Chapter 9 : The unseen bonds
As the heavy silence stretched on, Silviana finally spoke, her voice firm. "We shouldn't talk about this anymore. It's not good for us."
Noah, still lost in thought, tried to recall the figure's face—but no matter how hard he focused, the image slipped through his mind like sand through his fingers.
The Red Dragon broke the silence with an irritated huff. His golden eyes flicked to Silviana. "Now that you've formed a contract with him, what exactly do you plan to do?"
Silviana simply shrugged, unconcerned. "I'll follow him around."
The Red Dragon's brow twitched. Turning to Vaeloran, he asked, "And you?"
Vaeloran's response was just as casual. "Same."
The Red Dragon let out a long, exasperated sigh. He wasn't sure how he felt about this—a mere human, now bound to both his sister and brother. Letting them wander around with such a fragile being… it didn't sit right with him.
The Red Dragon clenched his jaw, his golden eyes narrowing. The thought of leaving his siblings in the hands of a weak, fragile human didn't sit well with him. No matter what strange fate had brought Noah into their lives, he wasn't about to trust him blindly—not with Silviana and Vaeloran willingly tethering themselves to him.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue in frustration. "Fine. If you two are going to follow this human around, then I'll be watching too."
Silviana raised a brow. "Oh? I thought you didn't care."
The Red Dragon scowled but didn't respond to her teasing. Instead, he stepped forward, towering over Noah. His presence was suffocating, his sheer size making Noah feel like an insect beneath a predator's gaze.
"I'm not like them," he said coldly. "I won't offer you protection. I won't provide for you. My contract won't bind me to your whims."
Noah remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"I'll follow you and act as I please. What I do is my business, and whatever happens to you has nothing to do with me." His golden eyes burned with intensity. "That's the only contract I'll offer."
Then, just like Silviana and Vaeloran before him, the Red Dragon lowered his massive claw toward Noah's forehead. The air crackled with power as he spoke the words.
"I am Ignis. I request to form a Soul Contract with you."
Noah stared up at him. He wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but he didn't hesitate.
"…Yes."
A golden light flared between them, bright and radiant.
Noah stared at the golden light between them, the third contract binding his soul. He didn't know if this was a blessing or a curse. The weight of these dragons' existence was now tethered to him—was he even worthy of this?
The contract was sealed.
The deep voice of the Black Dragon cut through the fading golden glow.
"Don't leave me out."
The other dragons turned to him in surprise. He had been silent through most of this, observing, calculating. Now, he finally spoke with purpose.
The Black Dragon finally spoke, his voice calm yet firm. "You are fragile, human. You barely understand this world, let alone its rules." He paused, watching Noah with those deep golden eyes. "If you are to walk alongside us, then ignorance will be your greatest enemy."
A moment passed before he extended his claw to Noah's forehead
reaching for Noah's forehead. Unlike the others, his expression remained unreadable—calm, but carrying an undeniable weight.
"I am Tenebris," he declared. "I request to form a Soul Contract with you."
Noah blinked. Another one? But before he could question it, Tenebris continued.
"I will teach you magic," he stated plainly. "Not the feeble spells of humans, but the magic of dragons."
Silviana's eyes widened slightly at his words, while Ignis scoffed in amusement. Vaeloran, on the other hand, seemed intrigued.
Noah, despite his lingering exhaustion, felt a spark of excitement. Magic—the kind only dragons wielded. He had played Fate of the Radiant Maiden long enough to know that dragon magic was leagues beyond what any human could hope to achieve.
His lips parted, his voice steady.
"…Yes."
A final burst of golden light erupted between them. The fourth contract was sealed.
The golden light from the contract slowly faded, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. The air was thick with an unspoken tension, as if the world itself had yet to process what had just transpired.
The first to break the silence was Ignis.
"You've got to be joking," the Red Dragon muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. His golden eyes flickered between Tenebris and Noah, irritation laced in his voice. "You too? Just what do you all see in this weak little human?"
His words were sharp, but there was no real malice in them—only frustration. It was clear that he still didn't trust Noah, let alone believe in his worth.
Vaeloran, standing tall beside Silviana, exhaled through his nose. "What's done is done," he said, his voice calm and resolute. "I didn't expect Tenebris to make a contract either, but…" He glanced at Noah, his expression unreadable. "It makes sense. If we are to follow him, then he should at least be capable."
Silviana, ever composed, simply smiled. "Then that settles it," she said. "We're all tied together now, whether we like it or not."
Noah, who had barely processed the series of events himself, hesitated before speaking. "…I didn't expect this either."
The Blue Dragon, who had been watching everything unfold with an amused expression, suddenly grew thoughtful. He flicked his tail, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. "Hah. This is getting interesting…" His gaze lingered on Noah for a second longer before his usual grin returned.
The final dragon, the Blue Dragon, had been strangely quiet through all of this. But now, he suddenly let out a loud, amused laugh.
"Four soul contracts?!" he cackled, hovering closer to Noah. "You're not even a dragon, and yet you've somehow bound more of us than any other creature alive! That's hilarious!"
He circled Noah playfully before finally stopping, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Well, I guess I can't just sit this one out either, can I?"
Silviana raised an eyebrow. "You?"
"Of course!" The Blue Dragon puffed out his chest. "If these guys are joining in, then I might as well have my fun, too! Besides…" He tilted his head at Noah, his golden eyes gleaming with mischief. "I have a feeling things are going to get very interesting with you around."
He extended his claw toward Noah's forehead.
"I am Azura," he declared. "Let's make a contract."
Noah, still overwhelmed, let out a quiet chuckle—half in disbelief, half in resignation.
"…Fine."
Noah hesitated. This wasn't just a game choice where he could reload a save. Every time he spoke that single word—"Yes"—he felt something latch onto him, an invisible thread binding him to these beings far beyond his understanding. Was this really the right path?
With those words, the final contract was sealed.
For the first time in history, a human had formed a Soul Contract with all five dragons of the Great Kali Forest.
Azura stretched his wings lazily. "Well, this should be fun. Just don't go dying on us, alright? I don't feel like dragging a corpse around."
He smirked but gave Noah a look that was strangely serious for once—almost as if he was actually warning him.
To be continued -