With the decision made, neither Elia nor Eitan hesitated.
Eitan turned to her, his tone calm but firm. "Wait here. I’ll gather all our belongings. After that, we’ll call him."
Elia nodded, watching as he left. The room fell into silence, the tension still lingering in the air like the remnants of a storm.
She took a breath, then pulled out the number Ezra had given them.
"Elia Seraphine," Ezra’s voice came through, composed and steady as ever.
"We’re ready," she said without delay. "But if we’re going to do this, we want insurance. A mana contract—to make sure you keep your end of the deal."
There was a brief pause on the line. Then Ezra replied, his tone almost amused.
"Of course, Miss Seraphine. I wouldn’t have it any other way."
"So, when and where?" she asked.
"Shall we say 4 p.m. at your place?" he said smoothly. "No need for theatrics."
Elia glanced at the clock, then answered, "That works. Come prepared."
A soft chuckle. "Always."
Elia placed the phone down slowly, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the door.
The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension.
Marcus crossed his arms. "That’s seriously how you ask for help, Ezra? I get it—Xavier’s dying—but threatening a girl like that? Come on, man."
Ezra leaned back against the wall, arms folded. "It worked, didn’t it?"
"Barely. She could’ve blasted your face off," Marcus muttered. "You’re lucky she didn’t."
Daelen stayed quiet, watching Ezra with unreadable eyes. The system’s quest—Eliminate the Anomaly—still lingered in his mind. That anomaly was Ezra.
And yet, so far, Ezra hadn’t done anything truly catastrophic.
Daelen exhaled through his nose. "Relax, Marcus. It’s not like he ripped their limbs off. Without a mana contract, they’d never trust us anyway. Chill."
Ezra cut in, his voice calm but firm. "Let’s not stretch this. We’ve got the agreement. Meeting’s at 4 PM. We get the contract done, she heals Xavier, and we’re out."
Dravis, twirling a blade on his finger, raised an eyebrow. "So, we head back today?"
"Yes," Ezra replied. "As soon as we’re done."
"I’ll book the warp gate," Lyria said, already pulling out her comm crystal.
Ezra blinked. "Wait—uh—I might be short on funds."
Marcus sighed. "You’re kidding."
Evelyne smirked, not even looking up from her magazine. "Don’t worry, poor prince. We’ll pay."
Ezra smiled faintly, then reached into his coat and pulled out a few gold coins. "I mean... I do have money. Just enough to pay for my own ticket."
Everyone turned to look at him.
Dravis burst out laughing. "You serious right now?!"
Ezra shrugged. "I never said I was poor. Just... selectively rich."
Marcus rolled his eyes. "This guy..."
The clock struck 4 PM.
The room was quiet—too quiet. Only three stood inside: Ezra, leaning casually against the wall; Eitan, arms folded, tense as ever; and Elia, standing between them, calm but alert.
She took a breath, then stepped forward. "Let’s begin."
A thick, rolled parchment lay on the table—old and marked with ancient glyphs. A glowing mana crystal hovered above it, radiating blue light. The contract was not some mere paper—it was enchanted, inscribed with blood-bound magic by Etherlight mages.
Elia placed her hand over the parchment first. "I, Elia Seraphine, agree to heal Xavier and his sister using my holy powers."
Her mana flared—pure and white—flowing into the glyphs. The parchment shimmered, accepting the first bond.
Eitan stepped next. He glanced once at Elia, then at Ezra. "I, Eitan Virell, will offer my assistance as needed for this task and swear not to act in betrayal—unless this contract is broken by the other party first."
His mana was darker, violet-tinged, but stable. The glyphs pulsed again.
Ezra stepped forward last. He didn’t hesitate. "I, Ezra Celestrian, disciple of the Sword Emperor, promise to fulfill these four conditions in return for your help."
He raised his fingers.
"One: I will keep Eitan’s identity as a vampire a secret.
Two: I will conceal Elia’s holy powers from the Magistrates and any external parties.
Three: I will guarantee both of you protection under the Sword Emperor and the Etherlight School.
Four: I will offer one-time help to either of you, for anything you request—no matter what."
The mana crystal above flashed blindingly. The parchment glowed gold as a small sigil etched itself onto the wrists of all three.
Ezra added calmly, "If any party violates this contract, willingly or otherwise... their soul will be forfeit. You’ll die instantly. No exceptions."
Then the glyphs faded, replaced with a soft hum—the contract was sealed.
Eitan let out a slow breath. "It’s done."
Elia nodded. "Now... we prepare."
Ezra smiled slightly. "Good. That saves me a lot of trouble."
