Prince—no, this infuriating man—blinked his eyes in mock shock, his lips curling into a faint smirk that made me want to strangle him. I had him pinned against the wall, my hand pressing firmly against his chest, but the way he looked at me—like I was some amusing little creature he'd found under a rock—made me question who was really in control here.
"You," he tilted his head, his voice dripping with feigned innocence. "Need me for what?"
I grated my teeth. He had a point. I'd just appeared out of nowhere, demanding his cooperation without so much as a proper explanation. If I told him I wanted to make him Emperor, would he buy it? Probably not. This man was too sharp, too slippery. His gaze was intense, almost predatory, and I felt like he could see right through me. It was unnerving.
"Seems like a whim of some young lady from a rich family," he said, his tone light but laced with sarcasm. With a casual flick of his wrist, he pushed my hand away like it was nothing. I stared at my own hand, momentarily doubting my strength. How had he done that so effortlessly?
"I won't ask you what you were doing in that castle," he continued, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous timbre. "But you better keep your mouth shut about whatever you saw. For your own good."
It wasn't a threat—more like a warning. But it only made me more determined. If I couldn't tell him the real reason I needed him, I'd have to give him a reason he couldn't refuse. Something that would bind him to me, whether he liked it or not.
"Why?" I asked, locking eyes with him. "Do you want to die?"
He narrowed his eyes, his smirk fading into something darker. "Just because I didn't kill you doesn't mean I can't."
His grip on my wrist tightened, sharp enough to make me wince. But I didn't pull away. Instead, I smiled—a small, confident curve of my lips that seemed to irritate him. "You can't kill me, Your Highness."
He scoffed, his grip tightening further. "What makes you think I can't?"
Good question. Why was I so confident? There were so many things I didn't know about myself, let alone him. But I couldn't back down now. I needed him to see that I was serious—that I could help him.
"I can save you," I said, my voice steady. "I can save you from the demonic cult. I can stop you from becoming a vessel for some demon."
His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before his mask of cold indifference slipped back into place. But I'd seen it—the flicker of vulnerability, the raw pain that he tried so hard to hide. His grip on my wrist loosened, and for a moment, I thought I'd gotten through to him.
Then he laughed. A low, bitter laugh that sent a chill down my spine. "Ridiculous," he muttered, his voice shaking with barely contained rage. "You think you can save me? Do you even know what you're dealing with?"
Before I could respond, he shoved me back, and I hit the floor with a thud. His hand was around my throat in an instant, his eyes blazing with a fury that was almost feral.
"Nobody can save me," he hissed, his voice trembling with desperation. "The demonic power inside me is far more powerful than you can even imagine. Even with all the holy power in the world, it can't be purified."
I didn't fight back. Not because I couldn't, but because I saw something in his eyes—something broken, something that made my chest ache. This wasn't just manipulation. This was real. And it made me hate the demonic cult even more.
I reached up, my fingers brushing against his cheek. He flinched but didn't pull away. "I can save you," I said softly. "And if I say I can, I mean it."
He stared at me, his grip on my throat loosening. "Why?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Why would you even try?"
I smiled—a genuine smile this time, not the practiced one I'd perfected in the Court of Ignis. "Because I hate the demonic cult more than you can imagine. I hate the Imperial Family's hierarchy enough to commit treason. That's why I'm going to save you." I paused, my gaze unwavering. "And I'm going to make you Emperor."
For a moment, he just stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then, to my surprise, he burst out laughing. It wasn't the bitter laugh from before—this was genuine, almost hysterical. I frowned, confused.
"You found yourself an amusing student, Tower Master," he said, leaning back against the wall with a lazy grin. I turned to see Master standing behind me, his human form smirking like he'd just won a bet.
"Of course," Master said, crossing his arms. "She's my student for a reason."
I looked between them, my confusion turning to anger. "What's going on?"
Master shrugged. "Don't look at me like that, Foxy. Ask the snake what that was all about."
I turned back to the man—*the infuriating, nameless man*—who was wiping tears from his eyes like he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world. "I was testing you," he said, his smirk returning. "And you passed. Mostly."
My jaw dropped. "You were testing me?!"
He nodded, his expression far too pleased with himself. "I had to see if you were serious. Or if you were just another fool with a death wish."
I clenched my fists, my aura flaring around me. "You—"
"Relax," he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "You're interesting; I'll give you that. But if we're going to work together, I need to know you can handle yourself. And, well…" He gestured to the aura blade I'd unconsciously summoned. "You've got potential."
I glared at him, my blade hovering inches from his chest. "You're lucky I don't skewer you right now."
He raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "But you won't."
"And why's that?"
"Because you need me," he said, his voice dripping with smugness. "And because, deep down, you know I'm right."
I wanted to argue, but he had a point. Damn him.
Before I could retort, something snapped inside me. This man—this infuriating, manipulative, *smug* man—was pushing all my buttons. And I'd had enough.
In one swift motion, I drove the tip of my aura blade into his chest. Not deep enough to kill him, but enough to make him bleed. His eyes widened in shock, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of genuine surprise on his face.
"You—" he started, but I cut him off.
"Don't," I said, my voice cold. "Don't think for a second that I won't hurt you just because I need you. If you're going to play games with me, I'll play them better."
He stared at me, his hand instinctively going to the wound. Blood seeped through his fingers, but he didn't cry out. Instead, he laughed—a low, dark chuckle that sent shivers down my spine.
"You're full of surprises," he said, his voice strained but still laced with amusement. "I like that."
I pulled the blade back, my aura dissipating as I stepped away. "Don't mistake my honesty for weakness. If we're going to work together, you'll respect me. Or next time, I won't stop at a scratch."
He wiped the blood from his chest, his smirk returning. "Noted. But if we're going to trust each other, we'll need more than threats and stabbings."
I crossed my arms. "What do you suggest?"
"A contract," he said, his tone turning serious. "A binding agreement that ensures neither of us can betray the other."
I glanced at Master, who nodded. "It's not a bad idea," he said. "If you're going to work together, you'll need to trust each other. A contract will ensure that."
I hesitated, but the man was right. If we were going to destroy the demonic cult and take down the Imperial Family, we'd need to trust each other. And as much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't do it alone.
"Fine," I said, my voice firm. "But if you try to manipulate me again, I won't hesitate to finish what I started."
He smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Duly noted."
As we finalized the magic contract, Master flicked his fingers, and a glowing parchment appeared between us. The man—*my new ally, my potential downfall*—picked up the quill and began writing his terms with a flourish. I leaned over to read, and my eyes narrowed.
"What's this?" I snapped, pointing at one of his clauses. "'The other party shall not harm the undersigned under any circumstances'? Are you serious?"
He smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "You're too violent. I need to protect myself."
I rolled my eyes but didn't argue. Instead, I added my own clause: "The undersigned shall not lie or betray Selentia Nyxveil under any circumstances."
He raised an eyebrow. "You don't trust me?"
"Not even a little," I said sweetly.
He chuckled, a low, dark sound that sent shivers down my spine. "Fair enough."
We both signed the contract, our blood sealing the deal. As the parchment dissolved into golden light, Master clapped his hands. "It's done. Break the terms, and you'll both regret it."
The man leaned back, his smirk never fading. "Pleasure doing business with you, Selentia."
I crossed my arms. "You still haven't told me your name."
He paused, his smirk turning into something softer, almost genuine. "Xavier," he said finally. "Xavier Alexus Aelric."
The name hung in the air, heavy with meaning. I didn't know what it signified yet, but I had a feeling it would change everything.