The creature's hand closed tight around my throat, cutting off air completely. I felt utterly helpless. I hadn't felt this way even fighting the Revenant. And it wasn't just the physical grip — the air itself seemed to clamp down on my arms and legs like a vise, pinning me in place.

  "Let me get a look at that eye," the thing said — so convincingly human — and its free hand caught the edge of my left eye's bandage. "How curio-o-ous..."

  A moment later I felt something invisible enter my body: ghostly spiritual tendrils probing my energy system. I fought back with everything I had. It wasn't enough.

  "Very curious indeed. And I'm not sure what surprises me more — that you fooled the truth bracers, or your focus. I've only seen something like this in—" But he didn't finish the thought. Just shook his head and laughed.

  "Don't touch the boy. He might still be useful." A second voice. I shifted my eyes and spotted another man sitting on the roof of the town hall. Also dressed as a senior inspector, but slightly older than the one holding me.

  "Wasn't planning to," said the one who'd judged the duel. The grip suddenly released, and I dropped onto my backside.

  I used the freedom instantly — launched myself backward while calling Zirgul to me.

  First Stance of the Bone Executioner: Blue Demon's Thorns.

  In that same moment, the second man — previously on the roof — appeared beside Hafir Dorman, the name the first inspector had given.

  "Ooh, scary," the first one laughed. "Never seen a technique like that before. I'm more and more curious about you, boy. We thought you were just another mistake to clean up. What a surprise you turned out to be."

  I still didn't understand what they were, but one thing was certain — they were involved in the scheme to create the Sphere of Eternity. Some kind of "handlers," maybe, acting on behalf of the Lord of Justice. Making sure nobody asked the wrong questions.

  "How did you find out about the lists?" the second one asked.

  "I guessed," I shrugged. Best to dramatically underplay what I actually knew. One of them had said I was useful, which meant I still had a chance to walk away alive. "Like I told Mr. Dinrim — the Lords aren't omnipotent or omniscient. We worship them like gods, but even their power has limits. I doubt any of them actually monitors the crimes of people living on the outer rings. I imagine they have their own problems. So someone else does the watching. And the most logical conclusion was that local authorities compile the lists. Magistrates and village elders."

  "You're really seven?" The smile left the first one's face, replaced by a frown. I wasn't in a hurry to answer.

  "You have two paths, boy," the second interrupted my thoughts. "First — you die. This information is forbidden. Anyone who knows it must die. The people around you died because you spoke it aloud."

  "And the second?"

  "We pretend none of this happened."

  "What?"

  "Your name shouldn't have been on those lists. But mistakes like that aren't rare, and cases where someone manages to evade the gatekeeper demon happen all the time. Though they usually don't stay free for long — the demon hunts its target until it drags them to hell. But you're the first to actually kill one. The first whose name has been called three years running. And the rumors have spread far beyond Daiward. That's why we're here — to solve this problem. So here's our second offer: you forget what happened here."

  "Just like that. Forget," I said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm.

  "Exactly. Forget, and go on living. Train. Get stronger. And when you've accumulated enough power, we'll come for you. A person who can fuse two opposing energies this harmoniously... Warriors like that are exceedingly rare. It would be foolish to waste one."

  Was what I'd done really that remarkable?

  In my previous life, I'd been able to use both types of energy too — but not at this level of integration. Demonic and spiral energy in my old body had been separate, barely interacting. Now everything was different. They touched, influenced each other, existed in opposition — but I didn't feel it as dangerous. They were in equilibrium. Neither force could overcome the other.

  "You're... offering me a job?"

  "Not offering," the first one laughed. "We're telling you how it's going to be. And if your strength doesn't satisfy us, we'll kill you. So do try your best."

  "One more condition," the second added. "You leave this town. Tomorrow at dawn, a caravan with our people departs. You'll be on it."

  "Where's it going?"

  "To the provincial capital. From there, you decide where to go — but the farther from here, the better. Another province entirely would be ideal, though not required. You've left too many traces in this town. Best to go where nobody knows you."

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "I'll do that," I told them. I'd been planning to leave Daiward soon anyway. My family and I would head for Tenris, where the Order of the Infinite Blade was based — where Mia was supposed to be. I hoped she was okay. It had been far too long since her last letter.

  "Then go. Pack your things and prepare to leave. We'll... clean up here. And remember — our agreement holds only as long as you keep silent. Secrets must stay secrets."

  "Bastards." I was experiencing a strange cocktail of fury, excitement, and dark amusement.

  I'd encountered something unknown and strange. The Lords' servants possessed terrifying and incredible power. But Ramuil had been stronger and more terrifying, and I'd managed to kill him. Which meant I could kill them too.

  They thought they could use me as a pawn? Turn me into another one of the Lords' servants, maybe? If so, they were in for a deep disappointment. I had no intention of playing along.

  Next time we met, I'd kill them.

  But for that, I needed to become stronger. Far stronger. I needed to break past the limitations of the outer rings. The only question was how.

  I shook my head and shelved the thought. They wouldn't come for me tomorrow, or even next year. Probably five or six years out, maybe more. Ascension speed and abilities are typically set during this period. The faster you accumulate power, the easier your path ahead. For example, if a practitioner barely scrapes together enough for the second stage by twenty, they're unlikely to pass the fourth even after decades. But if you hit second stage at fifteen or sixteen, you're considered talented — and reaching the master level of the tenth step becomes a real possibility.

