Len remained motionless at the threshold of the heavy iron door, a silent statue carved from the very shadows of the corridor.
His back was still turned toward the beast, his small frame looking like an ancient, forbidden secret amidst the darkness.
The air in the dungeon still vibrated with the echoes of the monster's shattered voice, which lay scattered in pieces upon the cold floor.
From behind him, a fractured, trembling whisper rose once more. The monster, struggling to pull the remnants of his pride together, rasped:
"Master... I wish to be your servant. Please, take me into your grace."
Len turned slowly. Upon his face emerged that familiar, honey-sweet smile—the kind found on the face of an innocent child.
Yet, his eyes remained anchored in that terrifying 'Void' that could chill the very marrow of one's bones. In his melodic voice, Len asked:
"So... are you saying you wish for me to form a Contract with you? Are you truly ready to surrender your fate into my hands?"
The monster's massive body convulsed with a new wave of dread. Pressing his heavy forehead against the grime of the floor, he struggled to find his words.
"No... my Lord, no! A creature as lowly as I does not possess the status to claim a Contract with you."
"I wish only to be a common servant, to exist merely as a shadow in your presence. It is honor enough for me to be the dust beneath your feet and the executor of your will."
Len tilted his head slightly, a strange, dark glint flickering in his eyes.
"I could grant you a chance," Len said in a voice so low it felt like a shared conspiracy.
"But first, would you like to meet my companions? Do you possess the courage to gaze upon the power that stands behind me?"
A surge of primal curiosity and ancient fear rose within the monster.
"It would be my greatest honor," he replied.
As the words left his throat, the entire atmosphere of the dungeon shifted, turning as cold as a mountain blizzard.
Directly behind Len, tearing through the dense curtains of darkness, a gargantuan silhouette emerged. This was no ordinary beast.
Suddenly, sparks of brilliant golden light and crackling electrical surges erupted from the entity's body.
The radiance was so fierce and divine that the centuries-old grime on the walls turned white, and the stones themselves began to crack under the pressure.
The monster tried to shield his eyes with his claws, but the golden brilliance pierced through, reaching into his very soul.
He could only sense a massive, celestial form, unable to see it clearly through the blinding light.
"I... I can see nothing! Master, what is this light? My eyes are burning!" the monster cried out, writhing on the ground.
Len stood perfectly still at the heart of that golden eruption, as if the cataclysmic light was merely an extension of his own body.
"I am ready to form the Contract with you," Len declared, his words echoing like a divine decree through the chamber.
As soon as Len gave his consent, a strange, mystical pattern began to manifest around the monster's neck.
The pattern resembled an ancient, cursed script, searing into his thick hide and burning deep into the flesh. Len's voice echoed again:
"This pattern is now a part of your soul. Remember, it shall remain invisible to everyone except you and me."
Suddenly, an agonizing, white-hot pain erupted from the mark. It felt as if thousands of molten iron needles were being driven into the monster's throat simultaneously.
The beast, who was once the very definition of terror, collapsed onto the floor, thrashing in agony.
The veins in his neck turned a bruised blue, and he let out a harrowing groan, his body arching like a drawn bow.
Len walked over slowly and leaned down toward the monster's ear, speaking in a voice that was cold, steady, and entirely devoid of emotion.
"But mark this well in your mind... never betray me. The day a single thought of treachery enters your heart, the consequence will be a thousand times more horrific than this pain."
"I will not erase you; I will keep you in a torment that has no end."
Gasping through the pain, the monster looked at Len with eyes filled with tears and submission. He whimpered:
"Why... why would I ever do such a thing? My entire existence, every breath I draw, is now tethered to you."
Len studied his face as if inspecting a toy. His voice shifted back to the sweet tones of an innocent child, but the warning hidden within was enough to melt one's bones.
"You must only remember that even if this body appears innocent, or this child seems weak... you must never be deceived by appearances."
"For that which looks lovely and innocent is not always weak."
Len's eyes reverted to that haunting 'Void'.
"His innocence is more lethal than any demonic force. Remember... as time passes, only 'Consciousness' changes, not the 'Personality'. I am what I have always been."
Time passed. In the suffocating darkness of that dungeon, it was impossible to track the hours.
There was no daylight, no nocturnal chill—only a silence so heavy it pressed against the eardrums.
Then, suddenly, the sharp screech of heavy iron doors opening echoed from the far end of the corridor.
The rhythmic thud of heavy boots rang out on the stone floor. A squad of Vampire Guards, armed to the teeth, entered the chamber.
Their faces wore the cruel smiles they reserved for torturing prisoners. They were prepared for a gruesome sight, certain that the monster would have torn the small child to shreds by now.
But as they stepped inside the cell, their footsteps came to an abrupt halt. Torches nearly slipped from their trembling hands.
The scene before them defied every law and expectation they held. The guards' faces were a mask of shock, deep terror, and intense confusion.
There was no struggle, no bloodbath, and no screams.
That savage, bloodthirsty monster, whose very name made the warriors of the Vampire Empire tremble, sat on the floor as docile as a pet.
His head was bowed in absolute submission, his eyes devoid of their former ferocity.
But the most heart-stopping sight was the child.
Len was leaning comfortably against the monster's back.
His small body was propped up against the beast's rugged hide, and he was sleeping so deeply and peacefully, as if he were resting in his mother's lap.
The terror in the guards' eyes was not for the monster, but for the unbelievable tranquility of the child.
A beast that was impossible to tame was now serving as a bed for this boy.
This sight proved a singular truth: Len was no longer a prisoner of this dungeon—he had become its absolute Master.