I lounged on the couch, legs crossed, one arm draped lazily over the backrest, the other tapping idly against my knee.
The dim candlelight flickered across my face, casting shifting shadows that accentuated my smirk.
Across from me, Cedric moved stiffly, his every motion tense as he prepared a drink two cups, one for him, one for me.
His hands trembled slightly as he poured, and I could practically smell the anxiety radiating off of him.
'Good.'
He hadn't even questioned the thin, near-invisible strings I had "wrapped" around his throat.
I told him if he so much as thought about using his blessing, the strings would tighten, slicing deep into his flesh before he could react.
A perfect executioner's noose.
Of course, it was all a lie, It not Like I can afford to Buy something like That nor make One.
I was completely drained, running on fumes. If Cedric so much as called my bluff, I'd have nothing left to stop him.
The so-called "magical strings" he feared so much? Nothing but a simple illusion, a trick of light and mana manipulation I learn from a book make using My blessing.
But the beauty of fear is that it doesn't require proof.
Once You Under it influence, Your First Wouldn't really be thinking it fake.
I leaned back further, my grin stretching just a little wider, my fingers tapping a slow, deliberate rhythm on the couch's armrest.
The sound echoed in the silence between us, like a Clock counting down the seconds of his submission.
He believed me.
And that was all I needed.
I reached for the cup, holding it in an almost languid yet deliberate manner, letting my fingers trace along its edges in a way that made it seem like I was toying with it rather than simply drinking, A subtle display of control.
I took a slow sip, my gaze never leaving Cedric, watching as he hesitated, his mind undoubtedly racing with possible escape routes.
I let out a quiet chuckle, low and amused, before speaking.
"You know, Cedric, if you had any thoughts of making a run for it…" I tilted my head slightly, my voice dripping with amusement,
"Do think twice."
I gestured lazily toward the door, snapping my fingers.
In an instant, the illusion shattered.
The door he had glanced at moments ago the one that had given him a false sense of security was gone.
In its place now stood a wide-open window, the night air whistling through. Meanwhile, the window that had been behind me? Now a door.
I simply make a door appear in front of the window and a window In front of the Door to The hallways.
A little trick of perception, subtle but effective.
I watched the realization dawn on him, the way his pupils shrank as he pieced it together.
"Go ahead," I mused, taking another slow sip from the cup, enjoying his discomfort.
"Try to leave. See where that gets you."
I could practically hear the tension in his breath.
Cornered. Helpless. Exactly where I wanted him.
I leaned forward slightly, the dim light casting sharp shadows across my face, my fingers tapping lightly against the rim of my cup.
My voice came out soft, almost conspiratorial.
"Tell me, Cedric... what do you think I am?"
I watched as his throat bobbed, his grip tightening around his own cup. He hesitated, his lips parting slightly before closing again, as if weighing his words carefully.
Then, in a hushed whisper, almost as if he feared speaking too loudly might summon something beyond his understanding, he finally answered.
"You're... not normal."
His voice was shaky but resolute.
"You're not just another student. Not just another opponent. You're something else... something dangerous."
I let the silence stretch between us, letting the weight of his words settle in his mind before I finally smiled a slow, deliberate grin.
"Relax, Cedric." I leaned back, exuding an air of effortless control.
"I'm not your enemy."
His shoulders tensed slightly at my words, as if he wasn't sure whether to believe me.
"In fact, I'm here to help you." I took another sip, letting the pause linger just enough before dropping the final piece.
"Help you win against Cassian Orion Raven."
His eyes widened slightly at the name, the very mention of it like a dagger pressed against his pride.
"You want to win, don't you?" I asked, my tone low and knowing.
The room was silent, save for the faint clinking of the cups as Cedric set his down.
His grip was tight, too tight.
The slight tremble in his fingers betrayed his effort to maintain composure, but his eyes, sharp and calculating, never left mine.
I exhaled slowly, swirling the dark liquid in my cup, watching the way the dim light reflected off its surface.
Then, almost emotionless, I spoke.
"During my time here, I took some of it to observe her." I kept my voice even, but the weight behind my words pressed down on the space between us.
Cedric remained still, though I could see the slight twitch of his jaw a sign of restrained impatience.
"I was curious," I admitted, tilting my head just slightly, watching his reaction.
"Curious to see how strong she really was."
I let the silence stretch, watching as Cedric's fingers tensed against the table. His breath had slowed, his focus entirely on me.
Then, with a deliberate pause, I added softer, heavier:
"She was strong."
A flicker of something crossed Cedric's face maybe irritation, maybe doubt but I wasn't finished.
I leaned forward, just slightly, letting my presence press against his own, my next words cutting through the air like a blade.
"She might even be stronger than me."
There, A shift, A barely perceptible inhale, a tightening in his posture.
He wasn't sure whether to believe me or feel threatened by the very idea.
His voice, when he finally spoke, was controlled but edged with something he couldn't quite conceal.
"What do you want?" His words were direct, almost curt, as if he feared giving me any more power in this conversation than I already had.
"What do you want in return for helping me?"
I smiled. Not wide, not arrogant just enough to be unsettling. I took another sip of my drink, the slow tilt of the cup deliberate, drawing out the silence between us before setting it down with an almost inaudible clink.
