"This ring has become part of the spell. Wear it," she said, holding out her palm.
Ethan nodded silently.
He took the ring back and slipped it onto his ring finger.
Flash, who had been standing quietly to the side the entire time, finally spoke:
"So we have some time."
Zeydana looked at him, then at the others.
"Time, yes,though not much of it. The next stage will be harder."
She turned to Susie and kissed her granddaughter on the forehead.
"And you, girl, did well. You've already done more than I expected."
Susie gave a weak smile, still pale after the recent fight.
The room fell quiet again.
Ethan sat staring at his ring. The black lines on his neck no longer pulsed so violently. The voices inside the stake had grown quieter, they hadn't disappeared, but now they sounded muffled, as if coming from behind a thick wall.
For the first time in a long while, he felt like he could think a little more freely.
[To make it easier to understand what's happening to Ethan and how he is developing]
Ethan Hitcher
Human
Special trait: Keeps everything inside and absorbs it. His personality periodically shifts.
Cursed by vampire magic. 5 months remain until the curse fully consumes his body.
Age: 24
Weapon of the First Rank: Possesses a cursed stake capable of absorbing vampire souls and the souls those vampires had previously consumed.
It is a screaming, astral vessel. One day it will no longer hold.
Ability of the cursed weapon: Vessel, power amplification, absorption of the wielder.
Any cursed weapon can grant its bearer a violently unstable temperament, drain their life force, and in return give them immense power for a short time. The more souls it holds, the stronger the wielder becomes.
Vessel of Souls: (Mid-limit) If too many souls accumulate, the weapon will rupture and Ethan will be devoured by hundreds, perhaps millions,of cursed souls.
While the group gathered around the table in the main room and quietly discussed their next plans, Zeydana gave her granddaughter a subtle nod.
"Susie," she said with quiet firmness.
"Come with me for a moment."
Susie looked up, blinked in surprise, and immediately stood. She felt her grandmother gently squeeze her hand,not hard, just enough to signal that this was important.
They stepped out of the main room into a small nook behind the kitchen. It was quiet there, lit only by the faint glow of a few lamps.
Her grandmother closed the door behind them and turned to face her. Her expression was tired, her eyes very serious. She placed both hands on Susie's shoulders and looked straight into her eyes.
"Listen to me carefully," she began, her voice low, almost a whisper.
"And don't interrupt."
Susie nodded, feeling her heart beat faster. She could tell her grandmother wasn't just talking, she was giving an order, a mission for the future.
"You saw what's happening to that boy," Zeydana continued.
"You know what kind of darkness is growing inside him. You managed to kill one vampire, to hold him with your spell."
"That was good. Very good for your first time. But it's not enough."
She squeezed Susie's shoulders a little tighter, as if trying to pass on some of her own strength.
"While the others are busy with their tasks, you will do the most important thing."
"You will watch over Ethan. Don't stray far from him. Never leave him alone for long."
Susie swallowed.
"I… I understand, Grandma."
Zeydana nodded and continued even more quietly, with greater urgency:
"Use your magic, even if it's weak. Train it every day. Every hour, if you can."
"Especially practice the barrier and protection spells,the ones we worked on during training. Learn to make them stronger and to hold them steadily."
"If you feel the darkness inside him waking up again, cast the barrier immediately, even if it's hard for you. You must be his shield, because I won't be there."
Susie felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at her grandmother with wide eyes.
"I'm… scared," she admitted honestly in a whisper.
"I'm still… I barely know anything. What if I can't do it? What if he loses control and I'm not there?"
Zeydana smiled. She removed one hand from Susie's shoulder and gently stroked her cheek.
"You will manage," she said with confidence.
"Because you have something I don't."
"That is the strongest magic of all. Even a weak spell in your hands can become stronger than all my runes if you cast it for someone else."
She paused for a second, then added even more softly:
"Ethan… right now he is like a time bomb. If he isn't held back, he will break. And when he breaks… what comes out will be worse than anything we've ever seen."
"You must be the one who holds the chains. I think the two of you can change everything."
Susie nodded and pressed her lips together, taking a deep breath.
"I'll watch over him," she said, lifting her head with determination, even though her voice still trembled.
"Pray… pray that they succeed. I feel something terrible is coming…" Her grandmother swallowed and spat.
She looked at her granddaughter with quiet pride and sadness at the same time. She leaned in and kissed Susie on the forehead, as if trying to pass on all her strength and all her love.
"I know you won't let me down," she whispered.
"You are my girl. The bravest one I know."
She pulled back and looked Susie in the eyes one last time.