The Broken Halo

Chapter 1042 - 1041: Sonya’s Awakening

Simon dipped his finger into the bowl of blood and continued drawing around Sonya.

She sat cross-legged on a broad stone platform, her hands resting on her knees. The wound on her palm had already closed, but the blood she had provided filled most of the circle beneath her.

They had been brought to an isolated part of The Abyss, where black pillars surrounded a wide, sunken courtyard. Deep cracks marked several sections of the floor. Others had been replaced, leaving patches of pale stone among the darker slabs.

Simon could imagine what had happened to the missing pieces.

The nearest buildings stood far beyond the courtyard. Here, the Abyss helped demons whose ancestral bloodlines had partially awakened, or accommodated those approaching an evolution of their own.

Such occasions were rare.

Having all twelve elders present was rarer still.

They watched from a raised terrace overlooking the platform. Enigma stood with Akaza, Virella, and Ammor in a separate enclosure, behind the formations protecting the courtyard’s edge.

[Bring that line closer to her,] Lilith instructed.

Simon adjusted his finger, guiding the blood inward.

Above him, Grand Elder Golden Tyrant watched the inscription take shape.

”We gave him five treasures for the first method. Now he’s telling us he can awaken his companions without gathering any of those materials.”

Night Widow glanced toward her.

”Are you regretting the reward?”

”No. I’m wondering how many more methods he knows and how many more rewards he would want.”

”That makes two of us.”

Bone Prophet leaned forward, studying the circle below.

”I’m more interested in the Daemon who gave them to him. One method would have been remarkable enough.”

”And Blackmoon still refuses to tell us who they are,” Golden Tyrant said.

Night Widow’s eyes curved above her veil.

”He barely knows us. Would you have told us everything on your first visit?”

Golden Tyrant gave her a look.

Their conversation remained within the sound-blocking formation surrounding the terrace. Below, Simon continued drawing, occasionally pausing to examine an inscription before moving to the next.

”An ancient Daemon, perhaps,” White Death said. ”Someone who knows more about our bloodlines than we do.”

”Or someone who obtained an ancient inheritance,” Bone Prophet replied.

”Either would be worth meeting.”

Dread Crown kept his gaze on Simon.

”He has already refused to identify them. Asking the same question again won’t change that.”

”So we wait?” Golden Tyrant asked.

”He came back to offer us another method without being asked. For now, I would rather see what he’s prepared to show us.”

Night Widow nodded slightly.

”The boy hasn’t even been here for three days, and we’ve already spent more time discussing him than some of our own Blessed.”

Red Calamity chuckled.

”I doubt that will change anytime soon.”

Before anyone could answer, Ancestral Elder Black Mountain narrowed his eyes.

”Have you noticed the girl?”

Their attention shifted toward Sonya.

She had placed one hand against the floor while Simon worked. A faint current of Earth energy moved beneath her palm, spreading through the stone around her.

Black Mountain’s expression grew solemn.

”Her Earth affinity. Can you feel it?”

White Death examined Sonya for a moment.

”Yes. It has gone beyond S grade.”

Night Widow’s amusement faded.

”She’s still a demon.”

”That’s what makes it strange.”

Several of the elders studied her more closely.

An Earth affinity beyond S grade, before her Daemon bloodline had even awakened.

Such talent was extraordinary even among their own kind. Encountering it in a demon was another matter entirely.

Golden Tyrant leaned forward slightly.

”No wonder Blackmoon was so confident.”

”If she succeeds, I’d like to see what becomes of that affinity,” Black Mountain said.

Sonya lifted her hand from the floor and rested it on her knee again, unaware of their discussion.

Red Calamity looked toward the other enclosure.

”And he brought two of them.”

Akaza stood beside Enigma, watching Simon’s preparations. His arms were folded, but his fingers occasionally tightened against his sleeves.

”He isn’t as talented as Blackmoon or the girl,” Red Calamity continued. ”At least, not from what I can see. But there’s something about him.”

”What do you mean?” Night Widow asked.

The Grand Elder studied Akaza for another moment.

”I can’t quite place it.”

Bone Prophet followed his gaze.

”Something in his bloodline?”

”Perhaps.”

Dread Crown returned his attention to the platform.

”We’ll have time to examine them both later. Blackmoon has finished.”

Simon sat back and inspected the circle.

He followed each line with his perception, checking the inscriptions against Lilith’s instructions. Only after she confirmed that everything was correct did he move the bowl aside.

