The Proposal 2

"I want you to work for us," said Ron.

Ron was clearly suspicious of what Raze was about to ask.

"We are looking to send someone as spy to the Magic academy".

"What?" Bob exclaimed, surprised.

"We don't have any magic, how do you think we can attend a magical academy?" Bob added.

"Well, there is a way for that, but it is dangerous and risky" replied Raze.

"Why us though, don't you have people from our country? asked Ron.

"The Empire has ramped up their security measures," Raze began. "They can identify dark mages by examining their blood, and as pure Abyssians, they will easily recognize one of us."

"Also" Raze continued, "finding contractors is another option, but it's not easy, they are rare especially none when it comes to children."

Ron's mind raced as he recalled reading about the ways to obtain dark magic from the book. He knew there were two ways to acquire dark magic either by being born with Abyssian blood or by making a contract with a devil.

If the contract went wrong, the devil would take over your body, turning you into a vessel for their demonic energy, hence making you a demon.

"What's this all about?" Bob asked, looking confused.

Ron couldn't spill the beans to Bob because of the magical contract he had entered into, so he allowed Raze to fill him in on the details.

.

Bob's eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, "No way! We'll be executed if they catch us using dark magic!".

Ron responded, "Look at where we are, Bob. The empire has taken our freedom and treats us like animals. We're already dead if we keep living like this. This may be our way out of here."

"But still this is way beyond what I had imagined," said Bob.

"They won't be able to find you" said Raze as he took out a box from this drawer and opened it up.

Ron and Bob came forward and looked into it. A small, worm-like creature with a shiny, jet-black exterior. Its body might be covered in tiny, hook-like appendages that it uses to latch onto its host, and its head could be adorned with sharp teeth and its eyes glowing in red.

"These are called Black Takers, it was developed by mages in our continent, they are very difficult to obtain and only given to people like us carrying out important missions".

"I managed to juke the investigator with this little guy," said Raze, holding up the black taker in his hands.

"So, you are asking us to form a pact with a devil" asked Ron.

"Pretty quick to catch on are you" with a smile Raze continued "Yes, I want you to enter into the academy and tell us the details of the students".

"Well, what do we get in return for doing this, you yourself said that we are risking our life forming a pact for what? asked Ron.

"Taking such a risk to help us is a noble cause for our country," said Raze. "If you agree to assist us, we will not only ensure your safety but also offer you freedom and noble status within our empire once the task is complete. Consider it a reward for your service to our country."

Ron started thinking about what Raze had offered to him, living in Aeris possessed a huge risk even though if he escapes. Also, he can somehow look for the Dark Heart which could increase his potential by various amount.

Bob was overwhelmed by the information and felt it was too much to take in together. Never in his life he believed that he had a chance to escape from this place and even attend a magical academy. Revenge for what they put his life and parents was something he'd always dreamed of.

Bob blurted out, "I'm in!" and Ron nodded in agreement, showing his willingness to go along with the plan.

"Okay, first things first," Raze said, pushing the box towards them. "You're gonna have to swallow these bad boys."

"Okay?" said Bob as he looked at one of them.

The Black Taker was about the length and width of an earthworm, with a sleek black body. The tendril like stuff was still moving.

"Man, I don't think I can do it," said Bob.

Suddenly one of the men standing next to Raze stepped forward and said "I'll help you with that" as he shoved the Black Taker into Bob's mouth, forcing him to swallow it.

Bob's face contorted in disgust as the Black Taker wriggled its way down his throat. He gagged and coughed, trying to get the unpleasant sensation out of his mouth.

"Wow, that's one hell of a disgusting thing," he muttered, his stomach churning.

Ron closed his eyes and swallowed the Black Taker whole, just like Bob did.

Both of them sat down on the floor, feeling the strange sensation building up within their bodies.

"Arrgh!" Bob and Ron groaned in pain, their faces contorting as they suddenly felt an intense discomfort coursing through their bodies. It felt as if a sharp knife was being plunged into their chests.

"That's the parasite hooking to your heart, don't worry, the pain will go away". said Raze

Bob was sweating profusely, while Ron was clenching his fists, trying to focus his mind on something else. They both knew that they had to endure this, but however it was getting harder by the second.

After the pain subsided, they opened their eyes, feeling drained and exhausted from the experience.

Bob looked over at Ron and quipped, "Well, I guess I can add parasite swallowing along with sandwich making."

Raze was pleased with both of them, recognizing that they were a good fit for the job. Especially Ron, who despite being only eight years old, showed a level of maturity that impressed him.

"Consider this just a warm-up, the real horror is yet to come," Raze said, motioning for them to follow him towards an old storage room that was rarely used.

The old storage room was a real dump, filled with cobwebs, dust, and piles of junk. It smelled musty and damp, like it had been untouched for years. There were spiderwebs hanging from the ceiling, and the floorboards creaked underfoot. Overall, it was a pretty creepy place, and Bob and Ron couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy as they followed Raze inside.

As he opened the door, Ron saw old guard Edward drawing two star-shaped circles on the ground. They looked like the demon summoning circles used from fantasy stories.

"A summoning spell" thought Ron.

Summoning spell is a forbidden spell that is used to make pact with a devil.