Evelyn as agreed delivered the items to a covert address and Damian collected them after spying around the area being invisible. Can't trust these purebloods at all, even if he is in a deal with Evelyn, there is a loophole, she may not make a move but her subordinates can, she must have dropped some hints for them.
So yeah, he is basically on guard, after checking and also making sure the items aren't rigged, he placed them all away in his system inventory before leaving from there. From the beginning to end, he didn't even show himself there at all.
Damian returned to the room of requirement through some detours and opened the ritual room, he placed the ingredients in places of ritual circle mentioned in the book and then he got undressed which is a requirement for the ritual. He then initiated the ritual, the mana started getting into the ritual circle from mana veins.
The ingredients floated one by one and then Damian himself felt he is held by something, the ingredients become liquid and the liquid forms in the ingredients became mist, they slowly floated towards him body, enveloped his body and started making him like a mummy then started building a small coccon around him.
The mana input into his body through the ritual brought him a prickling sensation, he felt like a full glass spilling the water. But he forced himself to attune to this mana, because this is the most important for him, to purify his body and mana. to some extent, it also erased the lingering effects of dark arts on his body.
Black list started emitting from his body, as more and more mana got poured into his body, he felt like he is maybe growing into an inflated ballon, hisblimbs felt numb, his bones started creaking, his vision started darkening, his skin felt like it's on literal fire.
And worst of it, is his mana circuit, it's being forced to overwork, he is going through all this for maximum efficiency in the ritual. He could have just simply slept and let this ritual strengthen his physique and mana reserves, but he chose to endure to reduce the effects of Obscurus on his body.
He gritted his teeth and continued enduring despite the pain he is going through. His muscles also started to feel like they're being twisted, he started feeling dizzy and nauseatic. His heart started accelerating to a pace that made him very nervous, his head throbbed in severe pain.
His mana circuit also started heating up. As he continued to endure until he no longer can, finally he lay unconscious in the coccon, a blood red coccon that is gradually losing its colour and becoming white.
Damian's Pov :
Damian lay on a grassfield, he gazed at the sky with confusion, he stood up and looked around, isn't he in the ritual room, why is he suddenly here. Could this a hallucination? A side effect from the ritual maybe or perhaps his brain is playing with him after going through the excruciating pain.
He looked around to see what kind of hallucination is this? Instead he is met with a pitch black humanoid figure a little far away, a voice that felt exactly like his own resounded," Tell me Damain, you think you can walk away with your life after reaching jaws, you always saw me as a disability, always thinking I'm some kind curse to you, but have you ever thought, that it's me who granted you the life you have, it was me who rescued you from those dark wizards. Yet you want to get rid of me why? ".
As it turned around Damian is shocked to find himself, the other version of him is wearing dark robes that look like pitch black darkness, the sharp red eyes contrast to his own blue and the cold look, terrified Damian. The environment around instantly changed. The sky thundered, the peace vanished replaced by storm.
The other Damian vanished and appeared in front of him, gripping his neck with a blood thirsty gaze, anger radiating in the counterparts eyes, the bloodshot eyes with red pupils that gleamed ominously, Damian is too shocked to say anything.
" Why do you want to kill a part of yourself that protected you from death? Why are you suppressing your own anger, sorrow, and kept feeding that to me with your ridiculous light ability and clumsy mind art, you're nothing but a hypocrit. No, I'm nothing but a hypocrit, for we are one ", the other Damian spoke while tightening his grip on Damian's neck.
The world itself felt chaotic no longer peaceful, storms raged, the sea rose like huge tsunami, the earth started quaking, everything around started turning into dust in some kind of disaster. Damian looked into his the other Damian's eyes and spoke," because I want to live long enough to take my vengeance and you kept eating my life ".
" Hehe, who said I'm eating your life, it's you who no control over your power, no proper control over me, your own darkness grew too much for your light to suppress. It's time for you to embrace the darkness within you, accept yourself first before accepting the dead ones. Because as you're now, you're unworthy to carry the vengeance, you yourself is not fit for something like this, when you're wrestling for your own life. Accept the power within you Damian, accept yourself, accept the darkness, accept me ", the grip on Damian's neck tightened.
Damian spoke," unfortunately, you're not a part of me. You're nothing but the aggregation of my incompetant rage, pathetic suffering and helpless sorrow. You're my darkness yes, but you're not me, you're the thing that is holding me back from my goal. For me, anyone who stands in the way, has only on destination. Their end ".
The world itself seemed to stay still, the other Damian got blasted and landed on the nearby cliff. Golden chains bound his limbs tightening around his body. " I'll deal with you once I started th mana heart ritual, until then, I'll chip you away slowly, from now on, I'll not suppress my emotions, I'll take them, I have perfect smashing ground to vent my emotions afterall, you'll be starved, grow weak and eventually destroyed by me. You're not part of me that I should accept, you're a part of me that I will conquer as a first step for duty. I will see you again, Fake Me ".