Back at the altar room, Iris was preparing for the initiation to come. Once the whole group arrived, Iris quickly pulled aside her original member and talked to him privately. Some of the group looked around nervously as they didn't know fully what to expect, or what they had walked into.

"How did you collect so many? I'm surprised at these results. Excellent work." Iris said as the cultist gave a smile.

"Well, I figured the best place to look for people would be the prisons. Would you like me to collect more for you tomorrow?" He asked as she thought about it.

"Perhaps just a few more. Can't have it grow too large, can we? Besides, you never know who's going to be loyal and who will be a traitor. Let's just begin the initiation for right now."

The man nodded as Iris turned back around to face her potential followers. "Welcome, all of you. Now, grab a mirror shard in the bowl placed before you and then place your palms over it. Once you have all done that, I will recite the contract you are all to be bound to. Obey it and make fruitful endeavors and you will be rewarded in the new world to come. Disregard and deny it, there will be consequences. Any of you who do not wish to join at this point, well sorry to say but you will not be leaving this chamber alive. Any objections?"

Nobody spoke out against her as they all knew that joining was the only option if they wanted to live. They all shook their heads no and waited for the next order.

"Very well. Now, do you all agree to keep the existence of this cult a secret? To never tell another soul outside of it anything about it's activities or whereabouts? To never sell out one of your fellow cultists, should you find yourself in a… situation, just to save your own skin? And if I give any orders to the leader, you will listen to him. Also whatever happens to you if you get caught in your actions is up to you. Die for the cause if you have to. Do not betray me."

"We agree." They all said solemnly as Iris nodded back.

"Whatever I command you should do, you will obey and do it with no hesitation. That includes anything unethical. I don't care. Whatever I say you sacrifice, you sacrifice. Whatever I should need from you, you will give it to me. I am also inclined to help you or give you help, should you so need it, but I will be the one to judge if you truly DO need it. I will not come if it is something trivial, so don't even bother. Also, depending on whether or not you will need it, I could choose to give you temporary powers. What they will be, I will decide. So just to sum it all up, be wise in your actions, listen to me, and be loyal. Do you all agree?"

All agreed but one who slyly spoke under his breath. Iris walked over to the one who had spoken out.

"Would you like to say that a bit louder for me? Do you have an issue?"

The man avoided eye contact with her and did so. "I didn't say anything important."

Iris picked him up by his collar and looked at him in his face. "Look at me. Not the floor. Look into my eyes when you speak."

The man, who was trembling, knew that he had messed up and looked into her eyes fearfully. "All I said was, you basically want us to give you our souls?"

Iris smiled and put him back on the ground. "Yes. That will be the binding agent to your contract. Although, I don't appreciate you talking under your breath while I'm speaking. It's rude. And for goodness sake stop trembling, it's pathetic."

The man tried hard to stop shaking but just couldn't. She had touched something inside of him that filled him with dread. Iris frowned at the mortal and used her supernatural abilities to toss him into a corner and form a crystal wall around him. Everyone jumped up in surprise, including Mephiles and Arrion, as Iris turned back to the rest of her followers.

"Now let's finish the contract. Cut your palms and let the blood collect into the bowl. The last one to cut hands the bowl over to me. Then, you will be bound to me and I will own your souls. Get to it."

The mortals formed a line and each of them grabbed a mirror fragment. Then they all formed a circle around the bowl, including the original cultist who also had to do this to be officially bound, and cut their palms. Some scrunched their noses up in pain, and others looked away. Once the last person had cut, they handed over the bowl to Iris as she placed it on a pedestal. Silver fire erupted from it and as soon as it happened, it was gone. Then something else unexpected happened. Iris picked up the bowl and started to drink. Nobody tried to make a face, but Arrion didn't care.

"Eww yuck." He said as his spirits had come back to him with his followers. "Oh good, I'm getting out of here. Follow me everyone."

Arrion led his followers to his own altar room and closed the door, wanting nothing more to do with his sister's ceremony. Mephiles still remained to watch sitting on a cloud of darkness, quite entertained with what was going on.

Iris gave her first order to them. "First things first, construct a new altar here for me. Go out and get materials to construct it. There should be a quarry nearby so take what you need. And please, dispose of these old pieces here promptly once you leave. The head cultist will give you further instructions once you have returned for the construction of the altar. Dismissed."

The new cultists picked up the pieces of the old altar and shuffled out of the altar room, climbing back up the ladder to carry out their assigned tasks. Iris sat down on the ground and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Please don't let them be idiots. She thought.

The head cultist sat down beside her as he consulted about the construction of the altar with her. She told him exactly what she wanted and to watch over them as she would be going back to check on the two who had stayed behind. Arrion had come out of his altar room with company in tow and looked at his sister.

"It is done. You are leaving?"

"Yes." Iris said. "One night is enough to leave them alone in my home by themselves. I also have work that needs done back home anyways. Anybody wish to come along? My work here is done for now."

"I wish to stay here for awhile. Take care of my things, do what I want." Mephiles said as Iris nodded.

"Alright. Arrion?"

"Oh yes! I am coming back to see my little lover boy. Hailey, you are appointed the leader for now. Do a good job and you'll stay that way." Arrion said as the woman nodded. "Okay."

Arrion and Iris left, leaving Mephiles alone in the main altar room.

Now it is my time to get some work done. I've waited and hung back long enough. Mephiles thought as he retreated into the darkness of his altar room. It is time for me to go back and retrieve some more vital information about this girlfriend of mine. I'd much rather go back in time to find out for myself. Plus, some followers of Solaris would come in handy as well…

Mephiles heard the whispers of Arrion's followers as they now spoke freely, now that he had left the room. He didn't care about them. Mephiles opened up a blue time portal and went inside…