Curse Contract

"What do you say?" Festus asked, flashing a gentle smile as he waited for Ace's opinion on the condition he just proposed.

Ace was just about to agree to Cyclops's terms when Delores hesitated for a moment, then swiftly glided closer to him. Without warning, she clamped a hand over his mouth and cut in, "Give us a few minutes to think this through."

Before Cyclops could respond, she shot up into the clouds. The moment they were out of earshot, she activated her innate curse tool's sound isolation effect, ensuring Festus couldn't eavesdrop. Then, she whirled on Ace and hissed, "Have you lost your mind?" Only then did she remove her hand from his mouth.

Ace scowled, "I should be the one asking you that!" He turned fully to face her, irritation flashing in his eyes. But when he caught the genuine concern in hers, his voice softened slightly, asking, "What's wrong?"