"You're doing a great service to the cause, Emily." A middle-aged man dressed in black clergy robes spoke to a woman of similar age wearing a simpler version of the same robes.

"Thank you Grand Priest...but, will this really work?" She asked with a worried expression.

" Be at ease, Emily, he will surely reward us. Now let's begin." As the conversation ended, figures in black hooded robes climbed the steps to a platform, each of them surrounded a child with dark brown hair chained to an altar in the center.

"Dad...Mom...why?" The child spoke in a confused voice as he lifted his head, exposing his brown eyes filled with bewilderment.

"This is for your own good, Siegfried. Rejoice in your fortune, for even I envy you." The Grand Priest responded preachingly.

"Emily prepare the ceremonial dagger." He ordered.

"Yes, Grand Priest." Emily bowed before giving her son an apathetic look.

Meanwhile, the seven hooded figures began chanting while inscribing a bloody sigil around the altar.

"Oh Progenitor of the void, please accept the vessel we offer unto you."

The bloody sigil depicted three wolves, circling a fourth wolf painted in the center of the altar.

"The dagger is prepared, Grand Priest.", Emily handed a pitch black dagger dripping with an ominous liquid to the Priest.

"Thank you, Emily." The priest walked to the altar staring at the young boy.

"Dad..." The boy looked at his father, while tears stained his face.

"My son..." The Grand Priest looked at the boy, madness almost bursting out of his eyes.

"You've made your father very proud!" He raised the dagger and carved a sigil into his son's hand.

"Aaaaaah!" The boy's scream resounded all around, reaching ears devoid of any humanity.

"It's only a scratch, Siegfried." Emily stared at her son, showing only excitement.

"It's only just beginning Siegfried. Find solace in your pain. Your small life will grant us power."

The dagger was raised to his chest and began carving letters into his flesh.

"Please!" The boy yelled hoarsely as snot and tears decorated his face.

The Priest continued, unbothered by the screams, skillfully using the dagger to write ancient letters on his son's flesh.

"Stop! I'm sorry! Please stop!" The boy writhed in agony hoping for anyone to stop his father. Black blood slowly dripped onto the ground.

Seeing the blood Emily spoke hurriedly. "The poison is beginning to work!"

The eyes of the seven hooded figures gleamed with anticipation.

One by one, the wolves illustrated in blood began glowing before turning black.

The priest nodded his head once before stepping back, "It's time to start. Begin the ritual."

The seven figures stepped forward each brandishing a dagger.

"Emily, begin!" The Priest yelled fervently as his eyes bulged in excitement. Emily raised her hands slowly and began speaking.

"Oh Void Wolf, hear us call to you. We offer an innocent child raised for 7 years in ignorance to suffering."

The room began shaking wildly as the nine people in the room began breathing heavily. Joy was clearly apparent on their faces. Siegfried's body began spasming, his hair turning pitch black, while his eyes began glowing yellow. The sound of his bones breaking spread throughout the room.

"Aaaaaaah!"

The Priest smiled widely before he spoke."We will now cleanse the vessel!"

He nodded towards the 7 figures. One by one they stepped towards the altar. The seven figures raised their daggers with hands that trembled in excitement.

"N..No..o."Siegfried protested weakly as his eyes looked on in horror. The seven figures ignored him and began stabbing enthusiastically.

"Agh..."

Siegfried coughed black blood as the seven figures continued tearing into his flesh: the poison that coated his Father's dagger enhanced the pain, causing his suffering to reach a new height. Slowly, Siegfried stopped his struggle as he choked on his own blood. His hands went limp as his yellow eyes dimmed, heat gradually receding from his body.

'Why? Did I do something wrong? Mother? Father?' His last thoughts wouldn't be heard by those in the room. The seven figures eventually stopped stabbing when all signs of life receded. The Priest and Emily walked closer. Nine people smilingly stood in a circle staring at a lifeless body.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

'Truly an innocent boy!' The priest silently thought to himself.

"Use this humble body as your vessel!" Emily said while shaking with reverence.

The previously motionless body began to show signs of movement. A faint black mist emerged from the pores of the body and soon after it spread throughout the room. The nine people in the room trembled jubilantly and kneeled on the ground awaiting possession of the "vessel". More and more black mist poured out congealing into a silhouette of a wolf.

The wolf hovered above Siegfried's body, sending a single glance towards the kneeling people before staring at Siegfried. For a while, it was silent as the faint black mist moved around the room as if it were alive. The 9 people began to get nervous, but couldn't help their excitement deep down. The priest couldn't help but peek at the incorporeal being before him but when he tried to look he felt an unbearable soul ripping pressure that almost suffocated him.

" Haaah." The priest gasped for air and eventually caught his breath while blood dripped from his nose.

