Fear and Freedom
The illusion magic I used was an intermediate one.
Its name was Phantom Reverie.
Phantom Reverie was not a simple illusion that created fake images.
It directly interfered with the target's perception.
Vision, hearing, smell, touch, and even taste could be altered freely by the caster.
More importantly, it could distort the sixth sense as well.
Intuition.
The vague feeling people relied on when something felt wrong.
Under Phantom Reverie, the world looked real.
Sounded and felt real.
Only the truth was replaced.
When Rin arrived in front of the door, I was standing about five meters away from her.
Through the illusion, I altered her vision so everything appeared normal.
Nothing strange or out of place.
I also adjusted her hearing and sense of smell, suppressing any trace of my presence.
Then I altered her sixth sense.
I made her feel that someone was inside the room.
Completely erasing my presence was impossible with only intermediate illusion magic.
So instead of hiding it, I redirected it.
I shifted that sense of danger away from me and placed it inside the room itself.
She reacted immediately.
The moment she opened the door, something shot out from her wrist.
'Hidden needles.'
A chill ran down my spine.
Under normal circumstances, those needles would have been aimed straight at me.
I moved to her side quickly, avoiding their trajectory, and began observing her movements closely.
She drew her dagger and started searching the room carefully.
Every step, breath and shift of her weight.
I changed her vision again, replacing the artifacts in the corners with ordinary objects. Like—
A chair or a small table.
Harmless, mundane things that did not trigger suspicion.
She searched thoroughly.
After some time, convinced that nothing was wrong, she finally let her guard down.
That was when I activated the artifacts.
Thin threads shot out and wrapped around her body instantly.
They tightened and entangled her completely.
But because she was under illusion magic, she did not hear, see or feel them.
Only when I was certain that the threads had fully restrained her did I speak.
I lowered my voice and made it heavy.
I called her code name.
The moment she heard it, her body jolted.
She tried to move.
Tried to twist free.
But the threads held her in place.
Even restrained, Rin could still attack me.
I knew that.
So I altered the illusion again.
I made her feel as if I was actively manipulating the threads with magic.
I made it clear, without words, that any sudden movement would mean death.
As a veteran assassin, she did not dismiss that possibility.
She took my bluff seriously.
Under normal circumstances, she might have tested it.
But under illusion magic, fear worked far more effectively.
Then I used another lesser-grade artifact.
An artifact that amplified emotions.
Precisely Fear, Anxiety and Doubt.
All multiplied to three times their normal intensity.
Only then did I begin talking.
I spoke about her childhood.
About Ashwyn Village.
About Zero.
About her missions.
About Alpha.
And finally, about her task to assassinate Valoria.
I carefully created an atmosphere where it was obvious that I was not normal.
That I was twisted, dangerous and unpredictable.
I also intentionally revealed my real face to her.
Even if I tried to hide it, she would find out eventually.
That was one of her talents. And hiding it would only be an inconvenience.
Besides, there were things I would do in the future that would make hiding my identity impossible anyway.
Sometimes I paused or smiled.
All the while, I observed her reactions carefully.
At first, she was simply stunned.
Then that shock turned into fear.
When I finally saw genuine fear in her eyes, I knew it was time.
I leaned in until our faces were only inches apart.
Smiling softly, I spoke her greatest secret.
The change of heart she experienced after staying with Valoria.
The moment she heard it, her expression crumbled completely.
A dread she had never felt before washed over her.
She misunderstood me as someone from Zero.
I reassured her that I was not.
She tilted her head in confusion.
That was when I delivered the final blow.
I threatened her directly.
If her answer to my question was not satisfactory, I would tell everything.
To Zero.
Or to her best friend, Valoria.
The dread returned instantly.
But she forced herself to calm down and asked what I wanted.
That was when I said something so cringy that even I felt embarrassed in my own mind.
"I need your help to rule this world."
She froze.
For a moment, she could not even process what I meant.
After she finally understood, I smiled again.
Then, in a gentle voice, I asked her—
Whether she would help me.
***
Hearing the boy's proposal, Rin could not stop the fear rising inside her.
She did not even understand what she was feeling anymore.
Shock, dread and confusion.
