Morning light streamed diagonally through the blinds into the student council's underground command centre. Grey dust particles drifted in the rays.
Kazama Rei sat on a black metal chair, his palms slightly sweaty. The fluctuations deep within his soul had yet to fully stabilise, and his left hand still throbbed faintly.
'Your spiritual waves are more unstable than we anticipated,' murmured Jinguji Kai, his gaze as sharp as a blade scrutinising flaws in glass.
'Without control, the next time you awaken, you might harm yourself — or even others.'
Rei lifted his head, his brows furrowing.
'Control? Can... I control them?"
Shirogane Byaku emerged from the corner, his black robe dragging on the floor. His voice was cold yet clear. "No, not yet at least."
'Therefore, you must sign the "Soul Pact".'
Rei froze.
"Soul Pact?"
He had already felt the spiritual energy in his left eye being drained during the trials he had endured. The abnormal fluctuations within him were growing increasingly strong and impossible to suppress.
Shinjuku Hai handed him a black obsidian envelope containing parchment engraved with golden runes from the table. The runes trembled faintly, as if breathing.
'This is a temporary contract,' Hai explained. 'Sign it and your spiritual waves will be sealed within a controllable range. You will also become a temporary member of our Student Council Special Investigation Unit, assigned to spiritual energy incident missions.'
Rei's fingers trembled slightly as they touched the parchment. The runes immediately burst into a faint glow.
The light seemed to flow along spiritual veins, seeping beneath his skin and reaching his blood and marrow.
'The contract will leave a mark,' White Crow added, his gaze settling on the back of Li's left hand.
'When the soul oath takes effect, the runes will glow faintly on your left hand, reminding you that you are no longer just an observer.'
Rei looked down at his left hand, feeling an unfamiliar yet not entirely terrifying power pulsing beneath his skin.
Rei looked down at his left hand and felt an unfamiliar, yet not entirely terrifying, power pulsing beneath his skin.
'What if I break the contract?' he asked.
Shinkōji Hai's gaze deepened further.
'That power will automatically turn against your soul. You will endure suffering beyond your imagination."
Rei clenched his teeth and pressed his fingers against the surface of the talisman paper.
'I understand.'
The parchment instantly transformed into a runic pattern and spread along his left wrist like a serpent coiling towards his fingertips.
The faint light flickered as the outlines of the runes gradually emerged, accompanied by a warm current reaching deep into his heart.
White Crow nodded coldly. 'The contract is binding.'
In that instant, the air in the room seemed sucked dry. The spiritual waves within Li subsided, yet a new weight settled upon him: responsibility.
Jingūji Hai watched him, his tone calm yet carrying an invisible pressure. "From this day forward, your actions will no longer be solely for yourself. You are the guardian of the rift in the spirit realm and a member of our investigation team. Every trial, every inquiry will be a test of your soul.'
Rei lowered his head and stared at the contract rune burning on his left hand, feeling its faint pulsations at his fingertips.
That light was like a lock, yet also like a guiding beacon.
After signing the contract, Rei was taken to the student council's operations desk. The surface was covered with reports on recent incidents and psychic energy monitoring charts.
'The first mission,' said Jingūji Hai, 'is to trace the source of suspected spirit medium manipulation on campus. We suspect that a third party is exploiting the energy from the rift to experiment with forbidden techniques.'
Natsume Rin handed Rei a tablet, highlighting a red hotspot icon.
'Location: Third floor of the East Wing club building. Peak spirit activity occurs between 11 pm and 12.15 am."
Rei nodded, the talismanic mark on his left hand trembling faintly as if to warn him: 'You cannot fail.'
Jingūji Hai added, 'The contract will protect you, but it won't make decisions for you. You must decide on the outcome yourself."
These words struck Rei to the core — for the first time, he truly understood that 'judgement' wasn't just about witnessing sin, but also about bearing the weight of choice.
White Crow arranged for him to stay in the Student Council dormitory and assigned two special observers to monitor his spiritual energy levels at all times.
"This is only a temporary arrangement," said White Crow indifferently. "But remember—any abnormal spiritual activity could trigger a disturbance in the barrier."
Sitting on the edge of his dorm bed, Rei watched as the faintly glowing contract rune on his left hand cast a shadow on the wall.
He traced the patterns with his finger, sensing an unfamiliar, heavy connection.
It wasn't a bond of restraint, but rather a connection to the Student Council, the academy, and every trial awaiting him in the future.
Outside, the night breeze stirred softly, carrying the distant toll of a sombre bell.
The sound reminded him that the darkness would only deepen, and that he had already embarked on a one-way journey.