Chapter 2: Unification Ritual
When she opened her eyes, the worried faces of her friends greeted her.
She quickly rose up, nearly knocking down her fiance, her brother, and Mary. Her Dark Covenant just conveniently floating to avoid falling to the ground.
Almost everyone is in the garden when she looked around. She can see Alan, Nicol, Sophia, Anne, Raphael, Sora, Maria and Dewey coming over here. She can also see her mother and father amongst the crowd.
"Uh... What happened? Why are there so many people here?" The last time she remembered, there was only Maria, Sora, Dewey, Larna and Cyrus and her in the garden for this mission.
"Katarina, did you hurt anywhere?"
"Big sis, are you okay?"
"You have gone for almost two days!"
"Katarina, you in big trouble now!" Ah, that's must be her mother.
"Now now, we should hear Katarina's explanation first." And that must be her father, the voice of reason whenever she gets punished by Mother.
Luckily, the floating book hovered around her, preventing anyone from coming too close. Many grumbled when they get smacked by the book when they came too close. Only her parents don't get smacked by the book when they come to embrace her in a hug.
When the hug finished and her parents released her from the tight hug, the covenant comes near her.
"Ķ̵̣̼̥̻̯̮̙̖͊̿͛̽ą̸̛̭̼̳͇̤̝̘̓̀̽́͆̚t̶͐͋â̴̬̭̓̉̚͘͠r̴̞̭̩͆͂̽̒̕į̶̞̗̪̂͋́͂̔̿̊̚͝ñ̴̘̬̭̐͆̽͗̾̽͐̂̚ȁ̵̲͎͉̇͊̽̈́̑,̶̪͓̤̭͓̼̥̅̆͝ ̷̰̬̰̔̓͐t̸̗̩̻͑́̃͗i̴̼͕̥̥͚͌̓̉͝m̵̥̖̠̩̮̰͓̲̳̥ę̵̗̖̰̤͐͌͂̅͘ ̵͕̼̺̙̝̐ͅͅf̴̪͍̤̓͒̒̎̈́͛͝͝õ̷͓͍̘͜ͅr̵̙͚̲̐͑͝ ̸̛̼̝̻̭̲̒̈́̉̒̆̕͝ṹ̵̖͚n̵̛̛̛͈͍͎̔̓̋̕ͅi̶̺̖̫͇̦̠̯̲̍̅̔͌͊̒͜͜͝f̴̭͉̹̫͔̀i̴̲̼̓̄͗̿̂̚͝͝c̶̹͘͠͝a̴̜̟̝͖̙̹͎͊̒̏̃͘͝͝͠ṯ̴̿̒͘̕͠í̷͚͚̦͎̯̤͎͉̙̖̉o̸̲̖͚̗͙̘̺͍̦͋̉n̵̛̠̊ ̴͓̐r̶̢̪̓͛̔̈̿̓i̶̢̹̦̝̜͉̝͔̦̺̓͆t̵̩̗̺̳̦̘̩́̈́u̸̱̪̳̣͍̍̌̇͐͐̋͊͂ą̴̛̙̥̪̓͐͋̆̽͜͜ḷ̷͈̬͇͌̓́ͅ ̶̟͚̖̝̪̪̺̰̌̄̇͒́̄̉́͒ṭ̶̠̠̹̹̪̻̽̓̀̍̀ơ̷̪̘̘͖̪̙̣̏̂͒ ̸̢̗͓̩͙̝͚͚́͊͒͊̚͠b̶͈̜̎̋̔̔̑̿̐̕̕͠ȇ̷͉̱͚̹̱̉̄͋̑͠ͅg̸̺͓̊̂̋̋̿͗͋̏͜i̷̛͓̹͍̼̿͑̎ņ̸͖͙̫̪̣͖̇̂͛̂̉̐͗.̶͉̩̭̼͉͑̆̓͐"
"Right here, right now?"
"Ÿ̴̢̢̝̺͓̖̖͇̹̿e̸̹̹̼̿̓͌͆̈ͅs̴̢͙̺̝̣̎̀̈̇̾͒̐͒͝ͅͅ."
"A-alright just let me take a breather first... Okay, I'm ready to begin. Anyway does anyone have a knife or something sharp?" She asked the crowd.
Most of them become quiet when they first hear distorted noise from the black, floating book. They don't understand what the book is talking about, save for Katarina herself. When she asked for a sharp object, only then did the trance engulfing them broke.
