The Peculiar Alchemist

53 || Failed Resurrection

Everything was prepared by her loyal followers, but it seems like not all were as loyal as they may seem. It was understandable that after everything they've witnessed, she'd had to deal with some faltering loyalties, but she wasn't so happy about it when it's one of her powerful followers.

Ever since she heard that the Abbotts were necromancers, she started becoming extra wary of anyone she didn't personally welcome into the cult. Each and every one of her followers had their soul fractured by her except for one.

A very suspicious one.

Briar gave him a side glance and watched the expression on his face as she lit up the candles for her ritual. All her members wanted to witness her first try at resurrection, and they all stood there silently with anticipation. Some ghosts were there, too, but they were ones summoned inside. She had to make sure to erase their memories of this.

A coffin was placed in the middle of the ritual, and Briar watched as her suspicious follower watched the whole thing with discomfort and clear nervousness. She remembered him, he was eager at first. Super interested in learning all there is to know about Necromancy, so thirsty to get his hands on whatever piece of knowledge could. It seemed like this excitement waned considerably, or maybe he just realized how far Briar would go to achieve her goals.

"Bring in the sacrifice."

An unconscious man was quickly dragged into the circle and placed in front of her. His mouth was gagged and his hands were tied behind his back, but he looked peaceful as he lay there unaware of what's to come. It took a week of preparation just to get the ritual right, but it took much less to find a dead body and a few victims. Grossly, Briar had to eat one of those victims in order for her to be able to complete this ritual. A vile detail not everyone witnessing was privy to.

It was unclear to her if she should kill the man or not, so she decided to let the ritual decide as she spoke her incantations, making sure she was nowhere near the circle as she did so.

All the while, she couldn't help but think of the possible Abbott infiltrating her cult. She could feel his gaze on her back and wondered what he thought about all this. It was a good thing she was keeping an eye on him, he barely ever leaves the cult, but she wasn't dumb enough to be satisfied with just that.

Briar had asked around and made a few investigations of her own. As it turned out, he had 'stumbled' upon necromancy by overhearing someone talking about it – if his own word was to be trusted – and he did his own research and fractured his own soul before he heard about her cult. It explained why he had sent letters to Vincent asking him for help, but it didn't fully explain why he was using a different name in those letters.

The name he gave her when he joined might have been fake, too, but Briar never cared to remember it. She was sure she'd remember if he was an Abbott. They're an ally one would love to have, and an enemy they'd dread.

Briar did feel dread, but she was also optimistic by the anxiousness she was seeing on his expression.

"Ah, the candles went out." She was so deeply in her thoughts that she didn't realize it, and the moment she voiced it out, a loud scream filled the room. It was the unconscious man she was using as a sacrifice, and he was beginning to writhe and kick up his legs looking as if he was more afraid than in any actual pain.

And while he was gagged, Briar could kind of make out what he was saying.

"No, no." A very common thing said by her victims, but it was muffled. The next words were unclear, not as common. Something about something getting out, and the word stop might have also been said a few times.

With what little strength and mobility the man had, he was desperately trying to push his way out of the circle, but it was already too late for him. The ritual was completed, he didn't need to be in the circle anymore. It was already claiming its sacrifice, and if anyone could feel what he was feeling, maybe then they'd feel some sympathy towards him.