As Lucian noticed the iron nails driven deep into the Unread’s flesh, a chill ran down the back of his neck.

  If he had not already witnessed his own arm twisting unnaturally, he would have reacted far more intensely. But now, he could observe the iron piercing her aged, loose skin with relative composure.

  Still, no matter what one experiences, such sights always awaken the weakest parts of the human heart. And Lucian had a new and young one for greater impact.

  “Ah, are you alright?” was what he almost said, momentarily forgetting that the old woman before him was an Unread.

  Looking at her face and apparent age, a tender part of his heart tightened.

  ‘Is she really as dangerous as Mr. Tigerman said?’

  “We don’t have an entire day.”

  Kasturi frowned behind him.

  Lucian hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he raised his hand toward the Unread’s.

  “Remove your gloves first,” the golden-eyed Unread said.

  “Huh? Why?”

  “The process of predicting others’ futures requires direct contact.”

  Lucian paused, staring at the leather gloves on his hands then at Kasturi who was standing without response. Then he sighed.

  “Alright.”

  Removing the gloves, he looked at his bare hands. It had been a couple of days now. Ever since that incident with Prologue, Lucian had not taken off his gloves, wearing them while sleeping, eating, and… well, he had not even taken a bath yet.

  He reached for the Unread’s hands, which were fastened to the handle of the chair with iron nails, and touched the back of her hand.

  The moment he did, he felt the atmosphere shift. The already quiet room grew quieter and quieter. The process intensified until the silence itself felt almost visible, as if it had become alive, sentient even. Then, without warning, it vanished.

  Sound returned like a flock of pigeons racing across the sky. He saw the Unread’s golden eyes turn completely black, including the sclera. Her head, the only part of her body not fixed with nails, fell back like that of a corpse briefly reanimated.

  After a silent moment that felt far longer than it truly was, the Unread spoke in a voice that seemed to contain hundreds within it.

  “If you desire truth, you must find Morpheus Hermes.”

  “Morpheus Hermes?” Lucian repeated.

  Though he did not recognize the name Morpheus, he certainly knew Hermes. It was the name of the Duke family of the South, also known as the Messengers of God.

  He was not sure how much of the “god” part was true, but the title was repeated so often that it had become their second identity in high society.

  Lucian sighed. A headache was already forming at the thought of searching for this so-called Mr. Postman of God.

  “Thank you for your answer.”

  After bowing slightly, Lucian tried to withdraw his hand.

  However, he quickly realized that his hand was stuck to hers.

  “Eh, what’s going on?”

  He pulled harder, but the result remained the same.

  The Unread before him, who had behaved so elegantly a moment ago, now wore a grotesque smile across her wrinkled face.

  “Hey, I think your job is over.”

  At that moment, Lucian saw her eyes, black only seconds ago, begin to melt and stream down her cheeks.

  Then she opened her mouth. It was black like a pool of ink, not even teeth were visible. It stretched wider and wider, soon large enough to engulf his entire head.

  “Wait… wait…”

  Lucian struggled even harder for freedom as he watched the dark abyss of flesh and skin strain against the iron nails in its attempt to devour him completely.

  At that moment, a hand suddenly forced a blindfold over the monstrous Unread. Instantly, she returned to her previous slumbering state.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “I told you it was dangerous, didn’t I?” Kasturi said in his usual tone, as if what had happened a few seconds ago were of no consequence at all.

  *****

  “Morpheus Hermes? I don’t recall anyone named Morpheus in the main house of Hermes.”

  Seraphine, seated on a designer sofa in her office, took a small sip from her steaming cup of tea, only to set it down immediately as though she had burned her tongue.

  Lucian also took a sip. He usually didn’t mind how hot his tea was, the hotter, the better. Kasturi, on the other hand, seated beside Lucian, maintaining a deliberate distance, avoided the cup as though it had merely been placed before him for decoration.

  “I see.” Lucian nodded.

  “I will try to find out as much as I can about him.”

  Lucian nodded again, taking another sip.

  He deliberately paused for a moment before speaking in a heavy tone. “So, am I qualified?”

  He appeared to be looking at Seraphine, but his true target was undoubtedly Kasturi.

  Kasturi looked at Lucian, then at Seraphine, then back to his tea, which he still hadn’t touched.

  Seraphine smiled, as though she had read Mr. Tigerman’s thoughts.

  “Of course. Welcome to Black Index.”

  She then produced a contract and placed it in front of Lucian on the table.

  Lucian picked it up and read carefully.

  The contract bore the mark of the Black Index, an eye etched in blinding ink.

  It contained seven key points, binding the signer to seven rules.

  Lucian noticed that the paper was no ordinary parchment as faint bluish smoke continuously emanated from it. Considering the events that had led him to this moment, its mystifying nature felt almost natural.

