The mark on Kaison's arm pulsed faintly in the dim light, its black lines coiling like serpents.
No… not serpents—**chains**.
Nine small circles were set into the heart of the pattern, like tiny locked gates. One of them glowed faintly, a white ember against the darkness.
Kaison couldn't look away. His fingers hovered over the skin, as if touching it might break some invisible thread.
A sudden voice shattered his trance.
**"That's the Seal of Chains!"**
He blinked and turned toward Benson, who was grinning like a child who'd found a lost treasure.
**"The… Seal of Chains?"** Kaison repeated.
Benson nodded, eyes gleaming.
**"Yes. It's been two hundred years since it chose a wielder. Even I'd lost hope it ever would again… And now, finally, after all this time, I'll be able to study it up close."**
Two hundred years?
Kaison's thoughts stuttered. *Is he kidding? No human could live that long.*
**"Sir… you can't be serious. Two hundred years? How could you live that long—unless you're… not human?"**
Benson's smile widened, as if he'd been waiting for that question.
**"Oh, I'm very much human. I've survived this long thanks to the authority of my own seal."**
**"Your… seal?"**
**"The Seal of Knowledge and Longevity,"** Benson said with a touch of pride.
**"It grants me two things—limitless learning… and a long life. Without it, I'd have turned to dust long ago."**
Kaison swallowed, the weight of those words sinking in.
**"Now,"** Benson continued, clapping his hands together, **"enough about me. I'll explain the basics of your seal—and answer that burning question in your eyes."**
The others in the hall straightened into neat lines, listening.
**"First—the nine small circles you see in the middle are called *subseals*. When one glows, it means you've gained access to that stage's power. Each glowing subseal is what we call a *phase*. The more phases you unlock, the greater your strength and authority as a Seal Holder."**
Kaison glanced at his arm. Only one circle glowed.
**"Right now,"** Benson went on, **"you're at the very bottom—the First Phase."**
The title carried a strange weight.
**"Sir,"** Kaison asked, **"how do I enter the next phase?"**
Benson's tone grew instructive, like a master teaching an apprentice.
**"You must meet a *condition*. First, your body must adapt to the power of your current phase. Then, once you fulfill the condition, the next subseal will break open."**
**"And… how do we even know the condition?"**
**"Our exclusive library,"** Benson replied. **"Past wielders recorded their breakthroughs in manuscripts. Only the successor of a specific seal can open the writings of their predecessors. But you can't open a higher-phase manuscript until you've reached the phase right below it."**
Silence settled as the explanation ended.
**"Any more questions?"**
When none came, Benson waved a hand.
**"Good. Get familiar with your seals. Rias will give further instructions."**
The group began filing out, but Benson's voice halted Kaison.
**"You stay."**
Soon, the hall was empty except for the two of them.
Benson studied him, eyes narrowing slightly.
**"You really don't want to ask why I'm so interested in your seal?"**
Kaison shrugged lightly.
**"Because it hasn't chosen anyone in two hundred years?"**
Benson chuckled.
**"That's part of it. But there's more… Your seal is unique. It's classified as a *Seal of Creation*—yet it still falls under the category of a *Seal of Requiem*. That contradiction alone makes it… fascinating."**
Kaison frowned.
**"I… don't understand."**
**"Of course not,"** Benson said with a sly grin. **"You're new to this. I'll give you a short lesson on the different types of seals…"**
And as his voice began to echo through the empty hall, Kaison felt a strange chill—like the chains etched into his skin had just tightened.
---
to be continued