Yuno lay on the cushioned bunk bed in the sleeping corridor of the train. His eyes were forcibly closed, and the night outside was vast. After one week out on the border, with thousands of monsters killed, Yuno was in desperate need of a shower. He had dirt and blood under his fingernails, and his hair stuck up from the grime built up between his follicles. But there was a problem—he couldn't sleep. He could barely keep his eyes open, and his mind was all over the place.
He could hear everything, smell everyone, and see everywhere. He could hear the crickets, the gears in the train grinding against each other, and the whispers of maids multiple cars away from him. He almost missed the horrid silence of the Outerlands. After awakening his contract, he noticed all his senses were heightened; Captain Hiro said it was normal and that he would get used to it.
"Happens to all the new holders. Freaks us out, but your body will adjust," said the captain.
That night, as Yuno tried to sleep, he could hear the worms burrowing hundreds of feet below the ground; he could picture their exact size and shape. If he tried to dig up the ground, he would know exactly where to dig to find the worm. He could smell the blood of the ants seeping into the soil, mixing with the dirt.
"No way this is normal," Yuno thought as he struggled to sleep.
"Asmir, wake up," said Yuno, pushing his friend, who was asleep below him.
"Huh? Ah—wha… no, lemme—ahh—sleep," mumbled Asmir in his sleep.
Yuno sighed and remembered the serious tone of his friend—the anger, the bloodlust, and the agony that Asmir felt. It was strong, so strong. Yuno would never forget what happened to his nation, but he tried; he ignored it, lost in grief. Asmir made him remember the truth—and the truth was that Yuno never wanted to forget. He wanted to avenge his nation. In a way, he wanted to thank Asmir; he knew the only way to do so was to keep his promise.
"Okay, dude… why are you looking at me like that?" said Asmir, frowning.
"I can't sleep. I can hear everything—I can hear the captain talking about the ant incident," responded Yuno.
"The captain? He's like five cars in front of us. How can you possibly hear him?" questioned Asmir.
"That's what I'm saying—he's so loud. Everything's so loud," groaned Yuno.
"Well, what's he saying?" asked Asmir.
"Something about the ants being a magnitude level three or four, and how no one mentioned this to him during their briefing. He's on a video call right now," responded Yuno.
"Yeah, that thing was fucking terrifying. So was he," shivered Asmir, remembering the six-limbed figure.
"We gotta get you a restraining artifact. Your contract probably gives you extremely heightened senses. Did you check to see if your contract was updated?" added Asmir.
Yuno suddenly waved his hand, his contract appearing in front of him. Nothing had really changed; it read:
The Covenant of the Hunter.
A hunter's obligation is to hunt, go out and bring back spoils, and invoke fear among your prey.
"Gifted are you with the shadows of the hunter, the footfalls of silence, and the hunger that dwells deep in the marrow of all who chase."
Clause 1:
"Bound is your soul to the ink of unfinished vows; let the thrill of pursuit be your only feast, and may each quarry whisper your name in fear."
And at the bottom was his bloodstained fingerprint from when he was just a child—no more than two years old.
"Ah, I have one clause—makes no sense though," said Yuno after reading his contract.
"When we get home, go to the Library of Asmith. The old man there can probably help you comprehend it. You should also visit the Divine Court when you can. It's a lot less cool than how they make it seem," said Asmir.
The Divine Court was an extension of the contract—it simply existed beyond human comprehension. All who held a contract were able to manifest themselves into the Divine Court. The Court allowed you to alter your contract, though it wouldn't always approve your changes. It also allowed you to extend your contract to someone else, but very few were capable of creating their own. The Court also manifested when you signed your first contract; many ordinary people who gained contracts after slaying high-magnitude monsters received contracts with affinities similar to those of the creatures they defeated. Yuno had been there once, when he signed his contract—he was just a child and could barely remember anything. His father had taken him. Shivers ran down his spine as he tried to recall the Court.
