The speeches continued for a few moments. But then they left. It appears the lack of clothes in the top region was making people uncomfortable. Especially the girls.
Before they left, though, Jaishankar held back one of his subordinates.
"Stay in the building. Once the moon runs its course, the array will power down. Close up everything before following back. Remember, Patrol well and let nobody enter. The Rajkumari is angry as it is."
They both left the hall talking.
I slowly stood up, carefully examining the place. The circle was still glowing. And if the report on my phone was right, the blood moon today was long. Almost 120 minutes long. There was still an hour left.
And I had a vial.
The death ratio should have scared me. The powerful and ruthless men who protected their legacy should have scared me. But for all its disadvantages, Suicidal depression has one advantage. With nothing to lose, Fear loses it's fangs.
I walked into the middle of the circle and popped the cork.
I looked around the room. The dark walls, the glowing runes, the bloody moon, I took it all in, and then I downed the liquid in one gulp. It was kind of like drinking too much cold drink in one go. It was sweet, minty, and it burned. It burned like hell.
I bit into my handkerchief. I did not know if the voices left this place or not. But each and every last single vein in my body was on fire. Then I realised that I was on fire. Literally. At first I thought that I will be ash in a while. But I didn't burn. I clenched my fist and focused on the moon above. Glaring at it to hurry the hell up.
It didn't.
I must have been there for hours, for I watched the red fade from the moon. The pain lessened but didn't stop. I guess a normal moon can work as well too just that its efficiency is lesser.
Now, more than the pain, what bothered me was when Jaishankar's subordinate would come back. I did not want to be branded before knowing what it was. Although they didn't brand the Ice Guy. But I was fairly certain that I wouldn't get the same privileges. But he didn't come.
Even after the process was finally done, I lay there sore all over my body for hours, He didn't come. That's when I noticed something. A small pocket diary of red and blacks rested right beside me in my hand. It was small, like really small, almost the size of an eraser. But somehow, I felt connected to it.
So, I kept it in my hand and moved out.
I found the mage. Asleep on one of the Sofas. Huh? Not really a diligent bunch, are you?
I tiptoed past him but stopped at the gate. I just realized. I was naked. How the hell was I supposed to walk back to my hostel?
(They give us a lot of freedom, and nobody stops our movement at any point in the night. Inter-hall movement between genders is allowed as long as you submit your college ID at the gate.)
I phoned my friend Yash.
Please pick up, please pick up, please pick up, you bastard!
CLick
"Yo, what's up?"
"Where are you?"
"In my room, gaming."
"Bring me a set of clothes to my department building."
"I'm playing!"
"I don't care, man, help me out!"
"It's a rank match."
"Fuck your rank!"
Click!
Dammit.
I dialed again.
Click.
"I'll treat you to chowmein in the canteen if you sacrifice the match."
"Masala Chowmein?"
That cost 20 more rupees. But my dignity was worth it.
"Yes."
"Coming."
One thing you realise in college is that after 2 years here, nobody questions anything. Yash wasn't even mildly curious about how I found myself naked in my department building at 4 in the morning. We had already seen too much.
I went back with him, taking a lift on his cycle. "Was it a girl?"
"Don't ask."
"Cool."
We took some stuff from the vending machine. Then he returned to his games while I returned to my room and turned on the light.
There was no magical glow or anything. But I did look a lot more handsome. The small pimple on my forehead had vanished. And it had taken all my blemishes with it.
I decided to take a bath and examine myself when I noticed something. The little book could fly. And it actually set itself on fire as it did.
I hurriedly caught it. Its flames settled. So I took it with me. A warm bath revealed that my face wasn't the only one with an upgrade. I couldn't wait to try out the spells. That's when I realized a huge problem in my master plan. GOD! this was becoming a pattern. I did not have any spells to practice.
So at first I tried to do simple things using my will. Like lighting a small flame on my finger tip or a small movement of a cup on the table.
It took me a few hours, but I managed both. Although it did cost me a cup. But I felt accomplished, the force is strong! And I felt bone tired. Like, absolutely shit.
But I powered through anyway. I needed to see what happens when the college realizes it's missing a fifth of its third-year batch in the morning.
I wore a mask and a hoodie. Faked a cough in the mirror, and set out to class for the first time in weeks.
But right before I started, I was hit with a magical wave. Actually, everyone was. I could feel it because the waves were similar to the waves I had felt yesterday during the awakening, and I had also felt similar milder waves off of the sleeping mage. Wait, was I giving them off, too?
I focused and checked. Only to find my own field. Which I suppressed using will. It cost me the first three classes of the day, but I didn't plan to get caught so early.
I arrived in time for the last class of the day. Only to find things going business as usual. With not a hair out of place.