The manor's torchlight flickered against the courtyard walls when Kaison returned.
The night air was cool, yet sweat clung to the back of his neck — not from the walk, but from the memory of steel flashing in the woods.
Rias was waiting. Arms crossed, eyes sharp.
"You're late," she said.
"I got ambushed," Kaison replied, tossing the words out like they meant nothing.
But Rias caught the faint tension in his jaw.
"How many?"
"Three. Professional. They knew exactly what I was carrying."
Her gaze flicked to the chain seal still glowing faintly on his hand. "And you handled them?"
Kaison smirked. "Would I be standing here otherwise?"
The corners of her mouth twitched — not quite a smile. "Good. Then you're ready to hear the real reason I sent you."
Kaison's brow furrowed.
"That medicine," she began, pacing slowly, "was not just for Count Ains Anlok's health. It's an antidote — one of the only ones in existence — for the Black Veil toxin."
Kaison's mind raced. *The Black Veil…* a name whispered in the underworld. A poison that crippled kingdoms in silence, killing without leaving a trace.
"Who poisoned him?" Kaison asked.
"That's the problem," Rias said, eyes narrowing. "The Count isn't just a noble — he's the keeper of one of the Seven Seals. The same type of seal as yours."
Kaison froze. "You mean—"
"Yes. The assassins weren't after the medicine. They wanted the Count dead so his seal would vanish — one less guardian between the world and what's imprisoned beneath it."
Kaison's pulse quickened. The image of the assassins flashed in his mind — their movements, their coordination. This wasn't a random attack. It was a message.
"And you didn't tell me this before because…?" he asked.
Rias stepped closer, her voice dropping to a near-whisper. "Because if you knew, you would've hesitated. And hesitation gets you killed."
Her words hung heavy in the air.
"From now on," she continued, "your missions won't be errands. You'll be hunting the ones who move against the Seals. And after today… they'll know your name."
The seal on Kaison's hand pulsed once, warm against his skin — as if acknowledging the weight of her words.
Somewhere in the shadows, a crow cawed, sharp and cold
Kaison's eyes stayed locked on Rias, but he could tell she wasn't finished.
"There's more," she said, her voice quieter now, almost hesitant. "You deserve to know why I made you a Seal Bearer in the first place."
Kaison straightened.
"It wasn't just because you're capable," she continued. "It's because… the enemy I've been fighting for years — an organisation called *Void* — has finally started moving openly."
The name carried a chill, like the whisper of something buried deep and old.
"They've been after me for a long time," she said, her gaze steady but shadowed. "But I've always managed to stay ahead. Now, instead of striking at me directly, they've begun targeting my family."
Kaison's chest tightened.
"You mean—"
"Yes. You." Her voice was sharp with urgency. "You are my brother, Kaison. That's why I wanted to make you a seal bearer . So you could protect yourself… and so I could protect you, in my own way."
The revelation struck like a sudden shift in gravity — the world tilted, and all the threads of the past days started knotting together.
"And Amelia?" Kaison asked.
Rias' lips softened into something almost like a smile. "Our little sister is already a Seal Bearer, though she's more interested in her studies than missions. She's safe… for now."
"For now," Kaison repeated, tasting the warning in the words.
Rias' voice hardened again. "Void wants me because they need my seal to open the *Sea Dragon Manor* — the place where one of the Ancient Gates lies sealed. They believe they can control what's inside. I won't let them."
Her gaze met his, steady and unflinching. "As long as they can't get to me, they'll try to use you. Or Amelia. That's why you have to grow stronger — not just for yourself, but for this family."
Kaison clenched his fist, the chain seal glowing faintly like an ember ready to flare.
*"So that's it… I'm not just carrying a weapon. I'm carrying a target."*
The night seemed colder now, the silence heavier. Somewhere far off, thunder rumbled — or maybe it was just the sound of the coming storm.