The Taste of Seduction

The herbs have been gathered and they have been mixed with the moonlight potion. She drank it and is now ready for the next part of the ritual.

She looked at the moon and pondered on for a moment. Since getting the book, she had been striving to push herself to the limits as she wanted to wholeheartedly learn how to use her powers.

Her ancestors, especially her mother, had always been great and had made a name for themselves. Of course, she, too, must want and have the same recognition, right?

She took a deep breath, and released it. As she knew that she is already doing her best to do the ritual alone, she had to continue on and do her best so she can accomplish the ritual.

Knowing that she and her mother can only do it, it put a bit pressure on her. However, she redirected her thoughts and knew not to doubt herself. Once she allows even little room for her doubts, then she will find it difficult to finish this ritual.

As she snapped herself out of her thoughts, she walked towards Marcus who was now laying unconscious on the pentagram. She gathered all of the things she learned from the training, the sensation of it strong as magic coursed through her veins.

Meredith now sat in Indian seat by his head. With her closing her eyes and her left and right palms almost touching his head, she detached herself from her surroundings.

Soon, she was redirected to Marcus\' subconscious. It was a dark void, purely black. She looked into complete nothingness with her mind, now seeing the chain that represented her soul tie with him.

The chain was as big as the ones she destroyed the other day. With it long and levitating around Marcus\' subconscious, she knew that it would be difficult to destroy compared to the one she destroyed a day ago.

The chain was laced with magic just like Austin said. But the light of the magic that surrounded it kept fluctuating like a light being flicked on and off like a switch.

\'So this is the effect of the other steps of the ritual,\' Meredith thought, her subconscious-self walking in the middle of Marcus\' mind.

She settled herself in the middle and then raised both of her hands to aim at the chains levitating around. She shifted her focus and control in following the pattern of the chain. She thought it was not that difficult in following its pattern, as it is the same with the other one she destroyed…

However, this was longer. She thought to herself that it would take a lot of time—maybe a lot of hours—to destroy the chain.

But Meredith reminded herself all the time that it is not impossible.

***

Atlas paced back and forth, Austin still sitting on his garden chair whilst he took a sip of his tea. He watched him bite the tip of his thumb, obviously on a deep thought as he started to worry about Meredith.

"You know, she\'s going to accomplish this," Austin said, snapping Atlas out of his thoughts.

"Well, yes… I believe in her," he replied, now standing straight as he stopped pacing. "But is it really this long?"

"It is," Austin replied, taking a small biscuit in his mouth. "It\'s expected to be done until sunrise. That\'s why I told you all… this is a night-long ritual. It\'s not all that simple."

Atlas didn\'t say a word. As his eyebrows creased together, he thought aloud and made Austin nod as he agreed to what he said.

"If she\'s a first-time user of magic and already doing such a big ritual… then she may be very tired afterwards."

"Correct," he replied, pouring tea for Atlas. "But we will be here for her once she finishes the ritual. She would need days rest yet again," she added, Atlas now looking at Meredith who was still sitting straight before Marcus to break the soul tie.

She was already forming beads of sweat on her forehead, and her shirt\'s back part was already wet with sweat. He wanted so much to go to her and wipe it all away, but it will break and disrupt her focus and the whole ritual.

Knowing Meredith, she\'d really lash out in anger if he did so because if that would happen, they will have to wait for the next full moon to conduct it.

Atlas decided to wait patiently even though the process started to worry him. Meredith told him to put his faith in her, but still, he couldn\'t help but worry for her sake.

However, once the ritual\'s over and he is needed, he will always be ready and prepared for her. Even if it takes until sunrise, he will always be waiting for her.

***

The birds started chirping, and the wind started to get chilly. As Atlas and Austin never bothered to sleep, they made sure that they\'d be watching over the two as they couldn\'t afford something risky to happen to both of them.

As the sun hit the pentagram, Meredith shot her eyes open, letting out speedy, tired breaths. The circle in which Marcus lay illuminated the whole body, Austin and Atlas standing up from where they sat.

"Is it… over?"

"It is," Austin mumbled, amazement plastered in the tone of his voice. "She really did it. She broke the soul tie! And with her own quick progress, too! She is indeed Gwen\'s daughter."

Before she could even muster a word to say the moment she locked eyes with Atlas, she already lost consciousness, the woman fainting to the ground.

"Meredith!"

Atlas rushed to her and carried her in his arms. As he brushed some tendrils of her hair away from her face, he smiled at her and whispered something to her ear, proud of her.

"You did it, Meredith. You finally did it."