She didn't say a word, giving him time to think first.
The carriage creaked and tilted a little over bumpy roads, but it was the thoughts of his family's situation that made him uncomfortable.
What happened to them?
Were they safe?
Had they been captured too?
Or worse, had they been hurt?
'My sister...' He trailed off, thinking of his younger sibling.
At just 14, she was already seen as a beauty. The thought of someone like her being imprisoned was something he couldn't even dare to imagine.
The truth was, humans were easily tempted, and in a place where slavery existed, such things sick things could easily happen.
He knew it all too well. The injustice faced by the poor and the underprivileged.
Every seconds that passed made it feel like the situation was slipping further out of his control.
He tried to push the thoughts away, but they kept coming back, nonstop, like a flash flood he couldn't outrun.
'I need to breath and calm down….'
Leaning on the cold metal bars, his back ached as he tried to ignore the pain of his stab wound.
They didn't even bother to patch him up.
It was a good thing that, even though he wasn't a full-fledged summoner , his body was still much stronger than an ordinary person.
He looked at his stomach. The bleeding had slowed down for now.
Turning his attention to the street, he saw the world outside slow pass by.
The streets were nearly empty, save for a few figures walking past, too far away to make out.
If there was any silver lining, it was that the city was silent, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
His gaze lifted to the sky, though his mind felt too tangled to take much in.
The stars hung in the same places they always did, but tonight, they looked colder, farther away.
They told him that everyone was born equal, under the same sky. But it wasn't true.
The sky was different depending on who you were. For those with power, it was a reminder of peace and their achievements.
For the fallen, it was proof of how far they slipped.
Kash was no longer one of the privileged. He was a prisoner, and the world turned its back on him and his family.
THUD!
The carriage lurched, throwing him forward.
He pushed himself back into place, barely noticing the pain anymore.
The seconds dragged on until a voice emerged again from the depths of his mind.
(Are you calm now?)
He didn't answer right away. He barely had the energy to think straight.
Finally, he managed to speak with a low and brittle voice.
"Yeah. I'm calm. So… tell me everything."
The silence stretched on again, but this time, it was much shorter.
(It might be the gods trying to remove everyone I'm connected to.)
(They fear me. They don't want anyone challenging their rule.)
Kash's hands clenched into fists at his sides. He didn't want to believe it, but it made too much sense.
"So it's because of you," his voice trembled, struggling to hold back his emotions. "You brought this upon us."
(Don't place the blame entirely on me,)
(This was already set in motion long before you ever came into the picture. When your ancestor betrayed me, this was always going to happen. To his bloodline, to you.)
Kash snapped, punching the floor. "You're blaming me for this?"
(Sooner or later, this was going to happen. You kept trying to summon me. Every time you pulled at those threads, you made it easier for me to slip through. All of this, it's as much your doing as mine.)
Her words hit hard.
'No...no... I did want any of this.. I just want to be a summoner'
The taste of bile rose up his throat, sharp and bitter. He didn't have time to brace himself before it came—
"BUAHHHH" he heaved, spilling the contents of his stomach onto the cold floor.
His hands shook, pressing against the bars for support as the world around him spin.
Too many images flashed...His family, the ones he loved.
He would never forgive himself if anyone got hurt because of him.
'My sister…'
'I need to save her…'
Kash's hand clutched his head, his fingers digging into his scalp, trying to hold his thoughts together.
His mind was a tangled mess with no clear path forward.
He had nothing.
No money.
No allies.
No power.
Every option seemed out of reach, each one slipping further away the harder he tried to grasp it.
Then, Sera's voice echoed.
(Form a pact with me.)
(I'll give you a chance to save them.)
Her tone was void of any empathy, cold as the metal bars surrounding him. But right now, she was the only one left he could turn to.
'But you said I can't summon you. How is this supposed to work? I'm trapped—I can't even escape!'
His voice cracked as the frustration broke through, the helplessness sinking in deeper.
(You can't summon me yet, but I can help more in other ways if you're willing to agree.)
'I'll sign the contract. It's not like I have any other choice.'
The moment the words left his lips, he was plunged into the lake again, now face-to-face with Sera's human form.
But this time, he barely noticed her beauty that once held him in awe.
His emotions overwhelmed everything.
Anger, fear, helplessness—all that mattered now was getting the power to save his love ones.
"How do I form a pact?" His voice was hollow, and filled with exhaustion.
Sera didn't say a word. She stepped closer, her hands rising to gently cup his face.
Her fingers brushed his cheek, letting him feel the softness of her skin.
His heart raced again. The smoothness of her skin was a contrast to the hard, impenetrable scales of her dragon form, and for a moment, he couldn't tell which version of her was more dangerous.
(Close your eyes) Her breath was warm and inviting, carrying a scent that made him want to taste her lips.
He shook off the temptation, forcing his mind to focus.
There were more pressing matters at hand, and he couldn't afford to get distracted now.