Chapter 86 Writer's POV
The hooded figures in the temple of black witches begin a low, hypnotic chant as they prepare for Aurora to merge with the spirit of Delilah. Their voices weave a dark spell, echoing off the cold stone walls of the temple. The air grows colder, and shadows writhe like living things around the edges of the dimly lit space.
Aurora is led to a dark stone altar in the center of the temple. She lays down upon it, her body positioned as if in sacrifice to the powers of darkness. A hooded figure steps forward, tracing a symbol on Aurora's forehead with a sharp ritual blade. A trickle of blood appears on her forehead as the figure steps back.
"Astra descendo, umbrae vocantur...
Delilah, spiritus tenebris...
Aurora, tibi potestas datur."
(The stars descend, shadows are called...
Delilah, spirit of darkness...
Aurora, power is given to you.)
The chant grows louder, more urgent, as the figures in black hoodies raise their hands toward Aurora lying on the altar. She feels a creeping sensation in her mind, like dark tendrils of smoke winding through her thoughts. The presence of Delilah's spirit begins to make itself known, a cold, ancient power stirring in the depths of Aurora's soul.
Aurora's eyes flicker, her vision blurring as the chanting intensifies. She sees visions of darkness and power, of Delilah walking through shadows, leaving trails of midnight behind her. The spirit of Delilah seems to loom over Aurora, a shadowy figure with eyes that burn like dying embers.
"Merge with me," a voice whispers in Aurora's mind, the voice of Delilah. "Take my power. Rule with the shadows."
Aurora's breath catches as the merging begins. She feels Delilah's power coursing into her, dark magic infusing her veins. Her body shudders with the force of it, her mind expanding to contain the ancient witch's spirit.
The chanting reaches a crescendo. "Delilah, Aurora, una potestas!"
(Delilah, Aurora, one power!)
As the words echo through the temple, Aurora screams. The merging is complete. She feels transformed, her senses heightened to the whispers of shadows, her power now a dark and potent force within her.