Reborn To Change My Fate-Chapter 342 - Three Hundred And Forty One

The blood began to flow. But it did not just soak into the ground like normal liquid. The magic of the pentacle was already waking up. The warm blood acted as if it were alive. It began to fill the space in the drawn line, flowing smoothly along the carved dirt.

Derek watched in silent awe as his blood moved. It traveled along the edge of the large circle, separating into two streams. The red streams followed the shape of the five-pointed star. They moved faster and faster, glowing with a faint, unnatural heat.

The lines of blood connected to each other, forming a perfect, glowing red pentacle in the white snow.

Finally, the glowing red lines reached the very middle where Marissa is. The blood stopped flowing just inches from her white silk dress, forming a tight, glowing ring around her motionless body.

Everything was ready. The circle of equivalent exchange was complete.

Lord Colton stepped back. He stood outside the circle of blood. He looked at the glowing pentacle, and then he looked up at the clear blue sky. He took a deep breath of the crisp winter air, savoring the feeling of the wind on his face one last time.

He turned to Derek.

"When I am gone," Colton spoke, his voice carrying a deep, peaceful calm. "Bury me in my hometown. Take my body back to the West. Let me rest in the forests with my ancestors."

Derek looked up at the older man. He saw the bravery in Colton’s eyes. Derek placed his other hand over his heart and gave a solemn, respectful nod. He would honor that promise. He would change the laws, and he would take Colton home.

Colton smiled. It was a warm, genuine smile of a man who knew his death would buy a better future for the people he loved.

"It is an honor to serve you, Your Majesty," Colton said.

He bowed perfectly, bending low at the waist to show his absolute respect to the new King of Eudora.

Then, Colton stood up straight. The gentle smile vanished from his face, replaced by absolute, terrifying focus. He turned to the matter at hand.

Colton raised both of his arms high into the air.

He closed his eyes.

He opened his mouth and chanted a spell.

The words he spoke were not in the common language of Eudora. They were ancient, heavy, and guttural. The words vibrated in the air, creating a low, humming sound that made the ground beneath Derek’s boots tremble slightly.

Colton chanted louder. The forbidden arts were waking up. The natural order of the world was being forced to bend.

The atmosphere in the courtyard changed violently. The crisp, cold winter air suddenly turned thick and heavy, pressing down on Derek’s chest like a physical weight.

Derek looked up.

The clear, pale blue sky instantly turned a dark, bruised gray. Thick, black storm clouds rolled in from nowhere, swirling aggressively directly above the small courtyard. The bright sun was completely blotted out, plunging the courtyard into a dark, eerie twilight.

The wind stopped blowing completely. The silence was deafening. The only sound was the loud, vibrating chant coming from Lord Colton’s lips.

The glowing red blood in the pentacle began to bubble and hiss in the snow, reacting to the massive buildup of magical energy.

Colton shouted the final, powerful word of the ancient spell. He threw his head back and pushed his arms higher toward the dark clouds.

CRACK!

A deafening roar of thunder shook the very foundations of the Thompson estate.

A massive, blinding bolt of pure, jagged lightning tore down from the dark gray sky.

The lightning struck him directly.

The bright white electricity hit Lord Colton’s raised hands. His entire body was engulfed in a blinding flash of raw, terrifying power. He stood completely rigid, his feet planted firmly on the ground, acting as the living conduit between the angry sky and the earth.

The power of the lightning did not burn him to ashes immediately. Instead, the magic bent the rules of nature. The immense electrical energy flowed rapidly through Colton’s body, taking his life force, pulling his soul from his chest.

The lightning then redirected from his feet. The blinding white energy shot across the snow and slammed directly into the blood that was on the pentacle.

The entire drawn star exploded with blinding, glowing red light.

Derek had to shield his eyes with his uninjured arm. The heat coming from the pentacle was intense, melting the snow instantly. The magical energy, fueled by Colton’s life and guided by Derek’s blood, rushed toward the center of the star.

The energy pushed violently into Marissa’s chest. Her body jerked upward slightly off the ground from the sheer force of the impact.

The blinding light held for ten long, terrifying seconds. The air smelled strongly of burnt ozone and hot copper. The humming sound reached a pitch so high it hurt Derek’s ears.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the magic stopped.

The connection snapped. The heavy, unnatural pressure in the air vanished completely.

After a while, the glowing red light faded away. The blood in the carved lines bubbled one last time, dried up completely, and turned into dark, flaky dust that blew away in the sudden breeze.

Derek lowered his arm and looked up.

The thick, black storm clouds dissolved into thin air. The sky went back to how it was just minutes ago. The pale winter sun shone brightly once again, casting a peaceful light over the melted snow in the courtyard. The natural order of the world settled back into place.

Derek looked across the yard.

Lord Colton was lying flat on his back in the snow. His arms were spread wide. His clothes were slightly scorched, and a thin trail of smoke rose from his woolen coat. His eyes were closed, and his face was completely peaceful. There was no breath left in his lungs. His chest was entirely still.

The equivalent exchange was complete. The ultimate price had been paid. Lord Colton was dead.