"If you do well, you can learn necromancy and learn to reanimate them back to life! Wouldn't that be great—" Ru responded by screaming more as he tried rushing at the undead girl. She did this. She planned all of this. She killed them. The undead girl looked unhappy as she saw the look of madness in Ru's eyes.

"I wasn't the one who wanted to kill them. I had orders to do this. You're pointing that anger at the wrong individual." But you killed them, Ru wanted to scream. The undead girl shook her head. "Their deaths are your fault. You indirectly did this, and you know it." Ru stopped struggling. And he grew quiet.

"But did you forget? This isn't everyone." Ru looked up. "Your older sister is still alive. She was impossible to kill because she was at Lore Academy. But she'll return home soon, won't she? As soon as the news breaks out. And then she'll run back home." His blood ran cold. They weren't going to... kill her, were they?

"You can save her. As long as you sign the contract. Save the last person that you care for." Ru's eyes were blank as he stared at the contract that the undead girl conjured. He knew that this contract would be unfair and it would probably be the death of him. He gave the animated corpse a look. She removed the gag from his mouth.

"Who did this?" The undead girl smiled. "It was a fellow practitioner of death magic. You know them well actually."

"Who?"

"It's Rael Vandergarden." Ru felt his blood boiling. And he gritted his teeth. "I will kill him. I'll torture him, and have him suffer all sorts of pain and then leave him to die. I won't ever forgive him. He will pay." The undead girl waved her hand. 

"Don't be hasty. You can't kill another practitioner."

"But you offered me revenge. Were you lying?" He narrowed his eyes at her. She laughed.

"How cunning. But I wasn't lying. You can't kill Rael, yet. He's still useful to us. You have to prove your worth, show that you're better than him. And then you can kill him."

"What do I have to do?" He wanted to rush to Urel and murder the boy already. But the undead shook her head. "Don't be impatient. You are to find twenty students in Lore Academy and have them digest this." She showed him a few vials of liquids. "Once all twenty have digested it, and you'll notice the change when they do, you are allowed to kill Rael." 

"How long will this take?"

"Perhaps... Two years? A few of them have yet to start school after all. But you'll have plenty of time. As long as you sign the contract, I will do my best to help you."

"But how? You're not even a student." She grinned.

"Not yet. I have my ways, so I'll stay close to you. But that means you can't betray me either." Ru sneered.

"As long as you don't kill Lola and allow me to kill Rael, that's all I require." The undead girl nodded. "Good. Now be good and drink this potion." She removed his bindings. Ru tried to gather magic but there was nothing. The girl smirked. "You think I'd be careless enough to not have a backup plan?" Ru ignored her and stared at the vial filled with white liquid.

"What is that?"

"It's a potion to make sure you retain your loyalty." Ru sneered at her.

"For how long?"

"As long as the contract binds you." Ru looked at the contract. It stood for 6 years. He frowned at that number. But he relented. He grabbed the potion and paused. "How will it affect me?" The undead girl shrugged.

"It'll mostly make sure you won't backstab me." Ru stared at her. And he thought for a while. If he drank this, then his future was ruined. Everything he'd built up was down the drain. But... his savior was Rael Vandergarden. Who also caused all of this. So he drank the nasty concoction. Because you reap what you sow, Rael. 

He was hit with dizziness and felt his body grow weak. Moments before he passed out, he heard the undead girl speak. "—and you'll also be forever loyal to our lord and savior, —."

And then he was out like a light.

——

Lola sat in the study that used to belong to her father. Even though two years had passed since that incident, she didn't think of this study as her own. She began opening up more letters. Today was the anniversary of her family's death. She'd wanted Ru to be here and attend, but he hadn't responded to her [Message] spells. She pursued her lips. She knew that something bad must've happened to Ru. He had drastically changed since two years ago. 

She thought that they'd all died when she returned to Tenn with the fastest carriage available. She found Ru laying on the old library ground. And then she found the rest of her family... in pieces right next to him. She could still picture the horrific scene. She thought they were all dead, but Ru was still breathing. She knew he hadn't killed them, they were killed too brutally, too professionally, it had to be an assassination. 

So she tried picking up the pieces and became the new ruler of Tenn. She had help from distant relatives as she finished her last months in school. Soon, she began taking care of businesses, contracts, and deals. She didn't have a grand funeral for her family's passing, keeping it only between her and Ru. She remembered the gloomy day and holding Ru's hand tightly as they stared at caskets that were being lowered. She looked at Ru and saw an unfamiliar expression. And that expression scared her.

Ru left soon, not shedding a single tear as he went inside. Lola was left to cry on her own as her family was buried. The first few months without them were tough. She kept making mistakes, her budgeting suggestions were horrendous and the nobles kept looking down on her. But the pressure made her grow more and she became a capable ruler in only a year. She got used to the hammering headache, days of endless drinking, and going several hours without sleep. 

And it was all for Ru. She sighed as she took out an empty piece of letter. Since he wasn't responding to her spell, she might as well send a letter. 

'Dear Ru.

How are you? You've started your third year, is it stressful? I hope Quinn and Kain will be in most of your classes like last year. Don't forget to take your medicine as the doctor told you to.

I heard from Kain that you're on top of your classes. I'm so proud of you. But don't get too hard on yourself.

I miss you. I wish I could visit. Please visit me soon. If you don't, I'll have Kain and Quinn drag your butt here. Please be safe and healthy.

Love, Lola.'

She smiled as she finished the letter. Hopefully, life was going well for her young brother. She could only hope as she was stuck with so much work. She stretched and cracked her fingers. And then she continued to write.