“Outstanding, boy. Not only did you survive thirty minutes, you eradicated the city of all reforcers. For your unprecedented completion, I shall grant you an exception. Tell me, what is your name?”

“Volatis, and what do you mean by exception?” I second-guessed whether or not it was safe to let him know my name.

“You may leave with your memory intact without having to finish the third trial. I will even answer one question of your choosing to my utmost knowledge. However, you must vow to return before four years have passed. Of course, you will be bound by vow and will experience an excruciating death upon refusal to do so. Just know that none has ever made it past the third trial alive. Will you take the offer?”

I considered his proposal and took the opportunity to ask about my magic. “First, I’d like you to tell me more about my shadow magic and how I can begin to control it.”

“Hmm, what I told you was already the full extent of my knowledge about the people who harnessed it. It was before, even my time. From what you said, you could very well be the last remaining offspring of the Raven Clan. Someone has sealed away your magic in order to keep you safe from their enemies, your enemies. Just a hunch, you don’t have any direct blood-related family left in your life. I’m rather amazed you managed to survive this long. The only advice to control your magic would be to practice as you did in the second trial. Learn to slowly control it over time.”

The old man interrupted before I could respond.

“You used up your one question. What will your decision be?”

He didn’t even allow a follow-up question for receiving such a lackluster answer. So, stingy.

“I came in here knowing the risks, I will not back out and I’d like to avoid having a death curse placed on me. Let’s continue.”

I don’t know whether it was my improving control over my dark magic that gave me confidence, but I felt unstoppable.

“Well said, Volatis. The third trial will begin shortly. This time no rules or guidance will be provided. I hope you survive.”

The wise man’s words faded as the scene took a familiar shift into darkness. This made no sense. As I opened my eyes light shone in through the curtains of our warehouse home near the Monster Corps outpost. The sheets were disheveled across Alexa as my hands were entangled in her angelic hair.

My memories were hazy. I couldn’t recall how I got in bed and what I was just thinking about while dreaming. The movement of my hands must have pulled on Alexa’s hair and woken her up.

“Ah, I’m sorry did I hurt you?”

I expected an irritated response but got an alluring smile. The blanket covered her body as she sat up towards me. I wondered if she was fully nude underneath since I never saw her get in bed, usually it was always after I was about to fall asleep.

“You did nothing wrong, Master.” Alexa’s sweet tone followed with the briefest display of her seductive figure as she turned for a hug. The blanket fell and her arms wrapped around my body.

The extra cushion of her breasts felt amazing and the silky smooth touch of her bare skin on mine made my thoughts whirl. The abruptness made me nervous and I tried to move a bit, but she hugged even tighter. A bit too tightly.

“Alexa, what’s wrong?” It’s not like it was hurting but definitely nearing levels of discomfort. Especially the increasing burning sensation on my skin. I wasn’t getting this heated due to excitement right?

I thought I had more control over my body than that. Alexa did not respond and continued to squeeze tighter. The moment I tried to undo her bear hug, my body started burning up. I was on literal fire!

“Alexa, stop!” I yelled in pain.

She still did not respond and before I forcefully got her off of me, my skin was scorched into third-degree burns. The area her skin touched mine went through immense deterioration and then disappeared as if the nerve endings were destroyed.

She never once spoke again and immediately lunged from the bed to where I was currently standing. I reflexively guarded and pushed her away. She tumbled back over, on top of the bed and instead of scrambling to get back up she was spasming uncontrollably. The sigil for the slavery mark appeared on her back and started glowing brightly. The activation sequence for a slave owner’s protection was initiated on her.

“Alexa! What did you do to her? I’ll kill you!” Tessa shouted from the doorway next to Eris.

She couldn’t even reach halfway across the room until the same slave sigil burned crimson red as she slid across the floor. Both Alexa and Tessa died within a matter of seconds of each other. My mental state rattled as I dropped to my knees dumbfounded about the current situation.

“This is all your fault. You realize it, right?” Eris approached closer and continued, “This is the outcome for every slave owner, eventually they are the cause of their slaves’ deaths.”

“I didn’t know this would happen. Why did they try to kill me, I thought we were starting to become a family together?” My voice broke as I began to realize how much I cared for them.

“You’ll never have a family with slaves. You deserve to die for forcing them against their will.” I looked up to see Eris holding a knife that was stabbing into my chest. I didn’t even notice the pain, much less care I was dying. All I could feel were Eris’s small tender hands caressing my face as darkness clouded my vision.