"N̶͓͚̒o̴͈̥͖̞̯̙̿̓̀̓͜ ̶͕̇͊̈́̈́͌͝ń̶͇̫̰͇̗͇̳͕̬̾͜e̵͇̘̼͓͙̮͓͊̎̄e̷̡̟͉̻̺̙̼͇̝̟̔̂̒̐͘͝ḑ̴͉̰͉͉̫͛̇͂̋͜,̷̢͉̩̟̼̪̟̘̳̉͌̀͋͆̃̏̍́ͅ ̶̙̟̉̔̓̒̓͂͠ͅĮ̵̧̡͈̱͇̱̪͚̈́̍̆̎̀̆͜ ̸̧̺̩̹̘̤̇̋c̵̡̪̩̫̭̲̠̑̓̅a̶̛̝̪̹͛̈́͊́ņ̷̱̥̦̳̱̝̈ ̵͍͚̱͉͆͛̔͘̚ḑ̶̧̢͓̺̭̗͚͐̎̅ͅỏ̵̧̹̭̘̖̦̯͔̅͛͒͋̌̔͜͝ ̵̬̻̞̤͈͚̦̹͍̹͌ǐ̸̛͉͔́͋t̶̟̒̇̽̏̎͠ ̸͚̹͐̍̓̿̌̓̚f̵̰̘͈̺̞̲̠̅̾͘͠ő̷̡̠̺̳͕̣́̉͘͝r̴̡͎͇̮̺͗̈́̓ ̸̡̡͇̥̱̎̈́̽̑y̷͖̫̖̪̗̘̚ͅö̶̳́̐̽̆͋͌͘ư̶̞͖͑̍́̆̆̕͜.̷̨̣̱̙͕̅̊͒̾͂́͒͑͝"
The book flew to her finger. A prickling sensation can be felt when the book touched her finger, followed by little, sharp pain. Then, the book flew away.
"I̷̢̥̞̙̮͗͝ ̶̛̛̬̦͖̻̬̺̤̔̿͘j̴̗̟͎͈͕͔̘̉̃̿̓̅̅̏̈́͐̕ͅu̸͔̺̦͖͍̜̔̐͆̑̾́̈́̋s̴͇̮̞̱̗̤̜̭̾͐͌̊̎̀͝ͅt̸̢͙͙͚̫̅̈ ̸̹͑̒͒̕n̸̨̰̦̥̬̓̍̈́̾̒̈́͑͘͝͝e̵̖̼͊̆́̍͊̃̎͛e̴̢̱̭͖̅͜d̴̫̫̖́̈̓̽̈͗̑͘ ̶̨̡̝̦͇̻̦͚̉̌̇̄̆͑̆̚̕̕ͅy̸̨̗̺͙̠̤̆̓o̴̢͇͇̭̙̱̓̎͋̈ṷ̶̊̒͋̋͑ ̶̙͙̺̌͌̿̽̃͜͝t̷̮̪͆͘ọ̷̢̧̤̥͓̱͈̗́̎̽ͅ ̴͎̲̰̱̤̮̞̃͗̈́͌͐͝s̵̛̯͍͎̮͔̽̀̐̏́͆̿a̸̛̻͈̜͌̃̔͗̍̈́y̷̘̼͛̃͝͝ ̵̢̨̜͉̳͊̽̊͒͑͗̚͝t̴͖́̈́͒̎̉͗̽͌ĥ̶̭͚̳̿e̶̢̧̢̗̫̻̙͊̒̓ ̸̯͙̲̖̅͒̀̉̆͑͊i̷̝͑̇̇̇͌n̶͈͎͉͇̗͝v̶͉͔̯̦̮͒̑̔̅̄͑͝͝ô̵̟̦̱̹̝͓͚͌͂̅̓c̵̨͍͚̫̺̋â̷̮̺̟͕͚̼̳͂̈t̴̞̗̟͔̜̹̖͉̒̇̓̊̃̆͗̕ȋ̷̬̱̠̑o̶̢̨̟͔̲̣̜̮̾̇n̶̨̫̫̗̻̦̬̘̻̈́̄̃͂̚͜ ̶̱̝̺̒̇̄͗w̷͇͎̰̤͍̬̲̾̈́̋̓̊̉̊̚ȍ̷̡͓̰͙̱̜̰̳̼̅̄͊́̃͑͌̈́͐r̸͚̭̅̉͂͋̂̀̔̕͝d̷͇͔̥̮̼̠̓̏̇͌͂̚͠s̶̡͑̕ ̸̧̛͔̫̬͍͆n̷̥̠̈́̌̎͑͌͋͂̏͌̅o̸̺̼̬̜̥̤͓͔̔͑̈̽̎̑͠ẇ̵͚̱̻̲̼̬̝͈̞͝."
"Okay."
"Katarina what are you doi-" Jeord asks, his question halted when he also hear the same distorted noise from Katarina.
