Among the first-year students of Transformation Arts was a girl who rarely drew attention.
Slender, pale-skinned, with silver‑white hair… She was Darlene Arkwright, moving quietly through the academy halls.
She rarely spoke to other students. She kept to herself and never sought recognition. To most, she was simply another student.
But in truth, she carried a secret no one else knew.
Darlene was also Vale's disciple.
Coiled around her wrist or resting across her shoulders was Seven, the Black Serpent.
To the academy, Seven appeared to be an arcane beast companion. Yet Darlene knew the serpent was far more than that.
He's a Spirit Beast, and Vale had brought Seven from the Shadow Realm itself, assigning the ancient creature to guide her in Transformation Arts.
This was their pact.
"Do not concern yourself with the three," Seven reminded one evening with its voice echoing in her mind.