The semi-transparent Wolf slowly redirected its gaze to the 9 people again. Its mouth opened and an incredibly deep voice sounded out shaking the room. "Nine of you wish to receive immortality in exchange for the boy's life?"

Although the words could be taken as criticism the tone was one of indifference not portraying any particular emotion. Thus, everyone became too nervous to speak but still looked expectant.

The priest cupped his hands and began speaking, "My Lord, we would like to-"

"That wasn't what I asked." The voice interrupted sounding ever so slightly annoyed causing the room to shake and the mist to stir. The priest quickly prostrated.

"Yes my Lord, we wish for immortality! This one begs for forgiveness!"

"I see." The Wolf redirected his gaze towards Siegfried as if searching for something.

"And shall I revive the boy?" The Wolf asked again in an emotionless tone making it hard to guess the intentions behind it if there were any at all.

"Pardon me, my Lord! This one-"

"That wasn't what I asked you." The voice began to leak with an easier to detect, trace of annoyance, the room shook even more and the mist silently stirred. "I would advise you to think before you speak again."

The other eight kneeling people began to bleed from their noses while silently cursing the priest. It was clear the Wolf was very forward and wanted simple answers instead of flattery.

"Apologies my lord!" The priest slammed his head onto the ground.

"The boy...is no longer needed, my Lord."The priest forced a smile.

"Is he not your child? Reviving him would be a trivial task."

The priest thought for a while before speaking. "He's outlived his usefulness, my lord, in addition, he was raised knowing very little of worldly matters, children can be replaced, reviving him would be pointless my lord."

The Wolf stared at the priest for a while. "Since he outlived his usefulness then he is no longer needed, correct?"

"Yes my Lord!" The priest responded quickly without realizing the potential implications behind the question.

"Then..." The Wolf paused while the mist stirred silently. Rising higher and higher. For the first time, the Wolf exposed what appeared to be it's incredibly bright yellow eyes that emitted light. "Why do I need any of you?"

The 9 people felt pure terror in their heart's wishing they could run away and yet no one could find the strength to move. "P-Please My Lor-"

"To dust." The 9 bodies shook violently. Aging rapidly.

"Please it wasn't my fault spare me, he forced me to give up my son!" Emily now looking twice her original age pleaded desperately wishing to find an escape.

"You'd lie to me?" The Wolf said emotionlessly as it looked at Emily, a pillar of black mist formed above her and crushed her instantly.

Seeing Emily being reduced to a pile of ash, the remaining eight people began to feel dread. The priest regretted not saying something else and instead of rushing to answer. The Wolf looked at those who remained. All of a sudden the remaining eight men and women aged rapidly, slowly withering, eventually turning into black dust. The Wolf turned it's sight back to the child.

The mist slowly expanded grabbing a book hidden within the robes of the priest with it. On the cover of the book was the sigil of 4 wolves. It slowly disappeared into the mist.

Then the Wolf began to blend with the black mist, eventually, the mist covered everything in the room while the ground violently shook.

Then all was quiet. The mist disappeared along with the body of Siegfried.

Rip!

An audible tear occurred in the space above the altar as a black pillar of mist rose into the sky. Within a few miles of the surrounding area, all organic life dropped dead before decaying into black sand. All trees became petrified turning black. It seemed time sped up thousands of years in an instant.

Though the pillar rose in a remote location it was visible thousands of thousands of miles round. People everywhere looked at the pillar of mist and felt a creeping chill.

"Gods help us!"

"Gods guide us!"

"Protect us!"

...................................................

Within a palace, a King was having a conversation that was identical to many leaders around the world.

"My King!" A minister bowed politely as he began to report the situation.

"Mages are reporting through transmission, the black pillar was spotted all over the Continent, they also say it's more than likely that the countries of Parv and Telvane have seen it as well. Our sources report the major Parvian Houses are convening and the Tel’vian Empire is reorganizing its military. In addition, many noble holds under our Grenitian kingdom are stirring. Many claim it's a warning from the Gods. The Diavol and the Dark Elves are also showing movements."

"Aah!"

"Can't be."

"Will it involve our Kingdom again?"

"Another great calamity? "

Many nobles began whispering as an ominous atmosphere permeated the room.

"Quiet!" The King rose from his throne, causing the nobles to quiet down.

"It has been more than one thousand years since the last time an event like that happened, the Grenitian Kingdom rebuilt and survived, did it not?"

Many nobles nodded in silence as the King began contemplating.

"Tell all the Noble houses to train their sons and monitor the people within their own territories, any outstanding talents are to be sent to the capital for further training no matter the origin, all conflicts, and blood feuds are to cease until further notice or they will be deemed enemies of the kingdom."

"As you will, my King."

"Any other matters?" The King asked.

"There is nothing else."The minister bowed.

"Then if that's all." The King waved his hand, dismissing all the nobles.

....................................................