ShadowBound: The Need For Power

Mabel's lips pressed into a firm line, her sharp eyes scanning Liam—not just his weapon, but his posture, the rhythm of his breathing, the unsettling calm in his expression. It wasn't arrogance. No, this was something far more dangerous.

It was certainty.

With a faint shimmer, her Invisibility spell dissolved like dust caught in wind. Her dark ponytail shifted with the motion as she stepped forward. Her arms hung relaxed at her sides, but every inch of her frame was coiled with silent tension.

"Was there a reason for that stunt?" she asked, voice low and edged with steel. "You just attempted to strike a member of the Queen's Corps. That's not something taken lightly."

Liam tilted his head slightly, unbothered. "Attempted?" he echoed. "Tell me—how exactly does a high-tier 5-star threaten a mid-tier 7-star? Does that even make sense to you?"

Mabel blinked once. He was right—and more impressively, he'd assessed her strength in a single glance using Mystsense.

"If you're going to feel threatened, let it be from real power—not from assumptions," Liam continued, voice as even as ever. "And if a statement like that unsettles you, maybe the Queen's Corps isn't where you belong."

Mabel's jaw clenched. She knew exactly what he was doing—using her own pride against her. Still, she couldn't bring herself to be angry. It wasn't every day a child spoke so freely—so confidently—to someone of her status.

"You're right," she said at last, her voice steady beneath the half-mask. "Poor choice of words on my part."

Liam didn't respond.

"So tell me," she went on, "how long did you know I was up there?"

"The moment Her Majesty left," he replied after a pause, his tone cool and matter-of-fact. "She assigned you to keep an eye on me. I get it. But I personally have a thing against Invisibility. It just pisses me off knowing someone can't see is watching.

"Feels like a threat. And I don't respond well to threats."

A silence settled between them—thick, but not hostile.

Then Mabel let out a small breath of dry amusement. "Your senses are sharp," she admitted. "Most can't even tell I'm there, let alone pinpoint me and strike. And no one throws a javelin at something they can't see."

"Yeah, yeah. Save the commentary," Liam said, waving his free hand in a dismissive arc. "I didn't throw it for applause."

'Can this kid be any more arrogant?' Mabel thought, already exasperated.

"So then," she asked, her voice even but eyes sharp, "why did you attack me?"

Liam's answer came without hesitation. "First, to gauge the strength of a Queen's Corps knight. And I have to say—your reaction time was impressive. Reminded me of one of my instructors."

"Okay… second reason?" Mabel asked, a hint of impatience in her voice.

"To fight you, of course," Liam said casually, as if stating the weather forecast.

Mabel blinked. "What? Are you straight in the head?"

"Perfectly. Never been straighter," Liam replied with that same flat, almost comedic calm.

"And besides," he added, "don't you think just beating up training dummies—great for practicing force but not exactly precision—won't help me develop nearly as fast?"

'Develop?' Mabel raised a brow. 'Is he seriously saying what he's doing right now isn't development enough?'

She sighed, her voice clipped. "Frankly, I don't care what you think you need. My assignment is to watch over you—nothing more, nothing less. So if you'll excuse me, I'll get back to doing just that."

She turned, preparing to reactivate her Invisibility spell.

But Liam's voice stopped her cold.

"You know… letting you walk away is going to be a slight problem."

She paused, glancing back over her shoulder. "And why's that?"

"You now know something no one else should," Liam said, idly spinning his glowing javelin. "That I'm a dark magic user."

Mabel let out a faint chuckle behind her mask, then turned fully to face him again. "Oh? And if I do know… what exactly are you going to do about it?"

Liam stopped spinning the javelin. A small, unreadable smile tugged at his lips. "Kill you, of course. What other reliable way is there to keep someone quiet?"

Mabel studied him for a long moment. 'So I was right… this kid has definitely taken Tactical Espionage. And he's not just in the class—he embraces it.'

"Well, I'll give you credit," she said at last. "Whoever's training you is doing one hell of a job. But there's no need to worry about your precious secret. Queen Lucy already informed me. And honestly? I couldn't care less about your affinity. Not my business."

She turned again, beginning to channel her spell.

"Yeah, I already figured that," Liam said casually.

Mabel paused. "Huh?"

"I mean, it wasn't hard to put together. Her Majesty told me this was a safe space to use dark magic. If she assigned you to watch me, it stands to reason she told you about it too."

Mabel turned back to him slowly, her eyes narrowing behind the mask. "Then why say you'd kill me for knowing your secret?"

Liam smirked. "Because I don't believe people should carry my secrets unless they've earned that right. Whether Queen Lucy told you or not, it's my secret. And if I decide someone isn't worthy of knowing it, well… killing them is just due diligence. Wouldn't you agree?"

His tone was eerily calm, almost too calm.

'This kid…' Mabel narrowed her eyes, watching Liam. 'He knows there's a massive gap in our strength, yet he speaks like he's already at the level of an 8-star mage. '

She could tell—this wasn't just bravado. Liam wasn't going to let her walk away unless she accepted his challenge.

And even though she knew he didn't truly mean to kill her, something about his presence unsettled her. The weight behind his words, the cold certainty in his eyes—it wasn't an act. He wasn't bluffing.

'Damn it… he just Ascended to a high-tier 5-star. So why does he radiate this kind of pressure?' she thought, her gaze locked with Liam's detached, emotionless stare. 'I'm a 7-star mage. This shouldn't be happening.'

After a long pause, Mabel exhaled slowly. "Fine. I'll spar with you. On one condition."

"Took you long enough," Liam said, the edge in his expression easing just slightly.

"Queen Lucy can't know about this," Mabel said firmly. "If she does, I'm finished."

"I can't promise that," Liam replied calmly, "since she'll definitely return to check on me. But if she finds out, I'll take responsibility and say I forced you into it."

He tilted his head slightly. "That's fair enough, right?"

Mabel studied him for a beat, then gave a quiet nod. "You better keep your word, kid."

"I always do."

Without another word, Mabel stepped toward the center of the hall where Liam still stood, his javelin glowing faintly in his grasp. They stopped just a few paces apart.

Mabel met his gaze. "Let's keep this quick."

Liam raised a brow. "You sure you don't want to take off the lower half of that mask? Not that I care, but I'd hate for your intentions to be lost in muffled muttering. Wouldn't want you using 'restricted breathing' as an excuse."

"Just shut up and start," Mabel replied flatly, assuming a calm, fluid stance. One hand extended forward, the other resting lightly near her hip. Her fingers were relaxed, open—not clenched like a typical brawler's.

'Interesting...' Liam thought, tightening his grip on the javelin. 'First time seeing that form. I might just memorize her technique and dissect it later.'