The Contract The Princess Signed

Chapter 02

 “ I'M OFFERING A CONTACT!”

 Out of the sanest ideas Celeste could come up with, she chose something which was the most stupid and have the lowest probability of efficiency. But this choice is far more decent than admitting to death.

 “To think you would say something so abrupt...,” she could hear the Shadow Sage chuckle. His voice hollow like a bottomless pit.

 “...while you have your eyes closed. Are you that scared?” Celeste didn't notice she has her eyes shut hard. Clearly unable for her to see the face of the monster hovering above her. “Are you accepting it?” Celeste asked with a hopeful voice. She wants to bash her head against the floor from doing something so stupid. A contract with the Shadow Sage is no different from making a deal with the devil!

 “This is an awkward position in terms of negotiations. How about going somewhere more fitting for a princess?” Yes, indeed. Celeste is tied in a wooden pillar with the demonic Shadow Mage hovering above her. Chaos as a background is also a no,no when it comes to negotiations where life is at stake. Celeste was about to ask where. But before she does so, her shackles above her head snapped like weak twigs. Gravity dropped and she's wafting in the air. Her hair stood like they're in the waters and her limbs floating. 

On the other hand, time seem to stopped. With fluttering white lashes, she could see the stirring mayhem stopped. The setting became like an insane picture. The fires, the fogs, the weeping, the dying. It's so surreal and disturbing to look at. The image before her showed a small c***k in the center. Then the cracks traveled in irregular patterns like a stream. Celeste followed it. And the whole image was filled with fine cracks. Like those of a shattering glass. And like a glass, it burst all of its shards onto Celeste. An unexpected explosion of mana.

 An illusion magic? She thought. With the sudden contact with magic, her knees weakened and dropped themselves. She felt her heart throbbed and clenched onto a fist. 

 Mana sickness.

Those who seldom or never really seen or experienced a projection of any strong or mild type magic will certainly have it. They will feel weakness, nausea, and fainting. Death might be possible depending on the magic used and the body that experienced or was inflicted upon. Celeste is most likely having mana sickness. That would be obvious with the show she seen earlier. 

She's still having difficulty calming her cough. “As expected, they gave me another weakling,” the hollow voice said. Weakling. How is she so fed up by that word. Celeste shot up and stood from her pathetic position. Her voice raised. “That's—!” Emptiness. Nothing. Another setting that was laid before Celeste. It wasn't cold or anything. Just a lifeless abyss sprawled around her. She fears if she stayed there for long, her soul will be emptied too. “Where am I?” she asked herself aloud. “You're in one of my domain, Princess. The Third Field.” The Third Field. It's a new name introduced in Celeste 's ears. “Why do you think I brought you in such place?” the Shadow Mage asked her. Of course, how would she know? “W-why?” 

“Because this infinite darkness you see will devour once I find your proposal a waste of time. You will go straight in my stomach.” The voice was threatening obviously and Celeste should take it seriously. “Speak. Or you'll be dinner.” Celeste stepped back in alert from the threat. But it's her fault. She spouted nonsense earlier and now she's in a 50-50 chance of succession and survival. Well, here goes nothing. “Don't eat me. For now. Please, turn me back to time,” she balled her fists at her sides, praying. Prayed that the tyrannical guardian of the country would consider her wish. She suddenly heard a click of a tongue.

 “Rubbish,” the Shadow Sage snapped. 

 Celeste felt cold bands of a thousand seams wrapped her legs like sashes. As she looked down to her lower limbs, her calf were embowered with thin elastic black entities from what seemed like those from tar pits. Her torso sunken midway underground. Gradually pulling her down beneath the darkness.

 “Wait—!” She tried to stretch her arms out and grab onto something or anything, just suspend herself from being devoured by the Shadow Mage as a meal. But she was restrained by another black seams by both arms. Her body is slowly melting until that her head and chest are the only ones visible. The feeling wasn't painful nor ticklish. But it was fear. Fear of what she will soon see after she's completely swallowed by darkness.

 “How dare you order something so bold?!” 