"Ah, yeah, I'll do that after I take a shower. Everyone smells so bad it's gonna make me throw up," replied Yuno.
Asmir scoffed and rolled back into bed. Yuno tried to do the same, but to his dismay, he failed once again. He could see, feel, hear, and smell everything. The world was being mapped in his head despite his reluctance. Every stop the train made, Yuno could tell where everything was at its exact location. After the train stopped in the city, he could see the towering buildings, busy shops, cars, and people all running around. It was no different from Orion—maybe just a little less developed—but Orion was nothing but rubble at this point. Yuno looked dreadful; his eye bags were purple, and his awareness was still overstimulated.
He and Asmir took a car back to the castle. The sight of the castle was as overwhelming as ever. It was massive, sitting atop foundations built from centuries of dead monster hides, earth, and fallen buildings. The four corners of the castle walls stood tall like mountains, and the central chamber touched the clouds. The walls were of stone and obsidian, with blue and purple tiles.
The castle was home not just to Asmir and the royal family but also to millions of people who worked for them—the royal guards, parliament, and most recently, those in the Department of International Relations. The thought of international relations left a sour taste in Yuno's mouth—where was this when his nation fell apart? But Yuno knew there was no point in feeling pity for himself; he was responsible, he was weak, he was a failure.
After a few more minutes driving into the castle, Yuno and Asmir were dropped off at the central tower. Unlike in many nations, the prince's appearance wasn't a spectacle. Asmir was a citizen of Ara before he was a prince—there were six siblings above him in line for the throne. The prince never wanted the throne, so he spent his time with the local kids. He gathered his things and took the elevator up to his room.
The castle was a homage to the growth of society—built on sandstone, now completely redesigned into a luxurious mansion. His room was right next to Asmir's, so they both nodded at each other and fell flat onto their beds.
Shower. He needed a shower. That's all Yuno could think about.
He turned on the water, stripped down, and put his feet in the shower. But he instantly withdrew them, like someone touching a hot pan without realizing it was hot—except in this case, Yuno felt too much. He felt every atom of water on his toes. It was as if he were bleeding, but the water simply felt too much like water. Thinking back, he realized he had been wearing gloves and boots all week long—even on the train, he'd had gloves and socks on. Now, his bare hands touching the water he had cupped in his palms felt unbearable. It was as if the drops of water filled in the gaps between Yuno's fingerprints and seeped through his flesh. It was unexplainable.
The shower was just as confusing—he had never felt so clean, and even though he usually liked his showers cold, the water felt glacial; it was too cold. After getting ready, he wanted to sleep, but he was restless. His head hurt from the overwhelming flood of his senses.
But he managed to get a few hours of sleep. Then he went out to the Library of Asmith—he needed a fix for his senses. He could hear every gossip, every rumor, and even Asmir singing in the shower. He took a bus a few minutes to the corner of the castle walls.
He knocked on the door of the grand library—it seemed foolish to ring a door that stood thirty feet tall. It was vast, covering an enormous portion inside the castle walls. Then he heard an old man murmur under his breath, "Ah, why can't an old man rest? Who is it this time? Better not be those younglings."
The door opened, and Yuno was greeted by an old man in a suit with a cane—well-groomed, but his facial features had aged: droopy eye bags, grayish skin, and a hunched back.
"Ah, hello, sorry to bother you. I'm not a youngling, haha—I'm Yuno," said Yuno with a worried look.
The old man was taken aback, lost as to how Yuno had read his mind. After seeing the old man's face, Yuno realized his situation.
"Oh, well, that's particular. We should have an artifact to fix your problem," said old man Rie.
Yuno introduced himself and his mental agony to the librarian. Old man Rie was the head of artifact management, though he worked as a librarian to relax. He managed the trade of artifacts—supernatural items either created by contract holders or found in the far edges of the Nether Highway. In a sense, he gave each artifact a value and managed artifacts for wealthy contract holders, taking a fee, of course.
