“You can’t do a single thing, and you call yourself my right hand? You fucking imbecile,” Kale sneered, his fingers tapping impatiently on the table, a show of his growing frustration.
“Sir, it was meant for Anon, not Luna—” Seti began, her voice trembling with fear.
“Oh, my apologies, Mrs. Seti. I must have mistaken it for Luna, given that she’s the one about to meet her untimely demise on that damn screen,” Kale retorted sarcastically, his tone dripping with disdain.
“Sir, I’m deeply sorry. Please grant me an opportunity to rectify my mistake,” Seti pleaded, her voice filled with desperation. 𝐨𝘃𝗹.
“No, this cannot be corrected. Today, the leader of the Martial House will witness his beloved daughter’s tragic end right before his very eyes. He’ll uncover your deceitful little trick, and tomorrow, we’ll all be doomed. And the worst part? The Martial House has the unwavering support of the Denver House of Justice…” Kale’s voice grew eerily low, carrying a foreboding sense of dread.
Tension gripped Seti’s face as her expression transformed from remorse to one of sheer desperation, silently begging for a chance at redemption.
“But sir, we can still utilize the teleportation portal to reach there and save her,” Seti suggested, her voice filled with a glimmer of hope.
“No, the portal takes at least ten precious minutes to activate. Do you think we have enough skilled teachers at our disposal to combat that formidable army of fully-grown, double-mutated golden frogs?” Kale replied firmly, his voice laced with a hint of resignation.
“Sir, please save me. I’ve done something terribly wrong. I beg of you, save me,” Seti pleaded, her grip tightening on Kale’s legs as she dropped all pretense of dignity.
“I can’t. Tomorrow, the leader of the Martial House will summon me to their family court session. His eldest son will be present, and he will demand to know who orchestrated such a cruel fate for his cherished daughter. I’ll have no choice but to hand you over to them. If I were to lie, they would inevitably discover the truth within a day or two. No matter where you hide, they’ll eventually find you, for they possess the means to unearth you from the very depths of hell itself. And then, not only would they realize that I deceived them, but they would deliver upon me a fate far worse than death. No, I cannot take that risk. Tomorrow morning, at the crack of dawn, you shall be handed over to the Martial House,” Luke explained, his voice laden with an air of finality.
Listening to all this, Seti’s face turned ashen, a cold shiver running down her spine as the gravity of her situation engulfed her entirely.
“Sir, I’ve always been an obedient servant, faithfully executing your every command. Please, I implore you, save me this one time. Each time you desired me to get naked for you and bend down in front of you, I complied without hesitation or inquiry. Are you truly prepared to abandon me now?” Seti pleaded, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and betrayal.
“I’m sorry, Seti, but there’s only one person who can save you now,” Kale replied, his voice tinged with a hint of sorrow.
“W-Who?” Seti asked, a flicker of hope igniting within her eyes.
‘Who possesses more authority than Director Kale himself?’ Seti’s mind raced, seeking an answer.
“Anon Agreil,” Kale declared, his voice firm and resolute.
“What?” Seti exclaimed, her surprise evident.
“Yes, in approximately forty seconds, those frogs will regenerate fully and commence devouring Luna’s unconscious body. But Anon has the power to save her, as well as you. If he can reach her within the next thirty-five seconds, carrying her weight while running for at least ten minutes, only then can we establish a teleportation portal between this very spot and the Draven Forest, thus granting us a chance to rescue her,” Kale explained, his voice brimming with urgency.
“But why would he help her?” Seti asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
“Every student is provided with a one-time-use communication crystal to forfeit a match if they desire. Anon must have obtained one from Letti. Now, go and grab Luna’s legs if you wish to see the sun rise tomorrow. Hurry!” Kale commanded.
“Yes,” Seti acknowledged, her determination renewed.
With thirty-two seconds left, Seti hurriedly made her way towards Letti.
“Letti, please give me the communication crystal connected to the one you gave Anon,” Seti requested, a forced smile gracing her face.
“Well, guess what? It seems I’ve lost it, bitch,” Letti responded, her voice dripping with venom.
“Shit! Ms. Letti has really nailed it!” a second-year common girl chimed in from the crowd.
“She always strikes when the iron is hot,” another voice added.
“A freshly ruined reputation, served to Mrs. Seti.”
Laughter erupted from the commoners as they wasted no time mocking Seti’s misfortune.
“You! You can’t talk to me like that! You’re nothing but a common—”
“Mind your words, bitch. The fate of what unfolds on that screen now depends on the next words that escape your lips,” Letti interrupted, exuding confidence. She had calculated every move, anticipated this precise moment, and now held the upper hand against Seti.
Suddenly, a look of dread washed over Seti’s face as Kale’s earlier warning echoed in her mind.
With twenty seconds remaining…
“Haha, my dear friend Letti, you’ve always been a loyal companion. Surely, you can find it in your heart to forgive me for any transgressions. Please, grant me the crystal. I beg of you,” Seti’s tone changed dramatically, adopting the utmost politeness.
“Nope,” Letti replied curtly, enjoying the sudden reversal of power.
“What do you want, then?” Seti inquired, her voice resolute once more.
“Hmm… I’m having difficulty hearing you clearly. I think it’s due to the change in your tone,” Letti taunted, relishing the moment.
“Haha, what do you desire, my dear friend Letti? Name it, and I, your senior, shall make it happen. Gold, magic crystals, academy points—just say the word,” Seti offered, desperately seeking a way out.
“Alright, I want a blank mana contract,” Letti declared, a glint of mischief in her eyes.
A blank contract, akin to a blank check, except writing an amount greater than the giver’s capacity would cause the check to bounce. A mana contract, however, bound the promise-maker to fulfill any request, no matter how immoral or illegal, under the penalty of instant death should they break their word, irrespective of their strength or authority.
“What nonsense? Why would I give you a blank—”
“Forget it, then. I believe there are about fourteen seconds left before the frogs feast upon Luna,” Letti interrupted, her voice oozing with certainty.
“Fuck it, I’ll give it to you right here!” Seti conjured a paper with an intricate magic circle imprinted upon it.
Chk
Seti bit her finger, drawing blood, and allowed a drop to fall onto the agreement.
The paper glowed, and the once-black magic circle transformed into a vibrant blue.
“Now, hand it over,” seti demanded.
Reluctantly, letti retrieved a crystal ball from her bag and extended it toward seti. But, just as Seti reached for it, the crystal ball slipped from Letti’s grasp and crashed to the ground.
The countdown continued, and time slipped away…