"I'll go and get the book. You wait here for a while," Kaison said.
"Alright," Alan replied.
Kaison slipped away into his study, the soft creak of the wooden floor following him. He reached for the old leather-bound volume, the one that seemed to hum faintly whenever his fingers brushed its surface.
*This book holds too many secrets…*
*But before I dive into the mysteries of this diary, I need to know who the Revolutionary really was.*
He returned to the main hall, the book tucked under his arm. Handing it back to Alan, he was about to leave when the older man called after him.
"Is your head okay now?"
Kaison gave a faint smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"And don't forget about the conference."
"Conference…?"
Alan sighed. "Your head really has become a mess. How could you forget your big sister specially invited us both?"
"Oh—right. Now I remember. I'll be there."
*I almost forgot about it…*
*Tomorrow's Amelia's day off. We can go together.*
---
**The Next Day**
"How many more minutes, Amelia?" Kaison called, standing impatiently near the door.
"Almost done!"
*Earth girls or Auasfolth girls—it doesn't matter. They always take forever to get ready.*
Finally, they stepped out and made their way to the conference. But as soon as they entered the venue, both froze.
"Whoa…" Amelia's voice was barely a whisper. "The conference hall is gigantic."
Kaison's eyes swept the crowd.
*Most of the people here… they're nobility.*
*Will it be okay for us to be here?*
They found seats as the host greeted the audience. Then, the eldest of the Aakhtar family, poised and commanding, stepped forward to speak.
"As most of you know, the origin of the *Seals* is shrouded in mystery. But that is not today's concern. Our Intelligence Bureau has discovered individuals conducting illegal experiments on humans—attempting to create *artificial seals*. We are here to unite in stopping them."
*Seals? Listening to this, it sounds like some kind of supernatural authority… I'll ask my sister later.*
"To stop these experiments, we will recruit new candidates and grant them available seals. The seals choose their bearers. If no seal accepts you, we search for another candidate."
She lifted a scroll and began to read names.
"Alice Elwenhart. Leo. Lily White. Resa Oncloak. Mantis Alblaze… and Kaison Aakhtar."
"WHAT?!" Kaison's voice exploded louder than he intended. Every eye in the room turned toward him.
"Uh—sorry."
When the meeting ended, those called were told to remain. Kaison turned to Amelia.
"You wait here. I'll be back."
---
In the main hall, the chosen candidates stood in a loose line. A new figure strode in—his sister, Rias.
"I trust you all understand what *seals* are, and what *Seal Placement* means," she began.
Kaison scowled. "I DON'T."
The room went quiet. Someone muttered, *Is the chief really this guy's sister?*
Rias sighed. "Right… I never explained it to you."
"Exactly! You never told me about this, and now you drop it on me like this!"
"Calm down, I'll explain. Seals are authorities—grants of power that allow control over certain domains, depending on the seal. The ritual to receive one is called Seal Placement."
"How many seals exist?"
"There's no exact count—we keep discovering new ones. But generally, there are seven categories: Seal of Dragons, Seal of Wisdom, Seal of Creation, Seal of Destruction, Seal of Spirits, Seal of Beasts, and the Seal of Requiem."
Before he could ask more, Rias gestured for them to proceed. "Go on. The professor will handle the rest."
---
A stern man named Benson stood before a massive sealed doorway.
"I am in charge of Seal Placement here. Two rules. One—if a seal does not choose you, you leave silently, or I break your limbs. Two—no questions until you're a member of *Stormbringer*."
Behind him, six doors stood open. One remained shut.
Kaison pointed. "Why is that one closed?"
Benson's gaze turned icy. "…Since it's a valid question, I'll answer. That is the door to the Seals of Requiem. There are no seals inside—so it stays shut."
"Thank you, sir."
The ceremony began. One by one, candidates stepped into a glowing circle as Benson chanted. Wind swirled. A glowing sigil would streak toward each candidate, marking their arm.
Alice received the Seal of the White Dragon Emperor.
Leo, the Seal of the Beast King.
Lily, the Seal of Absolute Zero.
Resa, the Seal of the Spirit King.
Benson was grinning. "Remarkable… all great seals this time."
Then came Kaison's turn. The wind howled… then died. Nothing.
"It seems… no seal has chosen you," Benson said flatly.
Kaison's chest tightened. Rias stepped forward. "It's alright, little brother. It happens."
*No… it can't happen. I need a seal—my survival depends on it.*
Then—
The last door began to tremble.
Benson's head snapped toward it. "No…"
The heavy lock shattered. Darkness poured out like liquid smoke, and something shot forward—wrapping around Kaison's arm in a blinding flash.
"Ah—what is this?!"
Benson's face had gone pale.
"That… that's impossible…"
to be continued