  I'd planned to reach the second stage and open my first nodes at ten or eleven. But now I was fully convinced I couldn't afford to coast anymore. Nodes needed opening now, alongside maximum physical conditioning.

  Somewhere around that thought, I found myself at the prison cells. Surprisingly, there wasn't a single guard. I walked straight to the cells and stopped at the last one, where Mom sat with baby Rendal.

  She immediately bombarded me with questions I couldn't answer yet. So I silently found the key, let her out, and said only that we needed to find Dad. The guards turned up elsewhere — they'd cordoned off the area around the recent fight and weren't letting anyone into the gardens behind the town hall.

  Nobody stopped Mom and me. We just walked past and headed for the healer's house, where Dad should be. The door was opened by a man I'd never seen before.

  "The Cranes, I presume?"

  "And you are?"

  "Yorick Vaffey," he introduced himself. "I work for Senior Inspector Dorman."

  At the mention of that creature, my fists clenched involuntarily. Zirgul vibrated in its scabbard, echoing the emotion.

  "Your local healer, Mr. Karim, lacks the qualifications for a case this severe. So I've taken over."

  "And you have them?"

  "I'm one of the best healers in the province," he said proudly. "Please don't worry. Mr. Crane will be fine."

  I had my doubts, but the new healer kept insisting otherwise.

  "I can even save his leg, though Healer Karim was preparing to amputate — he considered the damage too extensive."

  "Will he... be able to walk?" Mom asked, her voice trembling.

  "Absolutely. If he were a warrior, the prognosis would be grim — meridian restoration would be necessary. But he's a common man, so that's not a concern. He'll walk. Possibly even run. It won't be without consequences — he'll likely have a limp — but that's better than losing the leg entirely."

  Mom burst into tears and nearly collapsed to her knees. I was furious at myself, at my own weakness. I'd wanted to enjoy some peaceful days, to live the life I'd been robbed of. If I'd tried to create a new focus sooner, I could have protected Dad from the butcher's attack. I'd have had nodes open and access to basic combat techniques by now.

  "Can we see him?"

  "Of course," the healer nodded. "But he's sleeping and will be for many hours yet."

  They led us to a room on the second floor, where Dad lay in bed. His left leg was bandaged and locked in a metal splint to fix the bones. While the healer explained to Mom about necessary medicines, I walked over to Dad and sat on the bed beside him.

  "I'm sorry. This is my fault. But I'll make it right. I promise."

  Remarkably, Mom didn't ask questions about why we had to leave or what had happened. Maybe she was just in shock when Senior Inspector Dorman appeared at our door and announced we were being evicted — escorted to the capital in the morning. The creature posing as a man didn't give reasons. Just stated the fact: we had to go.

  Packing was quick, but at one point I had to slip away to my lair and collect my trophies. I couldn't abandon the soul stones or the gatekeeper's soul. The gatekeeper stone was especially valuable — I already had ideas for how to use it.

  Getting to the lair was much easier now. Same as when I'd rushed back earlier — Zirgul as transport.

  We had less stuff than I'd expected. A couple of bags with essentials, and that was it. The creature had given my parents money too — enough to get by for a while.

  And then it was nearly time. Dad had been loaded into the wagon. Mom stood with Rendal in her arms, making sure everything was accounted for. And Chloe walked up to me.

  "So you're leaving."

  "Yeah. Sooner than we planned. I'm sorry."

  "I'm going to miss your old-man grumbling," she said with a sad smile, barely holding back tears.

  "And I'll miss your whining and your annoying questions."

  She couldn't help it — she laughed. Good. I wanted our last meeting to have laughter, not tears.

  "Will you ever come back?"

  "Probably not. But my offer still stands. You can come with us. Just grab your brother and—"

  She shook her head.

  "I can't."

  "But your father—"

  "I'll manage. The way you push through your hardships, I'll push through mine. It's my path. And yours..." She glanced at the wagon behind me. "You gave me the push, teacher. You showed me what I could become someday. And I believe that when we meet again, you'll be proud of me."

  She closed her eyes and took several breaths using the breathing technique I'd taught her. When she opened them, I froze with my mouth hanging open. Her eyes... They'd changed from dark brown to pale gray. That could only mean one thing: Chloe had broken through. I'd known she was close to the first stage, and right here, right in front of me, she'd done it.

  "Nate, it's time!" Mom's voice called from behind. But I was still staring at the girl.

  "Something wrong?" Chloe frowned, not even realizing what had just happened.

  "No. Everything's right," I said with a warm smile. "I'm already proud, Chloe."

  The sudden praise turned her face beet red.

  "Nate!"

  "Coming!"

  "Well then... goodbye, teacher." Funny — she'd never called me that before, and now she'd said it twice in one farewell.

  "Goodbye, Chloe. I'll be waiting for you there." I pointed toward the mountain ranges that led to the inner ring.

  "I'll try not to keep you waiting." She kissed me on the cheek one last time, then ran off smiling — probably so I wouldn't see the tears.

  I'd thought I'd leave Daiward heavy-hearted, leaving Chloe behind. But those light eyes... Somehow, looking into them, I knew she'd be all right. If she followed my lessons, she'd become a strong warrior someday. Which meant I could keep moving forward without looking back.

  She had her path. And I had mine.