Months had passed since Azure began his studies. On a quiet, dark night, while sitting at his desk, he muttered to himself, "I've finished all these books, but I'm still yet to properly understand how to use the knowledge when it's needed." He stretched his arms and continued, "There's not much time left before I leave for the dukedom and attend Horizon Institute."
'Looks like dad's not around. Not surprising–, he usually vanishes at night whenever he's bored, skipping over the dull moments. Although, if I call him, he shows up immediately. But right now, I want to be outside, sitting by the river, and gazing at the stars,' Azure thought happily.
Stepping outside, Azure stood by the river, letting the cool night air embrace him as he looked up at the twinkling stars. As he relaxed, something unusual caught his eye—a faint glow in the water. 'What is that? It's too far, and it's cold, so diving in isn't an option. I'll just use my Zer to bring it closer.'
The dark, ethereal particles known as Zer—once a mystery to him—had become an extension of his will over time. With a focused gesture of his right hand, Azure released the Zer, commanding it to bring the glowing object toward him. But as soon as his Zer touched the object,
Azure fell unconscious. When he regained his senses, he found himself in the midst of a breathtaking garden adorned with lavendars. Before him stood a wooden house that seemed simple, yet radiated an aura of extraordinary value. As he stepped inside, his eyes fell on a beautiful woman with lavendar eyes and white hair that shone brighter than the moon. In her arms was a child, with the same white hair and lavendar eyes—the child was none other than Azure. "Mother," the word escaped his lips, as if it had been waiting to be spoken for years. "Mother!" Azure cried, rushing to embrace her, but as soon as he reached out, an arrow pierced her.
"No! No, you can't die! I won't let you die!, I just met you! this can't happen-" Azure screamed, but he was powerless. He didn't even truly exist in that moment. Mentally shattered, Azure could only watch in horror. Desperate, he ran outside, calling for help—but no one came.
Suddenly, he saw knights approaching. 'Yes! Yes, they're here! They'll save her—they'll take her to a doctor!' Azure thought, but little did he know, the soldiers had come to kill his mother.
"Everyone! The witch is in that house! Kill her and bring her head to me!" the captain shouted.
"Yes, sir!" the knights responded in unison.
Azure couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Why are they doing this?- why?" He ran back inside, desperate to take his mother and flee. But, as he didn't exist there, his hands passed through her, offering no help.
"No! This can't be happening! Hold on, Mother! Don't worry, I won't let them harm you!" Azure cried out, his voice desperate.
He rushed outside, attempting to fight the knights, but once again, his hands passed through them as though they were nothing. "Please, I beg you! Don't kill my mother!" Azure cried, pleading for mercy, but his cries went unheard. In the blink of an eye, the knights entered the house.
One knight called out, "The witch is already dead."
Another replied, "Who cares? Just bring her head to the captain!"
Before Azure could process it, the knight severed his mother's head.
"No! You bastard! I'll kill you!-" Azure yelled, but another knight interrupted.
"Hey, if you take the head, the captain will only reward you. What about us?"
The knight who had killed Azure's mother coldly replied, "Do whatever you want—take her hand, leg, or whatever."
It was almost as if Azure's body had been frozen, 'No- n- this can't happen- why?'
Soon, the knights began to take pieces of Azure's mother's body as if they were mere trophies. Azure could only scream and cry, unable to stop the horrifying mutilation before him.
When the knights finally left, all that remained in the house were bloody remnants of his mother. Azure, broken beyond recognition, collapsed, losing consciousness once again.
Azure gasped as his consciousness returned, his mind still haunted by the gruesome images of his mother's death. His breath was shallow, and his body trembled with the weight of grief. He was still shaking from the memory of the knights, the blood, his powerless screams. The darkness around him only intensified his panic, and for a moment, he couldn't make sense of his surroundings.
"Where... where am I?" Azure whispered, his voice barely audible.
A cold, almost amused voice cut through the silence, "Ah, the boy wakes up."
Azure's head snapped toward the voice. His heart raced, a mix of fear and anger surging through him. He tried to speak, but his throat felt raw, like his words were swallowed by the void around him.
The figure before him seemed to emerge from the darkness itself, shrouded in an aura that chilled him to the bone. Azure's mind screamed in terror as he instinctively took a step back, but his legs were too weak to move, leaving him rooted to the spot.
"What do you want?" Azure croaked, struggling to hold his composure, his body still trembling. His eyes burned from the unrelenting nightmare he had just lived through, and the sight of this strange being before him only deepened his fear.
"Curious? Aren't you?" The strange being continued. "You'll come to know what I want soon enough," the being said, his voice smooth and terrifyingly calm. "But before that, you need to ask yourself one thing—how far are you willing to go to change your fate? To make them pay for what they did?"
Azure's mind reeled. The trauma of his mother's death, the helplessness he felt—it all rushed back. He could feel his chest tighten, suffocated by the weight of his emotions. But there was something inside him now, a dark, gnawing hunger, whispering that he needed to take control, that he couldn't let it end like this.
Azure took a deep breath, forcing his mind to calm. He knew that reacting impulsively would lead him down a path of chaos. Still, his heart raced, and his body trembled, but he found his voice.
"If you want to talk, then answer me this: Why am I here? What was that I saw... and was it real?" His voice was firm, though the lingering fear was still there.
The figure in the darkness chuckled lightly, "Ah, I see you're not too weak to temptations." With a flick of his finger, the darkness dissolved, revealing a tall figure with long black hair, red eyes, one could even call him 'handsome'. "Well, since you've asked... Let me introduce myself. I am Arzatious, a rather cheerful individual. Or perhaps, you can call me an 'eternal' now. Does that make me a positive eternal?" He smiled broadly, his teeth sharp. "As for how you're here, it's simple: the glowing object you tried to touch was my prison. Normally, a human would die upon contact with it, but you survived. Why? Well, your bloodline. Not the brightest, I must say... But that's exactly why I want to make a contract with you. The terms are simple: You carry me with you, and that's it."
Azure was stunned. "You're telling me... that's it? No strings attached?"
Arzatious grinned, clearly amused. "Ah, you think I'll make you kill people or something like that? Hah! I see! You think I'm some ancient demon, don't you?" He laughed, his voice a mix of mirth and coldness. "No, I've done enough killing in my human days to satisfy those desires. So... do you agree?"
Azure hesitated, almost shaking his head. "I don't know... I'm not sure about this."
Arzatious' tone shifted slightly, but his smile never faltered. "Oh, you misunderstand. You never had a choice. The moment you touched that object, you sealed your fate. You're mine now."
Azure's heart sank. 'Why even ask for my opinion, then?'
"I should mention," Arzatious continued, "just in case you forgot—while you're here, I can read every thought of yours. And once you accept the contract, I'll have access to them whenever I please."
Azure swallowed hard, the gravity of the situation sinking in. "So… if I agree, what happens then?"
"The contract is complete~~" Arzatious replied, his voice dripping with cheerfulness.
"Wait, wha—?" Azure tried to respond, but the world around him spun, and he fell into unconsciousness once again.