Contract

Laurellius' eyes widened as he jerked backward from surprise. He managed to regain his balance, but he was still in a tight spot. He looked at the man glaring at him with a knife in hand, as the man spoke:

"Whatcha' doing here, mage? Ain'tcha supposed to be chained in magic-sealing chains?"

Laurellius didn't answer, as he just nervously stared at the man. Wary of his knife.

The man narrowed his eyes: "Well, it doesn't matter. I just have to drag you back, right?"

Laurellius who never had any experience in fighting before nervously spoke:  "W-Wait! E-Even if you catch me, your boss had now left!"

He was completely scared, as he could barely move from a suppressing feeling that he got from the man. It was the first time he was experiencing this.

Avarosa was annoyed by  behavior: (To think you would cower from only this level of bloodlust... this is far worse than I thought...)

But Laurellius ignored her comment as he observed the man before him. He had a muscular frame, sharp bloodshot eyes, and there was some blood in the hem of his shirt.

Wait, blood?

Laurellius' instinct for crisis suddenly rang, as a cold chill assaulted the back of his head. He knew of this sensation by now.

This man is bad news!

He clenched his fist, as he waited for the man to react.

After his pause, the man finally spoke: "Left?.. I see. They abandoned me.. Ha-ha... Hahaha... Ahahahahaha!..  What a joke. To think they would abandon me here..."

The man then glared at Laurellius, making him feel like his heart was doused I'm freezing water.

"It was your fault, right?" The man spoke with hatred in his tone.

Laurellius' eyes widened. He took a step back, and when he did. . .

The man suddenly rushed and closed in with him near an instant. His knife raised in preparation for a slash.

He's fast!

Laurellius grit his teeth and raised his left hand to block the slash. The next moment. . .

"Aaagh!!" Laurellius screamed as a stinging pain assaulted his entire arm. It felt numb and hot.

It hurts! It hurt!

Laurellius took more steps backward, as he clenched his arm, which was bleeding non-stop.

It hurts! What the hell is happening?! Why did this have to happen?! Why did I have to go through this?! Where did I go wrong?! It hurts! Somebody save me!!

"Aaaargh...!"

With his mind clouded by the pain, Laurellius began to move his feet as he started running in the opposite direction of the man. It was a stupid decision.

Avarosa was alarmed by his action: (Fool! Do not lose sight of your opponent! Turn around!!)

However, her words fell on deaf ears as Laurellius kept on running. And the next moment. . .

STAB!

"AAAAaaargghh!!!" Laurellius screamed in pain as he felt something lodge itself in his left shoulder blade. He unconsciously reached out, but a soul-stirring pain stopped him from using his left hand. He tried with his right, but another one came the moment he touched the object. It was a knife.

"Aaaargh... somebody, help!! Save me! I don't want to die!! Somebody!!" Laurellius screamed, his face twisted in unsightly fear. He was taking it back. He was scared of dying. He was scared of pain. He didn't want to die.

He then fell onto the ground as standing became a chore. His body was weak, but his mind was still fully registering all the pain he felt. It was still as active as before.

" Help... someone... help.."

Laurellius began to crawl, away from the man who was clearly trying to murder him. He was approaching Laurellius as he kept muttering to himself:  " It's all your fault... It's all your fault... It's all your fault..."

He was clearly not in sound mind.

As Laurellius crawled like a pitiful beggar, Avarosa was shouting in his head:  (Fool! This level of injuries is not enough to quickly take your life. Fight back!!)

She kept shouting, but for a person who never experienced conflict, it was easier said than done. Even just enduring pain made Laurellius want to take back his desire to live.

Avarosa was vexed by the situation. This was far from what she expected, and she hadn't expected her chosen to be like this. Somehow she was regretting that...

• • •

Within Laurellius' innate domain, Avarosa was still inside the core. However, she was wide awake, and her expression was that of a wronged one. She grit her teeth, as she muttered: " It seems I have none the choice..."

She had chosen Laurellius to be the one, and she doubted she could find someone more suitable than him. After all, even in the Higher Realms, the Innate Domain was a powerful innate ability and was as rare as a Phoenix's feather.

She couldn't afford to lose him now.

She glared at the direction above, and spoke softly but with hatred:  "I will remember this debt forever, as I shall take my amendments one day..."

After she spoke, she stretched out her hand, as the sealed core began to increase in brilliance. She then clenched something out of thin air, and an illusory image of a sword appeared. It was transparent, but she clenched it nevertheless.

The moment her hand made contact, the sword vanished into countless particles, and the spread outside the core.

Avarosa opened her pink supple lips: "Acknowledge! "

The particles then multiplied into countless more and made a vortex around her.

She spoke once more: "Contract: Rulin—no... Vow."

The vortex intensified, and the radiance further intensified.

"Mine name is Ava••••• Li••••• Sc••reg•••.. With my authority as King, proven by the King's Blade. . ."

The vortex suddenly calmed down, as each particle stopped in place. As if time had suddenly paused.

Which it did. On the world outside, time had stopped flowing.

