SPIRITBINDER: The Boy Without A Mark Chapter 26: Bound

Morvane crossed his arms, a sly grin forming. "Huh? So I’m the master? Hahaha!"

Drevon tilted his head, smirking. "Oh, so you can laugh now? Impressive."

"Well, what can I say? You’re going to give a chance to ascend back to Baltalaha, so yeah."

Drevon chuckled, his voice dripping with mock amusent. "True. But let’s not get too comfortable with this whole ’master’ thing."

"Wait," Morvane’s grin faded slightly. "If people see you in Baltalaha, they’re going to assu you’re evil because of... well... how you look."

Drevon rolled his eyes, smirking. "Who said I’m going to look like this there? I can change outfits too, you know. Appearance isn’t exactly a limitation for ."

"Fine, but how am I getting back to Baltalaha?"

Drevon raised a shadowy eyebrow, his smirk growing. "Excited much? Don’t worry, I’ll handle it."

Before Morvane could respond, Drevon’s form began to twist and shift. His body spiraled into a vortex, a swirling black hole that consud the air around them.

"Wait, what are you—" Morvane’s words were cut off as the vortex surged toward him, pulling him in.

The sensation was overwhelming—a mixture of weightlessness and crushing pressure. Darkness enveloped him until, with a jarring thud, he found himself back in the room he had been in before.

The scroll was still plastered to the ceiling, glowing faintly, but the once-ominous red marks had faded. He looked around and saw Crimson and das lying unconscious on the floor.

"Crimson! das!" Morvane rushed over to them, shaking them gently. "Wake up! It’s over... I think."

Crimson stirred first, groaning as he blinked his eyes open. "What... what just happened?"

das followed shortly after, sitting up slowly and rubbing his temple. "Morvane? Are we... are we still in the realm?"

Morvane shook his head, his voice firm. "No. We’re back in Baltalaha. But... things just got a lot more complicated."

He glanced up at the scroll, its faint glow reminding him that Drevon wasn’t just a mory. He was here, tied to him now in ways he didn’t fully understand.

The scroll began to move violently again, spinning in midair as red marks flared across its surface. Before Morvane could react, Drevon erged from the shadows, his form materializing in the room.

Startled, das and Crimson jumped into action.

Crimson drew his katana in one swift motion and lunged toward Drevon. "Stay back, demon!"

Drevon smirked and sidestepped effortlessly, dodging the blade with inhuman grace. "Oh, you’re fast! I’m guessing you’re one of the talented ones here. Impressive!"

das raised his hand, summoning his telekinetic power to hurl objects at Drevon. Chairs and debris flew through the air, but Drevon danced around them as if it were a ga, his movents fluid and unbothered.

"Easy, easy! Why are you all so itchy to fight?" Drevon said, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

Crimson narrowed his eyes, keeping his katana raised. "You’re a demon. Do we need any other reason?"

"Fair point," Drevon replied with a smirk. "But let’s not jump to conclusions, shall we?"

das glared at him. "State your purpose, or I won’t hesitate to crush you."

Drevon chuckled, clearly amused. "Relax, gentlen. I co in peace... mostly. Anyways, I’m guessing you two must be Morvane’s daddies? Hahaha! Just kidding, just kidding!"

"Watch your tongue," Crimson growled, tightening his grip on his weapon.

"Alright, alright, no need to get all parental on ," Drevon said, waving them off. "I’m here to explain myself. So, please, no more attacking. Let’s be civilized, shall we?"

Morvane stepped forward, holding up his hands to calm the others. "Wait, stop! He’s... with ."

Crimson and das turned to Morvane in disbelief.

"What do you an, with you?" das asked, his voice sharp.

"It’s complicated," Morvane said, glancing nervously at Drevon. "But just... hear him out."

Drevon grinned. "Finally, soone sensible! Now, let’s talk."

Drevon leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, as he began to speak, echoing much of what he had told Morvane in the realm. "Let’s clear a few things up, shall we? The markless are chosen by destiny. Neither demons nor gods have any say in this. It’s completely out of our control. When a markless is chosen, it’s not random—it’s destiny weaving its threads."

He grinned, his red eyes glowing faintly. "Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Since Morvane and I have t, and since we’re both here in Baltalaha, this marks the first ti in a thousand years this has happened. Usually, there’s only one to three markless in a century. But this century? Morvane is the chosen one. And in this millennium? He’s the one who’s t his demon. Rare doesn’t even begin to describe it."

Drevon smirked, his voice tinged with mockery. "Though, judging by history, all the past markless were probably dumb as rocks—"

"Shut up! You don’t know them!" das interrupted sharply, glaring at Drevon.

"Ouch, that hurt," Drevon said, placing a hand on his chest in exaggerated pain.

Morvane quickly cut in before things escalated further. "We already know who the first markless was before ."