Several Hell Stones were placed within Sonya’s reach.

”Little kitty.”

He looked up.

”With so many oldies watching, you’d better not embarrass this Honourable.”

”You’re the one who called herself the greatest earth user in existence.”

”And?”

Simon stared at her.

Sonya lifted her chin, apparently seeing no problem with that statement.

He shook his head and sat on the floor directly in front of her.

Then he closed his eyes.

Several drops of blood essence gathered within his heart. He kept them together as he guided them toward the Seed of Pride.

The seed stirred.

Its power entered the blood essence, and a sharp pain spread through his chest.

Simon’s brows drew together.

[Slowly,] Lilith said. [Let the blood essence hold its power before you condense the imprint.]

He reduced the flow.

The drops passed through the seed, gradually darkening as its power settled within them. Simon supplied demonic energy while following the pattern Lilith described.

Fine markings began forming within the blood.

They shifted before he could finish the next stroke.

He stopped and corrected them, holding each part in place while carefully adding another.

This was considerably harder than drawing the formation.

His breathing grew heavier. By the time the first portion of the imprint held, sweat had gathered along his forehead.

[Keep going. You’re doing it correctly.]

Simon continued.

His heart ached, and the amount of demonic energy being consumed was already enough to make him reconsider how quickly he could help Akaza afterward.

He hadn’t even begun Sonya’s awakening yet.

Still, he kept his attention on the blood essence.

The final stroke took shape.

This time, the markings remained joined.

Simon opened his eyes and raised his right hand. Several dark-red drops emerged from his fingertip, gathering into a small bead above it.

Within the bead, the completed imprint glimmered.

The Seed of Pride responded to it from within his heart.

He wasn’t sure if it would have any effect, but he had chosen the Seed of Pride for Sonya’s evolution cause to him, she was more fitted for Pride than any other sin.

On the terrace, Dread Crown’s gaze sharpened when he saw the blood with the imprint.

Below, Sonya tilted her head toward Simon.

”You’ve gone quiet again.”

”I’m concentrating.”

”This Honourable can tell. Your breathing has become very loud.”

”You’ll do more than breathe loudly in a few minutes.”

She gave a small snort.

Simon brought the bead closer.

”Loosen your collar.”

Sonya did so, exposing a small area beneath her collarbones. Simon touched his fingertip to her upper chest and began tracing the imprint, directing its power toward her heart.

The blood spread into narrow lines.

Sonya’s smile disappeared.

”It’s cold.”

Simon glanced at her.

”Does it hurt?”

”Not yet.”

He continued until the bead was gone and the complete mark rested against her skin.

Sonya lowered her chin slightly.

”This Honourable can’t see what you’ve drawn. It had better not be something ridiculous.”

”Stop talking nonsense.”

”I’m only reminding you.”

Simon placed both hands against her upper chest, steadying the imprint as he connected it to the circle.

”Start circulating your demonic energy.”

Sonya took a slow breath.

Her heart beat harder, driving energy through her body. Simon followed its movement, waiting until it completed a full circulation before feeding power into the imprint.

The circle lit up beneath them.

Akaza stepped closer to the barrier.

Blood peeled away from the stone.

The outer lines lifted first, rising around Sonya’s legs before spreading toward her arms and shoulders. More followed from behind her, leaving the floor bare as they gathered upon her body.

Sonya stiffened.

The strands settled across her skin and began joining with the imprint.

Simon felt the moment they connected.

His heart gave a painful throb.

Demonic energy rushed through his arms, drawn toward the mark far more quickly than before. He supplied it immediately, keeping both hands in place.

The imprint flashed.

Sonya’s back straightened.

A low groan escaped her, and her fingers tightened against her knees.

”Keep circulating,” Simon said.

She clenched her jaw and forced her energy onward.

The blood markings began sinking beneath her skin. Her shoulders trembled, and the muscles along her arms tightened as though something were pulling them from within.

Simon maintained the flow, watching her face.

Another flash came from the imprint.

A sharp crack sounded inside Sonya’s body.

Her breath caught.

”Don’t stop.”

She dragged in another breath and continued circulating her demonic energy.

The stone beneath her shuddered.

Simon leaned forward, still seated before her with both palms against her chest. His heart laboured as he fed more power into the imprint.

Under his hands, the mark burned brighter.

Sonya’s bones cracked again, and the pressure rising from her bloodline spread across the platform.