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It was a ritual he had seen in the books Stelle had found back in the Luofu. From the Vidyadhara writers of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
It was a simple ritual; First, make the symbol of Abundance in the dirt. Second, place the body in the center of the symbol, making sure the symbol is large enough to assure none of the body's limbs stretched out past the symbol. Third, place the candles around the symbol.
Very simple, right?
Dan Heng's breath hitched as he carried the Kremnoan to the center of the symbol. He had seen the symbol too many times to not have it memorized. He had to gently place the body within, careful to not ruin the symbol.
The last thing he wanted is for his efforts to be wasted just because of a simple mistake.
"Done,"
He breathed out a sigh before turning to the witnesses behind him. "Stelle, Phainon, can you get the candles?"
"On it!" Stelle ran off without any question.
Phainon was more hesitant, arms crossed on his chest. "Um… are you sure this is a good idea, Dan Heng?"
"You want him alive, don't you?" Dan Heng looked up back with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course I do!" Phainon hissed. "Mydei… he risked his life for us and the Flame Chase Journey. It's just that… this is death we're tampering with,"
"I agree," Anaxa set a hand on his hip. "Those who had tampered with death were never given the results they desire,"
"I know the consequences," Dan Heng sighed as Stelle came running back. "I'm aware of what could happen if I go on with this ritual. I still want to try it,"
"Mm…" Stelle's lips pursed, backing up to allow her companion to place the candles around the symbol. "Dan Heng, is this safe?"
"No." Dan Heng shook his head. "Unless you haven't read the ritual, you're aware of how unsafe this is,"
"I haven't read the ritual at all! I just… forgot to turn the book over to the Ten Lords Commission," Stelle argued with a hiss.
"A shame then. No wonder you're so calm," Dan Heng hummed as he lit the candles.
"Wait what?? What's that supposed to mean??"
"Hush,"
The candles are to be around the symbol at all times. Even as the ritual goes on, the candles need to stay lit up, or there's a high chance of the soul being called out will never return to the body.
The next step of the ritual includes a sacrificial knife, one that can be found in one of the treasure chests of the Scalegorge Waterscapes.
Only the sacrificial knife will do. No other blade will work on the ritual.
…Good thing Stelle was great at finding treasure chests in the planets they enter.
Dan Heng twirled out the sacrificial knife and placed it by his arm.
"Wait, wait! Dan Heng, what are you doing!?"
Dan Heng brushed off the worry and cleanly slit his arm, standing up just time for the blood to stay on his arm. He gripped the sacrificial knife tightly before moving. As soon as he was at one edge of the symbol, he bend his arm back and dragged the blood across the dirt to write another strange symbol.
"Oh my Titans…!" Phainon swallowed, staring at the bloody ground.
"How fascinating," Anaxa gave a hum, a notepad and a pen in his hold to write down his observations.
Stelle hissed, eyebrows furrowed at the blood then at her friend. What was he doing…?
The ritual knife is to make contact with a Vidyadhara's blood. With the blood, a new symbol must be written on top of the body; over and under, the body should be placed with blood as well.
If one slit is not enough, cut another. One already has so much blood in their body, what's a few more following them around? The bloodier the symbol, the more effective it would be.
Words shall be spoken. Murmur the words in the name of the Sanctus Medicus, the kind, caring being beyond the understanding of humans such as thyself.
Words of a ritual that shall never be repeated. Ever.
"Great and powerful Yaoshi… the Sanctus Medicus… the almighty Aeon of Abundance…"
The wind began to pick the pace, leaving a chill down each of the witnesses' spines. Anaxa looked around the grove, lips thinning as he watched the the flowers lose their glow. The flame of the candles shifted from red to gold, burning brighter than the lights around them.
Stelle gasped. "Woah… what's happening??"
"I'm not sure… have you ever seen this before, Professor?" Phainon turned to the shorter man.
"No… but it truly is interesting," Anaxa chuckled.
Dan Heng couldn't hear them, focusing closely on the ritual. The sacrificial knife lay beside him, bloody but not messy.
"Hear my call… Listen to the sound of the oceans of the Luofu…" He hissed. "As the Imbibitor Lunae, I ask of you… heed my call…"
Once the symbol is complete and the words have been spoken, use the sacrificial knife to rip the chest of the patient for the last step.
For the final step is the most crucial step of all.
And one that requires the body to be wide open.
To accept the heart as their own.
STAB!
"Mydei!" Phainon gasped, watching the man slice the Kremnoan in half. "What are you doing!? We aren't supposed to be sacrificing them!"