Avarosa, who was exempt from the time-freeze, ended her words with a declaration:

"Hereby appoint La••••liu• . . ." she was planning to stop her own words there, but the correction of Laws suddenly kept her words ongoing, "Ma••••••• as Guardian."

Her eyes widened from the word—nay, it was a name, the name that she had uttered. As it was censored by the Laws, she didn't hear what she spoke, but her mouth movements registered to her very well.

However, before she could think of anything about it. . .

BOOM!! 

The theoretically infinite space inside the domain was suddenly filled by an explosion of power.

• • •

By the time Laurellius woke up, he noticed that he was laying on a soft surface. The room he was in was painted white, and the ceiling was beyond familiarity. He was confused.

Where am I?

And how did I get here?

What happened?

Various questions came to his head, but there was no way he could answer. He didn't know.

He tried to raise his body from the soft bed he was in, and as he did. . .

" Ugh!!. . ." He groaned a pretty loud groan. Pain had suddenly filled his entire body, and he immediately stopped exerting any force to his back.

He was confused. But suddenly, a clicking sound rang in his mind, as memories flooded his head.

Ah! That's right! Wasn't I about to be killed?! How did I live?!

Laurellius was completely baffled at his current situation. However, his attention perked up when he heard a small moan beside him.

Huh?

He turned his head and saw his little sister, Nell. She was sitting beside the bed but must have fallen asleep as she watched over him.

She shifted her position while sleeping, and muttered: " Rell... You dummy. . ."

Laurellius couldn't help but smile as tears welled up at the corner of his vision. If he could, he would have gone and hugged her by now.

Yeah. It's a shame I can't.

Laurellius began to relax, as he closed his eyes. However, the door suddenly opened, making Laurellius bring his gaze there by instinct. He then saw a girl enter, and she was oddly familiar. She was a beautiful girl with dark purple hair and large gentle looking eyes.

" You are..?" Laurellius asked.

"Oh? Forgot about me already?" She spoke playfully, " That hurts my heart a bit, Sir. Laurellius."

A sudden realization hit Laurellius as he remembered from the way she called him. His eyes widened, and spoke: "You're from two days ago. . ."

The girl smiled a bright smile at Laurellius: "That's right. It's me, Fran. You remember?"

"Yeah." He spoke in a mildly meek manner.

Seeing his reaction, Fran giggled. She found him amusing, and at the same time mysterious. For some reason.

Laurellius reddened a bit, as he opened his mouth to speak. But before he could, the door suddenly opened, and a familiar voice reached Laurellius' ears.

"Oh? It looks like your awake, huh? Good for you, boy."

Laurellius shifted his gaze to the one who spoke and saw a white-haired man with sharp eyes, and a scar on his cheeks. He was of medium build, but the muscles by his neck suggested he was hiding some heavy physical prowess.

Laurellius didn't recognize him, but he knew his voice.

" Arcanum... Inquisition Commander..."

The man grinned, as he spoke: "Yeah, that's me. The name's Vergil Weissman. And the girl you're talking to is my daughter. Francesca Weissman. Nice to meet you."

Laurellius' eyes widened at the revelation, as he glanced towards Fran who seemed embarrassed.

And as for Fran, she glared at her father, as if she had a little secret revealed: " Father, could you please quit scaring away all the boys I talk to? I have a reputation to uphold in the academy, mind you."

Vergil scoffed: " Screw reputations. The Student Mage Council didn't care about reputations back in my time. You just hand them a little coin, and they'll be happy to favor you than the masses."

Fran sighed as she listened to her father's recollections. The Student Mage's Council was indeed corrupt back in her father's time, however...

" Father, should I remind you that most of those people are now living their lives in the Arcanum dungeons?" Fran retorted.

"Not all of them, though.."

"Indeed. You're still kicking well out here, after all."

" Ahahaha!!"

" Fufufufufufu..."

Laurellius watched the father and daughter duo squabble until he couldn't take it anymore. He covered his mouth, but his suppressed laughter still leaked out.

" Ha-ha... Hahaha... Ahahahahaha..!" Like a broken dam, his laughter intensified further the moment he began laughing, stupefying the two.

Laurellius laughed for a good while until he finally used the wrong muscle, and his entire body ached, making him groan out loud.

" Sir Laurellius?! Are you okay?" Fran asked with concern.

" Sigh... To actually laugh despite how serious your injuries are, you've got guts, boy." Vergil praised.

Laurellius made a dry laugh, as he spoke:  " Ahahaha... I'm fine. And thank you, I guess? For saving me."

Vergil looked at him for a while, until he averted his gaze with a shrug. "No need to thank me, boy. I wasn't the one who saved you."

" Huh?" Laurellius was confused.

"What do you mean by that, father?" Fran asked. She too was curious about the matter.

Vergil just turned and spoke vaguely: "Well. I'm not entirely sure, but you can ask the boy himself. Perhaps he might know what exactly is going on."

He then began walking in the direction of the door and opened it. But before he left, he warned: "I'm telling you, boy. Be careful with what you have. I'm not sure how you got it, but keep it as an absolute secret."

"What are you..?"

"You'll understand sooner." And the moment he finished saying that, he left.

Leaving behind a curious pair, and a sleeping little sister.