Chapter 32 — The Contract
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Kael Grenfort:
Dzao stared at the clouds for a while. Long. Deep. As if he could see the past or the future hidden within them. Then he turned to me.
"So. Are you ready to hear my offer?"
He set his cup on the table. The porcelain met the marble with a soft, clear ring.
"Yes. And what is this offer about?"
He snapped his fingers again. A teapot appeared on the table. He lifted it and poured tea into his cup. His hand was smooth, precise, mechanical—like a motion performed a thousand times.
"So," he said, placing his hand flat on the table. His fingers spread wide, leaving an empty space beneath his palm.
A moment later, a white light flashed between his fingers. It spread and then condensed—like a droplet of water gathering on a surface.
Then, as if from nowhere, a document appeared beneath his palm.
"Here. An offer. Or rather—a contract."
He slid the paper across the table with one finger. It moved smoothly, almost floating.
I took it and began to read slowly.
Five minutes passed.
"Ahem… finished?"
I stayed silent. One second. Two. My fingers gripped the edge of the paper—it trembled slightly.
Dzao watched my face—that sharp, all-seeing gaze. Then I raised my head.
"Yes, Master Dzao. I actually quite like it."
I smirked at him like a troll. I raised two fingers and made a quick "V" sign in the air.
"It's a classic secret identity, after all."
Dzao stared at me. For a long time. His brows furrowed slightly, his lips moved—as if searching for words.
Then he wrinkled his face as if to say "Eww." He turned his head aside, as though he'd just witnessed something deeply unpleasant.
"You… are a strange boy," he finally said, in a low voice.
I laughed. "Thank you, sir."
"Now that you've read it, place your thumbprint here. I'll do the same. Then we'll be bound by blood and honor our obligations," he said in a tone as casual as if he were ordering breakfast.
A small needle appeared in his hand. He pricked his thumb, waited for a single drop of blood—crimson, gleaming—and pressed it onto the contract.
"Here. Your turn."
He handed me the contract along with another needle.
I took it. Cold, fine, almost weightless. I pricked my thumb—a tiny, sharp sting. Blood welled up. I waited a moment, letting the drop gather at my fingertip, then pressed it to the paper.
"There, sir. Guard it like the apple of your eye. After all, our very lives are now tied to this piece of paper."
"Ohho. Boy, you know far too much," he said, a mix of surprise and curiosity in his voice.
"Good. Since we're done—take these two rings. Both are artifacts. Don't lose them. One is for inventory, the other for disguise."
He extended his hand. In his palm lay two rings. One was silver, smooth, etched with fine lines—like some modern circuitry. The other was dark, matte, covered in patterns that seemed to shift and move as you looked at them.
I took them.
And in that instant—my vision went black.
The light died. The sounds died. The air changed.
Then—I was back at the school table. Dzao stood before me. He rose and walked to the center of the stage.
"Time freeze."
In that moment, time stopped across the entire city.
I looked out the window—people on the streets were frozen solid. A boy held a ball mid-air, motionless. Birds hung in the sky like statues. The wind had ceased. Even the sunlight seemed unmoving.
Dzao raised one hand toward the sky.
"Mind control — erase memories."
A beam of light shot upward like an arrow. Golden-red energy rose into the heavens—then BOOM—it exploded, spreading across the entire city.
Countless tiny rays of light entered every person who had been on the school grounds today. Every parent, every child, every guard—each had a brief flash on their forehead.
Dzao pressed two fingers of his raised hand to his own forehead.
"Freedom."
Time began to flow again. Life returned to the city. People resumed their movements, birds flew, the ball fell to the ground.
"Uhhhh… how exhausting," Dzao said, his voice carrying a hint of fatigue. He lowered his hand, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"Wiped out half my mana reserve."
"Are you alright, sir?" Hanna rushed to his side.
"Yes, I'm fine," he said, raising a hand.
---
"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here?" A guard rushed toward me and grabbed my arm tightly.
"Hey," Dzao said coldly, locking eyes with the guard. His voice cut like a blade.
"Yes, sir!" The guard released me at once.
"The boy I invited. No, sir, the one you invited left five hours ago," the guard said. At that, Dzao's temper flared.
He extended his hand toward the guard. The guard was drawn forward until his neck rested perfectly in Dzao's right palm. Dzao squeezed slightly and lifted him off the ground.
