Born in Blood



Roughly an hour passed.

Or didn't.

Liam lost track of time.

Liam resembled a grim, living piece of art.

Symmetrical, rectangular black lines ran across his body, starting from his abdomen, reaching his chest and spreading out towards his spine, hip and deltoids in harmonious, mesmerizing patterns.

Some tattoos were squarish, some were linear and sharp, and the others were completely blacked out with Inkshadow.

A single, black line ran from the back of his upper arm, down his elbow, across his forearm and to the side of his hand.

It didn't conflict with his natural etchings that faintly ran across his skin. 

In fact, Elder Jax had combined the two.

At this point, Liam really questioned how much pain a human being can experience before losing his mind.

The biggest problem wasn't his physical pain.

Liam could handle that.

Perhaps better than anyone else his age and above.

It was his sea of consciousness that was suffering the most.

Compared to Elder Jax's roughening up of his mental sphere, the Dark Star was making Liam's thoughts flare and quicken.

And every thought was like a Bullet Ant's sting on his brain.

Liam's attempt to suppress his thoughts only resulted in more thoughts.

All Liam could do was let his mind flow naturally, which was the lesser of the two evils.

Eventually, Elder Jax had stopped ripping Liam apart.

All the pieces of flesh, bone and muscle the Elder had torn off Liam was laying beside him on a tray, oozing blood.

"You in there?" said Elder Jax with a slight scowl, hearing Liam's faint breath.

There was a focused expression on Jax's face throughout the procedure. Now, he was concerned he might have gone too far.

Liam weakly and silently nodded.

The Elder smiled broadly.

"I'm gonna put you under now. Remember, ten minutes at minimum, but more if you can."

"The longer you stay inside, the more you're attuned to the Dark Star's power."

"I'll begin."

Elder Jax had carried Liam's limp body and slowly submerged him within the iridescent black water.

Coldness invaded Liam's flesh, giving him a freezing sensation that stiffened his senses.

It was like he was placed inside a chilling freezer, piercing his pale skin.

Slowly, however, Liam's strength returned to him.

Before, he was utterly limp and unable to lift an arm. 

But now, he had enough energy and self-awareness to know what was happening to his body.

Instantly, he realized his tattoos were absorbing the black liquid.

That was the source of his strength coming back. 

Which was also the source of heat that was gradually growing in intensity throughout his entire figure.

Liam was literally being burned alive.

Two minutes.

Five minutes.

Seven minutes.

Ten minutes.

While the surface of Liam's skin was freezingly cold, his insides were being scalded and burned.

He was both in a freezer, and a furnace.

In reality, those sensations were his mind playing tricks on him.

It was the effect the Dark Star mentally had on him.

Thus, it wasn't real.

Yet, the pain wasn't fake.

Liam sought refuge in his thoughts, which still bit at his brain.

He would simply think about how much stronger he would be at the end of it.

Even as he passed the ten minute mark, he pushed himself.

He had to see where his greed and ambition took him.

'Pain is just weakness leaving the body.'

'Think about the stars.'

'If a little temperature takes away your resolve, you deserve to die.'

'Break through your limitations.'

Liam's entire body quivered uncontrollably due to the mental and physical stress he was going through.

Unknown to him, more than an hour passed.

A firm grip seized his shoulder and forcefully yanked him out of the water.

Splash!

Air filled Liam's lungs at once.

His skin was no longer freezing!

He was no longer being burned alive!

His thoughts no longer hurt!

"Are you crazy?" Elder Jax uttered with wide eyes. "No one told you to stay down for so long!"

Liam barely heard him. His eyes were half drooping, but his attention was elsewhere.

Liam's body went through several changes that he began to examine with his remaining energy.

The Inkshadow Tattoos were now a dark bluish color, and they made him look like an expensive work of art.

He was focused on a foreign sensation that he felt with his surroundings.

It was like he had tapped into a sixth sense, giving him an ethereal awareness he didn't know he possessed.

The Shadows!

Liam could sense the Shadows.

A weak smile formed on Liam's weak face. 

It visibly shocked Jax. 

A Zenith specialized in inscriptions, a veteran in torture, an Elder of the Temple of Shadow was aghast.

How could Liam smile despite all this?

"You need rest. I fear that your mind has already been corrupted."

Elder Jax, carrying Liam, flew out of the Temple.

From below, the Acolytes, Shadows and Disciples watched with wide eyes at the scene.

Liam's body was covered in tattoos! 

Way more than any of them had. 

The more tattoos an acolyte had, the more control he had over the Shadows.

With those many tattoos, how much control did Liam have?

They whispered among themselves.

Elder Jax brought Liam back to his quarters and entered unkempt space.

'Why are there holes in the wall?' Elder Jax wondered with a slight frown, then placed Liam down.

Rest was necessary when concluding a procedure as demanding and difficult as Liam's own. Even Elder Jax required a break.

"Don't stress yourself too much. I'll check up on you after tomorrow and teach you how to use your tattoos. Until then, just rest. I'll put these pills here for you. They'll bring back some of your strength."

Elder Jax flew away after that, but for some reason, felt unnerved.

'I should have shackled the boy. I have a feeling he might wake up and start cultivating,' he thought, before shaking his head and snorting amusingly. 

'Surely not, right?'

///

There was silence inside Liam's room. 

For a few minutes, he had his gaze fixed to the ceiling of the space, sensing Elder Jax flying back to the Temple.

Liam waited a few more minutes just to be safe.

A mischievous grin on his face, Liam chuckled under his breath. 

How could he rest with so much excitement pumping through his veins?