Liana's eyes burned with a fierce determination that even caught me off guard.
Before I could say anything, she stepped forward, placing her hand firmly against her chest.
Mana flared around her, golden light spilling out like dawn breaking through the dark.
Confused murmurs rippled through the hall. Faces twisted in disbelief—no one understood what she was doing.
And then, her voice rang out, steady and unshaken.
"I, Liana, swear upon my name, my body, my soul, and my mana… that I will serve my lord, Kael Thorne, for as long as I draw breath."
My chest tightened.
"What's happening…?!"
Selene's voice trembled with panic, the sharp edge of fear breaking through her usually calm tone.
"Stop her!"
Even Charlotte surged forward, her hand outstretched to pull Liana back. But Commander Arvell's aura slammed down, halting her in her tracks. His eyes, however, were fixed on Liana with rare seriousness.
And still, she continued—her voice unwavering, resolute.
"…and even after death, my loyalty shall remain. For all my life, and beyond it. Let the mana bear witness to my oath."
The golden radiance swirled faster, condensing around her hand pressed to her heart. Then, like threads of light, it pierced into her chest—binding itself deep within.
A sacred vow. Unbreakable. Eternal.
The brilliance faded, leaving silence in its wake. Every gaze turned toward her—stunned, uncertain, shaken.
But Liana only turned to me, her lips curving into a sweet smile.
As if she hadn't just shackled herself to me for eternity.
As if it wasn't something reckless… or tragic.
Before shock came disbelief.
Liana had done something no sane person would ever attempt. She had made a Mana Oath.
A Mana Oath is not some simple vow. It is a sacred binding carved into existence itself—fueled by one's own life force and mana. When spoken, the words are etched onto reality, chaining the oath-taker, their mana, and their very core to the promise.
The process is deceptively simple. Channel mana directly into your core. Speak your vow aloud. The mana engraves the words into your essence, branding you with your own chains. From that moment onward, the oath is absolute. If broken, the backlash shatters the core—not just crippling the person, but condemning them to endless torment.
A broken core is worse than having none. The pain never fades. It claws, burns, and gnaws until death finally claims the fool who dared to defy their own words.
And Liana… she had made such an oath. For me.
She had bound her life, her soul, her every breath to me. She had declared me her master. With a single command, I could order her to live or die—and she would have no choice but to obey. She had made herself into my marionette.
And yet… she smiled.
Smiled, as if this damnation was her salvation.
Was she truly mad?
After the shock, anger surged through me.
I rose to my feet, hands gripping Liana's shoulders, my voice breaking out in a roar.
"Are you mad, Liana?! What have you done?"
She flinched at my outburst, her eyes widening for a moment—then, to my disbelief, a faint smile tugged at her lips.
"Yes. I know," she said softly.
My grip tightened. "Then why? Why would you make a mana oath? Do you even understand the consequences? I could order you to do anything—anything—and you would be forced to obey, whether you wanted to or not!"
Her calmness only deepened the storm inside me.
"Kael," she whispered, voice steady, "even without a mana oath, I would have obeyed you. This changes nothing."
I stared at her, stunned. My chest burned with frustration. "You've lost your mind, Liana. This isn't loyalty—this is enslavement."
She lifted her hand, her fingers brushing against my cheek with a tenderness that disarmed my rage. Her eyes shimmered, unwavering.
"No, Kael. I did it because I chose to. Because I trust you. I know you would never command me into something I do not want. By binding myself to you, I have told the main house and the church that I no longer belong to them. I already have a master."
Her words struck me harder than any blade.
"But still… this is madness." My voice cracked, anger mixing with something else—fear.
Her smile softened, but her resolve burned in her gaze
"No, Kael… this isn't madness. It's my determination. So you'll never forget—that I will never abandon you. That no matter what happens, you'll always know I'll be by your side."
When I was still searching for words, another voice broke the silence.
"Liana… why do you do it?" Selene asked, her tone laced with shock.
"Why? I already told Kael." Liana's voice was calm, steady. "I did it because I wanted to."
Selene's eyes widened. "But—your future was bright, limitless. Why would you bind yourself to Kael?"
"Because those things don't matter to me," Liana answered without hesitation. "Kael was the one who saved me. Not you. Not your family. Not your church. I will only serve Kael."
Selene's mouth fell open, speechless. Beside her, Charlotte was also staring in disbelief.
Selene turned, her voice sharp with anger. "Commander Arvell—why did you stop Charlotte? She could have stopped this!"
The commander, who had already regained his composure, met her gaze with calm authority.
"I stopped her to save Liana's life," Arvell said. "A mana oath is sacred. If disturbed midway, it can have catastrophic consequences for the one making it. If Charlotte had interfered, at worst Liana's core would have shattered. Death would have been kinder."
Selene's lips pressed shut. She had no answer—because he was right.
Arvell's gaze then shifted toward Charlotte. His tone hardened.
"And to think that even you lost your composure. You know the consequences better than anyone, yet you acted rashly. Where is your discipline, Charlotte? You nearly killed her."
Charlotte lowered her head, unable to argue. "...I'm sorry, Liana."
Liana, as if it were nothing, smiled faintly. "It's fine. I'm okay."
She looked so gentle in that moment, so obedient—like a good girl. But to me, it only reminded me again how different Commander Arvell was from the others.
Liana clapped her hands. "Well then, I'll go pack my bags. I'll be there in half an hour, Lady Selene."
Selene only gave her a small nod in response.
Liana reached for my hand, tugging me along as we left the commander's office together. Her steps were light, almost playful.
"Kael," she said once we were in the hallway, "wait for me in your room. I'll pack my things first, then come find you."
"Do you need my help?" I asked, half-serious.
She shook her head, then suddenly paused. A mischievous smile tugged at her lips. "No, it's okay. Unless…" Her eyes gleamed as she leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Unless you want to see my private things. I wouldn't mind."
My brain short-circuited. What—?!
Face burning, I turned away at once and walked off, pretending I hadn't heard a thing. Behind me, her laugh rang down the corridor, light and teasing.
What the hell happened to Liana? I muttered under my breath, ears still red. She's changed so much in such a short time… maybe her Awakening had some strange side effect?
"No," a cold, familiar voice spoke from nowhere. Noctharion. "Awakening didn't change her."
"Then what did?" I demanded in my head. The Liana I remembered had always been gentle, polite, careful with her words. This… teasing, shameless side of her felt almost unreal.
"She didn't change," Noctharion replied calmly. "She simply stopped pretending. What you see now is the side she always had, but never showed. Perhaps she's realized she no longer needs to hide it. So she speaks as she wishes."
"So Liana was always like that, hah…" I muttered under my breath, almost bitter, almost amused.
Hello everyone! 🌙
I'll be deleting this version of the novel in about a week. I've already re-uploaded it under the same name with proper cover pictures and I'll be posting all new chapters there regularly.
Please head over to the other version, add it to your collections, and continue reading there. Thank you for your support—it means a lot! 🙏