All of it tangled together.
But one thing was clear.
She could not simply say yes.
What Rin hated the most was being controlled by someone else.
Her entire life had been nothing but that.
Controlled by monsters.
Controlled by Zero.
Controlled by missions and orders she never chose.
She did not even know why she existed in the first place.
Then she met Valoria.
A person who gave her colors she never knew she was missing.
A person who made her feel hope, even in this cruel world.
For the first time, she tasted something close to freedom.
Even though Zero still held her leash, those days were far better than her past missions soaked in blood and silence.
That was why she could not allow herself to be controlled again.
She could not give up the small freedom she finally had.
But at the same time, she did not want to be separated from Valoria.
She did not want Valoria to despise her.
And she did not want Zero to find out the truth either.
Because Rin had already made her decision long ago.
She would protect Valoria from Zero.
When the order finally came to kill her, Rin would tell her everything.
And even if Valoria hated her afterward, she would stay by her side until the end.
That was why Zero could not know her secret.
If they did, they would erase her existence and replace her with another assassin.
She absolutely could not allow that.
While she was lost in those thoughts, the boy spoke again.
"Ah, but you don't have to do that for free."
"I will give you something you have always wanted."
Rin looked at him in confusion.
Before she could ask what he meant, he continued.
"Freedom."
Her body stiffened.
"I will give you the freedom you desire the most. I will destroy Zero entirely, and you will be free from their chains."
The boy smiled again.
This time, the smile was gentle.
Then, in a low and calm voice, he asked—
"So, what do you say? Do you like the offer now?"
Hearing such an outrageous claim should have made her laugh.
Logically, she knew how ridiculous it sounded.
And yet, for some reason, she wanted to believe it.
Silence filled the room.
Seconds passed.
Then more.
Finally, Rin spoke.
"I will... I will do that."
She agreed.
The boy let out a light breath.
"Hoo... You will not regret it."
He snapped his fingers.
The threads restraining her body slowly loosened, then vanished completely.
Rin could move again.
The boy then took out a long scroll from his spatial bag and handed it to her, gesturing for her to read it.
The moment she saw it, she knew what it was.
A soul-binding contract.
A contract that engraved its terms directly onto the soul.
Once activated, neither party could violate it without severe backlash.
Breaking it meant unbearable pain, loss of power, or even death.
Such contracts were absolute.
Looking at it, Rin already assumed what would be written inside.
Obedience.
Servitude.
Orders.
Her expression became hollow.
'What does it matter anyway?'
'I am used to being used by others.'
'If there is even a small chance of freedom at the end of this, I will endure it. Like I always have.'
Her chest felt tight.
Her vision blurred.
Tears gathered in her green eyes no matter how much she tried to suppress them.
Her face turned sullen.
She took the scroll and began reading.
Then—
Her mouth fell open.
Her expression shifted into disbelief.
Contrary to everything she expected, only three rules were written on it.
• Party A cannot intentionally, directly or indirectly, attempt to kill Party B or those connected to him.
• Party A cannot question Party B's decisions unless Party B chooses to explain them.
• Party B will not reveal any of Party A's secrets unless Party A gives permission.
That was all.
There was nothing about obedience, commands, restricting her actions or choices.
Rin stared back and forth between the scroll and the boy.
Seeing her reaction, he shrugged slightly.
"What? I cannot add destroying Zero into a contract."
"I cannot do anything if you choose not to believe me."
As he spoke, the boy pulled out a dagger and cut his index finger.
"If you agree, drop your blood."
Still confused, Rin cut her finger with her knife and let her blood drip onto the scroll.
The boy did the same.
The scroll began to glow.
It floated into the air as symbols emerged from it, dissolving into light before entering both of their bodies.
Then the scroll vanished, as if it had never existed.
The boy turned to her and smiled.
"Alright. Now that everything is settled, I should be going."
"I will tell you what to do when the time comes."
He walked toward the door.
Then stopped.
Turning back, he spoke again.
"I almost forgot."
"Sorry for what happened earlier. Do not take it to heart."
With that, he left the room.
Leaving Rin alone.
Still standing there.
Completely dumbfounded by everything that had just happened.
