Abaddon settled down atop the polished wooden table as though it were a throne carved for him alone.
His talons tapped lightly against the surface—too lightly for a creature wreathed in living flame—yet each sound echoed like a soft crackle of firewood catching spark.
His ember-like eyes fixed directly upon the Patriarch with the boldness of a sovereign staring down another ruler. The shadow phoenix tilted his head, plume of black-flame feathers rippling like ink stirred by a slow current.
Auri stood beside Jude, hands clasped behind his back, regarding the creature before him with measured interest.
Though he was a man who rarely showed outward surprise, even he couldn't fully conceal the flicker in his gaze.
The legendary shadow phoenix, a being whose existence was whispered more in myth than in certainty, perched casually on his table as if it had lived there all its life.
Auri spoke first, tone calm, level, and carrying the natural authority of the Patriarch of House Avernus.
"The legendary Shadow Phoenix… a creature of chaos and unkillable flames. Embreal."
Abaddon's beak curved upward in something dangerously close to a smirk. His wings shifted, casting dancing waves of shadowfire across the room's walls.
Abaddon replied with unmistakable pride.
"Yes. Feel blessed, as your House is now under my guardianship."
Auri raised a brow. "Your guardian?"
Abaddon puffed out his chest, shadows swirling beneath his feathers.
"As long as Jude remains here, House Avernus is under my wings' protection. Hahaha—"
He threw his head back and released a booming, triumphant laugh, flames flaring around him like a crown of molten night.
Jude remained silent, stiffened slightly, uncertain whether to bow, to speak, or simply let the two titanic beings—his father and his contracted guardian—measure each other.
Auri shifted his gaze toward Jude.
Not only had Jude become the contractor of Morthos, the ancient shadow entity…
But now the legendary Shadow Phoenix, a creature thought to be bound to no one, claimed him openly.
The Patriarch's chest tightened with something complex—pride, awe, and a faint thread of concern.
As a father, Auri felt overwhelming pride.
As a Patriarch, he understood the trouble this could bring.
Whispers might already be forming among certain members of the House. Jude's sudden power, his unprecedented bond, his status… to some, he would become an asset. To others… a threat.
And Jude was still too young for the weight now placed on his shoulders.
Auri exhaled slowly. Then his voice deepened with command.
"My brother will oversee your training from now on."
Jude blinked in surprise. He had been expecting a knight instructor—perhaps one of the senior captains. But not him.
Alex Avernus—Auri's own brother—was a man known throughout the House not only for his strength but for his brutal, disciplined approach to forging warriors. He was an eight-star knight, a loyal pillar of House Avernus, and a man many considered the true steel that shaped the House's military arm.
Auri continued, expression firm.
"He will not go easy on you just because you are my son."
Jude straightened unconsciously. His heartbeat quickened, but determination anchored him firmly.
"Father," Jude said at last, raising his head. "I will not let you down. Until I surpass even you in strength."
Auri froze—just for a heartbeat. The room seemed to still.
None of his children had ever said something like that to his face—much less with such sincerity. Ambition wasn't unusual among the Avernus siblings, but Jude's words weren't blinded by arrogance. They came from raw conviction.
A slow grin broke across Auri's face, followed by a deep, hearty laugh rarely heard within the Estate halls.
"Fine," he said, lowering himself back onto his chair. "Then I will keep this seat ready for you… if you are worthy of it."
The challenge hung in the air like a drawn sword—heavy, gleaming, irresistible.
Abaddon hopped once on the table and stared at Auri with clear judgment.
"You're one weird dad," he said bluntly.
Auri's head turned toward the phoenix; he let out a dry breath of amusement.
"It is my pleasure to meet one of the Children of Shadow."
Abaddon didn't answer. He simply flicked his wing dismissively, and in a swirl of dense smoke, he dissolved downward—slipping seamlessly into Jude's own shadow. The dark stain beneath Jude's feet stretched for a moment like liquid ink, then sealed itself again.
Jude felt the faint warmth of the phoenix settle inside the darkness at his heels.
Auri returned his attention to Jude.
"Your training begins tomorrow. And… for the exchange, you can have the thunder core once it arrives."
Jude's breath hitched.
The thunderbird core? He's giving me that?
Thunderbird cores were treasures coveted by both knights and mages alike. For knights, the core strengthened the body—tendons, muscles, reflexes. It increased bodily conductivity, explosiveness, resilience.
But for mages… its value was even higher, capable of expanding mana capacity to levels normally unreachable.
Auri nodded. "You earned it."
Jude bowed deeply.
"Yes, Father. And thank you."
"You may go now," Auri said, waving a hand.
Jude turned, stepping toward the large wooden door. The guards standing on each side straightened with respect. As Jude approached, the door opened smoothly, and he stepped out into the quieter corridor outside.
The moment the door closed behind him, he exhaled—long, slow, steady.
Inside his shadow, Abaddon muttered,
"Your family is definitely strange… but I think I like them."
Jude didn't respond. His heart was still racing with everything that had happened: Morthos's contract, Abaddon's guardianship, his father's approval, the thunder core, and tomorrow's training under Alex.
Too much.
Too fast.
Too big for someone his age.
But he clenched his fist.
If this was the path laid out before him, then he would walk it.
No matter the weight.
No matter the expectations.
No matter the danger.
House Avernus had just seen a spark ignite…
And Jude planned to make it a wildfire.