"Sir, this is unacceptable!" Holivan Sr. cut in sharply. "You have no right to interfere in family matters."
"Mr. Holivan," Sokrati replied calmly, "if I'm not mistaken, Alan renounced his family the moment he stepped into the academy as a Special. So tell me—what family matters am I interfering in now?"
"He is still my son! His birth certificate—"
"Holivan," Blocking drawled lazily, "birth certificates, passports, wills—those belong to the modern world. Not the hidden one. The rules here are different. You should know that better than anyone."
"Blocking…" Marcus hissed through clenched teeth—but didn't dare continue.
"Excellent. If we've settled our disagreements—"
"Mr. Sokrati," Silius's voice cut in, cold and precise, "in my case, you are violating the laws of the hidden world."
I knew Silius wouldn't let Alan go that easily.
But wouldn't it be better for him to gain an ally among the aristocracy than keep a powerless personal bodyguard?
In four years at the academy, I had never seen Clyde take an interest in anyone.
Not once.
Not like this.
Not like he did with Alan.
I didn't know what exactly had caught Silius's attention—
but I didn't like it.
It wasn't safe for Alan to stay near him.
If cutting ties with Holivan would protect him, I'd do it without hesitation.
But Clyde wasn't the type to let go.
Not without breaking something first.
"Mr. Silius," Blocking said, tilting his head slightly, his eyes glinting with amusement, "have you already formalized your contract?"
Silius didn't answer.
"Student agreements only hold within the academy," Blocking went on, almost pleasantly. "Once Alan graduates, he's free. He can take his reward… and walk away."
A slow smile spread across his face.
"How long does he have left, I wonder?"
He was enjoying this.
"Gentlemen," Sokrati cut in smoothly, "let's not turn this into a spectacle. I have considered everything. I will not violate any laws. Let us proceed. The boy has earned his recognition."
He turned back to Alan.
"So? Will you accept our generous offer? Upon graduation, you will leave the academy as the head of a new noble branch of the Holivan family—and take a position in the Administration under my command. No more suffering. This is your reward."
"Mr. Sokrati."
Alan's voice rang out clearly.
Sharp.
Steady.
"You are giving your word—here, before everyone—that after graduation, a student of Gordinstreet Academy will receive a position in the Administration under your authority, along with a new aristocratic branch independent from his family. That is my reward. Correct?"
"Correct, Holivan," Sokrati said. "I give you my word before all present. A contract of the hidden world is absolute—you know that."
"I am grateful, Head of the Administration."
A faint smile touched Alan's lips.
"This is one of the finest rewards imaginable."
A beat.
"I accept."
The stadium exploded.
Voices crashed into each other—outrage, disbelief, excitement—no one even trying to make sense of it.
Alan raised his hand.
Silence followed, heavy and immediate.
"You wish to add something?" Sokrati asked. "Mr. Holivan."
"Don't call me that," Alan said calmly.
"I am a Special student of Gordinstreet Academy. You granted me a reward, and I accept it."
A pause.
"But the student who will receive these privileges…"
He looked straight ahead.
"…is Clyde Silius."
"…What the hell did he just say?"
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
A suffocating silence dropped over the stadium.
"How dare you, you little bastard!" Silius Sr. snapped, the first to recover. "This isn't a joke! You were given a chance to crawl out of the dirt—so take it and get out!"
"But the Head of the Administration gave his word to grant it to a student of Gordinstreet," Alan said evenly, a trace of mockery in his voice. "We never specified which one."
I couldn't process it.
He was throwing it away.
That chance.
That future.
This morning he wanted to run.
Disappear.
Forget everything.
And now?
Now he was handing it all to Clyde.
Silius wasn't someone who bent.
Not to family.
Not to anyone.
So why?
What the hell was this?
This wasn't bold.
This was insane.
He must have smashed his head open in that last trial.
"That is correct," Sokrati said. "This clever Special student has outplayed me. But I will not break my word."
He raised his voice.
"Upon graduation, Clyde Silius will be accepted into the Administration. He may choose any department. Under my command serve only department heads and their deputies, so he will begin as an assistant to a deputy head."
A brief pause.
"As for status—he already belongs to the aristocracy. There is no need to wait. From this moment on, Clyde Silius is recognized as the head of an independent branch of the Silius family. All formal matters will be settled later."
"Why…" Clyde whispered.
Barely a sound.
His eyes never left Alan.
I saw it.
I couldn't look away.
This was the third time I had seen emotion on his face.
And every time—
because of Alan.
"It's a gift," Alan said, meeting his gaze without hesitation, "to my future employer."
A flicker of something sharp crossed his expression.
"If my master has his hands free, I won't have to deal with certain… unpleasant people either."
There was defiance in his voice.
Cold.
Deliberate.
He turned—
and walked off the arena.
Leaving behind a stunned crowd.
Shouting from the upper stands.
And something heavy—
bitter—
settling deep in my chest.
"Little Al… what a show," Blocking said, glancing around his room as he gathered his things. "They're still tearing each other apart out there. Convenient. Clyde won't be in our way while we leave."
"I did what I had to."
"You could've had all of it," Blocking said lightly. "Would've made things easier—for both of us. Why hand it to Clyde? Didn't think you were that close."
"I followed him because I believe he can change things," I said. "What's the point of status if no one trusts you? He already had everything. He just needed to break free from his family."
Blocking watched me closely.
"And why do you care?" he asked. "Why fight your own nature like this? Everyone you're trying to protect will die sooner or later. You'll be the one left behind. So what's the point?"
"I'm not just protecting the present," I said quietly. "I want to give a future to those who come after us."
A quiet huff.
"You're more like Clyde than you think. Poor Maurice… he had a hell of a time dealing with him."
"What does Maurice have to do with anything?"
"That," Blocking said with a faint smile, "you'll have to learn from someone else. But if Clyde hasn't told you something that important… then he doesn't trust you. Not completely."
A pause.
"Still, if you ever decide you want your status back, I can arrange it. For a demon, that's nothing."
"I'm going with you to learn control," I said sharply.
"We'll see how you talk once you truly feel your superiority."
I said nothing.
It was time to leave.
My chest tightened painfully.
I remembered the promise Andrew and I made before the matches.
I'm sorry, Andrew… just wait a little longer.
I'll come back.
And then you'll give me your answer.