"You said my award pin!!"
Hearing what Zephyros had to say, Director Felan set the glass he was holding down on the table.
Felan's eyes were wide as saucers.
"I still can't believe Kael split an Echidmer in two, Zephyros. We're talking about a Class D creature! How could a 15-year-old boy defeat a four-ringed monster with a single strike?"
Felan: "How much does the King know, Zephyros?"
Zephyros took a deep breath.
"Calm down, Felan. If you ask how much the King knows, he has no idea about Kael's true power or bloodline. There are dozens of witnesses who saw him cut the creature down with a sword. They just think he's a genius swordsman."
Felan sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples.
"This won't be as easy as you think. The news that a 15-year-old boy killed a four-ringed creature will spread like wildfire. It's only a matter of time before it reaches the other kingdoms—even the High Council in the Central Kingdom. How do you plan to hide him while he's so out in the open?"
"I don't know, Felan... I promised my brother I'd protect him."
"I understand," Felan said, his voice softening.
"But don't forget this: if anything happens to that child, we'll inevitably be dragged into another war with the Demon Realm. You know his grandfather isn't an ordinary man—you know the weight he carries on the demon side. At best, he might force the child to join his side to ensure nothing happens to his grandfather, Kael."
Zephyros smiled bitterly. "If only his grandfather were the only problem, Felan..."At the same time, the students had gathered in Teacher Celia's classroom for Summoning Spell training. Celia stepped up to the podium with a slender yet authoritative presence.
"The Summoning Spell you'll learn today is, at its core, a Soul Contract," Celia began.
"So for this spell to work properly, the consent of both parties is essential. Another method is the Forced Pact; when the wizard's power overpowers the summoned entity, they impose their will upon it. I would never recommend this; because if your spirit or mind weakens even for a moment, the entity you're bound to will be waiting to consume you."
One of the students raised their hand: "Miss Celia, isn't Summoning a special-class spell? Can all of us use it?"Celia shook her head with a smile.
"No, the ritual we're performing is different from the Summoning-Class Spell you mentioned. We enter into pacts with 'Ancient Beings' from other dimensions to temporarily invite them into
this world. Summoning-Class mages, on the other hand, directly take control of the monsters that already exist in our world. While they can command dozens of creatures, the number of spiritual allies we can make pacts with is limited."
Lyra leaned toward Kael and whispered excitedly:
"I'm so excited! I wonder what kind of being I'll summon? I really want it to be something fluffy and cute. Just thinking about it makes my heart race!"
Rota teased, cutting in: "Ha! Lyra, we're summoning an assistant, not a pet. How could a cute little thing help you in battle?"Lyra wrinkled her nose: "It doesn't matter to me! I just don't want some ugly, terrifying monster!"
Celia said, "Now watch me," pricked her finger with a small needle, and let the blood drip onto the parchment in front of her. From the black smoke rising from the parchment, a black fox with four tails and eyes that shone like emeralds emerged and leaped straight onto Celia's shoulder.
"This is my ancient friend; Lynx. He is a Night Fox."
The girls in the class suddenly screamed:
"Aww, how cute!"
"Look at those tails!",
"I want one just like that!"
Rota asked curiously,
"Hmm, I wonder where these spiritual creatures come from. I hope we're not forcing them out of their homes."
Kael: "As Ms. Celia said, both parties must consent for a contract. So, I suppose the creature won't come if it doesn't want to."
Celia: "Now it's your turn. Remember, if the entity that comes doesn't want to make a contract with you, don't force it—end the spell immediately!"
The students nervously unfolded their parchments. Lyra closed her eyes tightly and, silently praying,
"Please let it be sweet," she dripped her blood onto the parchment. What emerged from the parchment was a shimmering fire spirit floating in the air. It resembled a small ball of flame but had tiny eyes.
Celia was surprised: "Congratulations, Lyra! A Fire Spirit is a rare type. It will add incredible power to your fire spells."
Lyra was overjoyed. She picked up the tiny flame and showed it to Kael. "Kael, look at this! Isn't it adorable? Your name will be Flare!"
It was Rota's turn. The entity that emerged from her parchment was very intriguing. It was a divine being with a crystal resembling an eye at its center and six white wings surrounding it.
Celia was speechless. "Oh my God... Rota, this is a Light Spirit! And it's the first time I've ever seen one in angelic form."
Rota smirked at Lyra. "So I summoned something rarer than Lyra's, is that right, Ms. Celia?"
Celia nodded: "Absolutely. Light Spirits are considered divine figures."Lyra grumbled from behind: "Hmph! Rare, huh... Flare is way prettier than that!"A loud gust of wind was heard from the other end of the classroom. Thalendir stood proudly beside a Pegasus with massive, pure-white wings.
"I was expecting an assistant my equal," he said haughtily.
"This one isn't too bad either."
It was Kael's turn. He felt an indescribable unease.
"What if I form a bond with dark magic?" he thought. He touched the blood on his trembling finger to the parchment.
The moment the drop of blood touched the paper, the magic circle on the parchment began to burn with an uncharacteristic pitch-black flame. In an instant, all the light in the classroom was swallowed up. Even the sunlight streaming through the windows had faded. The classroom was plunged into pitch-black darkness.The students began screaming in panic:
"What's happening?",
"I can't see a thing!",
"Miss Celia, help us!"
Celia lunged blindly toward Kael's desk, but an invisible wall pushed her back.Two massive purple eyes emerged from the darkness. The eyes were staring directly into Kael's soul. A voice echoed as if from within his mind:
"Is it you, child, who dares to wake me from my slumber?"
Kael couldn't breathe. The entity's aura was so heavy it felt as though his lungs were being crushed. A massive, smoke-like dragon silhouette glided toward Kael.
"Interesting... I've lived for thousands of years, but this scent coming from you... You're not just a mortal, are you? There's a void inside you, waiting to awaken."
The entity moved a little closer to Kael. Its sharp, violet eyes were glowing.
"You're afraid... And rightly so. For the first time in thousands of years, I've felt something worth waking me from my slumber. My name is Grosolun, child!! I'm making you an offer..."
Just then, the darkness exploded and dissipated as suddenly as it had arrived. The lights in the classroom came back on. All the students and Ms. Celia were lying on the floor, gasping for breath.Celia rushed over to Kael's side, her hands trembling.
"Kael! Are you okay? What just happened?"
Kael was still trembling. "I-I don't know... I guess I failed. The summoning failed."Celia looked at Kael with a mix of shock and fear. She thought to herself, "A failed summoning shouldn't have caused such a reaction."
"I understand... don't lose hope, Kael. You can try again when you feel ready."
Lyra and Rota immediately gathered around Kael.
"Kael! What was that just now? Ms. Celia said it failed, but that's impossible! You're a Four-Ringed One—something stronger than all of ours should have come out!"
Rota pulled Lyra back.
"Lyra, don't push Kael. Clearly something went wrong. I'm sure next time he'll summon a creature that'll shock everyone."
Kael wasn't even hearing them. In his mind, those purple eyes and the terrifying silhouette of the dragon named Grosol were still there.
"What on earth was that?" Kael thought, trying to stop his hands from trembling. "For a moment, I thought I was going to die."