“...”

Drake and Notitiam stayed silent as they stared at each other. Unlike Drake, the broker was sweating, he knew he could not act in front of this man after interacting him. Despite his attitude, he was still a genius from the Esoteric Syndicate. How can he deceive him as easily as he manipulated the bandits ?

“So, would you like to tell me what you did to the bandits so I get to know some of your others talents ?”

Shamelessly, the oppressor asked to his hostage, his hands joint, his chin supported by his thumbs, it could not hide this twisted grin. His body was thrilled, as if he was restraining a laughter. Why did he suddenly seem to be so sinister ?

“Nevermind nevermind, everyone has the right to keep their own secrets after all. I will not bother you with that again unless I feel obligated to.”

Quickly taking this opportunity to take, he tried to keep a calm facade. Something was wrong with this situation, definitively, he could not let him have the initiative during the whole conversation.

“So… So, could you please tell me what information you wanted to buy ? Or should I ask… what is this project of yours ?”

Even if he had no choices but to work for him, as long as he can keep a certain initiative in this talk, he might better conditions that what would be originally given if he kept on silently nodding.

“Ah, for now, I call it The Magic Association, rather simple isn’t it ?”

He did not wait for a reply and continued to talk.

“Anyway… first, it is not my project, but the Esoteric Syndicate’s project, I just have been assigned to this task. With no others choices. Sincerely, I quite like the idea for this project. Before I explain, in your opinion, what are the issues with the Esoteric Syndicate ?”

Peculiar. Normally, people in this organization have an oversized pride in it. But Drake did not have it, on the contrary, his eyes were clear and pragmatic, he knew that there were issues unlike those… nationalists. After all, it was controlling a country.

Passing his hand in his hair, Notitiam sighed and closed his eyes as he rubbed his own forehead. A controversial and sensitive subject, on top of that, they were likely in outpost of this same organization, despite the fact that Drake was in charge of it, he could not control the crew unlike Umbrum, an outsider.

“... Its policy. Accepting only geniuses coming from an esteemed institution is foolish. It will limit the amount of people working for them. Plus, it creates a lot of internal conflicts as those so-called geniuses have outrageous egos, when everyone wants everyone to bow down at their feet, obviously it will be a mess.

You could say the problem itself are the people and the ones accepted. Since those people aren’t open-minded, on the contrary, they are in their own little world, thinking to be the center of the world while they aren’t.”

Drake nodded as he was reminded of his youth, foolish indeed. He was one stupid child, exactly what Notitiam said. He was part of those fellows, repulsing and weak, boasting at every little and meaningless actions they accomplished.

“Then… I will say its organization… as for how to explain, I will probably not be able to do so, I will be quite confusing. Mmmm… I feel like it was organized for a small-sized land rather than a country. It’s not… systematic enough, it’s rather strict but there aren’t enough… positions I suppose ? Perhaps because the staff is quite small as well… mmm… honestly, I don’t understand much the organization.

Well, if it’s hard to understand, it can produces confusing for the ones in Esoteric Syndicate… let’s say E.S. to make it short. And well, if the staff is confused about what position they should hold… there would be real issues about the management of the organization.”

Indeed. Drake only nodded and waited for the next.

“Mmm… I suppose it’s not everything but the project is like creating a new association, deeply rooted to the E.S., that will not have these issues, then slowly spread it, right ?”

Exactly, it was it. Drake did not need to explain the basis, he could just fill him out with the details later, as for now, he will discuss the terms and conditions of the contracts.

“I will give you what you want and you will work for me, your network will be quite useful for The Magic Association.”

His sight darkened, what he wanted ? What was he talking about precisely ? Was it exactly what he wished for or something else ? Did Drake know more than he expected ? Or perhaps, he knew everything.

“What do you mean by…

_________________________________________________________________________

Slowly drifting toward the light, his eyelids trembled, his pupils were troubled. Brutally, he raised the higher part of his body, the chest heavy, the breathing agitated, the skin sweaty, the hair messy… and his legs unmovable.

But that was fine, he could feel them, the blood flowing along the veins, reproducing the same cycle again and again and again… sustaining his frail and feeble life that could have faded so many times.

He found himself to be in his bedroom, lying down on the bed, realizing that he was at his home, his muscles and bones relaxed before he began to check on his own body.

“Mmm… let’s see…”

His hands caressed his own skin, searching the pain, the fissures, the broken bones, the inconvenience of a body, when it trembled, it meant that he found one of his injury. A few times, he shivered and bit his lips out of the suffering he felt.

Despite everything, he did not expect his legs to be in this state, he would not be able to move for at least a month, it is, according to him, way too much time of rest.

“As for now… let’s just sleep over it, I can wake up later… and ask them if they have any way for me to recover quicker…”

Obviously, he could not count on his natural constitution, his body was fundamentally weak, forged through hurts at a very young age provoked it to be almost crippled. Fortunately, even if he does not have much strength, below the average at least, he had an outrageous agility.

A good in an evil as they say.

It was the same room, nothing changed, except that it was clean, there no dust at all and his belongings were arranged in a specific way. But no messages, no letters, no apologies, nothing, it was quite disappointed, why did he even expect to meet decent people. He is just a stranger that nobody cares about after all. How foolish.

“Quod Estis Vos ?”

Falling over his bed, he held his own head as he heard this voice, this condemned voice, those forbidden sons, he did not want to hear any of it. No matter what, it will always come back, he will always hear some otherwordly voice calling him, asking him something he does not understand, what does it mean ?

