3: The Raven’s Pact
A Silent Guardian (A Few Days After Birth)
Warm candlelight flickered against the stone walls, casting shifting shadows across the grand nursery. The cold winds outside howled against the castle, but within these walls, the air was still, silence broken only by the soft breathing of a newborn.
I lay in my crib, red eyes half-lidded, drifting between sleep and awareness. The world was a blur of sensations—warmth, touch, sound. But among them, one presence stood out.
She was always here.
A woman with sharp yet kind eyes, wrapped in a simple black cloak. A paradox of warmth and danger, her every motion controlled, disciplined. Even without memories of her past, I knew what she was.
A former assassin.
She had once been my mother's shadow. Now, she was mine.
With precise, practiced movements, she adjusted the blanket around me, her touch unexpectedly gentle.
"You're a quiet one," she murmured, voice low, almost fond.
I didn't respond, but something about her presence made the unfamiliar world feel less foreign. Unlike the nobles and servants who came and went, either with reverence or calculation, she simply watched over me.
A silent guardian.
One evening, as she held me against her shoulder, I heard her whisper,
"You don't have to worry, little one. I'll always keep you safe."
The weight of that promise settled into my consciousness.
For now, that was enough.
---
A Growing Awareness (One Week Later)
Mana.
It was everywhere.
At first, it was nothing but a vague pressure in the air, an unseen current flowing beneath the surface of reality. But now, I could feel it—moving, shifting, responding to every breath and heartbeat.
It was different in everyone.
My mother's mana was soft yet refined, like a steady, glowing ember. My father's… dense, vast, like an impending storm, barely restrained. Even my caretaker, though unawakened, had a quiet balance to her presence.
But within me…
It was chaos.
A raging tide, vast and uncontainable, pressing against the fragile limits of my newborn body. It refused to settle, constantly surging and twisting, raw and untamed.
And it hurt.
A dull ache settled in my bones, veins pulsing unnaturally with every breath. I didn't understand why. Was this normal? Did everyone feel this way? No one else seemed to notice anything wrong.
I had no way of asking.
So I endured.
The pain became a constant—something I could adapt to. But a quiet, nagging thought remained.
Something is wrong with me.
Then, on a night when the winds howled louder than before—
Everything changed.
---
The Frozen Raven (One Month Later)
A shadow loomed beyond the window.
I felt it before I saw it—a creeping frost seeping into the nursery, dimming the warmth in the air.
My breath hitched.
The candles flickered. The night turned colder.
And then, perched upon the sill, it appeared.
A raven.
But not an ordinary one.
Its feathers were not black, but a deep, shimmering blue, laced with veins of frost. Ice clung to its wings, mist curling from its body as though the very air rejected its presence.
And then—
A voice.
Not spoken, but embedded directly into my mind.
"What a peculiar human… You command darkness, frost, water, wind, and fire…"
A pause.
"Six elements, yet only five are worthy of mention. Hmm."
My breath caught.
Six elements?
Most mages only possessed two or three. Even the most gifted rarely exceeded that. But I—
"Ah… I see."
The raven's glowing eyes bore into mine, unsettling amusement gleaming within them.
"Such vast potential, yet shackled by your own existence. Fate is cruel indeed."
Before I could react, my vision was flooded with light.
A system window unfolded before me.
---
[Terminally Ill Villain System]
Status: Active
Title: Heir to House Ravenshade
Stats:
➤ Strength: 1
➤ Agility: 1
➤ Endurance: 1
➤ Magic: 1
➤ Mana: ? (Unmeasurable)
➤ Spirit Energy: 100
---
[Terminal Illness: Mana Overload Syndrome (MOS)]
Cause:
Mana Overload Syndrome (MOS) occurs when an individual possesses an extreme amount of mana and potential but lacks the ability to regulate it efficiently. The body and soul struggle to contain and circulate the immense power, leading to physical deterioration, mental instability, and eventual death if left unchecked.
Effects:
1. Increased Physical and Magical Power – Before reaching a critical stage, individuals with MOS exhibit immense strength, speed, and magical ability far surpassing their peers. Their mana flows in a more potent and refined manner, granting faster spellcasting and enhanced spell potency.
2. Body Deterioration – Crystallization of Mana Veins, Organ Breakdown, Skin and Bone Fragility.
3. Unstable Mind and Emotions – High levels of mana cause mental instability, resulting in mood swings, hallucinations, and occasional violent outbursts. In severe cases, individuals may enter a berserk state, unable to differentiate friend from foe.
4. Sudden Mana Surge and Implosion – The body may experience unpredictable mana surges, causing uncontrollable spellcasting. If left untreated, mana buildup can cause the individual to self-destruct, leading to death or catastrophic explosions.
---
My mind reeled.
I was… dying?
The pain, the instability—I had assumed it was something natural, that I simply had too much mana to handle for now.
But no.
This wasn't something I could grow into.
I was already breaking apart.
---
"So you see it now."
The raven's voice cut through my thoughts.
I swallowed hard. The room felt colder.
"Your life will not last long, human. Not unless you do something about it."
My tiny fingers trembled.
"What… are you?"
The raven's piercing gaze held me in place.
"A very high one. That is all you need to know for now."
My heartbeat pounded in my ears. "...And you want to bond with me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
A pause.
"Because you amuse me, little human. And because if you survive…"
The raven tilted its head, amusement flickering in its frost-laced gaze.
"You may prove to be interesting."
I stared at it.
At the ice curling around its wings.
At the knowing glint in its cold, unearthly eyes.
It knew something.
Something about my sixth element.
Something about me.
But now wasn't the time for answers.
The raven's voice turned quieter.
"But first… we must refine that chaotic mana of yours into a core. Without it, you will die far sooner than you realize."
The air grew heavier.
The weight of my choice pressed against me.
I clenched my tiny fists.
I didn't want to die. Not again.
"...Fine."
A low, knowing chuckle escaped the raven.
"Then let us begin."
And as the pact took hold—
The frost in the air deepened.
---
End of Chapter 3
Note: Averis and Raven are talking through minds not through their mouth.