Everyone in the room imdiately set to work. Small tools were pulled from their robes that looked similar to magic wands.
The tips of each wand were sharpened into a fine point. Minuscule Formations led from the end to the base.
Albus monitored the group as they began to move into position. Ninety individuals spread evenly around the circular room.
Once they were in position, each started to inscribe Runes on the stone floor. Geth felt that sothing was off about the inscriptions, but he couldn't be sure.
The remaining ten t in the center. This included the won who had arrived with Albus.
Each of the ten spread evenly on the outer layer of the center platform. They took out a similar wand and worked on inscribing the surrounding area.
The room comnced filling with a powerful wave of Mana, even more potent than the pond floating sowhere above. Geth could sense the energy in the room through the young Albus.
It was eery. Sothing dark was contained in the Mana that reminded Geth of the blood-red Mana used by the Demons.
Albus approached the high center of the platform. He took out his own wand and started to carve into the surface of the stone.
It was then that Geth noticed sothing that he hadn't before. At the base of the wands were small thorns.
Each of these thorns was incredibly sharp and pierced into Albus' skin.
Blood ran from the wounds but never dripped to the ground. The thorns absorbed the blood as it flowed, pulling it into the wand and staining the carvings on the other side.
'Are they using blood as the ink for these Formations?' Geth watched from his place inside Albus' mind.
The Formation being drawn by Albus was much more intricate than anything he had seen before. Not even the Imrsion Formation could compare.
Albus continued to carve out symbols, each one filling with his blood as he went. The patterns beca more complex the closer he ca to the center.
Around two hours into the process, a dull thud was heard from one side of the room. Albus looked up from his work to find one of the outer mbers had collapsed onto the cavern floor.
He stopped what he was doing and rushed over to the young man... Or, at least Geth rembered him as a young man.
As Albus helped the man to his feet, Geth found that his face had aged many years. Wrinkles had ford, and his cheeks were drooping slightly.
"I'm sorry to have to put you through this, Charles," Albus whispered.
"Don't be," The older man wheezed, "Every mber of the Council knew what we were getting ourselves into when we agreed to this."
Albus nodded and placed his hand on Charles' forehead. A pale blue light surrounded the man. His features slowly returned to that of a young man.
Albus' hand looked slightly more aged than before, but it was hardly noticeable.
Charles shook his head, "It's amazing how much more life energy you have than the rest of us."
Albus smiled and looked around at the other mbers of the Council, "I'll take your burdens for as long as I can manage. You just focus on finishing the Formation. Leave the rest to ."
Albus walked around to the other Council mbers, who looked like they were on their last legs. He perford the sa magic and sacrificed his own life energy for them.
By the ti he had finished, his hands had beco slightly wrinkled, and his hair had beco dull. Geth could feel Albus' pain as his body aged close to a decade in re minutes.
Albus returned to his own circle and continued working on the center Formation. After having walked around, Geth could see that it was much more complex than the others.
The ten Council mbers closest to him each had their own complex Formations. It was also plain to see that their life energies were much more abundant than those in the outer areas.
After another two hours, one of the outer circle mbers collapsed again. When Albus went to stand up, he was stopped by a delicate hand being placed on his shoulder.
Albus looked up and found Mara shaking her head at him. She didn't say anything, simply walking over to the fallen Council mber and performing the sa magic.
Geth could feel the sadness coming from Albus as he watched Mara, her body aging slightly as she took the burdens from those too weak to continue.
This process repeated for so ti. Tori took the next shift, followed by Ren, and then the other inner circle mbers.
When the final mber of the inner circle had given his life energy, Albus called for everyone to stop.
"That's enough for today! Everyone, head to your chambers and rest. The process will continue in eight hours!"
All of the outer-circle mbers looked relieved as they lined up and left through one of the two entrances. The inner-circle mbers all stayed behind.
Albus looked around at the aged faces around him with a hint of sadness. Every one of them had been in their late twenties or early thirties.
It now looked like the room was full of middle-aged n and won. Geth could feel the sorrow welling up inside of Albus.
"They wouldn't be able to continue, otherwise. And you certainly couldn't take all of that on by yourself," Albus turned and found a grey-haired man speaking.
"Xander, my friend. I'm sorry to have to put you through so much pain." Geth recognized the na as one of the authors from the Library's books.
"Stop beating yourself up already!" Another of the inner-circle mbers shouted. The rest soon followed suit.
Ren was the last to speak, "Alright, don't flatter him too much. It'll go to his head!"
Everyone chuckled at her statent and clapped one another's shoulders as they left the room.
"You girls go ahead. I'll see if I can help on the outside and be back soon.." Albus kissed each of the won and swiftly left the room before they had a chance to argue.
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