However, this voice had the power to instill dread into people’s heart, mercilessly taking control of them to accomplish goal.

“Ahhh… Aaahh… Aaaaaa…”

His voice grew weaker and weaker as time went on, as if he felt a certain weight in his throat. An arm was embracing his throat, slowly strangling him, or so he thought.

No words escaped his mouth, nor sounds, he could not even moan in pain, nevertheless, he was still struggling, his heels kicked his mattress and bed many times.

‘What… are… you..?’

He wanted to ask this question, but he could not.

Eyes darting toward his aggressor’s arm, he observed it, perhaps he will not survive, but he wished to know. Wished to know who would attack him, at least, he would like to know more than ‘Quod Estis Vos ?’. All he knew about them was a question he keeps hearing since years and years… if he could at least see what they look like.

Cladded in a black cloth, seemingly frail, scanty arms, was the assaillant underweight ? Their fingers were unusually long and dried, devoid of any life or… blood, its embrace was cold like a corpse. Death perhaps ? So soon ? It was coming by itself ?

‘No… I can’t accept it… not yet… I still have… right, I… need help…at least… try.’

He could not escape its embrace but he could call for help, attract someone that could help him. He tightened his fist, his nails piercing in his own palm, blood tainting the sheets, lines began to appear on his right shoulder. It was spreading, the lines grew longer and longer, following the veins of his body until it reached his right hand. The lack of oxygen began to make his sight goes blurry, his head felt dizzy, his already pale skin became even more pale, becoming closer to a corpse-like color.

‘… Physical Enhancement…’

Skipping the chant, the mana consumption became humongous, he felt pain from his whole right arm. His muscles were getting contracted more and more violently, his skin turned slightly red due to the spell. And his fist waved hitting the wall, or the ground, he didn’t remember much, but what could not escape his senses was…

This quake, the floor, the planks, the walls, the ceiling, the bed, the mattress, the grimoire, the bow, the crystals, the door, everything trembled, after this strike, his whole right arm became swollen, but, despite all of this, the embrace was still choking him, it did not move an inch. He could not breath, unaffected by physical attacks it seems, is it a sort of ghost-like creature ? A monster ? A phantom ? How did it bypass the guards and Drake ? Wasn’t he supposed to be a genius ? Then how and why ? Why was it tracking him since those so-long years ?

His sight darkened, his raised arm naturally fell, devoid of any control, his eyelids were half-closed, his pupils were emptied of any emotions. Walking on a thin and tensed string with a broken leg, it was his situation, there was no solution, no way to survive, that’s it. It’s the end unless someone came.

Light disappeared, nothing could be seen, he fell asleep.

Suddenly, a red light could be seen from under the door, then, not even a second after this light appeared, a red fiery light passed through the door, aiming at the bed, but before it could touch the creature and Umbrum, it stopped.

The young unconscious mage fell down off his bed, the arm swollen, the legs broken, the mana exhausted, the life returning, nothing was holding him.

“Umbrum !”

Drake shouted as he saw the young mage he recently recruited lying down on the ground, he knew something happened. Swiftly, he checked his body, ripped his clothes, revealing his white skin and scars, however, he did not pause on those worthless details, and his hand passed-by his body toward his face. The whole body was warm, except the face.

His finger descended under his chin, immediately, he instinctively removed it.

“...Cold.”

The chairman muttered, something happened, definitively, someone broke into the building, caught Umbrum by the throat and tried to freeze him, nevertheless, was his goal to kill ? No, it was slow. Very slow. He wanted this mage to suffer from the coldness.

“...who, how, why... ”

For the who, there were way too many people, how many elders did not agree to the Magic Association project ? Easily the majority. As for how, it considerably reduced the list, he prepared many barriers, the only people who could break into would be folks more skilled than Drake. It can be counted on a few hands, under fifty people he supposed.

And people who had a reason to do so could be counted on a hand. However, those four should be crushed under tons of paperworks and thus would not be able to lay a finger on them. Then, nobody that Drake knew.

Someone from a foreign country ? Someone wanting to stop the Esoteric Syndicate’s expansion since they might see the potential of this project. Who knows ? However, the project should be secretive enough.

Who would reveal ? Prideful people believing in their organization, able to sacrifice their lives for such thing as principles, unwilling to change and to adapt to their era ? Obviously, they would not ever betray the organization, they would rather die in the most awful pains, which might be one of the reason of why they dislike Drake.

He would not die for the Esoteric Syndicate. Never.

Then as for why would they attack Umbrum ? In his opinion, it was quite simple. He was one of the first individuals he personally recruited in his staff, then will people be confident that they will be safe under his watch if he died ? Of course not.

Holding this young and frail mage in his arm, he tightened his grip and muttered on a furious tone. In his eyes, he was not seeing a person but a road, the path of his future, or at the very least. The starting point, once he passed it, he would not mind losing this thing. As for now, what he needed was him to be safe and sound, to be encouraging.

“They will pay for this and dreadfully.”

Looking at his throat, his legs, his right arm, he sighed. He could easily heal him, at first, he did not wish to but now, that is needed. He poked his white right cheek which bounced at his touch. His expression was so peaceful and calm, his lips seemed to have bled, his visage was slightly wet due to tears, his whole body was swollen. However, no expressions of pain, just reluctance and acceptance.

How pitiful.