"So, it has to be fast. We don''t want her to scream," Michael said, frowning at his own words as he addressed Anne.


    ''What am I even saying?'' he thought, his gaze dropping to the ground as if searching for his reflection, trying to decipher what kind of expression he wore.


    ''I don''t want Lizzy to scream while I use this on her? Is that what I''m saying right now?'' His eyes shifted to the mark on his palm as he held it up, studying it.


    ''Just...'' His focus flicked to Anne, who was watching him intently. In that brief moment, he noticed the faint bags under her eyes.


    ''What have I done to her? Were they really in danger? Such danger that warranted something like this...?'' The question gnawed at him as he took in her weary face.


    ''She''s so stressed she can''t even sleep... I should stop this.'' He lowered his hand, the mark disappearing from view, but a memory surfaced, unbidden and sharp.


    ----------------------


    "This feels wrong, Bernard," Michael murmured, standing in the opulent room of Bernard''s mansion, the seal heavy in his hands. "To mark them as slaves...?"


    "Mikey, Mikey..." Bernard clicked his tongue three times, pacing back and forth with a confidence that radiated from his every step. His back was straight, his movements deliberate.


    "You know, I remember how much we fought as kids. Even now. But the older I got, the more I understood something about you—and about us. We''re not so different, you and I. But there''s one big difference: you''re too pure, Mikey." He stopped to face Michael, his sharp gaze unwavering, while his entourage lingered silently in the corners of the room.


    "The more I observed the enemies my father dealt with, and people in general, I realized something—you can''t beat evil with good." He paused mid-step, turning toward Michael and leaning closer, lowering his voice as he whispered into his ear.


    "Take... you, for example," Bernard murmured as his groupies exchanged knowing looks.


    Michael flinched, his eyes darting back to the seal in his hands.


    "You were so virtuous, so righteous. And what did your mother and sister do? They left you and your father to the dogs—all because some bastard was more cunning than you—"


    "YOU DON''T TALK ABOUT THEM!" Michael roared, shoving Bernard back. His fists clenched, his teeth grinding as fury erupted within him. Bernard''s two followers stiffened, ready to intervene, but he calmly raised a hand to stop them.


    "Am I wrong, Mikey?" Bernard asked softly, his gaze piercing as he studied Michael''s torn expression.


    "...." Michael didn''t respond, processing Bernard''s words.


    Before long, Bernard extended his palm toward Michael.


    "Give it back," he said abruptly.


    "W-What?" Michael stammered, jolted from his thoughts.


    "This was a mistake. You''re too pure," Bernard said, his tone uncharacteristically soft.


    "But maybe that''s not such a bad thing. Maybe this Van Hellix isn''t as terrible as we think. Perhaps Anne and Lizzy are just... more interested in him. That happens sometimes—it''s no one''s fault."


    Michael stood frozen, replaying Bernard''s words in his mind. Memories surfaced; the way Van shooed him from her house and how he allowed himself to drape his arm over her neck. The way Anne decided to date Van after only days of knowing him. How they both left the guild after just 1 hour of work - not nearly enough time to actually get any work done. And then there was Lizzy''s expression—the way she looked at Van, as though he occupied every corner of her mind. Bothered. Consumed.


    None of it made sense to Michael.


    … Just like it didn''t make sense why his mother and sister had left one day without warning, running off to some unknown man.


    Michael''s jaw clenched. His grip on the seal tightened.


    "No," he said firmly.


    "No?" Bernard echoed, tilting his head with a mocking curiosity.


    "I''ll do it. Thanks for the seal." Michael''s expression darkened as he turned away. His voice was low, resolute. "You can''t keep anyone safe if you keep playing nice."


    Without another word, he walked out, leaving Bernard and his smirk behind.


    ---------------------


    ''No,'' Michael echoed in his mind as he stood with the branded Anne, planning to brand Lizzy next; as he replayed his mother and sister leaving him and his father for a stranger.


    ''This is right. This is what I need to do. To push... Van Hellix away from these girls. I won''t let anyone harm them! I won''t let anyone take them away from me!'' he resolved in his mind. ''It... I WON''T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN..!!''


    "Uh, Mom?" Marcy said as the two finally emerged from the storage house.


    "What''s up, Anne?" Marcy asked, turning to her and Michael.


    "We''re taking our break at the inn nearby. That''s fine?" Anne said quietly.


    "Sure, I don''t mind," Marcy muttered, her gaze lingering on Anne. Michael froze as Marcy noticed the bags under Anne''s eyes.


    "... You lot take an extra hour. On me," Marcy said softly, her concern evident as she turned back to the counter. "I''ll let it slide even if you''re late."


    ''Aunt… she''s really worried about Anne,'' Michael thought, his heart twisting in his chest.


    ''I''ll order her to get some sleep later. I wonder if it works like that...''


