The room is large and plaine. Clean and efficient, so different from the ritual room of her family. Strong LED lights almost give it a clinical feeling.

  Melissa stands in comfortable clothing on one wall. Gray sweatpants, a tank-top and snekers almost make her look normal, but the pale skin that contrasts with the abyssal black of her eyes belie that normalcy. Beside her Alexander wears jeans and a black hoodie that seems so large that it swallows even his massive form.

  Leaning casually against the wall they watch Lorenzo, the network ritualist draw the circle of awakening on to the ground. His movements more like those of a battlefield surgeon. Steady despite his exhaustion thanks to hundreds if not thousands of repetitions. As he finishes the last lines he gets up turning to them. His eyes bloodshot and the voice dry like paper. He addresses them without fanfare or ceremony

  “We don't have training cycles any more. No mentors, not enough personnel” he sighs as he gestures for her to step on to the Circle, handing her a glass like stone that echo the sounds around it “just time, materials and what's left of you.” Alexander laughs “you know, pep talks are supposed to be encouraging right?” He asks as he watches Melissa hold the awakening stone in her hand “Encouragement is a pre war luxury.” the tired ritualist says with a deadpan look. Making Alexander laugh anyway. “ That's an awakening stone of echoes. It should work very well with your abilities” he continues as she looks over the stone, feeling its resonance. she stands smiling in the middle of the circle, waiting. Lorenzo fills the circle with his mana and the stone melts in to her skin. Her breath shivers as she feels the effect take hold. ”its louder this time” her voice quiet, reverent as she steps to the side. Lorenzo immediately starting to clean the ritual circle. “Good, means you're getting scarier” Alexander says with a grin and a feint almost involuntary smile flickers on her lips “and? Don't let us hang. What did it do?” he presses “not entirely sure, its a summon... not a familiar like virelle but something short lived.”

  while Lorenzo draws the next circle she gets her black notebook out. The fading cover is marred from the battles she fought. Dark patches remind her on the blood she spilled, hers and that of monsters. Sound+Force+Death The profile of a Banshee. The fading cover still reads. She opens it to the part of her Banshee abilities and starts to write

  Ability: Wailing Echo (banshee)

  (summoned sound-phantoms, resonance, battlefield control)

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Base cost: Moderate mana, rises with number.

  Current rank: Iron

  Cooldown: long

  Iron, Wailing Echo: I summon a single Wailing Echo...

  But before she can ponder more on it the next circle is done “we were not sure with this one but there are not too many stones that fit your general set the others will a bit more random” Lorenzo says as he hands her the next stone. Its faceted, each facet polished like liquid silver, mirroring the world around it. “Awakening stone of Mirrors.” he explains and Melissa steps in to the Circle. “still only iron. But not for long any more” she says with a smile as Lorenzo activates the ritual. The stone vanishes in to her as her eyes close feeling out the changes “Don't rush to silver without me or ill get jealous” Alexander calls from the sideline. “you getting jealous over power?” the ritualist asks and he grins lopsidedly “Nah. Just want to keep pace with my favourite creepy goth” he snorts. Melissa opens her eyes, her gaze landing on him. Really looking at him. Battered, tired, but still there. Still here, with her. Something warms in her chest. Not hope. But something close to it. She shakes her head. “this new ability will not help with that creepy vibe I guess” she sighs with the flicker of a smile as she steps out of the circle and lets Lorenzo clean it. “what is it” Alexander asks as she gets her notebook out. “a curse. If I feel it right it will mirror the damage I do with other attacks. But I need to test it.” she smiles “damn girl... your abilities start to get really nasty” he grins as she looks for the right page and starts to write.

  Ability: Resonance Curse (banshee)

  (echoed suffering, sound-feedback torment, debuff amplification)

  Base cost: Moderate mana

  Current rank: Iron

  Cooldown: short

  Iron, Echo Trace: I curse a foe, and the sound remembers them...

  she keeps pondering “one more today? She asks and Lorenzo nods as he draws the last circle. “Rune is the last one today, and if you guys are still alive in a week we maybe get you the full set.” she snorts. “you know how to make one feel cared for” she says and looks at Alexander as she enters the circle a last time. The stone of runes getting absorbed by her. A moment later she frowns. Letting out a deep breath she leaves the circle as Lorenzo already starts to prepare the ritual for the next group. “that's an odd one.” she says confused trying to understand her new abilities. She watches Alexander say his goodbye to Lorenzo before they leave “how so?” he asks “not sure... but we will find out” she says as their phones beep at the same time, a new proto-astral space. “No rest for the Wicked” she smiles