"I said hush." Dan Heng shifted his gaze to glare at the other man for a moment. "Please… trust the progress."
And the truth.
Always trust the truth.
Anaxa's hands were rapidly writing down while Stelle had to keep Phainon from interrupting the ritual and hurting them all.
Dan Heng didn't need their criticism.
He doesn't need their concern.
He knows better, right?
This isn't… This is his OWN choice.
All his.
"DAN HENG!"
Dan Heng could barely hear them as he aimed the sacrificial knife at himself. Teeth gritting, he pierced the blade through his skin, allowing a gasp of blood mildly choke him.
This is okay.
This is fine.
All part of the progress.
"Let me go, let me go!" Phainon was thrashing around like a screaming banshee, hands trembling as Stelle and Anaxa had to combine strengths to pull the man back. "LET ME GO, DAMMIT!"
Stelle shook her head. "You need to calm down, Phainon, or we'll never--"
"ARGH!"
The three froze, staring wide eyes as they watched Dan Heng reach into his chest. They couldn't scream, they couldn't complain or cry. Instead, they simply… watched.
They watched as Dan Heng trembled, back arching as he fell on his knees. Dan Heng took shaky, painful breaths, the blood streaming from his nose to his lips.
Come on, come on…
He released a cough, but he quickly shrugged it off, gasping for breath. With a tight grip, he pulled his hand out from the bloody slice on his chest.
And in his hand… was a heart.
A bloody, beating heart.
His bloody, beating heart.
Phainon's eyes shrunk. "DAN HENG, ARE YOU INSANE!?"
"DAN HENG!" Stelle's grip on Phainon was firm, but the tears pricking her eyes were starting to fall. "DAN HENG, PLEASE!"
Dan Heng swallowed his blood, but he shook his head at their attempts. He turned back to the body in front of him before slowly lowering the heart within.
Mydeimos…
The golden glow of the candles surrounded the pair as Dan Heng continued to murmur more of the ritual's words under his breath. The grass had turned red as he spoke, his body shaking at the loss of blood. The screams of his witnesses were nothing but blurred noises, hand gently adjusting where the heart should be placed.
Live for me… my love.
A bright golden glow came from the heart before there was a burst of light. Anaxa, Phainon and Stelle were knocked down in an instant, the blast sending them all to the ground. Even Dan Heng, fresh from the loss of blood, lost his balance and fell, laying beside the Kremnoan.
Mydei…
He coughed out droplets of blood, visibly seen even with the light. Shakily, he reached out to place a hand on the slit out chest.
He needs to heal him, he needs to heal him…
Fingers gripped tightly on the body, bloody fingers that felt weakened, but he still pushed himself through, swallowing the blood threatening to come out.
You will live, Mydei.
I promise you.
His eyes began to blur, and he forced them to shut, enforcing the last of his energy to heal.
You…
Will…
…Live.
.
.
.
.
.
"…D-Dan Heng?"
The first thing he saw was the man laying beside him, skin gray and pale while the blood flowed from the slits to the hole in his chest. His hand was stretched towards him, laying on his chest.
He wasn't moving.
He wasn't breathing.
"D-Dan Heng… DAN HENG!"
Mydei gripped the man's hand and pulled his body close to his chest. His body was trembling, his other hand gently touching the other's face.
He was cold.
Oh so very cold.
"Dan Heng, you fool… what did you do!?"
He was supposed to be dead, not Dan Heng.
His soul had already been met in the River of Souls.
He should still be dead.
The tears streamed down his cheeks. He couldn't care for the blood staining him as he pulled him close. He couldn't see the flames of the candles around him slowly blow with the wind, nor could he hear the footsteps approaching him.
"Why… Why aren't you turning back to an egg!? Your species can rebirth… isn't that what you told me!? REBIRTH!"
Dan Heng can rebirth, his species could rebirth, so why couldn't he?
His body… it was so gray.
Shouldn't it be an egg?
…
Why… Why isn't it in an egg…?
"Mydei…"
The Kremnoan looked upward to be met by Stelle's tearful face. Her arms were wrapped around herself, lips thinned for a moment before speaking.
"Dan Heng… He gave his heart to bring you back to life…" Her words were careful, for her or for him, he wasn't sure. "I… I'm sorry, but… he can't rebirth properly without his heart…"
His… His heart…?
Dan Heng gave his heart to…
T-To…
…
Mydei gritted his teeth. He turned away from the witnesses, cradling his lover's body in his arms.
Dan Heng…
Why would he do this?
How could he give his life away… for someone like him?