The lingering sap-like feeling on Eric's chest brought him no joy. "Of course," He sighed. "That's how it works." He dragged his body back to the pond of blood.
He'd been thinking about his magic all wrong. He was treating it like Alix's or Alisa's magic. But this magic is for a clan of blood fiends.
Trying to control the blood wasn't the method. He had to focus on the pain and heat in his chest. His hunger fueled his magic.
"Mama Wolf would be so disappointed."
Eric closed his eyes. He thought back to a time that Alix trained with him.
He could see her impatiently sitting in front of him.
"Stop focusing on the blood!" She snapped, "The runic clan fed on blood, but they didn't worship it. They worshipped battle. Blood fuels your magic; it doesn't activate it. Focus on your mark. Now try again."
Eric's chest slowly rose and fell in repeated movements. He became lost in his concentration.
"Focus on the heat, Holiday." He mumbled. "Focus on the heat. Make it burn more, make it burn so much that it hurts!"
The heat from his chest intensified. His own blood vessels were burning him from the inside out. He felt the flow, a connection to the mark. The blood within the pool rippled.
A reaction was starting but it wasn't enough yet. He needed more control.
"Those fanatics treat every part of combat as something to be celebrated. Including the feeling of pain. So, if you ever need more power, focus on feeling pain."
"Don't shy away, embrace it. Make it hurt more if you need to, because that is a way to increase the power of your Runic magic."
Eric, still deep in focus, bit his lip. He bit it so hard that it bled. The blood trickled down his chin and dripped onto the ground. It stung but it was enough. His connection with the blood grew stronger.
"Move already!" He ordered. The blood from the pool trickled through the different passageways. Red filled the veins, guiding the liquid to the orb and letting it drip inside.
"It's too slow." Eric instinctively reached for his sheathed blade. He drew it, just enough that the blade was visible, then ran his hand along the blade.
"URGH!" he grunted in pain. He could feel it as the blood dripped from the open wound on his hand. The pain invigorated his mark again. It's sickly light shined!
The blood in the pool moved faster. It raced through the passage ways pouring into the Blood Sun like waterfalls into a basin. The blood filled the orb much faster.
Eric's teeth sunk deeper into his lip as his concentration reached it's peak! The pain no longer hurt. In fact, it felt kind of… invigorating?
Eric felt the blood within his own body boiling, and he loved it! He didn't know he could feel this good.
As the blood filled the glass orb, it glew with power. It truly shined like a sun made of burning blood! It even produced heat, Eric could feel it! It felt wonderful!
It felt-
"Blaugh!"
Eric suddenly vomited. The stream of blood into the orb stopped but the light still shone.
All of the pleasure and excitement for the accomplishment had transformed to disgust and regret.
"I hate this!" He said. "I hate that feeling! It's horrible! It's disgusting!"
He dry heaved. Nothing was in his stomach to come up, but the vivid memory of the experience was enough to trigger this reaction.
Eventually, the feeling passed. Eric's heavy breaths filled the silence of the room.
A gentle ring sounded. "Congratulations, comrade! You succeeded in awakening the Blood Sun!" Eric groaned as the familiar chorus of crazies cheered in his mind.
"Shut up!" He spat out. "I hated all of that! Just let me out of here!"
The voices laughed as though Eric's wish to be released was some sort of joke. "Oh dear descendent. That was just the first test! The awakening, if you will. You've still got more challenges to pass before you arereleased!"
Eric's face paled. He looked up at the sky in disbelief. "More? There's still more?"
"Of course there's more! What did you think if you managed to fill the Blood Sun that you would be free to go? Now, that would just be nonsensical! You have much more that you need to learn!" The boy's fists clenched.
"You psychotic, undead, bastards!" Eric yelled. "Do you not understand how screwed up this is?! The way you use magic is by wielding mortal blood! That's twisted! It's disrespectful and insane!"
The voices sighed. "Those are the words of a naive child. Continue to the next test, descendant! You will only be allowed out when you completeall of the tests that reside in this ruin of ours."
Eric's eyes widened, The voices sound...disappointed? Like his words offended them?
His face slowly shifted and twisted into a look of rage and bewilderment. 'They feel offended? After what they've done to me? After what they made me do to my friends?'
He picked himself up from the ground. He moved over to the fleshy wall and reluctantly pushed into it.
"I swear, if I ever get the chance, I'm gonna wipe out any remnants of the Runic Clan from the face of the world!"
...
The mist ran thick on the outskirts of town. Somehow the further one was from the temple, the harder it was to see?
At least, most people would find it difficult. The figure currently walking through the mist showed no such struggle. It was as though he could see as clearly as any other day.
In fact, he could see. He could move through the mist without being lost. His eyes were not impeded by the mist.
And the mist seemed serve as his guide?
"I feel like I've been walking for days? Where is it?" The figure complained. Then, he finally saw something.
His gaze landed on a certain small, rickety, old building made entirely of wood. The forgotten home of the family of devils that resided within this town.
"Ah~" A grin showed beneath the hood. "Just like home! I guess this is it?" He walked over to the door. It was covered in rot and water damage. Hard to believe that it was even still standing.
He pushed it open revealing a long darkened staircase.
"This isn't much of a home. More like a basement." He joked. The wind blew revealing his chest with a glowing wound upon it. "Alright, my sanguine ancestors. Let's see what you've left for your descendant!"