Mark received the call from his mobile.
"Hello Mr. Azrael's so-called brother... Today, a bloody moon will bloom in the sky... The sea will turn black... The forest will turn red... Every subconscious, skeletal part of the body will be smeared with blood... Can you keep yourself safe from this blood-feud?" From the other side of the call, a deep creepy voice came through his ears.
Then the call automatically cut off.
Such vague and creepy words kept echoing in his mind. He couldn't understand what all those things meant. But he could clearly understand that, those words were some kinds of dark ritualistic chantings. He anticipated that, those phone call was somewhat related to that paper and it's writings.
At that moment, the manager entered into Mark's cabin.
"Sir, today as our ex-director proposed, an art exhibition will be going to happen. But now it's your decision what you want to do regarding this matter, sir." The manager spoke.
Hearing that, Mark thought for sometimes. Then he spoke.
"Manager, as today is my 1st day of work, I want to postpone the exhibition for tomorrow. In addition, I want to make this exhibition grand, so that people in the city can know me. I want to show others that I also can manage this company better than ex-director. So, kindly make proper arrangements." Mark spoke in a deep tone.
Manager nodded in agreement and left the cabin.
After that, Mark took out a canvas and a brush from a drawer from the table. After arranging the canvas properly before a wall, he slowly closed his eyes. He rolled the brush in his hands on the color palette and then on the canvas.
Within a few hours, a brilliant artwork gradually materialized on the canvas. It felt like his brush automatically had painted on the canvas by itself. After he completed his drawings, he opened his eyes.
Looking at his painting, he was impressed on himself. The oil painting was tinted a dark blackish red hue. A large wooden table was drawn in the center of the picture. A large, blood-stained curtain hanging from the ceiling lay on the table. On either side of the wooden table, four vague figures of people were seen sitting on vague yet strange black iron thrones. It was clearly visible in that picture that, those people had no head on their body. The ground was painted with the colors of the mixture of crimson red and black, as if blood was flowing over the ground. In one corner of the picture, the figures of two unknown white birds were visible; the birds' bodies had been torn into pieces, and the shattered parts were stuck to the wall of the hall shown in the painting. A pillar in the hall visible in the picture was filled with the blood and flesh remains of various unknown animals. The painting itself gave off a creepy and gory vibes. However, for Mark, it was completely natural, because from his childhood he habitually had been painted such gory and horrific pictures.
So, he decided to submit that painting to showcase during the art exhibition. So, as he stepped out from his cabin for the submission, he realized that by then, the lunchtime had started.
He silently went to his manager's room and put the canvas on the manager's desk. After that, he stepped out from the office to see if anyone was selling any food on the road, so that he could be full.
He saw a restaurant in front of the office gate.
Immediately, he went and entered in the restaurant. He noticed many other coworkers were also completing their lunch there. He came and sat at a table a short distance away from them. A waiter then came and asked for orders. Mark ordered only two plates of lemon rice and curd to him, the waiter. Waiter left after taking notes of Mark's orders.
At that moments, he could listen some gossips among those coworkers.
"Hey, I though our new directer will be as cold as our previous one. But I'm wrong..."
"Yeah, Som. I also thought the same. But this director is kinda... quite..."
"But it's his first day of his job. I am hoping the best, you know..."
"But anyways, we can't forget that scandal. Even if the new director is different from old one... As the saying goes, fruit does not fall far from the tree..."
"Agreed..."
"Mm... Hmm..."
Such gossips began to drift to his ears. He smiled. By then, the waiter came and served the food. After his lunch, he silently walked outside the restaurant.
Nobody saw his coming. So, he understood that, those kinds of raw conversations would help him succeed into that company. With a bittersweet smile, he returned back to his cabin.
At 9 PM,
After completing all the work in his cabin, he noticed the wall clock hanging on a wall. It was 9'o clock at night. He remembered that paper writings. He knew the address of the Birmingham castle. But he was surprised of a fact that, mainly grand events among those influential families took place in that castle. So he was suspicious about what was about to happen there.
At sharp 10'o clock, he reached to that castle. It was situated at a slight outskirts of the north-east. So, it was naturally very quite from the city. From the outside of it, it looked like a silent giant monster was standing in the boundless darkness. A shudder ran through his spine at an unknown dread.
