It didn't take Lucas long to reach the entrance of the library. The aperture was rather large, being three meters wide and five meters tall. It had no door, and students could move to and fro freely.

Looking within, the library was quite large. There were various bookshelves containing Beastkin books. At the far end of the library, a counter could be found with a blonde, blue-eyed Prismari woman stationed there.

A few students could be found in the library, mostly just curious Prismari and some Beastkin. Watching on as a few Prismari students panicked over their glassy-eyed friend, Lucas shook his head with a small smile as he folded his arms. He stood with his back to the wall and waited for the women.

Roughly a minute later, Lucas felt the soft mental nudge from Sasha. He turned to his right and caught the bubbly Beastkin waving at him, Evélyne confidently walking at her side. The contrast between their statures turned heads.

They met Lucas at the door, but oddly, Sasha didn't say anything. She took the initiative to stand behind her mistress and let her speak to Lucas. Lucas's expression was somewhat flat as he looked up at the tall beauty. Even with the lighting enhancing her perfect features, it didn't take away from the slight worry on her brows.

"What happened, Lucas?"

Evélyne started, her voice soft.

Lucas unfolded his arms with a small sigh, his posture becoming a little more relaxed. "As I said over the mind-link, I blew up my neighbor's room and my own by accident. A disciplinary administrator showed up and punished me with a strike and a week's suspension."

He then paused and looked deeper into Evélyne's eyes. As always, she was unreadable. Her expression had flattened as she listened to her friend. Unbothered by this, Lucas continued. "My recklessness almost cost me big time. I could have gotten expelled if I was unlucky."

"I'm glad you're okay," Evélyne simply said. Lucas caught her pulling back a hand she had started to raise. He raised a scaly brow at this but said nothing.

A few moments of silence passed before Sasha chimed in, her large golden eyes filled with curiosity. "What does it mean to get expelled, Sir Lucas?"

Lucas turned his attention to her and responded, "It means I will be banished from the academy and won't be able to attend anymore."

"Oh... then Mistress and I will just go back home with you, right, Mistress?"

Evélyne nodded without hesitation. For some reason, their nonchalance made him frown a bit. He quickly fixed his expression and said, "Can we get into the library now?"

Sasha turned to her mistress. Evélyne stayed silent for a bit before saying, "Lucas… I have a favor to ask of you."

"Yeah?"

"I know I make you uncomfortable, and I know I'm not the best at expressing how I feel, but… can you give me a chance at being your friend?"

Sasha became wide-eyed. 'Mistress, what are you doing? Can't you see he's super unstable right now?!'

Lucas looked at her like she'd been dropped from a skyscraper as a child. After freezing for a moment, a big smile appeared on his face as he simply said, "No. I don't want to be your friend, Evélyne. But you can always force me to."

Lucas's aura changed subtly here, his muscular tail whipping behind him in slow, deliberate swings. The passing students noticed this shift in the air as a cold sweat broke out on their backs. Evélyne silently clenched her fist, her expression still neutral as she recalled her mother's conditions.

1) He must lose all his animosity towards you and our household.

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2) He must genuinely want the best for you.

3) You can't tell him these conditions are necessary for his freedom.

If he can fulfill all these, I see no reason to keep him shackled, my Veliris…

Evélyne slowly let go of her clenched fist as she thought, 'I can't force him to be my friend. That's the reason he despises me. I just… need to let him be free.'

With this comprehension, Evélyne exhaled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I won't pressure you on this matter anymore."

Evélyne closed off the statement with a 90-degree bow to Lucas, much to his and Sasha's surprise. Sasha beamed a bright smile while Lucas watched on, his gaze apathetic.

'Why did she take a step back? What does she want from me?' Lucas's muscles subtly writhed as he tensed up, his mind racing with paranoia. Before his Life energy could enter the picture, though, Sasha's mental energy accidentally made contact with him. Her tail wagged behind her as she looked at her mistress in pride and joy.

Lucas let out a slow breath as he relaxed once more. Closing his eyes, he quickly readjusted his state of mind. 'Calm down. What happened was an accident and it's not Evélyne's fault. There's no reason to spiral because of one mistake. One step at a time.'