"You think I'm a fool? This is the second person I personally invited. Do you have a problem with that?" he said, staring straight into the guard's face.
"Sir, control yourself!" Hanna said.
"Yes, you're right," he replied, releasing the guard.
The guard collapsed to the ground, coughing twice, hard.
"Sorry, sir! Forgive me!"
"Yes, I shouldn't harm you. After all, you were sent by the empire," Dzao said from above, no mercy in his eyes. "Alright, go. Get back to work."
"Hey, Kae—ahemm, Criss. Here are your documents."
He extended his hand toward me. As I approached, documents appeared in his grasp. I took them.
"If we're done, you may leave. I'll expect you tomorrow," Dzao said.
"Yes, sir. Farewell," I said, and began walking out.
---
Outside, noise.
"Criss! Criss! Where is Criss? Why did he stay so long?!" Sedric was shouting.
Ahh, Criss. A new name by my side—Criss.
"Father! Here I am! I'm out! Everything's fine!" I called.
"Why did you take so long?"
I walked toward him, took his index finger, and started pulling him along.
"Hey, where are you dragging me, Criss?"
"Ahh, Father, let's go. Everything's settled!"
"Ahhhh! Why did that old man do that?"
"He had to. But now what? We need to restore his original memory. When is he going to do that?"
We left the school grounds.
"Hey, old man!" I shouted suddenly. "Can you hear me?"
"Criss! Why are you yelling 'old man'? Who are you talking to?"
A miniature version of Dzao appeared before me. Transparent, almost invisible—only his outline visible.
"Yes, what do you have to say? And what did you call me?" he asked coldly.
"Ahahaha! Nothing! I called you the best person in the world!"
"Shall I restore his memory?"
"What memory?" Sedric asked in confusion.
"Yes, do it," I said.
"Hey, hey, stop! What are you doing?" Sedric began to cast a spell.
Again, that same light shot out and sank into Sedric's forehead. His eyes went white, and he stood motionless, unspeaking.
"Anything else?"
"No, nothing else. Thank you," I said.
Dzao narrowed his eyes. "Very well. Until tomorrow, Kael."
"Yes, sir."
And with that, he vanished.
Then Sedric's consciousness returned.
"Ahhh… aaaa? What? Why are we here? I was just waiting for you to come out, and my patience was running out—I was about to go look for the guards!"
"Yes, Father, nothing happened. What's the last thing you remember? I walked out, and we left together. I told you I passed."
"Yes… something must have happened. Ahh, never mind. Just say you got through!" He said, then quickly changed the subject.
There was a flicker of confusion in his eyes, then relief. Good. It worked.
---
Silvan appeared before us.
"Let's go, Silvan! Drive us to the best restaurant! We're treating Kael—Criss—to dinner!"
"Yes, sir," said Silvan, and he whipped the horses, speeding us toward the city center.
The city lights glowed, crowds bustled, music drifted in the distance.
I sat in the carriage, spinning the ring on my finger. Silver ring — inventory. Black ring — disguise. I looked at them once more.
Criss Griffith.
A new name. A new life. A new secret.
Tomorrow — school.
Tomorrow — a new beginning.
And I'm ready.
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At the restaurant.
The table was large, wooden, covered in a white cloth. Candles flickered. Around us, people laughed, chatted, utensils clinked.
Sedric ordered a large bowl of soup. Silvan ordered roasted meat. I ordered the most expensive thing on the menu.
"I'll have — a magical dish," I said to the waiter with a serious face.
The waiter looked confused. "A magical dish, sir?"
"Yes. I need a dish that, once I eat it, will double my magical power."
Sedric was drinking water — it shot out of his nose.
"Criss! What are you saying? There's no such thing!"
"I don't know, Father. The director told me to order the most expensive thing," I said innocently.
The waiter chuckled nervously. "Sir, we don't have a magical dish, but we do have a magical-looking dessert — flaming panna cotta."
"Let's have that!" I said with excitement.
Sedric shook his head. "This boy is going to make me old before my time."
Silvan, in his usual calm tone, said quietly: "I told you, sir — the boy is very clever."
"Not clever — sly," Sedric said.
I laughed at them both. Beneath the table, I twisted the black ring on my finger.
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