"Hold still."
The man ordered.
The boy stared at the cigarette in the man’s hand and nodded obediently. The man caught his wrist and pressed the burning tip against his arm.
His body flinched in pain but he did not pull away or cry or make a sound or close his eyes.
After all, he knew what would happen if he did any of that. So he kept his eyes on the floor and forced his arm to stay exactly where the man held it.
The man suddenly pressed the cigarette harder, almost trying to drill it into his skin.
"Ack."
A cry of pain escaped before he could stop it and the instant he realised what happened, his eyes widened in horror.
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO SHUT UP!?"
The man screamed in anger and slapped the boy’s face. The force was so strong that the boy’s body fell on the ground, shoulder first.
For a moment, he only heard a ringing sound as the world around him looked blurry. Then the man’s voice reached him again.
"Can’t you follow one simple instruction?"
The boy shook his head, then quickly nodded. He did not know which answer the man wanted.
"I’m sorry."
"What?"
"I’m sorry."
He spoke louder this time but...
"KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN WHEN I TALK!"
The man screamed as he kicked the boy’s waist multiple times. The boy curled up, trying to absorb the impact, all while he pressed his mouth with both his hands, making sure he did not let out another sound.
When the man had enough, he stopped.
During the kicks, the boy’s loose shirt rode up, showing old cigarette burns all over his skin. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time this was happening.
And it wasn’t just cigarette marks. There were bruises on his side, some were dark and fresh, others were old. Then there were cuts, thin ones, deep ones that had closed badly. Some of the wounds looked wrong. The skin around them was dark and tight, a few spots were wet and yellow in the middle.
His body looked marked, used, and left to heal on its own.
"Hide that revolting body of yours and get up!"
The man spat.
The boy pulled his shirt down and stood up slowly, keeping his injured arm close to his body.
The man then settled back into his chair and reached for the remote.
"Go see if the door is closed, I don’t remember."
He ordered. The boy nodded and walked towards it.
The hallway outside was empty. Farther ahead, the front door was open. He walked towards that door, the door that led him outside of this hellhole. Then, as he put his hand on the doorknob, he paused.
He could hear the television’s loud voice coming from inside, if he ran now... he could leave this hellhole.
His fingers tightened around the handle, he looked outside, at the sunlight he rarely got to see, the trees, the ground, the fresh air different from the air filled with cigarette smoke. For a very short moment, the boy’s eyes changed, they looked... excited.
But then...
Then he remembered the day he escaped. How a woman stopped when she saw him crying, recognised him and brought him back.
He remembered how the man smiled at her and thanked her for bringing his son home. He remembered standing beside him, desperately waiting for the woman to turn around and take him away.
She didn’t.
And the door closed.
The boy remembered what happened that day after the door closed and the moment that memory came back...
He closed the open door on his own just like he was told to.
The brief light that appeared in his eyes faded, leaving the same empty eyes he always had, eyes that showed no resistance, no expectations, no hope, no will to fight against what was coming.
Eyes exactly like the ones he was seeing right now.
"Young Master..."
"Young Master Kaine..."
"Young Master Kaine!"
Orven’s voice brought him back, Kaine slowly turned towards the old man. For a moment, Orven looked confused, then he pointed at the scroll in Kaine’s hand.
"You only need to tear the scroll to sever the contracts. Please, make haste. We have already wasted enough time as it is."
He spoke as if he never once considered that Kaine might refuse.
And why would he?
Kaine always made the sensible choice. He worked hard, followed instructions, and never allowed his emotions to interfere with his future.
At least, that was the Kaine he knew, the Kaine everyone knew.
Kaine looked down at the scroll, then at the fox and the other two women in front of him.
"No."
He shook his head.
Orven blinked.
"Pardon?"
"I do not wish to sever the contracts."
The moment he said those words, the Dragon stared at him in absolute shock. She begged desperately, yes, but she didn’t think he would listen...
Master Orven, on the other hand, misunderstood.
"Young Master, there is no danger to you. The contract is still within the Severance Period, your Soul Throne will remain unharmed."
The Severance Period, just like the Protection Period, lasted a day, it was time given to the Summoner to think through his decision and decide whether he wished to keep his Companion, or in Kaine’s case, companions or not.
Kaine knew that, he knew the Contract with these three could be severed and he could potentially summon another stronger being that would give him the strength he spent eighteen years preparing for.
But then he looked at them.
At the Dragon looking at him with faint hope, the dark-skinned woman still trembling in fear and the fox, who was now looking at him with this... very familiar look on her face.
He remembered those eyes.
He remembered looking at that woman, desperately waiting for her to turn around.
And now, as he stood there, standing in front of someone who was looking at him the same way...
He decided to do what the woman didn’t.
He decided to turn around.
Kaine’s fingers loosened.
The scroll in his hand fell on the pedestal.
"I said no."
He repeated himself as he looked at the fox.
The fox’s eyes changed, so did the other two’s.
"Kaine."
That was when Gareth called out.
"Did you not understand what he said?"
"I understood."
Kaine answered as he started walking towards his summons.
"Then pick up the scroll."
Gareth ordered, Kaine ignored him and only stopped when he was in front of the three women. The dragon stared at him with a shocked look on her face.
She didn’t trust him, she didn’t trust anyone in the entire world.
Yet...
Right now, he was the only hope she could cling to.
Kaine turned towards the servants standing near the entrance.
"Bring two stretchers."
He ordered but no one moved.
"Y-Young Master?"
The servants were too shocked, this was probably the first time Kaine asked them to do something.
"Now."
"Y-Yes!"
Two servants hurried out.
The elder by the pillar gave a short laugh.
"So now we refuse a second chance as well?"
