Aletta was chained yet again on a stone slab. Simara's trick chains had been replaced, and she racked her brain for any way to free herself again. The new chains were not Faerite, but that mattered little. Her magic was all but drained from her first attempt anyway. Flow ceremonies were delicate processes, and her struggling within the circle's confines would only serve to increase her chance of dying.

Unstable Flow was deadly Flow, as Ezeel had always preached to her. A burning fury still raged within her chest, but the truth was still true, even if said by a bastard. Various robed Serans bustled about her, checking the inscribed runes on the floor. To her surprise, even more nethergems had been placed to power the spell.

She knew little about the summoning branch of magic as it was an obscure class of magic. Ezeel was passionate about it, but Aletta was apathetic and thus only occasionally paid attention to those lectures. Summoned familiars were powerful, but were exceedingly dangerous and costly for comparably little benefit. Even though the process was expensive, the amount of power and materials gathered here could have been used for several such familiars.

It just didn't make sense. Obsidiars had all sorts of origins, depending on who you asked. It ranged from being a blessed servant of the Raven Queen who rose from the void to a straightforward child born with black wings who rose into prominence. Aletta had never heard of an Obsidiar being directly summoned from the void. There was something she was missing, some critical detail.

Then, behind her, she heard several Serans struggling to move something heavy. Eventually, she saw that they were carrying a statue of a Seran, but with all the bodies swarming around it, she couldn't see the details. The Serans placed the figure in the very center of the ceremonial circle. The identity of the statue was immediately apparent. It was a likeness of the first Emperor, the first Obsidiar, and her ancestor Quasi Luniya.

With the final piece placed into the ceremony, the horrible truth escaped her lips: "Soul magic." Panic surged through her, and she turned her gaze toward Ezeel, her eyes wide with astonishment and dread. "Ezeel, what in the name of all that is holy is this?"

"I thought I taught you better. The proper name for that class of magic is Animaflow." Ezeel corrected.

"Animaflow?! You've gone too far!" Aletta demanded, her voice quivering with anger and fear.

Ezeel, his face gaunt and his eyes heavy with the weight of his choices, met her gaze. "Too far? TOO FAR!?." He screamed. "Tell that to the children who live as orphans whose only hope is to die of baldpox or a mine collapse. There are no lines I will not cross. Especially one as insignificant as an unexplained taboo."

Aletta's anger continued to flare. "But Animaflow? It's forbidden for a reason! It's a perversion of magic itself, a violation of the Flow within our hearts!"

Ezeel raised his head, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know, Aletta, that is its current state, but it was not always so."

"Oh really? So, were fewer people sacrificed in pursuing immortality in the past? Were fewer corpses used to murder their own tribes before Quasi enacted the edict banning Animaflow?" Aletta retorted.

"621."

"What?"

"In all of recorded Seran history, I have only found 621 deaths concerning Animaflow. In comparison, the fire magic you use kills and maims tens of thousands a year. Should it be banned?"

"That is not the same! Of course, fire is destructive, but that is where it ends. Animaflow goes beyond that and manipulates that which should never be touched. The Heart! Also, how could Animaflow casualties be so low? Wars were fought with it."

"Necromancy and Animaflow are not the same thing, Aletta."

"Of course they are. Animaflow is just a part of Necromancy."

"You have it backwards."

"What does it matter? Both should never be practiced."

"The details always matter. Let me enlighten you as I have so many times before. Animaflow was initially intended to communicate with the dead, to bring wisdom from those who have passed on. But some dark predecessor discovered a way to twist its purpose and bind souls, using their power for personal gain. Necromancy was created from Animaflow."

Aletta had never heard this before. It was in direct contradiction to the manuals she had read. Anything publicly available about Animaflow was referred to as Necromancy. She knew better because of her access to the Palace's library and the many scholars who taught her. Even then, she only knew of its history. Ezeel was saying even that information was false. There was one group that did know, the Vigil.

Aletta questioned Ezeel, "How do you know that is true? The palace records are clear."

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

"Yes, the palace records are quite clear. They paint a very emotional picture. All the descriptions of vast heartbreak and destruction wrought by aspiring necromancers throughout the centuries. Yet the mechanics of how it is done is completely lost."

"That's the point: the less who know how to use such power, the fewer who can abuse it. Also, don't sidetrack. how did you come up with your theory?" She scoffed.

"I'll get to that. You know I like context because... "

Aletta Interrupted, "Words without context mean nothing. Yes, I know. Get to the point."

She saw him smile for the first time since meeting Ezeel in this Guardian-forsaken cave; she wanted to nail him in the face with her fist. "Impatient as always. Very well, I'll get to the point. The Vigil have their own library. I managed to get in and steal several manuscripts. Many of the books there have a very different perspective on several categories of magic, but Animaflow was scarce even there. They strictly controlled the information on how to use that magic."