    "Me, Amoria, and Misa will handle things while you''re gone," Marcy continued firmly.


    "M-Mom, there''s no need for that! We can manage—"


    "I said. Take. An extra. Hour," she interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argument.


    "... Soon, we''ll have to do all this work by ourselves anyway. This gets us into rhythm, right, Misa?" Marcy added, casting a glance at the guild''s maid.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Correct," she nodded cheerfully. "You have the academy the day after tomorrow. Taking it easy isn''t a bad thing to do, especially for you lot."


    Soon enough, Lizzy, Michael, and Anne left the guild, walking together.


    Lizzy glanced at Anne and Michael as they walked together, their steps oddly synchronized despite the tension she used to sense between them. She couldn''t help but wonder.


    ''I was curious about them getting along out of the blue. I wonder how that happened? Anne is many things, but she''s not indecisive; she doesn''t change her opinion about someone quickly. Especially not someone she outwardly showed disdain for, like Michael. Is this… sentiment? Could it be because of how we grew up together?'' Lizzy pondered, her gaze lingering on them.


    "So," she began, breaking the silence, "which inn are we heading toward?"


    "It''s just around the corner," Michael replied, gesturing toward a nearby alleyway shrouded in shadows.


    Lizzy blinked, momentarily surprised. ''He''s even picking the place out, too? He''s really changed, huh?'' The thought stirred a flicker of almost-pride as she studied him.


    Her eyes shifted to Anne, whose face betrayed nothing but calm acceptance. ''And Anne seems okay with him now. He''s... odd, though. We''ve barely talked the past two days,'' Lizzy realized.


    ''He doesn''t seem that eager to talk to me, either. I know we''re friends and all, but... it feels different. It feels... kind of refreshing.''


    She let out a soft breath, her lips curving slightly. ''I guess anyone can change,'' she mused, feeling unexpectedly lighthearted.


    Lizzy followed without much worry, her steps light as she walked behind Michael. His hand, however, gripped the seal tightly.


    "Odd," she murmured, glancing around the narrow, dark alleyway.


    "Is there a new inn or something? I don''t remember this road leading anywhere—"


    "Anne, grab her. That''s an order," Michael said grimly, his voice cold and resolute, his back still turned to her.


    Lizzy froze. "W-what?" she stammered, her eyes snapping wide in surprise. Her stomach dropped at the tone in his voice—a tone she''d never heard from him before.


    "And keep her quiet, please."


    Without hesitation, Anne moved. Her expression unreadable, she swiftly closed the gap between them, grabbing Lizzy''s arms with precision and locking them behind her back. Before Lizzy could react, Anne clamped her palm firmly over her mouth, muffling her cries.


    "HMM!?" Lizzy let out a muffled, confused cry as she struggled in Anne''s unyielding grasp. The grip was tight—unyielding. Panic surged through her chest like wildfire.


    "I''m sorry, Lizzy. I have to do this," Michael said, his voice quieter now but no less firm. He turned to face her, though his eyes avoiding hers as he pulled out the slave brand.


    Lizzy''s heart pounded, her breaths quick and shallow.


    ''W-what?! TO DO WHAT?! What is this?! Michael, ANNE?! Why is he ordering you like that!!?'' Her mind screamed as she writhed and squirmed in Anne''s hold, but it was useless. Anne was far stronger than her, and Lizzy couldn''t break free.


    Michael stepped closer, the brand held tightly in his hand. His movements were slow, deliberate, as though trying to steady himself.


    ''WHAT IS THIS?! This is a prank, right?!'' Lizzy''s thoughts spiraled as she watched him kneel. Her face paled as her gaze locked onto the brand, recognition dawning.


    The brand. She knew it—everyone did. Its use was forbidden, punishable by death, yet its existence was no secret. Teachers and parents in the capital warned their children about it, ensuring they''d know to avoid it at all costs.


    An object of absolute control. A tool that turned anyone it touched into a slave, bound to obey the commands of the one who wielded it, without question, without resistance.


    ''No… this can''t be real. This isn''t happening!'' she thought, her struggles growing frantic as Michael knelt before her, lowering the brand toward her abdomen.


    "No… YOU''RE JOKING!!! NO!!! NO!!!" Lizzy struggled violently in Anne''s grasp, her eyes wide with alarm as panic surged through her.


    "MOM!!! MOM!!! HELP ME!!! HELP ME!!!" she screamed internally, tears streaming down her face as Michael silently lifted her shirt, exposing her lower abdomen just enough to press the brand to her skin.


    "No—"


    And then, it burned.


    "Sifuruah, Malovus, Elizabeth Veil re Michael Evenbrown," Michael murmured as the seal seared into her skin.


    "HMM…!!!" Lizzy groaned, her muffled cries trembling against Anne''s palm. Her eyes clenched shut, her body trembling under the unyielding grip that pinned her in place.