Kaine ignored him. Orven walked towards Kaine.
"Young Master, there is no reason to prove anything to the people here."
"I’m not proving anything."
"Then why keep them?"
Kaine glanced at the three women for a small moment.
"Because I want to."
He answered as he crouched next to the dragon.
"W-What are you doing?"
She asked in a voice much, much lower than before.
"I am taking you with me."
He spoke as he reached behind her back. She twisted her shoulder, trying to get away.
"I... I can’t."
She spoke as she tried to move towards the other two women despite her broken limbs. Kaine noticed that, he still hadn’t forgotten how the Dragon begged for their sake first, not hers.
"They will be coming with us."
He spoke calmly and the instant he did, she stopped.
"...both of them?"
"Yes, both of them."
She stared at him for a moment, then looked toward the servants leaving to fetch the stretchers.
When he reached for her again, her body stiffened.
"Do not leave them here."
"I won’t."
She finally nodded. Kaine then slid one arm behind her back and the other beneath her knees and lifted her up as carefully as possible.
The dragon waited for the pain, in her current condition, even the slightest touch was painful, only this time, she didn’t feel any.
The Protection Period prevented it.
It was... surprising to not feel pain when touched.
It felt... new.
"Do you understand what you are choosing?"
Gareth asked as he narrowed his eyes.
"I do."
Kaine nodded.
"You do not!"
Gareth raised his voice at Kaine for the first time in his life.
"Do not be foolish!"
He glared at him with a strong intensity.
"Put. Her. Down."
Gareth ordered in a cold tone.
Kaine, however, momentarily looked at the elder standing by the pillar, then back at his father.
"I have already made my decision and I won’t change it. Trying to make me will only waste more time, you might waste the Summoning Season."
Hearing those words, Gareth’s anger shot up.
"You do wha—"
Gareth raised his voice even further, but before he could say anything else.
"He is right."
The elder standing by the pillar spoke up.
"Gareth, we do not have time for your domestic quarrels. Kaine has made his decision, others are waiting. Patriarch chose you to oversee the Summoning but that does not mean you can abuse your power. Let others take the opportunity they have been waiting for for years, or do you want me to take the matter to the Patriarch?"
And this time, the elder wasn’t alone.
"Yes! He has already made his decision! Why are you wasting our time!?"
"My son has waited for this opportunity for two years! You cannot take it away from him!"
"Exactly! My daughter hasn’t slept for even the shortest moment ever since she heard the bells."
"This is an important opportunity for the children, don’t interfere with it because of your selfish desires!"
The rest of the family members spoke up.
The last statement seemed to have an even stronger effect, as Gareth, who was glaring at Kaine, gulped and then clenched his fists.
The family members, however, did not stop.
"What happened already happened! It won’t change anything! Your son realises that, why can’t you!?"
"Yeah! A second attempt won’t change anything. The first attempt was more than enough to reveal his true potential!"
They continued speaking, some even targeted Kaine.
Kaine didn’t mind, he knew the consequences of his actions, he understood people. They treated him kindly because he was useful, now that he was not, they showed their true sides.
This world was no different than the last one.
Only this time, he could make a difference, however little that may be.
Kaine thought inwardly as he glanced at his summons. Just then, four servants returned with two stretchers. Kaine pointed at the other two summons, the servants hesitated, they stared at Gareth, who was practically boiling with anger as he glared at his son.
"Do what you are told."
Just then, the elder standing beside the pillar ordered, the servants nodded and approached the other two summons.
Kaine noticed how the dragon twisted her head to watch the two servants approach the fox.
"Do not hurt her!"
She screamed fiercely.
"They won’t."
Kaine spoke calmly. Then he glanced at the servants.
"Move carefully."
He ordered.
The servants nodded as they approached the fox. She offered no resistance as they supported her shoulders and legs, but when they lifted her, the unknown woman held her sleeve.
"Let go."
A servant spoke. The woman flinched at the command and her body listened. She immediately let go of her sleeve, placed both her hands on her chest and lowered her head obediently.
Kaine watched that as the servants placed the fox on the first stretcher.
"Put their stretchers beside each other."
He ordered.
The servants moved the empty stretcher closer, then carefully lifted the other woman onto it. Her eyes remained on the fox, but she kept her hands pressed on her chest, not daring to reach for the fox again.
"It’s all right."
That was when the fox whispered softly.
She had a very soft voice, much different from the Dragon’s fierce one.
The dark-skinned woman looked at her. Kaine noticed her finger twitching.
"You can hold her hand."
The woman looked at him in shock, then she nodded obediently and slowly reached out. The fox’s fingers closed around hers.
"Keep them beside each other when you carry them."
The servants nodded and took their places at the ends of the stretchers.
The Dragon watched the entire thing carefully, then she glanced at Kaine.
She couldn’t believe he noticed that little thing.
For a moment, the Dragon wondered if all this was real, but then she poured cold water on her head.
No.
She couldn’t let her guard down. All of this could very well be a pretence. Who knew? This man might even be worse than them.
She couldn’t trust him.
She couldn’t trust anyone.
She made up her mind. She had already promised her scales, horns, wings, tears and blood, everything they harvested from her, she would give it to this man, but...
She wouldn’t let him do anything to her friends.
She clenched her fists.
Just then,
"Follow me closely. I do not want them out of her sight."
Kaine ordered the servants and that broke the dragon’s thoughts again.
He... noticed?
She watched his face, then turned toward the servants as they brought the stretchers closer, close enough for her to see them clearly.
The Dragon turned her head back towards Kaine and after staring at him for a few more seconds...
"Where... are we going?"
She asked in a low voice and Kaine...
"Somewhere safe."
He spoke in a low voice as he walked out of the room.