THE ELDER'S VERDICT

The first person to actually enter was none other than Rapunzel herself. At first, when she fetched her brother and brought him here, she had been excited and didn't seem nervous at all.

Well, all of that excitement vanished into thin air. Now, she was clearly nervous—because the person walking behind her was her own brother. Raze, who had his own problems to deal with, didn't care much about where he was or why he was here.

His mind was occupied. From the outside, he presented himself as Raze Crow, heir to the Crow family. But deep inside, he wasn't just Raze. He was Donald. Not fully, but it felt as if they were sharing a body.

One moment, everything felt familiar. The next, it was strange. To make things worse, his sister refused to let go of his hand. Her grip was tight—it was like she was afraid to face whoever was waiting for them.

The door behind them closed with a loud BAM, as the butler who introduced them turned and left.

As they walked deeper into the room, they felt the aura grow more powerful and oppressive. Their hearts began to race, and the air became stifling, hotter than anything they had ever experienced.

The room itself was intimidating, even without counting the people present. It exuded integrity and ancient honor.

It was vast, with towering walls that could easily pass for a two-story building. The materials used were old—ancient, like something from the dragon era. The grandeur of the room made it seem like even the most luxurious hotel suite was a joke in comparison. A rich red carpet stretched across the floor, leading toward a massive throne just a few meters ahead.

On that throne sat a man—not too old, not too young—but clearly someone whose age defied the normal passage of time. He was an elder who hadn't aged much, at least not outwardly.

Standing beside him, one on each side, were two young, beautiful women in white dresses with touches of gold. They each had a hand placed gently on the elder's shoulders.

Their beauty was overwhelming. And as they smiled at the children, the oppressive weight in the room seemed to lift slightly.

"Welcome, Crow twins—Raze Crow and Rapunzel Crow," the women spoke in perfect unison.

Then, a man stepped forward.

He resembled them greatly—from the icy shade of their eyes to the dark black of their hair.

This man was none other than their father, the Patriarch of the Crow family. From his posture and presence alone, it was clear he was a man held in great respect.

"How are my two favorite children doing?" he asked, crouching to their level.

"We're your only children, Father," Rapunzel corrected him.

He chuckled. "You're just like your mother. Do you know that, my sweet daughter?"

"I've been told a countless times," Rapunzel replied quickly.

He grinned, then turned to Raze.

"You ready to make your old man proud, son?" he asked, placing a firm hand on Raze's shoulder.

Raze—or Donald, depending on who was more present at that moment—just nodded silently.

"Marcelous, do not waste my time," the elder on the throne suddenly spoke.

"I'm sorry, Elder," Marcelous replied quickly, bowing low with clear respect and apology.

Raze and Rapunzel stared at him, confused. Who was this old man sitting in their father's throne? And how did he have the audacity to order their father around?

After all, their father was one of the strongest and most respected people they knew. Yet here he was, bowing to someone else. It was deeply unsettling.

The elder didn't speak again—he simply locked eyes with them, his gaze intense, as if expecting something from them.

So they just stared back.

"Children, please bow before the great Elder of the Crow bloodline, Osiris Crow," one of the women said.

At first, the twins hesitated. But then their father looked at them and gave a reassuring nod.

"It's alright," he whispered.

Still holding hands, Rapunzel and Raze knelt and bowed, just like their father had.

The elder sat there above them, elevated by three steps, which only added to the feeling that he was a king looking down upon his subjects.

"Approach me, children," Elder Osiris commanded.

Clearly, the twins were afraid. They didn't move right away—instead, they glanced at each other, unsure, before finally standing up and walking toward him.

But when they reached the steps leading to the throne, they froze.

"Why did you stop?" Elder Osiris asked.

His voice was powerful—like it had once commanded armies. Deep, yet oddly kind.

"You scare us," Rapunzel confessed.

"What?" Osiris seemed genuinely surprised. "Is that true, boy?" he asked Raze.

"Yes, Your Greatness," Raze replied, with utmost respect.

Elder Osiris burst out laughing. His laughter was so loud, it felt like the sky itself rumbled in response.

The twins were shocked. How could this frail old man be so powerful? First, he ordered their father around like a servant, and now his laugh shook the heavens.

This was true power—like nothing they had ever witnessed.

"Do not worry, children. I won't bite," he said, his voice softening to comfort them.

Then he added, "Yet," and smiled.

But Elder Osiris's smile wasn't normal. It didn't match his kind voice.

It was a smile that radiated power—but not the kind of power you'd associate with a human. It was something darker. Something… demonic.

