"Wha..." Eden breathed heavily, staring up at the demon towering over him.
Why was a demon here?
Demons were Royal-class familiars. They were legendary, dangerous, and impossibly rare. No recorded mage had summoned one in decades. And now he had accidentally done it?
How was that even possible? His summoning scroll was only meant to summon a lesser familiar....
He was still a student, still learning the basics. He had wanted a familiar, sure, but maybe something like an Ice Phoenix or a Rune Owl.
Not... this.
Eden swallowed hard and took a step back from the furious-looking demon. But the moment he moved, a glowing, translucent blue chain materialized between them, wrapping around both of their wrists.
The bond had been sealed.
Eden froze as the fire of rage danced behind the demon's golden eyes. He'd never seen anything like it. The demon looked... almost human. Ethereal. Unreal.
"You? This weakling?" the demon growled.
Half of Eden's fear turned to wrath. His fingers clenched around the chain. "I am not a weakling."
The demon scoffed. "Saying it doesn't make it true, pathetic child. You spent every last drop of mana just to summon me."
Eden gritted his teeth. "Did you just call me pathetic?"
The demon didn't answer. He just rolled his eyes and looked away like Eden wasn't worth his breath.
"Look at me!" Eden yanked the chain furiously, pulling the towering demon closer until their eyes met. His voice dropped into a growl. "Maybe summoning you was a mistake, but I am your master. Show me respect."
The demon's lips curled into a devilish smile. "As you wish, master." He bowed mockingly.
Eden was about to explode! This demon was toying with him. "You..!"
"EDEN WYNNE!" Professor Hemel's voice rang out like thunder, shattering the tension.
As he stormed toward them, Eden remembered they weren't alone.
He looked around.
At some point, the room had been thrown into chaos. Professors were helping students back to their feet. Everyone stared at him and the demon, stunned, like they'd seen a ghost.
The only silver lining?
He probably didn't need to kill himself anymore.
"We need to break the bond and send the demon back immediately," Professor Hemel ordered.
Eden's eyes widened. He looked at the demon, who remained perfectly calm like he knew it wouldn't work.
The professors began arguing behind him as the students quietly exited the hall.
"No one's ever severed a bond like this."
"We have to try."
"That's a demon. He doesn't belong in this realm."
"The Arcane Council will come down hard on this."
Their voices started to blur, like echoes in a tunnel. His vision like static.
Right, he thought. The mana crash.
His legs gave out. But before he hit the ground, strong arms caught him and wrapped around his body.
"Don't… hurt anyone." Eden whispered weakly.
"Yes, Master," came the demon's deep, smoky voice so smooth it made Eden's heart skip a beat.
And then everything went black.
~
When Eden woke up, he was in the infirmary. And right beside him, cuffed to the bed by the bond chain, was the demon, who looked thoroughly displeased to see him awake.
"Where are the professors?" Eden asked, his voice still groggy.
The demon didn't reply. Instead, he scrunched his nose and dragged his long, clawed fingers through his hair in clear frustration.
Eden frowned and sat up. The demon was completely ethereal, beautiful, powerful, otherworldly. How on earth had he managed to summon someone like this with a simple summoning scroll?
He was still stunned, yes, but beneath that, relief bubbled. His family, his clan… they were going to respect him now.
Scratching the back of his ear, he grimaced at the thought of not having had a proper shower in over 24 hours. All because of this damn exam.
He sighed. "Who are you?"
The demon's golden eyes narrowed, glaring at him with such hatred that Eden's heart skipped a beat.
"It's just a simple question," Eden muttered, starting to get annoyed.
"You've ruined both our lives, you pathetic child," the demon hissed coldly, rising to his full height.
"Pa—" Eden scoffed, cutting himself off. "Why do you keep calling me that?"
Were all familiars this irritating? Most came in animal forms. Foxes, owls, snakes. Eden would have killed for a cute little owl right now.
He jumped off the bed and yanked the chain, catching the demon's attention. "I didn't ask for you either, demon. I wanted an owl. Or even a snake. Anything but you."
The demon's expression darkened. In an instant, he stepped forward and grabbed Eden by the throat. Eden's whole body went rigid as those clawed fingers tightened around his neck, digging in.
The demon stood tall. At least six foot eight, and the sheer size and strength of him made Eden feel small, even at six foot two.
"You don't understand what you've done, do you, child?" the demon growled, voice low and deadly. "You ripped me from my realm. Left it without a ruler. I don't know how you summoned me, because I am not meant to be summoned. I am no pet. I am no servant. I will rip you apart."
The wrath in his voice vibrated in Eden's bones. He couldn't breathe. His vision blurred.
"Let.. go!" Eden turned and sank his teeth into the demon's wrist.
The demon snarled in shock and yanked his hand away, staring at Eden like he'd lost his mind.
"Are you insane?!"
Eden simply chuckled, rubbing his neck. "I think so."
Then he turned and walked toward the door. "Come on. Let's go to my chamber. I'm sleepy."
The demon stared after him, dumbfounded, watching the way Eden's long white hair swayed with each step.
He muttered under his breath, "What a strange little mage…"