no use.
Aetherâs other hand whipped out and caught Leon by the throat too, strangling both of them at once with effortless strength. His body moved like a machineâsilent, brutal, unstoppable. There was no rage in his eyes, only void.
Leon and Kai thrashed in his grasp, stunned. The Aether they remembered was powerful, but not like this.
He was different.
Stronger.
More monstrous.
Just when their necks were about to give inâjust a few inches away from being snapped like twigsâ
Thud! Thud!
Nyx, with precise timing, raised her palm and sent out a spell that knocked Aether unconscious in an instant. His grip loosened immediately, and all three bodies dropped to the floor.
Leon and Kai collapsed, gasping for air, clutching their throats. Deep, red handprints burned into their skin like fresh brandsâa painful reminder of their near-death encounter.
Nyx stepped forward, graceful and calm, as if nothing had happened. She leaned down and gently scooped Aether into her arms, carrying him bridal style with ease. Her smirk returned as she glanced at the battered boys on the ground.
"Heâs mine now," she said in a warning tone, her voice cold yet playful. "So donât even think of damaging my property."
She looked down at Aetherâs unconscious face, brushing his hair aside affectionately.
"My cute little puppy~" she whispered with a wicked grin.
Leon and Kai flinched, fear creeping up their spines as they stared at her.
Still smirking, Nyx pulled out a black spell scroll inscribed with blood-red ink. With one hand, she tore it down the middle.
A flash of red light exploded from the scroll, and in the blink of an eye, she and Aether vanishedâteleported back to the heart of her empire.
The moment the light faded, Leon and Kai slumped back, wheezing and sweating.
Finally... they could breathe again.