Soulless Players

69  Gerald's POV

The men around moved in eerie synchronization, stepping back into their designated spots within the summoning circle.

Additionally, the children, whom Philip had callously kicked earlier, shuffled sideways back to their previous positions.

On the other hand, Philip found himself moving uncontrollably; it was as though an invisible force enveloped his limbs.

He was expelled from the formation and replaced by another man who had been lying motionless near the prison cell. This man, too, moved as if controlled by an unseen force, taking Philip's former place within the formation.

As everyone lay down, Philip was compelled to move again, this time sliding across the circle, stopping just beside the wooden table and the staff placed on it.

When everything was set, Gregorio, who had remained quiet all this time, spoke again. His voice carried a heinous and evil tone as he evoked,

"Great devil, keeper of the mirror world, accept his abomination as my offering."

Gregorio looked at Philip across from him and continued, "Grant me your blessing to become your deacon. Strengthen my spirituality so I may serve you better in the future."

Gregorio's blood continued to pour over the table until its earthy color changed into crimson red.

"I pray to you. Come to this mortal world and hear your believer's request!"

Suddenly, the surroundings grew even more horrifying, and the ritual resumed again. An ominous aura emanated from the statue and began to swirl, forming red mists that enveloped the dark chamber.

Seeing this, Gerald clenched his teeth, struggling to follow Philip's instructions earlier. He tried to induce sleep paralysis to summon his astral body and to quickly travel into the dream world to urge the mentalists to arrive faster.

However, the pain from his wounds and the sensation of his life force draining away made it impossible for Gerald to concentrate.

Gerald stopped acting anymore and opened his eyes. There, he saw a ghastly transformation unfolding before him.

He saw Philip had contorted into a pulsating, fleshy mass and reverted to a child younger than Gerald himself.

Meanwhile, the men in the inner circle aged rapidly, their hair turning white with each passing moment.

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Then, Gerald also saw that the transformed child dashed towards the exit. However, he was abruptly halted and compelled to return to the crimson-red table again.

And when he was inches away from the table, he transformed into an adult man Gerald was familiar with.

"It's Sir Raven!" Gerald exclaimed inwardly. "He really came to save us!"

Yet, amidst his delight, guilt gnawed at him.

"It's my fault," he murmured. "If I didn't inform Sir Raven, he would not be placed in this kind of situation."

Gerald then replayed the events that had led him here.

In truth, Gerald had already gathered a group of homeless and unaffiliated children yesterday. Similarly, he had also gained their trust. However, he didn't inform Raven about his success.

Gerald wanted Raven to see that he didn't make a mistake in placing his trust in him. He wanted to prove to Raven that despite his lack of education, he could still be depended on.

When he recalled that Raven was looking for the black market, he immediately went for it. He wanted that by the time he informed Raven about his success, he had also informed him about successfully finding the black market.

To do so, he and the other three street children had scoured the underground, searching for clues about the elusive market. Since he had previously learned that the black market usually performed 'underground', he started investigating the sewers and their hidden entrances.

Little did he know that it would result in his capture by a gang of unruly men.

"Am I really so untrustworthy? Can I ever prove that I'm useful?" Gerald questioned, his world shattering around him.

He'd been alone since the age of eight, since escaping from an abusive home and seeking a better life in Bryxton City.

But what he thought was an opportunity had only led him into a darker abyss.

Who would want a child of his age to work? Who would help a homeless and dirty child like him in this world?

Thus, for a year, he did nothing but look for food in the trash. And sometimes, he would beg for something to eat.

This one year, all he did was wait and hope for luck to arrive. He didn't cheat, steal, or do anything immoral.

However, his ignorance and integrity changed when he was kidnapped and imprisoned by the age of nine.

The good thing was he had escaped the next day with the help of a small child he could not remember who he was.

But after this event, he left his innocence behind and resorted to a path to survival - stealing.

For four years, whether the rich or the poor, he stole as long as they had money with them.

Of course, he didn't want to, but what choice did he have as a child? The world would not pity his upright side.