"I̶̝̰̹̻̦͇̰̲͛͜,̸̙̈͘ ̶̣̉̄͆̌̕͝͝͠K̵̹͕͈̙͂̽a̶̖̲̳̟̟̋͗̀̎̈͜ť̶̡̧̪͕̞̜̦̥̏͌̈̊̐͝ạ̶͍̭̯̥͆̃̿͛̂̾́͜͠r̷̤̱̫͍͔͓̘̖̪̂̈́ḯ̵̡̧̛̘̪̩̪̪͔̙̭͋̎̃͘ņ̵̼͓͉͒ȃ̶͎̏͆̑͊̐̽͂̄̚ ̵̢̺͇̓̒̊̕͝C̶͖̪̳̺͎̦̾̈́͆͐͌̀̕l̶̢̧͙̋̅̑̎͊͋̓̊̆a̵̧̨͖̙̼̙̟̞̦̐̽̌͗̔͂͂͒̆e̵̤͈͕̯͎͈̲̋̚͝s̶̭̝͇̜̼̳̪͕̍̿͝,̸̥̳̗̖͗͜͠ ̵͙̌͒w̸̛͎̱̺̼̎̈́̉̓̎͐̔í̶͕͑̾̈́̈͂͝͝s̵̮̟̼̔͝͝ḧ̵̖̠́͗̊́͘͝ ̵̧͇̪̬͒̎̋̎͛͠͝f̵̛̪́͒̆͝ǒ̸̝̽ṟ̴̒͐́̉̕ ̴̖̠̎̃̓̈́̔͆̋̿̉u̴̲͍̞͕̘̗͛̐̆̍͆̐̎̅̽̃n̴͔͉̫̘̾̈́̉͗̑͐̕͝ǐ̴̪̺̃́̿́̐̊͛̏̈́f̴̫̞̳̓̆̿̓̒̆̑͠͝i̷̘̠̺̹͓͈̬̱̽͌̄c̸̫̣͒ả̸̝̍͠t̸̼̔̋i̶̧͉̠͐̌̑͜õ̷͉̲̙͉̽̀̋̏̎͌͛͘ͅn̸̛̖̪͍̣̪̈́̽͋͗̔̂͐͘͜ ̶̡̛̰̹̩̹͊̉͠w̸̲̗̺͈̠̺̹͔͑́̈͘ͅḭ̷̭͓͈̭̙̠̭̫͂̏͗̈̒̃̀͌͌͝ț̴̉h̶̛̹̗͕̳̼͋̓̍̿͒͐͘͝͝ͅ ̶̲̅̎C̵̢̧̬̰̙͕̜̺̄͐͆͐́́ȯ̷̢̭̦̘̙͔͕̪͒̇̈́͘͠v̶̧̱̭̳̳̊͋ẻ̴̼̹͍̫̏͛́̌͠n̷̢̡̛̟̫͖͕̺͇̣̑̈́̅͛͌̇̌͘a̴͙̖̰̝̰̗͎̝̾n̶̪̂̔ṯ̷͈͍̻̯̭̋̒͛͗̚͘͜͝ ̶̹͈̫̈̓̒̑̓͂̈̈́̕ȯ̷̥̻̬̥̝̗͓̱̠̒̍̎̎̾́ͅf̷̡̝̺̮̭̂̓̈́́̓͂͝͝ ̶̣̯̋̎͌͊͒D̶̡̢̹̟͚̟͔̤̟̖̎͂̇͂̑̏̓a̵̯̎̅͆̓͑̃͝r̵̬̜̼͚͔̲̒̈́k̷̦̦̻̼͙͈͒n̶̬̟̲̤̻̤̰̅͊͗̎͝ẻ̸͇̜̻͇s̴̢̛͓̯͖͋̕s̴͙̪͕̰͉̳̜̐͠.̸̩̏̌̓́̌̂̀̉͗͂"
"I̸̫͛̒̾͐̆̂͋̈́̕ ̵̢̲̙͚͇͚͙̻͐̏̐̎a̵̞̤̹͗̏̐͑̎̚c̴̖̈́̎͛͠c̶̙̘̥̻͔̊̇̅̂͘ͅe̵̗̝̪̳̊́̈̒͒̍̉͂̈́͠p̴̨͓̪̖̗̜͓̅̋ţ̴̮͚͖̏̅̉̿̐͋̑̍̾͜.̷̢̢͎̯̯̠͚͕͇͑̑̄͆"
Suddenly, after she uttered that word or what other people hearing, distorted noise, the bright light engulfed bother her and the floating book, causing everyone in the vicinity to close their die to intense light.
When the light began to dim, the floating book was no longer around them when they opened their eyes. But, when they looked at Katarina, their eyes become wide as saucers.
Katarina now has a different appearance from how she was before. One of her usual, beautiful blue eyes has become black as if the night itself manifests inside her eye. Another significant change is her hair now has a few black streaks running through her hair.
"Katarina?"
"Big sis?"
"L-lady Katarina?"
She doesn't reply to any of the questions. Instead, she focuses on the change her body has gone through.
"Less painful than what I thought."
"Give me little credit, Wielder. Not all darkness like pain, and not all light is happiness."
A male voice came out from her left eye, now pitch black pupil instead of her lovely blue, alerting everyone. Before anyone can panic, she quickly explained what happened with the aid of the dark orb guy.