Drevon’s expression shifted briefly, an eyebrow raising in curiosity. "Oh, is that so? My bad then. I’ll take it back. Haha!"

Crimson, who had been watching silently, finally spoke. "So, what you’re saying is that you and Morvane are... one now?"

Drevon grimaced, as if the idea itself disgusted him. "Uhh, technically and disgustingly, yes."

Morvane furrowed his brow. "Wait, so you’re just going to... guard ?"

Drevon laughed. "Of course not, kid. I’m going to help you control your power. That’s sothing the markless have historically struggled with—and probably why they tend to die young. You see, without guidance, that power eats away at you. But lucky you, Morvane. You’ve got ." He grinned, pointing at himself smugly. "I’ll guide you, train you, and maybe even save your life a couple of tis. You really should be thanking ."

Morvane rolled his eyes. "Lucky ..." he muttered under his breath.

Drevon suddenly stopped, his smirk vanishing. "Wait. Silence..." he muttered, his tone sharp.

Before Morvane could respond, Drevon swiftly cut his arm with a shadowy claw. Blood dripped to the floor as Morvane winced in pain.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" das and Crimson shouted in unison, rushing forward.

"Calm down," Drevon said dismissively, pointing to the growing shadow behind Morvane. From the darkness, a massive wolf-like creature erged, its black fur rippling as if it were made of smoke. Its glowing red eyes locked onto Morvane.

"Ohhh, a shadow beast!" Drevon said, clapping his hands in delight. "And a wolf, no less. Pretty rare. You continue to amaze , Morvane."

Morvane glared at him, cradling his injured arm. "Care to explain why markless have shadow beasts they can summon?"

Drevon turned to him, his expression calm yet amused. "You know that each markless is bound to a specific demon, right? Well, those demons reside in the dark realm. In order to watch over the markless, shadow beasts erge as their eyes and ears. But let tell you, it’s not enough. That’s why it’s much better for the demon to be by their side, like ."

He gestured to the wolf. "Also, each shadow beast is unique to its markless. They have their own abilities."

Morvane frowned. "So, what’s the ability of my shadow beast?"

Drevon shrugged. "I don’t know just yet." He stepped closer to the beast, staring into its glowing eyes. After a mont, a grin spread across his face. "Aha, I got it! It consus spirits."

"Yeah, I already know that," Morvane said, unimpressed.

Drevon smirked wider. "Well, do you also know that it doesn’t just consu spirits—it absorbs their power and transfers it to you?"

Morvane’s eyes widened. "What?"

"Yes," Drevon said, his tone dripping with satisfaction. "Your beast eats spirits, keeps their powers, and lets you use them. What an astounding ability for a shadow beast! I bet the gods in heaven would absolutely hate that. Hahaha!"

"Enough!" das snapped, his voice cutting through the room. "How can we trust anything you say?"

Drevon turned to him, his expression indifferent. "Oh, you don’t need to trust . I’m not here for you—I’m here for Morvane. You’re irrelevant to ."

Crimson stepped forward, his katana gleaming as he raised it again. "Don’t disrespect us. We’re rulers of Baltalaha!"

"And I’m a demon," Drevon replied coolly, his red eyes narrowing. "Still a higher being than you."

The tension in the room thickened as Crimson gripped his sword tighter, ready to strike.

"Stop!" Morvane shouted, stepping between them. "If Drevon were untrustworthy, he could’ve killed us a long ti ago. But he didn’t. So maybe we should listen to him... at least for now."

Crimson hesitated, his blade lowering slightly as he exchanged a glance with das. Neither looked convinced, but Morvane’s words gave them pause.

Drevon grinned again, his tone smug. "Smart choice, kid. I like you more already."

Drevon straightened up, his eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. "Alright, alright," he said, raising a hand dramatically. "I’ll change my outfit. No need to be so serious. I’ll make it... normal for now." He closed his eyes briefly, and in an instant, his shadowy form shifted. The black, ominous attire morphed into a more conventional, yet still flashy, outfit—dark robes trimd with gold, a mixture of regal and refined, but much more suited for the mortal realm than his previous garb.

"See? Much better," Drevon said, surveying himself with satisfaction. He then turned to das and Crimson, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. "I’ll also be respectful toward you, rulers. No more demon theatrics for you."

Crimson’s gaze remained cold, but das appeared slightly less tense, though still on guard.

Drevon spread his hands, as if offering a peace gesture. "Now, to make everything clear: I’m here as a guide for Morvane. Not here to create chaos or wars, like how you paint us demons in storybooks. I’m not so villain out to destroy everything in sight. My purpose is to help Morvane control his power, and, maybe, just maybe, give him the chance to thrive."

He leaned back slightly, crossing his arms with a calm confidence. "So, before you start jumping to conclusions, think of as an ally. Whether you like it or not, your fates are now intertwined with Morvane’s. And I, for one, am here to make sure he doesn’t fall apart."