"You're insane! You robbed the Vigil? They will kill you and your entire house if they find out it was you."

"Is that a hint of concern for your old teacher I hear in your voice?" He chuckled. Ezeel's eyes glazed over, and he spoke in a quiet, monotone voice, "Well, they would if there was anyone left."

At this, Aletta paused, stunned. Her voice quivered as she asked, "What are you talking about? What happened to Abby? What about the twins!"

As the questions fled from her lips, another Seran approached and reported, "The Eclipse has started. We must proceed with the ceremony."

Ezeel nodded in response and started to walk away. Aletta's eyes filled with tears of frustration. "Answer me, you bastard!" She screamed.

He blew out a long sigh, "I will once this is over. Stay still. As you know, moving around will complicate things, and I would prefer you come out of this unscathed."

"And what of the risks, Ezeel? What of the side effects? You're willing to endanger my very soul for this?"

Ezeel's expression was haunted, his remorse palpable. "I don't know the full extent of the side effects, Aletta; but I had to take this chance. I had to save our people. You are the key to everything." With that, all the Serans surrounded the ritual circle.

It is time.

Ezeel ascended a small dias that elevated off the ground on the northern section of the magic circle. He began to chant, and all the surrounding acolytes joined with him. Weightlessness took hold, and all those participating started to hover in the air.

The runes carved in the ground began to glow as the Flow from the various nethergems started to pour into them. The runes drained the gems pile by pile until they all disintegrated to dust. Still, they demanded more. At this point, one of the Serans approached the lava pool and, with a flash of magic, broke the stone walls that held the lava at bay. The lava slithered over the ritual, filling every crevice like a craftsman casting a mold.

The lava hardened quickly as the hot energy drained into the ceremony. Still, it was not enough. Aletta saw the various casters begin to pull out and drink the sickly purple Flow potions. Aletta recalled the vile, bitter taste as she saw them drink. The memory alone was enough to make her gag.

Aletta saw floating clouds filled with a kaleidoscope of colors. The Flow was so concentrated that she could see it without channeling Flow to her eyes. She had seen this phenomenon only once before, on the day of her banishment.

The magical energy clouds swirled into motion, lifted several alchemical ingredients into the air, and dissolved them. The dissolved substances then flew into the Emperor's statue, and cracks formed on it. More and more of the ingredients went through the same fate until all that was left was the cockatrice's corpse. Its future was no different. The magic surrounded the mass of flesh and viscera and dissolved it. The final massive cloud slammed into the statue—more cracks formed with light spilling out from them.

A flash of light blinded Aletta, and the statue exploded. When her eyes finally recovered, the gently breathing form of a Seran was lying at the center of the ritual. The sleeping form looked nothing like the statue that had inhabited the space previously. He had a thinner, almost sickly frame. Instead of the broad and proudly spread wings, these wings were tucked away behind his back. Nevertheless, he held the striking black wings that she was expecting. They were a void bound to the seran's back.

A sickly feeling began to take hold of Aletta. Her Flow was being taken from her. Just the barest amount was taken, but even then, she felt violated. She could see her Flow exit her body from her heart and enter the ritual. In response, the runes' light began to glow brighter, and an imprint of them rose from the ground and floated in the air. The glowing runes began to spin faster and faster until the solid chain of light formed the portal to the void. She heard a deep and powerful voice that shook the cavern she stood in.

"SO IT BEGINS!"

At the sound of the voice, a small white wisp exited from the portal. Every Seran in the room watched as the wisp drifted aimlessly through the room, and then, with a sudden rush, it zipped into the Obsidiar.

Her mind panicked as the energy continued to empty from her body. She felt her Flow being pulled toward the unconscious Obsidiar.

This is it. This is where Aletta could resist. She could ruin the whole ceremony if she pulled her Flow back to her body. The chances she would die were extreme, if not altogether guaranteed, but then she would at least be the master of her own fate. Who knew what kind of life she would live after this? Aletta had seen soul-marred mages before. Death was a better fate.

Just as Aletta was about to exert her will on her stolen Flow, a small, feminine voice that sounded like a parent gently chiding their child whispered into her mind.

"My daughter, do not resist. True freedom awaits."

Aletta froze. Was she hallucinating? Was she dying? She couldn't have heard her mother; she was already dead. Before she could gather the will to control her lost Flow, the energies began to twist and connect with the Obsidiar. It felt like she was losing a part of herself, except something new replaced what was being lost. Her mind was overwhelmed with a mountain of stimuli, and the world went dark.