The library was domineering, with high ceilings and gothic arches. It was one of the few buildings that still resembled older times. The bookshelves reached far above—higher than Yuno could bend his neck to see—and the corridors twisted and turned into a labyrinth, with millions of books on display. Artifacts, while sparse, littered the library, covered in stained glass and labels. Yuno and old man Rie walked for what seemed like hours; in reality, Yuno was simply overwhelmed by the rotting pages of the books that surrounded him.
"Well, what's your budget? There are a lot of options," said old man Rie, holding a necklace in one hand and an eyepatch in the other.
Yuno was lost in thought. Money? He'd never had to deal with money before—ever. Even as a refugee in the grand castle of Ara, the royal family had always just given him everything he needed. He never asked for more—not just because he felt guilty, but because he never had anything to spend money on. For the last four years, he only went outside with Asmir. The prince of a nation always paid.
"Ah, um… well, I don't really have any money, sir," said Yuno in a worried tone.
"Huh, well what are you doing here, kid?" scoffed old man Rie.
"Let me see your contract—maybe I can get you a finance option," added the old man, now pitying the young man in front of him.
Yuno handed him his contract. Old man Rie read it, and slowly his eyes widened, his breathing quickening. He made rapid glances between Yuno and the contract, almost in disbelief at what he was seeing.
"You're… ah, you're Yuno of Orion—the prince that never saw the throne?" gasped the shocked old man.
"Holy fuck, kid, what do you mean you have no money? You have billions of dreks—well, not you, but your father has an investment account with my firm. You can have these," added the old man, tossing the necklace and eyepatch to Yuno, followed by an outburst of laughter. "Doesn't have any money, he says—ahaha!" said the old man, almost choking on his spit.
"Ah, so how does this work exactly?" questioned Yuno, holding the two items.
"Ah, you just wear whichever one suits you. I recommend the necklace—it has an enhancement that weakens your ability to sense things. Seems like a curse, doesn't it? But a lot of new contract holders need these when they go to a ruin or the Nether Highway because the energy out there is so strong it causes people to lose control," said the old man.
"Ah, sir, is everything all right?" said a squeaky voice coming from behind Yuno.
It was a short girl in a long white shirt, carrying far too many books for someone her size. She had freckles, and her hair fell below her shoulders.
"Oh, Ane, how are you? She's an intern here," said the old man, addressing both the girl and Yuno.
"You know what, she can probably help you decipher this mess of a contract. She's a historian of sorts," said the old man, handing Yuno back his contract.
Yuno approached the young girl, lifting up the stack of books barely balancing in her arms. She sighed in relief and gave Yuno a stern look, peering up at him. She stuck out her hand, silently demanding the contract from his grip. Shocked, Yuno handed it over.
"Ah, this one's a fun one. 'The footfalls of silence'—this probably means you can walk without making any noise. Self-explanatory. 'Let the thrill of pursuit be your only feast, and may each quarry whisper your name in fear.' Yeah, this one makes no sense… maybe something like enjoying the hunt, maybe," blurted out the young girl, all in one breath.
"You should visit the Divine Court—ask your judge a few questions, well, at least as many as they're willing to answer," added the young girl.
Well, that was a lot of information, thought Yuno. His dark black hair was now drenched in sweat, and his arms still balanced the books. He put on the necklace while dropping off the books in Ane's room. In an instant, it felt like the books were no longer as raw as sandpaper, and the smell of wood disappeared. His aching headache subsided, along with the agonizing creaking of the wood under his feet.
But it didn't feel all good. He noticed right away that he was unable to see clearly as far out as before. Then he thought about wearing the eyepatch—so he did.
Then—darkness. It was as if he were erased from the face of the world. He knew nothing—it was the void. Unable to feel or understand his position in the world, he hurried to use his hands, which he seemed unable to control. Somehow, he managed to rip the eyepatch off his face.
He gasped for air, taking deep breaths. Don't overlay multiple artifacts with the same ability, noted Yuno. That was the closest definition of death he could give.