"Please, children, come to me," he said, extending his hand.

His smile was frightening, but his hand was worse. It looked far too old for someone who otherwise appeared so youthful. It looked like it belonged to a corpse.

Long and bony, his fingers stretched unnaturally. His nails were jet black and absurdly long, like something from a person who had died centuries ago.

It was terrifying.

The twins approached him, despite their fear and awe of this man. His terrifying hand had already made it clear—getting close to him felt unnatural, almost revolting.

"Kneel before me," Elder Osiris commanded.

Rapunzel dropped to her knees quickly and without hesitation—but only because she was deeply afraid of this person. She didn't know what he might do to her if she disobeyed.

But when it came time for Raze to kneel, he hesitated. His caution was evident as he watched Elder Osiris closely.

Elder Osiris frowned. "Boy?"

It was then that Raze seemed to snap back to reality.

"Oh—my apologies, Your Greatness."

He began to kneel, one knee before the other, slowly and steadily.

"Now, which of you is older?" Elder Osiris asked.

The usually sassy and outspoken Rapunzel had been silent ever since stepping near Elder Osiris.

"That would be me, Your Greatness. I'm older than my sister here by only two minutes," Raze responded, taking the initiative.

"Is that so?" Elder Osiris looked him over carefully.

"Yes, Your Greatness," Raze replied with grace and confidence.

Elder Osiris looked to the two women beside him. They nodded. He then turned to Marcelous, who also nodded in confirmation.

"Very well then. Before we begin, can you children tell me why we are here today? What's so special about this auspicious day?" Elder Osiris asked, his tone softening to ease their visible tension.

"Uh—" Raze began, but Osiris raised a hand to stop him.

"Not you, boy. I want the younger one to answer."

Rapunzel, who had kept her face lowered the whole time, avoiding any eye contact, flinched.

"Me?" her voice trembled.

"Why yes, of course," Elder Osiris replied.

"Well... we are here because today is the day that we, the twins of the Crow bloodline, are presented before our family's elder to deter—"

Before she could finish her shaky sentence, Elder Osiris gently lifted her chin with a finger.

"Now, young lady, don't you think it's more respectful to face me when speaking to me?"

Rapunzel was terrified, and Raze could clearly see it.

"Yes, Your Greatness. I am sorry. Please forgive my foolishness," she apologized, still trembling.

"Very well then. All is forgiven," Elder Osiris smiled.

None of this made sense to Raze—because he was the only soul or spirit truly present in that moment. How could two of the most powerful people he knew—his father and sister—bow like peasants before this old man? To him, it felt like a disgrace to their bloodline.

What Rapunzel had been trying to say before being interrupted was that today was a very important and auspicious day. The day the children of the Crow bloodline are presented to their family's oldest and wisest elder. The elder's task was to determine each child's special power levels—to see which one, in this case, which twin—was blessed with greater power. That twin would earn the privilege of becoming the next heir of the Crow family.

And truthfully, everyone had already assumed that the one destined to be heir was Raze Crow himself—not just because he was powerful, but because he was also the only son of the Crow bloodline.

"Impressive," Elder Osiris said, genuinely intrigued.

He then placed a hand on Raze's head. At that moment, the hands of the beautiful women began to radiate a soft golden-yellow light. Elder Osiris's eyes and mouth glowed with the same hue.

Then, the light faded.

"That's interesting..." he murmured, seemingly surprised.

He then placed his hand on Rapunzel's head. The same golden light began to glow—but this time, unlike Raze's, Rapunzel's light shifted to a pure white.

Raze's glow, on the other hand, flickered—and then faded, without settling on any particular color.

What Raze felt during the first contact was strange. The moment Elder Osiris touched his head, a wave of nausea washed over him. He felt woozy, unsteady, like something was being stirred deep inside him.

"Let me check the boy again," Elder Osiris said with curiosity.

As he placed his hand back on Raze's head, Raze closed his eyes briefly.

Then something unexpected appeared—something that hadn't shown itself in quite some time.

Ding.

A notification board presented itself within Raze's—or rather, Donald's—consciousness.

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[ INITIATING SOUL EXTRACTION ]

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A few seconds passed while Raze seemed to drift.

Then he returned—regaining consciousness.

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[ SOUL BINDING HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL ]

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He let out a deep sigh—not loud enough to draw attention, but loud enough to feel real.

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[ UNKNOWN MAGIC HAS BEEN DETECTED ]

[ MAGIC HARMFUL TO HOST ]

[ UNKNOWN MAGIC HAS BEEN REJECTED ]