Rise of the Arcane Heir

From Me To You (Part 3)

The shower was still on, but the water actively avoided him. It was as though a thick, invisible layer was wrapped around his body, keeping it at bay. It didn't matter how he tried to touch the steaming water since the strange barrier moved with him.

Callum choked as his heart pounded, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. There was an electrifying sense of power in the air that reeked of danger. It was then that a dull green glow in the corner of his sight drew his attention as he struggled to calm the raging storm within. 

What the hell is that? Callum stared at his grandfather's ring sitting on the edge of the sink while painting the bathroom in the eerie green light. He could see lines on the dull gold of the same colour as the light while a pattern of circles and lines decorated the onyx.

The power the ring exuded resonated with Callum. It was as if a siren was calling out to him, begging him to wear it.

He couldn't help but wish he would wake up or that this was all a hallucination caused by his grief. However, no matter how he wanted to deny it, his brain told him this was reality. His hand trembled as his body moved as though it had a mind of its own. Each heavy step brought him closer to the unknown phenomenon.

Callum's eyes widened as he reached for the ring, but another unbelievable thing happened before he could grasp it. The ring rattled on the ring as it edged its way toward his outstretched hand before it flew onto the ring finger of his right hand of its own accord.

A gut-wrenching wail filled with the promise of pain filled the bathroom as a metallic taste coated Callum's tongue. The green pattern on the ring turned blood red as its energy invaded his veins. 

Like a deadly snake slithering beneath his skin, the foreign substance followed them up his arm, across his chest, and then up his neck to his brain. Callum's skin itched like crazy as he felt like he was burning from the inside out. At the same time, the energy shifted colour to a dark grey. 

He collapsed to the ground and curled up in the fetal position as his screaming continued. Desperate for relief, he struck his head with his fist in an attempt to drive the energy out. However, his mind continued to deliver a pain on par with it being put in a blender.

Vomit escaped his mouth and nose as his psyche finally snapped, falling unconscious to protect himself from the pain. If anyone else had been there, they would have seen the energy turn a dull gold after an hour. His wounded knuckles and the cut on his arm healed at a rate visible to the naked eye, leaving his skin without a mark or scar.

At the first rays of dawn, the golden energy withdrew from Callum's body into the ring, and a few minutes later, his eyes fluttered open. As the blurriness cleared from his sight, he frowned at the dull gold text box floating before him.

[Awakening Detected...]

[Mana Presence Confirmed...]

[Blood Resonance Activated...]

[Shaw Bloodline Confirmed...]

[Mind Link Established...]

[Mana Vessel Strengthening Successful...]

[Circle Level of Shaw Inheritance Unlocked...]

[You have 1 New Message...]

When Callum finished reading the strange messages that made him think of a computer log, he focused on the last entry.

[Open Inbox? Y/N]

Yes. The thought happened quicker than Callum could think, and in the next moment, his heart leapt into his throat. A lonely message sat in the inbox, titled From Me To You. However, it was his grandfather's name marked as the sender that fueled his emotional turmoil.

Callum bit his lower lip, uncaring of the weirdness of it all if it meant he could reconnect with the man who raised him just one more time.

Open.

[Dear Callum,

I hoped this day would never come. Since you're reading this, something must have happened to trigger your awakening. I'm sorry for whatever you have just been through, and that I can't be there for you anymore. Just know that everything you need to get accustomed to your new self is stored in my ring.

When you didn't awaken before your sixteenth birthday, I prepared our family's magical legacy in the enchantment I placed on it. It was set to trigger in the event it detected an awakening of a member of our bloodline. It will guide you, and prove to be an invaluable tool in the days to come. Get familiar with what it has to offer as soon as possible. Your life may depend on it.

There's only so much I can say without clouding your judgement with my own thoughts. But you should know there are others like you, and this world isn't as simple as it seems. A friend of mine will contact you soon, and help guide you. No matter what, you can't allow our legacy to fall into someone else's hands. Promise me.

This ring is my final gift to you. I hope it will help you find where you belong in your darkest days. Know that I will always love you.

Goodbye, Cal. Stay safe.]

Warm tears fell from Callum's eyes as he stifled his sobs. Uncertainty blew his thoughts around in his mind as he wondered if he had snapped. That was the only explanation he could think of as he replayed everything over and over again. 

However, the sound of the birds outside, and his grandfather's message still hovering in the air begged to differ. He slowly got dressed in the new clothes Dani had bought him before choosing to believe in his grandfather one last time. Even if it turned out to be a mad delusion of his own making.

It took Callum a few minutes to make a coffee, unfortunately there was no milk since nobody had lived there for a few weeks. As he sank into the couch in the living room, he swore to make something of his life. To prove everyone who doubted him wrong. Let's see what this thing can do. Show me my inheritance.