    The pain of the seal surged through her, like a spreading fire in a forest; all the way from her abdomen, where she was branded. As the brand seared her flesh, Anne gently leaned her head against Lizzy''s nape.


    ''..!!'' Lizzy''s eyes snapped open, her breath hitching as she felt it—the dampness of tears trailing down her neck.


    Anne was crying.


    ''No... No way... You... He did that to you too…?'' Lizzy''s thoughts spiraled, disbelief and horror overtaking the physical pain.


    The moment hung heavy, and then it passed. Michael pulled the brand away.


    The mark faded almost instantly, vanishing into invisibility as though it had never been there.


    Without hesitation, Michael spoke, his tone cold and precise. "You are not to scream for help. You are not to tell anyone what just happened or that you are a slave. You are not to blame me or raise suspicion in the eyes of anyone. You are to act as if this didn''t happen."


    He hesitated for only a moment before adding, "And… you are to push away everyone who tries to hit on you. You are also to push away Van Hellix." He said finally.


    ---- ELSEWHERE ------


    "Holy shit," Bernard muttered, staring at the extra mark appearing on the back of his palm.


    "That crazy limp actually did it. Elizabeth Veil and Anne are both slaves now. Color me shocked... though not that shocked," he added with a chuckle. "I knew exactly which buttons to press."


    "Bernard," one of his friends asked as they walked, "what you told him that day—about you two being the same—was that true?"


    "Dumbass, of course not. I''d kill myself if I were anything like that slug," Bernard scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain.


    "He''s just one of those easy-to-control types. I learned it from my dad: people who think they''re naive and pure are the easiest to push around. Whatever happened to his mommy and sister? That''s been my best weapon in a while."


    He smirked, his tone turning smug. "Say a few words of praise, and he''s all over you. Did you see him back then? He actually believed I was the same kid I used to be. He really thinks I''m doing this for him. Not once did it occur to him to ask why—or what I stand to gain. That''s the beauty of selfish fools like him. They make everything so... easy."


    "What if he gets caught?" one of his friends asked.


    "So what?" Bernard shrugged. "Did you not hear me? He''s practically on my side. He''ll claim he found it somewhere else. He''ll never rat me out—I''m just the guy who ''wanted to help''. I even suggested to take the seal away from him, so I''m definitely in the clear... or at least that''s what he thinks."


    A sly grin spread across Bernard''s face. "Man, I can''t wait to see his reaction when those two walk away from him and come to my side. He won''t even be able to admit what he did to anyone because of the hole he''s dug himself into. And even if he does..."


    Bernard stopped, glancing over his shoulder with a smirk. "My dad''s a duke. Who''s going to believe him? At worst, only he and that drunkard father of his will be thrown to prison, or hanged."


    Turning back, he clenched his fist, his voice low and venomous. "Next up is Mel. I will brand you," he growled.


    "And I''ll find out who that armored fucker was," he muttered, his gaze sharp as he looked ahead.


    --- Somewhere hidden from view ---


    "We found it, Mika," Rika whispered, her voice barely audible over the cavern''s echoing silence.


    "Yes," Mika replied, her tone steady, her gaze fixed below.


    The two master assassins crouched in the shadows of a deep cavern. From its depths, a blinding glow illuminated the jagged walls, revealing the silhouette of a grand, imposing castle.


    "This is where..." Rika began, her eyes narrowing.


    "... Salem Dyke''s other slaves..." Mika continued, her voice cold as steel.


    "... Are held," Rika finished, the weight of the words settling between them.


    Mika glanced at Rika, a flicker of determination passing between them.


    "Let''s..." Mika started.


    "... Free them," Rika concluded, their voices resolute as they melted back into the shadows, ready to strike.


    Deep within the castle, two guards stood at their post, their voices low but agitated.


    "Tsk... How the hell did all the slaves snap out of the brand?" one guard muttered, frustration etched in his voice.


    "I don''t know. And we haven''t heard a word from Lord Salem for days now," the other replied, casting a wary glance down the dim corridor. "You think he''s dead?"


    "Shit..." the first guard hissed back.


    Behind them, in a dimly lit cell, a mother held her daughter close, their quiet murmurs lost in the gloom.


    "Mom. Do you think Michael hates us...?" the girl whimpered, her tears soaking into her mother''s shirt.


    "Sweetie," her mother said softly, brushing back her daughter''s hair to meet her tearful gaze.


    "Your brother is strong. Trust in him, and trust in your father."


    "I... I miss them so much..." the girl cried, clutching tightly to her mother''s arms.


    "Don''t worry," her mother whispered, her voice trembling with a fragile hope.


    "We''ll go back. Someday, we will. And when we do, we''ll make up for all the lost time. We''ll be a happy family again... all of us."


    Her words hung in the quiet, both a promise and a prayer, as they clung to each other in the dark.