"Sleep anywhere you want," Eden muttered as he dragged himself to the bathroom, where he ended up showering for almost an hour.
The summoning chain had vanished, but the bond hadn't. Eden could feel it. It was like the demon was right there in the shower with him. That was how strong the connection was.
"Bloody hell!" He hated the fact that he'd summoned a demon.
How? How?!
He spent most of his time in the shower hitting his forehead against the wall, muttering curses under his breath.
When he finally stepped out, dressed in a white robe, hair damp and sticking to his forehead, he froze.
"Wha..." The word barely left his lips.
Yes, he'd told the demon to sleep anywhere, but there was a large couch in the room. Hell, the room was huge like every elite clan mage's chamber, complete with a personal library and enough space to host a council meeting.
But the demon had chosen his bed.
Eden frowned and silently moved to dress up. He tugged on a loose white shirt and a pair of pale baggy slacks, then sat on the couch across the room, eyeing the demon sprawled on his bed like he owned it.
He wanted to sleep. He needed sleep. But now, the weight of reality, of having a full-grown demon familiar was slowly sinking in.
Eden was only twenty-two. The demon looked like he could be in his late twenties or early thirties, but Eden knew better. His true age had to be far beyond that.
"How long are you going to keep staring?" The demon's voice cut through the silence, deep and smoky. Eden's heart skipped a beat.
"Until you tell me who you are," he replied.
Golden eyes met haunting violet ones as the demon opened his eyes.
"Why should I?"
"Because," Eden said, his voice calm but hard, "whether you like it or not, I'm your master."
The demon let out a hiss of frustration, then finally muttered lazily, "Sylas."
Eden nodded. "I'm Eden. Eden Wynne."
"I didn't ask," Sylas scoffed, turning away, which made Eden frown.
He rose from the couch and marched to the bed. "Get out of my bed."
Sylas said nothing. He didn't even move. Eden gritted his teeth and jumped onto the bed, tugging at Sylas' cloak.
"I am your master! Obey me!"
In an instant, Sylas seized Eden's arm and flung him across the room like he weighed nothing.
Eden's back slammed into the wall with a sickening thud. He dropped to his knees, coughing hard, blood staining his lips.
"Wha…" he wheezed, pressing a trembling hand to his chest, his breath coming in sharp, painful bursts.
"Stupid mage," Sylas groaned, rising to his feet, his cloak shifting around him like it had a life of its own.
He walked toward Eden, looking down at him with wrathful fire blazing in his golden eyes. "Do you think that just because you summoned me, and sealed the bond, I'll obey your every word? You have to earn my obedience, child."
Eden coughed up another mouthful of blood. His back throbbed, and it felt like his lungs were drowning. He looked up at the majestic demon towering over him, his violet eyes glassy with pain but he didn't let the tears fall.
"That sounds like too much work," he rasped.
Sylas chuckled. This mage surprised him. He was clearly in pain, but still had the nerve to talk back.
Lowering himself, Sylas grabbed Eden's chin roughly, claws digging into his pale skin.
The mage was beautiful. Fragile. Easy to break. And Sylas wanted to break him for ripping him from his realm. But the bond wouldn't let him kill his master.
He wiped the blood from Eden's lips, watching as something flickered in those violet eyes, something mischievous.
"You don't want to earn my obedience?" Sylas asked.
"The Arcane Council will find a way to break the bond, and I'll have to retake the exam anyway, so there's no need," Eden hissed and slapped Sylas' hand away.
Sylas' eyes widened at his words, then he let out a low, cold laugh. "It's not possible to break a sealed bond, child. Especially not one with a demon."
Eden sat on the floor, pulling his knees to his chest and wiping the blood from his lips. "I don't want you. I want a normal familiar."
Sylas raised a brow, confused by the boy's thinking.
Eden was clearly a weak mage. He was from an elite family, yes but weak nonetheless. He carried himself with quiet elegance, and used that to protect himself.
Now, he had a royal-class familiar, a demon, something almost no mere mage could claim. It should've made him proud. Instead, he kept rambling about owls and snakes. Sylas found it pathetic.
"You don't want to prove anything to the ones who think you're weak?" Sylas asked.
Eden only shrugged, digging his nails into his wrist. "Will you help me?"
Sylas tilted his head, noticing the old scars on Eden's wrists, some fresh, some faded. The mage was still scratching at them.
"I—"
"Then obey me," Eden cut him off, slamming the back of his head against the wall with a dull thud, showing no reaction.
Sylas' eyes widened slightly. What is wrong with this mage?
"My family is large, full of self-absorbed, power-hungry mongrels who kill off the weak," Eden said quietly. "And for twenty-two years, I've been stuck, tortured, scared of death."
He rose with a grunt, rubbing the back of his aching head. "Now I've accidentally summoned a powerful demon,"
His eyes suddenly turned wild and dark. "Do you really think I won't use that to my advantage? I don't believe in luck, or fate but right now? I finally have something."
He faced Sylas fully, violet eyes locked with gold. "So, Sylas… will you help me?"
Sylas immediately understood how Eden worked. He acted like he didn't care, like he didn't need him, but then revealed exactly why he wanted him.
Eden didn't just want to earn Sylas' obedience. He wanted to command it.
That made him dangerous.
Maybe… maybe he'd be worth it.
"No," Sylas said without hesitation. He turned away, walked back to the bed, and dropped onto it, eyes closing as if the conversation never happened.
Eden stood there, frozen at first in shock. He hadn't expected a no. It was disappointing. Then a baleful smile curled his lips as he shrugged.
"Well, that was worth a try."