The Occult Club's room couldn’t have looked more generic. Candles and braziers lit the room despite having LED lights. A dagger was placed on a podium in front of the room, right next to a bag of bread. A clothing rack was next to the door, containing the club uniforms. And finally a huge pentagram was carved into the floor making a shallow depression where the lines are, and encircling it is a circle made out of chalk.

As soon as he closed the door the bored members of the club looked at him seemingly questioning him on his tardiness.

“Sorry I’m late, we had a surprise Math test the entire period.” Lux’s excuse was met with sympathetic nods and winces as the other members stopped doing their own thing and got ready to start the club.

As everyone donned the club attire, which was just a black robe and domino mask, the club president went to the front of the room and called for everyone’s attention.

“All right then! Now that Lux is here we can move on to our next occult activity: sacrifices. Since our ghost summoning and witchcraft activities keep failing I have decided to do practice runs before actually doing it.” The petite club president then opened a big black book and skimmed through some pages.

"Wait, sacrifices? I thought we were going to be telling scary ghost stories." Lux said, alarmed at the unexpected activity.

The president either didn't hear or didn't care as she kept reading the book.

“It says here that a sacrifice must be made with blood…” The other members looked shocked and were about to protest, however the president raised a hand to placate the protesters before continuing with her statement. “Don’t worry we’ll use grape wine as blood substitute and unleavened bread as our sacrifice.”

She then ordered another member to get the bread from the pdium and set it down on the floor, right in the middle of the huge pentagram the club created. While the member was setting the sacrifice down she passed around some sheets of paper which contained a chant used in ritual sacrifices. The club then chanted the song, which Lux recognized as Amazing Grace except in Latin.

'Could this be a legit ritual? This seems too unusual, even for my standards' Lux thought to himself.

His musings were cut short when the president called him over.

“Lux since you’re my second-in-command I want you to use the sacrificial dagger and slice the sacrifice open.” Lux rolled his eyes and went to get the dagger. As he got the dagger he took a moment to at least appreciate its design.

 It didn’t have any fancy engravings or designs that usually surrounded a ceremonial dagger, in fact the only thing that makes it unique to the knives in his kitchen was that the entirety of the blade was black. Only the edge of the dagger was different, being a shiny silver.

As he finished admiring the dagger Lux then kneeled down on the floor, thrust the dagger into the bread and broke it in half. The club president then kneeled next to Lux and poured the wine all over the broken bread. She then passed the wine bottle to Lux, who then decided steal it and hide it in his robes.

As the wine spread across the floor the pentagram glowed white, much to the shock of everyone in the room. The members then scattered, some flipped the tables and hid behind them, and others used the candlesticks as improvised weapons and took defensive positions in front of the other members.

The fires of the few candles still burning suddenly died out, spooking some of the members who haven’t completely lost it yet. The pentagram’s light grew brighter and brighter until everyone had to look away and close their eyes. When the light died down a hooded figure was hovering on top of where the sacrifice was.   

As the members looked on, amazed at the fact that the ritual worked, they noticed that Lux was still kneeling on the floor, right in front of the hooded figure they summoned. A fact that Lux was well aware of.

‘Well shit. Way to go me! We just summoned a demon, ON A TRIAL RUN OF ALL THINGS! Now I’m definitely not regretting sabotaging the previous rituals.’ While Lux was having a mental breakdown the hooded figure moved, and finally registered the existence of the other people in the room with it.

Despite the darkness Lux could see the figure smile as it saw him.

“Oooh, a welcoming party. Are you here as friends or foes?” Its haunting voice chilled everyone to the core and no one could muster the courage to answer nor move a muscle. When nobody answered the figure seemed to frown and became disappointed. It then raised its bony hand and with a sharp snap of its fingers skeletal arms rose from the floor and pinned everyone down.   

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Everyone except for Lux that is. He rolled to the side as the arms rose up, dodging their attempts to grab him. He then stood up and looked the figure in its eyes. The figure was surprised at the resistance and waited for Lux to make a move.

Instead of charging at the figure or freeing the other trapped members Lux stood up straight and gave the figure a respectful bow. “Could you please let my friends go?” Lux asked.