He opened his eyes once more and regarded the now upright Evélyne. An awkward smile appeared on his lips as he said, "Nah, I'm sorry, Princess. I should be the one apologizing for transferring my aggression like that."

Looking down at the smiling Lucas, Evélyne's stoic expression melted a bit. "It's fine, Lucas. You don't have to paint on a smile to satisfy me. I'm sorry I make you so uncomfortable."

Lucas's expression froze. His awkward smile faded, and his face became neutral once more. "As you wish, Princess."

Evélyne smiled faintly. "Thank you."

Sasha watched on quietly, her smile not faltering at all. 'Sir Lucas is finally acting like his real self.'

"So, can we go into the library now?" Lucas asked, his heavy voice carrying more than just its usual hollow, laid-back air.

Evélyne nodded. "Of course."

The trio then calmly walked into the library. The few students watching on had just one question floating across their minds: What just happened?

The trio took their seats quietly. Sasha sat on Evélyne's lap and got lost in her book. Evélyne just sat with the Beastkin, seeming lost in her own thoughts. Lucas didn't pay much attention to the two women as he picked out a book and sat down.

'Okay… Let's see if the academy has more on [Pacts] than the manor did. If this tense relationship with the Lifebloods keeps up, I don't know what will break first. Me or them…'

His gaze hardened as he opened the book. 'And I don't want to find out.'

The moment Lucas cracked open the book, the world around him vanished. One blink, and he was no longer in the library.

He stood atop a familiar hill, gazing down at the beautiful environment below. The multicolored plants and sunlight pleased his senses as they always did. It was his favorite view in the manor. A breeze warm, caressed his face, carrying faint scents of flora that soothed his mind.

Lucas loosened up, his mental burdens easing up ever so slightly. Exhaling, he took a seat on the soft grass for a few moments before asking,

"What is a [Pact]?"

At his question, shimmering text appeared midair, crisp and pale like frost on glass:

{Definition: A Pact is an agreement between two or more parties, bound and enforced by the System. It ensures stability, mutual gain, and consequences upon violation.}

Lucas's tail flicked once. He placed his arms on his lap in thought. 'It's the same as back at the manor.' With a small frown, he asked,

"How can [Pacts] be dissolved?"

More text materialized into view:

{Methods of Dissolution:

1) Peaceful Dissolution:

• Requirements of the Pact are completed.

• All parties mutually agree to termination. (If applicable)

• A party willingly severs the Pact at personal cost (if applicable).

2) Violation:

• Severe breaches of the Pact's conditions result in automatic termination. The violating party suffers penalties as predefined during the [Pact]'s forging.

3) Death:

• The death of any party renders the [Pact] null and void. Consequences may still trigger, depending on terms set.}

Lucas exhaled slowly, the manor gardens rippling slightly as if the memory itself reacted to his breath. He stared at the vibrant fields below, hands tightening into fists.

'Peaceful dissolution… or violation… or death… It's all the same. Is there really no other way out of this, Wiki?'

Wiki stayed silent, opting not to give any response. Lucas expected this but couldn't help but be disappointed.

'It seems the only way is the peaceful method, but that leads me to the same issue once more.'

Lucas was stuck. He hated this feeling, being bogged down so much he felt like it was actively scraping away at his psyche. To make it worse, he felt the [Pact] squeeze his core just a bit more every day.

"There has to be a way," he eventually whispered to himself. "One step at a time."

The moment the words left his mouth, the manor and gardens disintegrated into mist. Lucas felt a tug on his consciousness, and then he was back in the library.

Gaze focusing, Lucas noticed the book still open in front of him. Only seconds seemed to have passed. Evélyne and Sasha remained nearby, Sasha now dozing lightly against her mistress, who still stared absently at the shelves across from them.

Lucas's fingers tapped a slow rhythm against the book's cover. He reached out and closed the book with a soft thud, his reptilian eyes unfocused and doubtful as he reminded himself, 'One step at a time.'

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