Crimson light surged before his eyes like a rising tide, swiftly swallowing everything from view. After a brief sensation of weightlessness, Cyril found himself back in the attic.
He rose from the chair and stretched a little, then went to his bedroom to fetch some materials. After returning to the attic, he arranged a simple ritual for petitioning for a bestowal on the floor.
"Fool who doesn't belong to this era, mysterious ruler above the Gray Fog, King of Yellow and Black who wields good fortune."
"Your faithful servant beseeches you to look upon him;
beseeches you to open the gates of your kingdom;
beseeches you to bestow power."
As he recited the incantation, a chilly whirlwind suddenly swept through the attic. The flame of the candle at the very center of the row on the floor abruptly flared, and an Illusory Door covered in patterns emerged from it.
With a faint creak, the door slowly opened a crack half a person wide, revealing darkness and gray fog beyond.
Cyril gazed intently at the Gate of Sacrifice and Bestowal before him... It seemed to belong to the category of "doors" too, and could be opened or closed with an "Apprentice's" abilities.
He probably only needed Door Opening at the level of a Demigod. Well... that was assuming the being behind the "Door" wouldn't kill him for trying.
As his thoughts stirred, pages of yellowed paper flew out from behind the Illusory Door and landed neatly on the floor by his feet.
Then the illusory Gate of Sacrifice and Bestowal slowly swayed and vanished. The swelling candle flame returned to normal as well.
After cleaning up the remaining traces of the ritual from the floor, Cyril took Roselle's Diary and returned to his bedroom.
Clink!
A gold coin sprang from Cyril's