"Give me your hand!" Mr. McVeigh commanded, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of urgency.
Ansel hesitated for a moment, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. Slowly, he extended his trembling hand toward Mr. McVeigh.
The older man grasped it firmly, his eyes gleaming with a strange mixture of determination and something almost reverent.
Without warning, Mr. McVeigh drew Viorenving, the ancient sword, its blade shimmering with an eerie, almost otherworldly light.
With a swift, precise motion, he slashed across Ansel's wrist. A sharp sting exploded through Ansel's arm, but he bit back the cry of pain, his face tightening as crimson blood welled up and spilled freely from the fresh wound.
Mr. McVeigh's lips curled into a faint, knowing smirk. He held back his own discomfort, focusing intently on the ritual at hand. The blood spurted out in a vivid arc, droplets catching the flickering candlelight as they fell into the bowl beneath.
Carefully, Mr. McVeigh collected the blood in the bowl, watching as it filled steadily. When the bowl brimmed with the deep red liquid, he handed Ansel a coarse bandage.
"Wrap your wrist." He instructed.
Ansel did as told, but the bandage was no match for the relentless flow of blood. It soaked through quickly, darkening and dripping steadily. Yet, despite its futility in stopping the bleeding, the bandage served to suppress the spray of blood.
This was the first step in creating the Guardian Spirit for Viorenving. Until the binding was complete, Ansel's hand would remain vulnerable, untreated, a symbol of the sacrifice required.
He added water and salt to the bowl, stirring gently, the mixture shimmering under the candlelight.
Then, with deliberate care, he submerged Viorenving into the blood-tinged water. Around the bowl, twenty candles were arranged in a perfect circle, their flames dancing and casting long shadows on the walls.
Mr. McVeigh began to splash the sword with Ansel's blood repeatedly, ensuring the blade was fully immersed. The air grew thick with the scent of burning wax and iron.
Ansel stood silently, his eyes locked on the sword in the bowl. His heart pounded in his chest, a mixture of fear, anticipation, and awe swirling within him.
A sword that had a Guardian Spirit was more than a weapon. But it could be a protector and guide the owner. So, his blood was necessary and the Guardian Spirit knew the owner.
Then Mr. McVeigh spoke softly. "Ansel put your hand"
With a deep breath, Ansel lowered his injured wrist into the bowl. The coldness was immediate and biting, the temperature of the water chilling his skin to below twenty degrees Celsius. It was like plunging into icy depths, the shock sharp but numbing.
As Ansel's hand rested in the water, Mr. McVeigh began to chant in a low, rhythmic tone. The words were ancient, their meaning lost to all but those who had studied the old ways.
Per aera et terra
Per aqua et ignis
Sic ligatus es
Sicut cupio
Per tres et nov
Tuam vim adstringo
Per Luna et sol
Fiat voluntas me
Caelum et mar
Nocumentum a custodis
Mr. McVeigh finished reciting the ancient spell, his voice fading into the stillness of the room. Suddenly, a blustery wind swept through, but it was no ordinary breeze.
Yet, strangely, the wind did not stir a single leaf of the Passiflora vines that clung to the windowsill. They remained perfectly still, as if held in an invisible, sacred calm.
The unnatural wind whispered through the room, carrying with it an eerie sense of power and anticipation. Then, as abruptly as it had come, the wind ceased. The silence that followed was heavy, charged with the weight of what had just transpired.
Ansel slowly withdrew his hand from the bucket. The water, tinged with his blood, shimmered faintly as if alive. Viorenving, the sword, had been filled with the Guardian Spirit. Yet, despite the successful binding, the sword was not yet ready for use. It had to be silenced, left to rest and adapt for ten days.
This period was crucial. It was not only the wielder who needed to adjust; the Guardian Spirit itself required time to bond fully with Viorenving.
The spirit had to learn the sword's nature, and the sword had to accept the spirit's presence. Only after this delicate dance of adaptation could the sword be wielded safely and effectively.
Any sword imbued with a Guardian Spirit was bound exclusively to its owner. It could not be used by anyone else without dire consequences. This was why Ansel had been forbidden from inheriting his brother's sword. The bond was sacred and untransferable..
