Still, she tucked the folded parchment into a small pouch, deciding she would send it if and when the chance arose.
He picked up the medallion, holding it carefully between his fingers, his brow furrowing as the faint veins beneath its surface pulsed with a faint, sluggish rhythm. “If this is a key,” he said after a moment, “the magic within it is dormant.”
Sena leaned closer. “What do you mean?“
Gale tilted the medallion slightly, his eyes narrowing as he examined the blood-red gemstone. “Blood magic. It’s always about the blood,” he murmured, almost to himself.Stolen story; please report.
After a pause, he glanced at Sena, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. “It may need… blood to activate. Perhaps from a connection to the bloodline it was meant for—or,” his gaze lifted to meet hers, “maybe even the one that defied it.”
Sena’s jaw tightened as she mulled over his words. After a moment, she nodded slowly and drew the dagger from her belt. The blade caught the firelight, the ruby in its hilt glinting faintly, almost as if it anticipated what was to come.
She pressed the blade to her finger, the sharp sting barely registering as a small bead of blood welled up.
Gale’s hand shot out instinctively, “Sena, wait—”
But before he could finish, the droplet of blood fell onto the gemstone at the medallion’s center.
Sena…”
<hr>
Sena’s breath hitched as the vision snapped away, leaving her body trembling and cold. She dropped to her knees, her hands clutching the medallion as if it were the only thing anchoring her to reality. Her chest heaved, the phantom pain from the blade still lingering like a dull throb. Gale’s voice broke through the haze, but it sounded distant, muffled, like hearing words underwater. She blinked rapidly, forcing herself to focus as his hands steadied her shoulders.
Gale’s gaze locked onto the medallion, its faint crimson glow now pulsing with purpose. “Remarkable,” he murmured, his brow furrowing as he turned it in his hand.
a summons.”