Sarah set the parchment back down in the middle of the table. Its faint glow pulsed softly, waiting.
Sai reached for it again. He couldn't read the strange script, but the words Sarah had spoken lingered in his mind:
"According to the other party's will, it can change."
That single line repeated in his head.
It meant forgiveness was possible. She could spare him if he failed, and he could spare her. On the surface, it was kindness. But Sai knew poison when it was sweetened with honey.
Still… the contract was clean. No tricks he could detect. No unreasonable commands. That alone made it tempting.
He glanced at Sarah, who waited patiently, violet eyes steady. His chest tightened. Once he signed, his path would be sealed. He didn't yet know what this world demanded of him—but hesitation had cost him everything in Murim.
"…Agreed," he said at last.
Sarah's expression softened slightly, though she didn't smile. Instead, she handed him a slender dagger. Its edge shimmered faintly with mana.
Sai tilted his head. "…What for?"
"For the ritual," Sarah said. "A contract that binds the heart must first recognize blood."
Sai studied the blade in silence, then thought to himself: It makes sense. A ritual that can stop the heart would naturally require blood.
Without protest, he accepted it. Pressing the blade against his palm, he let a bead of red well up. The sting was sharper than expected, cutting deeper than he meant, but he kept his face composed.
Sarah's brows tightened faintly. He didn't complain. Not even a flinch. Is he stubborn, or just trying to look strong in front of me? she wondered.
When he extended the dagger back, she hesitated for only a breath before mirroring him. Even after inheriting the original Sarah's memories and training, she wasn't used to injuries. Her hand trembled faintly, but she drew just enough for a droplet to form.
Sai watched her carefully. For all her maturity, she was still young. He couldn't have known she once walked among university halls, far from this world.
The moment their blood touched the parchment, the script flared with light. Two motes rose, one sinking into Sai's chest, the other into Sarah's.
Sai's hand instinctively brushed his sternum. The warmth was gone, but something invisible lingered there—like a hidden chain coiled around his heart. Sarah mirrored the gesture, her face steady once more.
"The contract is complete," she said evenly. "Remember the terms well… and show me what you can do."
"Sure, ma'am," Sai replied, tone polite yet dry.
Her lips twitched at the mock-respect, but she didn't press the matter. "You'll stay here tonight. Tomorrow, we'll decide how to introduce you as a trainee."
Sai's eyes flicked around the training hall. Benches lined the walls—hard, but enough to sleep on. He could endure, but he knew better than to appear too submissive. "I suppose it can't be helped," he said lightly.
"You'll be given food by a maid at night," Sarah continued. "And trainee clothes. Tomorrow you'll meet someone who can settle you in. Until then, don't cause trouble. I'll cover for you… but only once."
He inclined his head. "As you wish, ma'am."
Sarah studied him a moment longer. Then, with her violet hair catching the faint glow of the mana lamps, she turned and left. She had much to plan—how to explain him to her sister, how to weave his presence into the Winchester household.
---
Sai leaned back against one of the benches. His palm still throbbed faintly, but he ignored it, mind drifting into old habits of caution and planning.
The door creaked open.
Sai's instincts fired before thought—his body vanished from sight, slipping behind the nearest bench in silence. His breathing stilled, every muscle taut.
From the shadows, he watched.
What he saw was none other than Sarah, stepping back into the hall.
Sai straightened, stepping out from behind the bench. "...It was you."
Sarah blinked at him, expression unreadable. "Yeah. I forgot to give you something."
In her hands was a flask filled with red liquid. She walked over and set it down before him.
Sai picked it up, tilting it slightly. "What's this?"
"A gift," Sarah said.
He raised an eyebrow.
"A body-strengthening potion," she clarified. "Drink it, then meditate or use a breathing technique. It will slightly increase your strength—permanently."
Sai understood at once. His gaze lingered on the red liquid. "Yes, ma'am."
"Sit in lotus position," Sarah instructed, "take a deep breath and release it slow—"
"I know how to meditate," Sai cut her off flatly.
Sarah stared, lips pressing together. "…Alright then. See you tomorrow."
She turned and left once more, her figure fading into the dim corridor.
Sai held the flask in his hand, staring at it for a long moment. The liquid shimmered faintly under the mana lamps.
"…Let's do it," he murmured.
---