Ansel's mind drifted back to the one time he had used his brother's sword. He remembered how heavy and unbearably hot it had felt in his hands, as if the blade itself was resisting him, eager to strike out on its own.
That was why, after he had cut Husky's leg, he had thrown the sword aside, choosing instead to rely on his own power.
Now, as he ran his fingers along every inch of Viorenving's blade, he noticed something different. It wasn't hot like his brother's sword had been. It was calm, almost cool to the touch.
it wasn't truly him who had cut Husky's leg before. It was the sword itself, acting with a will of its own. He had merely followed its direction.
The memory stirred a question in his mind, one he had never voiced until now. "Grandpa, is there anything that can be used to stop time?"
After that day, Mr. McVeigh had immediately set him on the path of the spirit-binding ritual, leaving no room for distractions.
"Time cannot be stopped and returned. What makes you ask such a thing?" Mr. McVeigh had replied, his tone grave.
Ansel had explained briefly. "I saw a woman. He was at the wedding and funeral. When she passed, everything around her stopped. No one can even see her, except me."
He could have described the vision in greater detail, but he knew it would only waste time. What he truly wanted to know was if there existed an object capable of halting time, nothing more.
"It's so strange. Even the angels can't do it at all, but only a few of them." Mr. McVeigh had frowned thoughtfully.
The answer was completely unsatisfactory to Ansel. The seed of doubt had been planted deep within him, and he couldn't let it go so easily.
He pressed further, his voice low but insistent. "Are you sure there's nothing that can stop time?"
Mr. McVeigh's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them. He asked, his tone calm but edged with a subtle warning. "Do you doubt me?"
Ansel quickly shook his head, not wanting to offend the old man. "I didn't mean it. But when she passed, all the objects did not move at all. Heka couldn't see and be aware of her existence either."
Mr. McVeigh leaned back, folding his arms as he considered Ansel's words carefully. He said slowly. "Probably, it does not stop time, because time can't be stopped. If it happens, it means she has violated the rules of the two realms."
Ansel blinked, confusion clouding his features. "What do you mean?"
***
Among the many mysteries of the world, there exists a rare and powerful class of beings known as the Immortals. Among these Immortals, some possess the unique ability to become Guardian Spirits, ethereal protectors bound to their masters through ancient and sacred rituals.
These Guardian Spirits are none other than the Spiritual Beasts, mystical creatures of immense power and enigmatic origins.
Spiritual Beasts can be captured and controlled. Then, the Spiritual Beast will be the patron of his master and will become the Guardian Spirit. The Spiritual Beast who has become the Guardian Spirit will lose strength and become a very weak and helpless creature. Because they are parasites.
The Guardian Spirit's power is not autonomous; it can only be wielded when the master commands it. The spirit's strength fluctuates according to the will and vitality of its owner.
If the master grows stronger, so too does the Guardian Spirit. Conversely, if the master weakens, the spirit's power diminishes.
Of all the existing elements, fire is the most special. Because it can only be placed in a hot place. When it's placed in a cold, the Guardian Spirit will be lost forever. It will not be able to survive. Their power will weaken the fire element.
In addition to the fire element, there are crystal, water, wind, and others. It must be placed in a cool and chilled place. The hot place is the enemy of the Guardian Spirit who has that element. Water will evaporate in a hot place. Wind will immediately disappear in a hot place. The crystal will change when placed in a hot place.
When the Guardian Spirit disappears, then his master will lose half of his soul. The spirit of the Guardian Spirit and his master had fused. Because of that, it cannot be released or separated.
The only way to be able to free the Guardian Spirit when his master is died. When it happens, an agreement or seal will disappear.
If the Spiritual Beast has become the Guardian Spirit, it will become a parasite forever. When his master dies, he will find another master.
There is a certain period of time when the Spiritual Beast should be able to get new owners. If it exceeds that time period, then the Spiritual Beast will disappear forever. The Spiritual Beast is an Immortal. When it disappears, it doesn't have a soul. Finally, its body will disappear forever. Unlike humans, when they die, their souls will always be there. Even though their bodies are broken.
Actually, the luckiest Immortal is the Spiritual Beast. Because they have a much more secure life. Their souls are bound. So they don't need soul delivery to make a living. That's what all Immortals do, so they can live for hundreds to millions of years. It just occurs to immortals who are pariahs.