The entire room became silent with shock at what he did. His club mates were about to yell at him for wasting an opportunity when the arms suddenly retracted into the ground, freeing the trapped students.

“And they say diplomacy is useless. It has been so long since I’ve encountered another person without getting immediately attacked.” The figure reached a hand out to Lux. “My name is Nex, what’s yours young one?”

“My name is Lux.” He then grabbed the figure’s hand and gave it a handshake. The figure gave Lux a friendly smile and the oppressive aura that blanketed the room vanished, as if it was never there in the first place.

“A good name for one who has the willpower to resist my influence.” Nex’s face then twisted into a scowl as it looked upon the other students still cowering from him. “Now as for the rest of you spineless cowards I want you to leave the room.” The students who hid refused to move until a glare from the figure made them move.

“To those who still refuse to heed my words; I will let you in on a little secret. I’m not the only one who is summoned to this world so if you still have any loved ones in this little building of yours I suggest you hurry up and find them. None are as gentle as me when encountering new beings.”

Some of the students didn’t even let him finish before rushing out into the hallways. 

“Thank you for letting them go Mr Nex, can I leave too?” Nex turned to stare at Lux. He could see the entity tilt his head in contemplation.

“You wish to leave? No no no, not yet at least.” Nex then conjured a throne of bone for itself and a chair for Lux. Nex then hummed a tune while waving his hands around like a conductor.

As Lux looked around he could see other macabre decorations materialize. Chandeliers of bone, skeletal tables, bookcases and other furniture populated the room in mere seconds. He couldn't hide his awe at the sudden redecoration of the room. It was horrifying to watch bones twist and stretch to form morbid furniture. Horrifying and fascinating.

"Magic is useful isn't it?" Nex said. "In time you might become worthy enough to be a mage, perhaps even become a necromancer like me."

"But I don't want to be a necromancer." Lux replied. 

"Not yet at least. However, I have use for you. Serve me well and I may help you survive your world's transition."

"I don't have a choice do I? Not if I want to live at least."

"No, you do not." Nex agreed. "You can refuse my offer and I will let you free but you will be eaten by the monsters that follow. I did not lie when I said the other beings won't be as gentle as I."

Nex's offer weighed heavily in Lux's head. Serve and survive or be free and die. Lux's thought were once again interrupted by Nex.

"You have family don't you?" Nex softly asked. "Imagine what would happen if-"

Lux didn't even let him finish.

"I will serve." The words were softly said but the impact was undeniable. "If monsters are truly out there then I can't do a damn thing to them, but with your power..."

"You might stand a chance." 

"Yes. I might stand a chance." A sense of finality washed over Lux as the words left his mouth. Nex, in contrast, looked pleased with himself and rose from his throne. His hand then reached out towards Lux.

"Take my hand so the pact may be sealed."

Lux took the hand without hesitation.

And screamed as sickly green fire traveled up his right arm. Pain radiated out from his limb, as if it was violently lashing out at the energy. His body screamed at him to reject this unholy infusion but all that Lux could see was the image of his family brutally killed. His father, his mother, his brother, his sister. Everyone, dead.

After a few more agonizing seconds, the flames died down and Lux was already about to collapse. He stood for a more moments until his legs finally gave out. Nex catched him the instant he started fall and gently laid him down on the floor.

"Congratulation Lux. You have passed a necromancer's first trial." Genuine pride was in Nex's voice as he regarded his soon-to-be apprentice. "Rest now and regain your strength. You'll need it."

Lux merely nodded at the words then drifted off into sleep.

(-)

Nex looked at his apprentice one last time before sighing to himself. He walked to a nearby window and saw people looking around. Horse-less carriages that seemed to propel themselves interested Nex. The panicked looks and confused faces interested him less.

"Another cycle has come and another calamity has fallen upon an innocent world. I can only hope that this world isn't as undefended as it seems."

As Nex's thoughts began to wander he remembered his own world and how it too was devastated in the transition. Buried memories began to surface and he remembered the many, terrible mistakes he had done in the aftermath. 

"Never again." Nex whispered. "Never again shall it happen. I will find a way to end the cycle, no matter the cost."