Yet, just when he'd resigned himself to this kind of life, a man had come into his life - a man who chose to trust him and offered him a chance of a new beginning.

It was then light had dawned for Gerald, and he'd started to believe in a brighter tomorrow.

He thought his life would start to change. But when he was captured and put into a sack, Gerald felt he couldn't accept this fate.

Therefore, he struggled.

And in the midst of despair, something within Gerald snapped. He felt a surge of unusual strength, intelligence, and clarity. Even within the dark confines of the sack, he could see everything with exceptional clarity, as if it were daylight.

In addition, Gerald could perceive his surroundings. Even with the confinement, he could see what was on the outside.

While he was perplexed by the sudden change, Gerald took this opportunity to think. He quickly brought out the empty bottle in his pocket with a dirty paper he had previously inserted within.

Determined to communicate their dire situation, Gerald bit his finger until it bled and drew a crude map of their location.

Shortly, he ripped the sack and threw the bottle. Simultaneously, he poked his bloody finger out of the sack and let his blood drip on the ground. Even if it stopped, he would bite his finger again to let the blood flow more.

...

Gerald stopped his thoughts as the events within the center of the circle grew increasingly chaotic.

Raven extended his arm toward the staff, his ring began to glow purple. However, his face suddenly twisted in surprise and confusion as he had been violently struck down by an invisible force again.

Just as Raven's face hit the ground, he transformed again. This time, into a woman, flexibly springing to her feet and attempting to strike Gregorio.

However, the unseen forces thwarted her again. It took her feet, tossing her around like a ragdoll.

Gerald couldn't bear to witness the spectacle and turned his focus to summoning his astral body. He needed to escape and search for other mentalists outside. But his concentration was shattered by Raven's agonized cries echoing throughout the room.

No longer feigning asleep, Gerald sprang to his feet and rushed to Gregorio, wanting to land a punch.

At first, Gregorio was taken aback by the sudden movement in his peripheral view. But when he noticed the bloody finger on the child's hand, he nodded as if understanding something. With a mere gesture, an invisible force hurled Gerald out of his way.

Gerald braced himself for a painful impact, but instead, he found himself encased in a pulsating mass of flesh, courtesy of the partially transformed Raven.

When the protective meat shield disappeared, Gerald barely had time to utter thanks before watching the half-transformed Raven being pressed into the wall, with seemingly invisible spikes plunging into his stomach.

With this, Raven transformed into pulsating meat again and dissolved to the ground. Then, emerged an eight-year-old child, throwing up with blood.

The child looked at Gerald and whispered, "Run."

After hearing this, Gerald saw the child drop to the ground and become unconscious. His body floated back to the altar and was now lying beside the red crystal staff.

With Raven incapacitated and unconscious, the ritual resumed, and the circle's energy began to go haywire again.

Gerald saw the men within the inner circle had become emaciated and lifeless, their skin stretched tight over their skeletal frames.

It was then Gerald deduced that the men were now dead and judged that the next victims of this were the children in the outer circle.

Suddenly, Gerald felt his body move without him controlling it. His body drove back to his position and forcibly pushed on the ground.

Gerald lay on the ground, his gaze fixed on the glowing summoning circle and the unconscious child on the altar, who appeared eerily lifeless. He also noticed that the statue's horse leg had somehow transformed into something more lifelike.

"Hahahaha!"

And then, Gerald's chilling laughter echoed through the chamber.

Gerald felt as though something had snapped within his mind again, but this time, the pain was unbearable. His head throbbed with agony, yet he remained silent, unable to react. He lay there, consumed by thoughts of his own inadequacy.

"I... I want to help. I want to become an adult," he whispered, and in that moment, time seemed to stand still.

While Gregorio's eyes locked onto the statue, he suddenly felt an overwhelming telekinetic force pushing him forward.

This chapter is heavily inspired by a child named Gerald at the orphanage where I volunteered in the past. While writing this, I couldn't help but be reminded of a quote the sister told us before we left: 

'Your help may be a whim to you, but for them, it's a lifeline.'

lorence_