Then, meeting his gaze, I answered.
"Oh, Cedric... why are you in such a hurry to know?"
Let him stew. Let the tension build. Let him wonder if the price of my help would be more than he was willing to pay.
Cedric's breathing was steady, but I could feel the storm brewing inside him.
He was still trying to hold on to what? Pride? Suspicion? It didn't matter, That wouldn't last long anyways.
I leaned back into the couch, sinking into its plush embrace like a king on his throne.
My posture was relaxed, nonchalant even, as if I had already won. And maybe, just maybe, I had.
"You know, Cedric..." I began, voice smooth, almost leisurely, as if I were merely discussing the weather.
"If you don't accept my help, you will never—" I let the words stretch, unhurried, letting them sink in.
"—ever be able to win against her."
I saw it, That flicker, The shadow of doubt that passed through his eyes, the way his fingers curled slightly against the armrest.
He didn't interrupt, He was listening.
"Cedric," I sighed, tilting my head, as if this was all so obvious, as if I was disappointed that he hadn't realized it himself.
"Don't you want to prove those arrogant academy bastards wrong?"
His jaw clenched a sign that I had struck a nerve.
"They placed you here, in D2. The lowest class. Do you really believe that's where you belong?" I gestured vaguely around us, as if the very walls of this lowly dorm were mocking his existence.
"Do you think this is what you deserve?"
The air between us grew thick, heavy with unspoken resentment.
I could see it in him the frustration, the anger. It was there, buried under his pride, under that desperate attempt to pretend he didn't care.
"You and I both know the truth, Cedric Von Helmut."
I watched him stiffen slightly as I uttered his full name, letting it hang in the air like a curse.
"You belong in a higher class. You are better than this."
I could almost hear his thoughts warring against each other. Doubt against pride, Hope against fear.
I leaned forward now, resting my elbows on my knees, my hands clasped together, my voice lowering becoming something darker, something more intimate.
"But if you stay here, if you remain shackled in D2, no one will ever acknowledge you, No one will ever fear you."
His pupils shrank, His grip tightened, His breath hitched just slightly.
"You will be just another failure."
"A forgotten name. "
"A footnote in the academy's history."
The silence between us stretched, thick and suffocating.
Then, I smiled. A slow, knowing smile.
"But it doesn't have to be that way."
Cedric swallowed, the first real sign of uncertainty I had seen in him.
I could feel it the seed of doubt I had planted was growing, wrapping around his heart like a snake about to bite.
"Let us work together." My voice turned gentle, enticing, like a whisper in the dark.
"I will make you the class leader. I will give you what you deserve."
His lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
"In return, I only ask for some of the benefits that come with it." I gestured vaguely, casually, as if it were nothing.
"A small price to pay for something so grand, don't you think?"
I could see it now his resistance crumbling, his mind racing, searching for a reason to say no... and failing.
I leaned back, exhaling as if this was merely a game I already knew the outcome to.
"So, Cedric," I said, my voice turning almost playful.
"Shall we rise together?"
I extended a hand. A simple gesture. A devil's contract in the form of an open palm.
"Let's work together, my friend."
The moment stretched. Cedric stared at my hand as if it were a viper, as if he knew the danger, but still he hesitated.
Because deep down, he wanted this.
And that was all I needed.
I raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"What are you still hesitating about, Cedric? It's not like I'm taking your soul or anything." My tone was light, teasing mocking even.
He stared at me, jaw tight, hands clenched into fists.
I could see the war in his mind, the desperate struggle between his pride and his ambition.
Then, finally finally he exhaled and spoke.
"Fine. But only under one condition."
I tilted my head, waiting.
"We do this under a mana contract." His voice was steady, but his eyes his eyes betrayed his doubt, his fear.
I chuckled. "Oh? You don't trust me, Cedric?" I leaned in slightly, watching him flinch ever so slightly.
"That hurts, you know."
"I trust results, not words." His response was quick, sharp.
I studied him for a moment, then shrugged.
"Fine. I'll prepare one."
I stood up, stretching lazily as if this had been nothing more than a casual conversation.
"I'll visit you the day after tomorrow. Until then, rest easy, my friend."
With a flick of my wrist, the illusionary string around his neck vanished into nothingness.
Cedric's fingers instinctively brushed against his throat, as if confirming it was truly gone.
Then, without another word, I turned to the window, And leaped.
He stood frozen, staring at the empty window where Victor had just disappeared.
The room was silent now, Too silent.
The dim glow of the lamps cast long shadows across the floor, the remnants of their conversation hanging in the air like a heavy fog.
His heart was still racing. His hands trembled slightly.
Not from fear no, not fear. From the sheer weight of what he had just done.
"I just made a deal with the devil."
The words left his lips in a whisper, barely audible.
Then he laughed.
A low chuckle at first, growing into something uncontrollable, something unhinged.
He ran a hand through his damp hair, his laughter echoing through the room.
Madness. Excitement. Fear. Anticipation.
It all blended together into a twisted symphony.
He had no idea what he had just gotten himself into.
But one thing was certain.
There was no turning back now.
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