He turned, ready to leave, but paused. "By the way—don’t try to cheat this contract. It’s tied directly to your mana core. If you so much as think of breaking it—"
"You’ll die," Eitan finished coldly. "Yeah. We got it."
Ezra clapped his hands together. "Well then, shall we? The warp gate’s booked—not just for me, but for you two as well."
Eitan narrowed his eyes. "You planned that far ahead?"
Ezra smirked. "Of course. I’m not just good with a sword, you know."
The three of them exited the room.
Outside, waiting near the stone steps, were familiar faces.
"Ezra!" Marcus waved enthusiastically. With him stood Daelen, Dravis, Lyria, and Evylene.
"Finally," Evylene said, arms crossed. "We thought you bailed."
Ezra raised a brow. "Why would I? I already paid for the warp gate. Even booked yours too."
"Oh?" Evylene narrowed her eyes. "Why don’t you just ask the Sword Emperor for money? He is your master, after all. I’m sure he’d throw you a few bags of gold if you wagged your tail nicely."
Ezra yawned, stretching lazily. "I’m a disciple, not a beggar. My parents left me enough. Besides..." He gave Marcus a smug glance. "I won a little bet with this genius over here."
Marcus snorted. "A little, huh?"
Lyria perked up. "How much?"
Ezra grinned. "Ten thousand gold."
Dravis choked on his spit. "What?! That’s a little? That’s daylight robbery!"
Marcus shrugged. "Small change. I believed in my odds."
Daelen shot him a deadpan glance. "Don’t flaunt."
Lyria laughed and stepped forward. "Oh! We haven’t properly introduced ourselves yet."
She pointed to herself. "Lyria Atherhart."
Then gestured to each in turn. "Evylene Grace. Daelen Voncrest. Dravis Morningstar. And the gold-splasher—Marcus Ardent."
Elia and Eitan froze.
Their expressions shifted instantly, eyes wide, breath caught.
These names—no, these titles—weren’t just whispers. They were legends across the magical world.
Marcus Ardent and Daelen Voncrest. Known together as the Twin Stars. S-rank core holders. The hope of humanity.
And the rest? Not far behind. Every one of them born from power, potential practically oozing from their veins.
Elia’s voice was barely a whisper. Her heart raced. So these are the monsters walking beside Ezra...
Then came the real shock.
Dravis elbowed Ezra. "That Rank 6 you killed—what was his name again?"
"Ryun," Ezra said calmly.
Lyria turned to Elia and Eitan. "You guys ever heard of someone named Ryun? He was the guy Ezra killed."
Elia stumbled back half a step. "R-Ryun?"
Her voice trembled. "He was Halden’s shadow. Loyal to death. Strong, ruthless... and barely in his 30s."
Eitan added, pale-faced, "He cleared three B-rank gates solo. In a single day."
Evylene let out a low whistle. "Damn. And Ezra killed him?"
Lyria nodded. "Rank 6. Killed by Ezra."
Elia’s lips parted but no words came. Her gaze shifted to Ezra—still calm, relaxed, hands in pockets.
Rank 4. And he had killed a Rank 6.
It wasn’t bravery. It wasn’t luck.
It was terror incarnate.
Elia asked, breath shallow, "Is he... also an S-rank core?"
Lyria shrugged. "Back then, he was tested as B-rank. But now?" She shook her head. "No way it’s just B."
Evylene added, "Even if we ignore his core, his combat power is real. Swordsmanship-wise? He’s probably better than most esteemed Rank 6s."
They walked on toward the main building, sunlight flickering off the academy towers.
Daelen spoke softly, "He doesn’t fight. He overwhelms."
Elia’s hands trembled slightly. She glanced again at Ezra—now animatedly arguing with Marcus about whether meat skewers should be spicy.
No arrogance. No boasting. Just absolute control.
This man is dangerous, Elia thought.
And he walks among monsters like it’s normal.
Eitan remained silent, but the intensity in his eyes hadn’t dimmed.
Ezra Celestrian... wasn’t a background character.
Okay, I’m not gonna lie—
I recently made the tragic mistake of reading a novel called Library of Heaven’s Path... and my brain still hasn’t recovered.
How did I survive 1600 Chapters of "slap trash young master, flex, repeat" before realizing I was the real clown?
So yeah, I solemnly swear that I will try my absolute best to make this novel not feel like someone copy-pasted the same plot 800 times with different names. 💀
That said, if you’re enjoying the story so far—drop a review, comment below, or throw some gifts at me like I’m your emotionally unstable favorite author who needs validation to live. 🫠✨
But then I’ll cry in the shower and listen to sad anime openings. Your choice.