 Her pleas were six feet under screams that the mage doesn't give a damn. He doesn't give a damn in the first place! As she scrambles for words and ideas, another slip of the tongue betrayed her. ”Turn me back time and after I turned eighteen! I'll be yours!” The black seams stopped and retreated from where they come from. Celeste resurfaced. Catching her breaths and stabilizing it. “Seems I didn't listen enough. Go on,” the Shadow Sage coughed. Celeste wants to mock and shout at his rudeness and idiocy but she proceeded at her talk. “Turn me back time, maybe five years back. After that you can take me with you,” she said staggering up. “Why would you ask something like that?”

“You can't do it?” 

 “Of course I can! You brat! But what's the reason for me to do it? What's your reason?”

 Celeste thought for a moment. 

 “Impure!”

 “Trash!”

 “I despise the blood we share!” 

 “Sacrifice! Sacrifice!”

 “A sacrifice. That's all you are.”

 Celeste trembled in her stand. Not from fear. But from anger. The country wants her dead. But she won't give what they want.

 “Revenge.”

 Celeste hung her head low, lips bitten by her own teeth. Her once calm cerulean eyes are now raging waves. Ready to brew a potential storm. Her nails digging into her palm as she clenches her fist. However, the Shadow Mage finds the princess, who is distracted from anger, pleasing. He craves for her growing and menacing aura but he needs to set his desire aside. Like a dessert after dinner. 

 “Okay, fine.” 

 Celeste asked him wide-eyed. Still wary that the Shadow Mage is fooling her. “Are you...agreeing?” The Shadow Mage now finds her annoying. “I don't like saying things twice, child,” he said with a meager voice. Celeste gulped, knowing she's acting rashly at a wrong timing. 

“Well then...” Celeste heard a loud c***k of glass. She finds where it's coming from and finds it beneath her feet. White light peeks from the small fractions. Her heart fluttered from seeing light again from a short period of time in the agonizing darkness. How long was she inside the Third Field? 

 Soon the cracks of light crawled her surroundings again. The shattering glass sounds like a scream of a girl freed from captivation. Like her. After the endless field of the abyss, she was greeted by warm white light.

 Celeste shielded her eyes from the light until she noticed someone. A man was standing a distance away from her, his face not clearly visible with the blinding illumination. He's a few years younger than her father and wore an elegant cloak with embellishments and embroidered intricate of gold. Like a mage.

 “Mr. Shadow Mage?” Celeste called him. Her voice echoed. Just then, a fire was ablazed in front of her. A sudden ball of red and orange danced in the air. It was hot in the face. When the flames subsided, there were two things floating after it: a dagger with a black blade and a white paper already scribbled which she believes the contents of the contract.

“Us guardians don't use ink to conceal contracts. Blood is needed as it runs through your body and supports life. Therefore, you will be giving a part of your life as...your signature for the pact,” the Shadow Mage's voice wasn't menacing and taunting now. But now it's lighter and... human. Celeste couldn't help it but giggle. She have seen—maybe heard should be the word— a good and less fearsome counterpart of the diabolical demon-like.

 “What's so funny? Are you even listening?” 

 “Uh...yes! Yes, I do.”

 “I will be needing your blood. Hurry—” Celeste didn't think twice. They don't have time to. She snatched the dagger and run the blade by her forearm and three inches above her wrist. There was no pain at first but there was when the blade left her skin, leaving a deep cut. Drops of crimson liquid splattered in the page.

 That should be enough, she thought. 

 The Shadow Mage laughed at her bravery, 

“You're desperation amused me, princess. Well...I'll see you then,” the Shadow Mage grinned.

Celeste, then, heard various voices along with loud ticking of a thousand clocks. Crashing hourglasses. Foreign noises that seem to sound like beep. The noises filled her ears and tormented her head. She dropped in the floor, ears covered by her hands. She hurled herself along with another mana sickness. 

Everything is overdriving.

 “AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

 “Your Highness! Wake up!”

 Celeste gasped sharply. Like she resurfaced from the deep part of the waters. Like a dream. The mana sickness is still not subsiding. But with fainted vision, she checks her surroundings. She's in her old room. In one of the buildings of the royal palace. Which seems to be more of an unbelievable dream.

 It worked. She's back.