He gradually knocked the door with an unknown fear. With his shock, the door automatically opened with cracking echoes. He slowly entered the castle.
Upon entering the castle, he could notice, amidst the dark corridor, numerous candles were organised at the wall. He fearfully continued to move forward to the end of the corridor.
At the end, there was a large hall. As he entered the hall, the candles in that hall, lit up with a dim flame. In that light, he noticed a large wooden table was at the center of the hall. A large red-colored curtain was hanging beside the table. Behind the curtain was a large covered window. On the either side of the table were four black iron thrones. He silently seated on one of those thrones.
There was no movement in the hall for a while. Everything was dead silent for sometimes.
After a while, three more figures slowly entered the hall. By that time, the candle flames were extinguished. So, amidst the silent darkness, they couldn't see Mark's face, though Mark also couldn't see their faces.
After they sat on other thrones, suddenly a deep voice from background echoed across the hall.
"Hello, gentlemen... Let's begin the meeting..."
Hearing that, Mark startled in shock, but within a second, he maintained his composure. He began to cast his eyes around. Surprisingly, the hall began to feel very familiar, although he couldn't recall where he had seen it before. Then he rolled his eyes towards those three unknown individuals.
The moment he looked at them, suddenly a vision of their headless figures shattered his thoughts in his mind. He immediately recalled where he had seen such visuals. It was none other than his paintings at that morning.
His body became pale in fear. His habit was to draw such gory images from his childhood, but he never expected that such painting would about to come real. He even anticipated what would gonna happen next. And the most shocking thing was he was one of the characters according to the painting.
However, still he somehow tried to maintain his composure. He could hear some conversation happening in the hall.
"So, how was the fight?"
"It was tough, I will say. But in front of my techniques, nothing is impossible. After all, everything is part of my plan..."
"True. But don't you think, calling him here will put us at a great risk?"
"Why do you forget, he is nothing but just a pawn for us!"
"That you'll say for sure. But don't you think she will know everything soon?"
"That I'll handle... Don't worry about it..."
Such overlapping vague discussions continued to echo across the hall. Mark couldn't understand what all those conversations meant. At that moment, that deep voice from the background again spoke...
"Here's the deal. I have a stardust with me. But as you all know, every opportunity comes with a price. So, whoever wants to get the stardust, he need to sacrifice his pituitary gland to me. I can give the stardust to him only." Saying that, he again went silent.
Although Mark didn't have any supernatural source in his body. He was very well aware of those concepts of seeds, cosmos mysteries, and such rituals regarding the characteristics of the seeds, many more. He was well aware of the fact that the 'Voidryn' family had some kind of seed into their storage. But from his childhood, his step-family always used to keep him away from here, as if they didn't want to involve him into those matters. His step-brother although didn't believe into such concepts and used to ignore them as rumors. But he believed in those concepts. He even had studied them in secret.
So, hearing such things was completely normal to him. But he was mostly scared of the fact that, as the gland was part of the brain, so it meant whoever would take that reward, his head would be cut down from his body.
He at that moment straight decided to stay out of it.
"Excuse me, tonight I'm not feeling well. I will take my leave..." He spoke in a nervous tone and stood up from the throne.
"Don't you know, this meeting has a strict rule that, No one can leave this meeting until it is over. And, by the way, where is your assistant, who is always by your side in every one of these meetings?" Another figure asked him.
He was ready for that answer.
"I came here, alone." He replied.
He was in no frame of mind to sit down again. He silently began to move towards the corridor. But suddenly a soft rustling sound broke his reverie; he realized that he was actually sitting on his throne, as if he had never gotten up or gone into the corridor. He instantly realized that, his movements a moment ago had been in a dream.
He couldn't think of any ways then. But also inside in his mind, a sort of strong warning continuously kept triggering, as if he had to leave that castle immediately. He gradually began to lose his rationality.
Although with his surprise, he realized the meeting didn't stop there, as if everyone completely ignored him and continued the meeting. He heard a familiar voice, saying,
"I have one precious item with me. I want to wrap up your deal with my item..."
He clearly understood that familiar voice had directed to the background voice.
"Oh, really! So, what is your item?" From the background, that voice asked in a deep voice.
"Blue Devil Spear..."