  His attention shifted to the seven main clauses.

  The Seven Vows of Secrecy, that was their collective title.

  The first was the vow of, well, secrecy. It was written in three subpoints, each detailing that any Librarian joining the Black Index must conceal everything regarding the world of Librarians.

  The second vow followed a similar structure, divided into four subpoints. However, instead of the world of Librarians, the contractor was required to conceal and protect the secrets of the Black Index itself.

  The third, fourth, and fifth clauses detailed the benefits and protection the Guild would provide, naturally in exchange for the risks that accompanied membership.

  As for the sixth and seventh, they appeared somewhat distinct, though not centered on secrecy.

  ‘Huh. It’s not as terrible as I thought it would be. In fact, it offers considerable benefits of course in exchange for never disclosing any information regarding its most secret matters… and essentially binding me to it.’

  His gaze fell upon the fourth subpoint of the second main clause.

  According to it, Lucian could leave the Black Index, but he would remain under constant surveillance by the officials and would not be permitted to change locations without prior approval.

  He sighed.

  ‘Leaving would be a pain.’

  He then looked at Seraphine, who awaited his final answer.

  He took another sip, only to realize he had just one left.

  With faint disappointment, he asked, “This was not the contract you were initially offering me, right?”

  “Yes, this is the standard contract one must sign before joining the Black Index.”

  She waved her hand, and another sheet of paper materialized, slowly floating toward Lucian before settling into his hand, leaving him momentarily dumbfounded.

  Holding the new contract, Lucian read it.

  Disappointingly or perhaps intriguingly, it was far shorter, with ample empty space and only three clauses.

  First, Lucian and Seraphine would form a secret alliance unknown to others, in which Seraphine would provide Lucian with greater assistance than she offered the rest.

  Second, Lucian would gain the freedom to act independently. However, in doing so, he must conceal his identity, and his actions must not involve the Black Index nor bring harm to it.

  Third, should Lucian wish to leave the Black Index, Seraphine would personally assist him.

  In return for these privileges, Lucian must fulfill three wishes of Seraphine’s choosing. The requests would not endanger his life nor cause direct harm. He could refuse two of them, but in that case, he would be obligated to fulfill the final request without exception.

  Lucian read it several times before looking back at Seraphine.

  Slightly embarrassed by his long stare, she narrowed her eyes.

  “Look, I’m not particularly skilled at drafting contracts. And I couldn't even ask help of my assistant.”

  Ignoring her remark, Lucian fell into deep contemplation.

  ‘Hmm. This contract offers good advantages. And the third clause directly counters the original Black Index rule about leaving… Then again, she could ask anything in return.’

  Although her requests would not endanger his life, death was not the only way such a clause could be exploited.

  Lucian could think of verious scenarios where he might be maneuvered into a situation.

  He sighed once more.

  ‘I really have no better option. I simply have to be careful.’

  Seeing no other beneficial path, he finally nodded in agreement.

  “Great.” Seraphine smiled.

  Kasturi remained largely silence, still examining his tea as though searching for hidden secrets as it had begun to cool.

  ‘Is there poison?’

  The thought briefly crossed Lucian’s mind, though he dismissed it. There was no reason for her to poison the tea.

  Refocusing, he searched for a pen.

  “Here.” Seraphine offered him a quill.

  Lucian frowned at the sight of it, a magnificent writing instrument fashioned from a crimson feather.

  “Sorry, I might have slipped into your room by accident,” she said with a smile.

  ‘Do you not understand the concept of privacy? And what do you mean slipped? That’s called stealing.’

  “Before you sign, merge Everlong with your Codex,” she suggested.

  “Huh?”

  “It’s a mystical item designed to function with a Codex, after all.”

  ‘Wh-What? I can just merge it with my Codex?’

  Though the quill had clearly appeared mystical from the beginning, Lucian had not realized it was specifically meant to integrate with a Codex.

  “Uh… but how?”

  “Open your Codex, place Everlong inside it, and slam it shut.”

  ‘Th-That’s not magical at all,’ Lucian sighed inwardly.

  Following her instructions, he placed the quill inside his Codex and closed it.

  The moment he did, a violent vortex of crimson energy engulfed the entire office. As it gradually faded, Lucian saw golden markings slowly forming upon the leather cover of his Codex. The transformation concluded with the image of a golden bird embossed upon the originally dark cover.

  “Whenever you need to summon Everlong, simply speak its name while holding your Codex,”

  Seraphine said, finishing her tea.

  At the same time, Kasturi’s lips, which almost perpetually existed in a frown, curled slightly upward as he noticed the steam rising from the cup before him had finally vanished. He finally picked it up and took a sip.