The torches flickered randomly, their flames bending as if bowing to the presence that just entered the room.
Raven felt her aura before he even laid eyes on her—the Shadow Queen.
She glided forward with an air of elegance, her dark cloak moving like it's alive, her gaze locking onto him, Oh my this one looks yummy."
Raven tightened his grip on his dagger, though he knew it was a pointless gesture against the power standing before him.
"So, tell me, Raven," the Shadow Queen said, "How much do you know about Bloodcraft—that magic of life, and death itself?"
Her strong, sharp look seemed to see through all his thoughts.
Even Adrian and Estra stood silent around her, their usual bravado replaced by a kind of reverent fear.
The entire room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for Raven's reply.
He hesitated, sensing the pulse of blood magic beneath his skin.
Trying hard to change his worry into courage, he finally spoke,"I don't know much. I'm learning by myself."
The Shadow Queen let out a soft chuckle. "How lovely for a Seeker," she said, the word dripping with sarcasm. "Blessed with power yet blind to its reality."
As she slowly circled him, her cloak moving like living smoke, Raven felt the weight of her words.
"Remember this, Blood Seeker: even power requires loyalty. Blood knows its master. If you can't wield it properly, you'll end up consumed by it."
Her warning pierced more sharply than her composed voice suggested. He clenched his fists, struggling to hold back a sharp reply. Despite his deep resentment for her control, he couldn't deny the unsettling truth in her words.
Just before he could say anything, she leaned in uncomfortably close, her lips curling into a smile that revealed unnaturally sharp teeth. "You've got potential, Raven—raw and untamed.
But the worst failure is... letting me down." She tilted her head slightly, her following words both smooth and chilling: "Do. Not. Let me down."
Raven held her intense gaze, his heart racing. He wanted to say something—anything—but the words just wouldn't come.
The silence stretched on, feeling endless, until she finally stepped back and turned to Estra. "Get him ready. He's no knight yet, but he might end up being useful one day."
As the torches flared back to life, she vanished into the shadows, leaving a charged and uneasy atmosphere behind.
Raven let out a deep breath, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that something about the Shadow Queen was still hanging in the air, like the faint smell of smoke after a fire dies down.
For the first time since getting tossed into this mess, he felt small, like a kid being scolded by a god who just didn't care.
"Loyalty? Dominance?" he thought while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
The Shadow Queen's vague hints were really getting to him, and questions moved in his mind, making him feel like he was drowning.
As he stepped out into the cool corridor, he leaned against the wall for a second, finally alone.
"I don't know what's going on, but I've definitely been an idiot, thinking because I got transmigrated into this world, things would go easily."
He straightened up, his fingers brushing against the hilt of his dagger. "Bloodcraft... it's more than just a weapon; it's like a curse, a bond, and its own battleground. Even the author of this novel didn't give a hint of the blood craft, but she's right—I can't keep ignoring it."
"Power needs loyalty," huh? Nah, it needs control. If I can't take control, then they'll be the ones controlling me.
His expression hardened. He wasn't scared of failing anymore—he was scared of becoming a pawn, just a shadow of who he really was, forever stuck under someone else's rule.
Raven moved with determination through the dim corridors of the Third Guard's compound, his injury from Estra's dagger pulsing faintly but overshadowed by the surge of adrenaline within him.
He needed space and freedom—a place to breathe and train on his own ways.
When he reached the heavy iron gate that led outside, two guards stood in his way, their gazes sharp and their voices curt.
"Orders are clear. Nobody leaves without permission," one of them said, arms crossed.
Raven clenched his jaw. "I'm leaving. Move aside."
"No moving aside today, who do you think you are." The other guard stepped closer, the weight of their authority heavy on him.
Before things could get tense, a familiar voice broke the standoff.
"Let him go."
Estra appeared like a shadow materializing, her calm demeanor a sharp contrast to the situation. Her golden eyes locked onto the guards, which no one dares to argue with.
"I'm will take responsibility. So stand down."
Without missing a beat, the guards stepped aside, a mix of respect and unease in their expressions. "Yes, ma'am."
As the gate creaked open, Raven glanced back at Estra. Her face was hard to read—both approving and cautioning at the same time.
"Don't confuse freedom with being let off the hook, Raven," she said softly. "The leash is still there. It's just... a bit longer."
Her words sent a chill down his spine, even colder than the outside air as he stepped into the fading dusk.