"What do you know about yourself?" asked the White Raven.
Maris looked at the man who had just asked her the question, and the dried blood on her face cracked slightly as she lowered her head.
Her gaze fixed itself on the ground while she searched for an answer that had never truly existed in her life.
From the moment she was born, she had carried a curse that she did not understand, a curse that denied her a place in any society because no race would claim her and no banner under which she could stand.
She had been picked up by rogue mixed-bloods like herself and raised among them, surviving without family or protection.
She knew that she had a father somewhere in the world, but never felt any desire or motivation to find him.
Her life had been spent moving from one place to another, living on scraps and leftovers, travelling through forests, hunting small prey, stealing when she had to, and robbing when survival demanded it.
She had never interfered with anyone else's business and had learned early on that staying unnoticed was the only way to live, but one day a calamity had struck unexpectedly.
Two women had appeared before her, overpowering her with ease, beating her mercilessly until her body could no longer respond.
They had broken her wings and silenced her cries, and when she had tried to ask what crime she had committed, they had answered by knocking her unconscious and dragging her away to a gathering of strange and unfamiliar people.
It was there that she had finally learned what her fate was supposed to be because she was not being punished for anything she had done, but was instead being taken hostage for the crimes of her father.
What followed had left her hollow and devastated because when negotiations were attempted, her father had rejected them without hesitation, abandoning her without a second thought.
At that point, she had stopped caring about him entirely because growing up, she had been told that her father was also a mixed-blood like her.
She had expected at least a trace of concern or regret in his eyes, but everything she had hoped for had turned out to be meaningless.
The shock of that betrayal had not lasted long because, in truth, it was not strange at all, especially after he had openly called her a mistake, a flaw that should never have existed.
Even she did not know who she truly was because fate had never given her an identity, and fate alone had decided the miserable life she was forced to live, one filled with pain, isolation, and rejection.
"A slave," she spoke at last, her voice was muffled ", A slave to fate"
She saw the eyes behind the White Raven mask glinting faintly as the man in front of her moved, lowering himself onto one knee while resting one hand on his raised leg.
He tilted his head slightly to the right before speaking in a steady tone that carried an unusual weight.
"Well, you see," he said, "fate, and I like to differ sometimes."
He gave a pause before continuing, "Since fate did not give you an identity, how about I do that?"
The silence deepened as his next words followed
"Instead of being fate's slave, you become my servant."
Maris's breath caught as he continued.
"I will give you an identity, a purpose, and most importantly, power. I will give you power."
The silver eyes remained fixed on her as he spoke the final words, words that struck deeper than she expected.
"You will finally be able to carry an ego with you, an ego that comes with an identity, an ego that comes with belonging"
For the first time in her life, Maris felt as though someone was offering her a choice, a chance to live with dignity instead of waiting helplessly for death.
Hesitation never crossed her mind because she truly had nothing left to lose, and whatever fear might have existed was already exhausted by the daily torture she endured in this prison while waiting for death to claim her.
"What do you want in return?" she asked quietly.
"Your loyalty," William replied without delay.
A few seconds passed in complete silence before Maris nodded.
"Good," William said simply. "You will not regret it."
[Ding!! Fatebound (Supreme) has activated...]
[Mark of Servant has been placed on individual Maris]
"Now let's get you out of here," William said, and without giving her time to react, he struck her nape swiftly and rendered her unconscious, lifting her body effortlessly as if she weighed nothing more than a sack of potatoes.
He took out the Trickster's Veil from his inventory and covered both himself and Maris, ensuring their figures vanished completely.
He started walking out slowly and carefully, making sure the veil did not sway with the air and reveal even a fragment of their presence as he escaped the Empire.
***
World Academy....
Maximus stood inside a private training chamber, his chest rising and falling heavily from the sword training he had just completed.
Sweat dripped from his brow as exhaustion finally forced him to sit down. As he steadied his breathing.
A small black seed appeared in his hand, radiating demonic energy so dense that even he could feel its pressure.
The cultists had warned him that brain seeding would cause immense pain and that the process needed to be carried out in a sealed and secluded environment.
So he decided that his personal dorm room would be the safest place, since the academy's training areas might contain formations that could interfere with brain seeding.
Ever since Lia had died, Maximus's life had shattered in a matter of seconds, leaving him empty and directionless.
The Sinclair duchess had taken everything from him, including his mother, Lia, and whatever peace he once had.
The duke had remained silent throughout it all, while his brothers and sisters turned out to be just as vile and scheming as their mothers.
Hatred had slowly consumed Maximus until nothing else remained.
He wanted revenge more than anything, and he wanted them to suffer the same way he had suffered, even if it meant abandoning his humanity entirely.
Blinded by rage, he was willing to do anything within his power to achieve that goal.
That was when the cult had approached him mysteriously, offering him both revenge and the position of duke of the Sinclair family.
As long as he acted as their supporter, helped further their mission, covered up their tracks, and worshipped the demon lord unquestionably.
Suddenly, space rippled in front of him, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Alerted, Maximus quickly stored the demonic seed back into his ring as he watched a small circular portal form in the air.
From it emerged a shimmering butterfly, its soft glow seemed ancient and mysterious, far beyond the domain of mortals.
The butterfly fluttered toward him gently and landed on his palm before dissolving into golden dust, from which a small, palm-sized scroll appeared.
Curiosity surged through Maximus as he opened the scroll.
----—————⁜⁜⁜–————----/\----—————⁜⁜⁜–————----
To Maximus, the bearer of broken faith...
The bitterness you buried, learned to rise,
It wears your trust behind familiar eyes.
...
The love you lost, the one you wept, the one named Lia, still draws her breath,
Alive beneath a darker sky that smells of blood and death.
...
Her fading life is tightly tied to hands you trusted without fear,
hands thou clasp, side by side, are wet with the blood of your dear.
...
The thread of love hangs her over the endless deep,
Let it not snap if she is truly yours to keep.
...
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On a bed of cruelty her trembling body lies,
waiting until the last of hope leaks slowly from her eyes.
...
Turn back and see the blade concealed, the gift they press behind your back,
The powers you serve are darkly sealed, their vows are deep in virtue they lack.
...
If love still speaks within your chest, then walk the road that bends to the south,
For mercy sleeps in that request, though doom still stains its whispered mouth.
...
Choose with care, O! bearer of shattered faith,
For each step you take, you write her breath or her death.
...
The path you walk, the oath you break, the trust you make,
Will crown her dawn or seal her fate
...
- Eternal Sovereign