"The Vassal of Time, huh… that eccentric girl I met in the dream realm," I muttered to myself. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was something I needed to mention to the others.
"Rose, there's something I need to say—"
She spun around, her expression serious. "Not right now, Joseph. We need to meet Miss Stillwell first. There's also the SRF meeting we have to attend."
I opened my mouth to protest, but Hadal placed a hand on my shoulder and shook his head. That gesture alone told me now wasn't the time for questions.
"Alright… let's go," I said, following them to the door. Before leaving, I turned to wave at David.
"See you later, David. Hope to see you again."
He forced a smile, clearly stressed by the news of the Vassal of Time moving. I knew it meant something dangerous—but what exactly, I had no idea.
Outside, the evening sun bathed the streets in golden light. The warm air and orange sky made me want to stop and stare for hours.
Rose moved ahead to make a call—I assumed she was arranging a pickup from the Lance Corp. Hadal stayed by my side, eyes on the horizon.
"I saw you were stressed about the Vassal of Time," he said. "Don't worry. She's just a fairy tale here. Whoever's spreading rumors is probably just a hacker messing with people."
"A… fake?" I frowned. "But she was in my dreams. How could she be fake?"
"No, she's not real. Dreams can't summon someone like that," Hadal said firmly.
I forced a laugh. "Right. Must've been my imagination."
That was a lie, and Hadal knew it. Awkward silence followed, so I avoided his gaze.
"HEY BOYS!" Rose waved. "The private car is here. Hurry up—we need to get back to meet Miss Stillwell."
The car was a luxury vehicle, the kind where even the seats seemed to hug you perfectly. I wanted to nap, but my mind was elsewhere.
"Everyone, I have something very important to say. It's dangerous information," I began, earning full attention from Rose and Hadal.
"Sure, what is it?" Hadal asked casually.
Rose cut in. "Before you say anything, I need to do this as a safety precaution."
Her aura flared, focused to the tip of her finger. She traced symbols in the air with precise skill—symbols I recognized from my dream with the Vassal of Time.
"Those are Aetherglyphs, right? The Sankoré household's special technique," I asked.
"Yes," she said. "I'll explain more later. Go ahead, Joseph. Say what you need to."
I took a deep breath. "I had a dream. The Vassal of Time was there. She said she was here to support me… It's hazy, but it felt real."
Hadal laughed. "The Vassal of Time? Fairy tales aren't real. Why bother with nonsense?"
Rose's gaze dropped. "That's what you're supposed to believe. But some things exist that the public isn't meant to know."
I frowned. "Fairy tales coming true… maybe it's possible in this world. But it still sounds absurd."
Rose released her spell, her smirk fading. "We'll talk more when we get back to Homebase."
Thirty minutes later, we arrived. Angela was speaking with a man dressed in a vibrant dashiki, perfectly paired with matching trousers and a hat. He looked built, handsome, and unmistakably from the upper class.
"Hello, Miss Stillwell. We're back," Hadal said.
"Miss, who's this?" I asked, curious.
The man spoke with calm authority. "I'm Tajudeen Sankoré. I've come looking for my fiancée."
Rose froze for a moment as he bent one knee. "I greet the future head of the Mensah household," he said.
"Oh… Tajudeen," she muttered, avoiding his gaze. "Ring me at 7 PM. We'll talk later." She shooed him away, and he left without complaint. Strange—he hadn't argued to see her.
"Rose already explained the basics of the situation," Miss Stillwell began. "But the weather is nice… let's discuss here."
I frowned. "Here? Out in the open? That's not safe—"
"Just watch," Stillwell interrupted.
Rose raised her finger again, using her aura like a pen to draw glowing symbols in the air around us. I stepped back, the glyphs forming a protective circle that muffled all sound outside it.
"Pretty cool trick, huh?" I asked.
Her smirk faded. "Yes. Now, let's get down to business."
I couldn't help but wonder what had happened between her and Tajudeen for her to react that way.
Miss Stillwell handed us evaluation sheets. "Well done, boys. You're going to excel as Flow users."
She continued, "You've awakened the second blessing, but there's still untapped potential. You'll take courses in combat, swordsmanship, Flow control, self-amplification…"
My excitement was tempered by the thought of the Vassal of Time. I needed to know more.
"Hadal, you can stay or go," Rose said.
"I'll go. You'll probably just explain the Vassal of Time to Joseph anyway," Hadal replied. He left for his room.
Rose panted, her dark skin taking on a bluish tint from holding the spell. "The glyph won't last long—three minutes max."
"All right," I urged. "Tell me."
She took a deep breath. "The Vassal of Time and the Vassal of Gravity are two of the most powerful beings in our world. They were created to destroy anything deemed an enemy by their kings—the King of Time and the King of Gravity.
Her movements are dangerous. If she begins acting independently, she could become uncontrollable."
I nodded slowly, absorbing the gravity of it.
"Let's go in and have dinner. Call Hadal," she said, finally letting the spell fade.
Unaware of us, a man watched from a nearby high-rise. His eyes glowed a deep green, enhancing his Flow.
"Interesting… my Rose is using Aetherglyphs on humans," he murmured.
He slammed his fist into a wall, shaking the building, then turned to a line of twelve men in assassin uniforms.
"Find the boy with locks," he ordered. "Do not kill him. That will be my task."