Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Submit or die. Chapter 50 – Submit or die Leona froze. Her thoughts went blank for a moment—but only a moment. She wasn’t ordinary. Her instincts kicked in immediately, her lips parting— "Beibei, come—" "Shhh." The sound was soft, almost tender. But the effect was instant. Leona’s body locked in place. Ice surged over her mouth, silencing her completely before she could even finish the summoning. Noah stepped forward, eyes calm and disarming. "Nice work, Ester. Your shadow binding’s getting better." From Leona’s shadow, a wisp of darkness detached—amorphous, fluid—and slithered back toward Noah, curling at his feet before merging with his own shadow, which until that moment had been... absent. Leona’s eyes widened. How didn’t I notice that? But it wasn’t just her. No one paid attention to the fact that sometimes, under direct sunlight, Noah cast no shadow at all. Noah raised his hand. A pulse of shimmering magic flickered through the air—a high-grade sound barrier, S-rank. A gift from his mother. ’I miss her already,’ he thought, just for a heartbeat, before returning to the matter at hand. He turned to Leona with a faint smile and removed the ice from her mouth. Her body remained immobile. "Now, even if you scream... no one will hear you." Leona stayed quiet. She understood—screaming was useless. Her glare, though, could have cut steel. "How?" she finally asked. "How did you learn who I am?" It made no sense. Her identity was buried deep. Her talent—SSS-ranked—was rare enough to cloak her presence like a shield. She was a ghost. Untraceable. Noah shrugged. "I have my ways." Then he leaned in slightly. "But that shouldn’t be your concern right now." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "Do you know what happens when a demon is discovered in the academy?" Leona’s jaw clenched. Of course she knew. They weren’t expelled. They weren’t imprisoned. They were tortured. Flayed, broken, and left to die. Mercy didn’t exist for demons. Only pain. But she’d believed in her power. Believed she was untouchable. And now... Her lips tightened into a pale, tense line. "What do you want?" she asked coldly. There was no other reason for this kind of move unless he needed something. Noah’s response was matter-of-fact. "You, of course." Leona blinked. "What?" "You’re close to Elijah. I need someone in his circle. And, as fate would have it, I discovered your secret. How convenient." "You want to use me? Against Elijah?" Her voice spiked, incredulous. Did he think she was some kind of tool? Noah’s smile vanished. His presence shifted, the air dropping several degrees in an instant. His eyes turned cold. Dead. "Do you think you have a choice, Leona Tenebris?" Ice bloomed around the room, spreading like veins across the walls and floor. Leona’s body tensed. Her eyes widened. "Or did you mistake my smile for weakness?" He moved—slow, deliberate—until he was mere inches from her face. "You will accept... or you will die. Right here. Right now. And don’t bother mentioning the consequences of killing a student." A freezing aura poured from his skin. "I don’t give a damn," he whispered. "And even if I did—no one would ever know." Then he touched her forehead with two fingers. "Ice of Blood." A chilling scream tore from her throat. Her body convulsed. Her blood—her very essence—began to freeze. She could feel it. Every vein, every artery, turning to frost. Noah watched with indifference, as if her agony were a passing breeze. "One minute," he said softly. "That’s all you get. Choose wisely." He sat down calmly, as if this were a casual conversation over tea. But the frost still lingered in the air, oppressive and suffocating, like the ocean bearing down on a drowning soul. Leona’s thoughts spun. Her power? Useless. Her beasts? If she summoned them, they’d die before they could blink. She had no way out. Am I going to die? The thought echoed like thunder through her skull. Then—clarity. No, she wouldn’t die. She couldn’t. Not like this. "I—I accept!" Instantly, the ice vanished. Her body thudded to the ground, gasping for breath. "Hah... hah..." Her breaths were ragged, uneven. She looked up to see Noah smiling again. "See?" he said lightly. "That wasn’t so hard, was it?" ’Fucking lunatic,’ she cursed silently. ’A beautiful, smiling monster.’ He reached into his coat and handed her a scroll. "Now, let’s make it official. Sign." It was a soul contract. SSS-rank. Her eyes trembled. ’Where the hell did he get this?’ She read the terms—and her hands began to shake. Not from the cold. From fury. From fear. "A... slave contract?" she whispered. Noah said nothing. His silence was more chilling than any answer. Leona gritted her teeth. Then she signed. A burning sensation tore through her soul. She felt it—something latching on, anchoring her spirit to his command. "I can’t... disobey," she whispered. "Good." Noah leaned back. "Now, show me your real face." Leona hesitated. But the contract bound her. She couldn’t resist. The transformation was silent, but unmistakable. Her brown skin faded to pale ivory. Her tribal markings vanished. Her brown hair turned a shining silver. Red eyes gleamed beneath long lashes. Tall, statuesque. Silver horns curled from her head. She was stunning. Ethereal. Terrifying. Noah raised an eyebrow. "No wonder you hid this. Elijah would’ve lost his damn mind." Leona looked away, disgusted. He smiled. He didn’t care. "I have a task for you." "What?" she asked hollowly. "Stay close to Elijah. Make sure Elizabeth can’t get near him. Not even once. For one full week, no fuck that makes it one month." "Do whatever it takes." He paused. "We’ll talk more later... about why you’re even near Elijah in the first place. I have other things to do." And just like that, Noah vanished into the shadows. Leona stood in silence. Frozen. Processing. In less than an hour, her world had collapsed. She wasn’t just compromised. She was enslaved. To Noah Weaverheart. She shivered. Not from the cold. "What kind of monster did you make your enemy, Elijah?" she whispered. She almost pitied him now. Because Noah... Noah didn’t play fair. Just as she tried to gather her thoughts, a crow tapped against her window. She opened it, and it flew inside. It opened its beak and spoke: "Get close to Noah Weaverheart. Bring him to the demon continent." The crow dissolved into black smoke. Leona stared at the spot where it vanished. A message from her true master. She let out a hollow laugh. Because now? She was the slave of the very man she was sent to ensnare. "Fate is your lover, huh?" she muttered. "I’m starting to believe it." ... Elsewhere – Patricia’s Room She read the note silently. Just one line: If you want vengeance—if you want to make him suffer—submit to me. In another room, Aiden read the same words. Both messages were signed by the same name. Noah. —End of Chapter 50— A/N: Guys, it’s the perfect time to tell me your thoughts about the story progression. I am open to all, as long as you say it respectfully. Thank you for reading and for your support.