CHAPTER 33: BLOOD OATH

Seraphyne’s voice was calm, but each word struck like a blade honed by memory. "The only way an Esper can be with another Esper is by using an illegal drug. That man used it on me. When I conceived Ci-er, he had overdosed me with it. That’s why my son is sick now."

Yu Xi’s breath caught. The weight of her words pressed against his chest.

She stared at him, her gaze unwavering. "Given my story, I am sure you understand why I am telling you this. I worry that even if there was a chance you two would be together, what effect would your clash in psychic power have on my son? Yu Xi... I can’t afford to lose as much time as I have left with him already."

Yu Xi lowered his eyes, his thumb rubbing against his palm so hard it began to redden and peel. The pain grounded him, but it didn’t ease the ache in his chest.

"If you know you can’t control your feelings," Seraphyne continued, "then walk away now. Don’t take the blood oath. Violating it will cost you your life. You can still live far from this world, far from political strife... A better life."

She truly believed he would leave.

But Yu Xi raised his head. "I will take the blood oath. I... I have no intentions of disclosing my feelings." Just being beside him was enough.

Seraphyne studied him for a long moment. The tension in her shoulders eased, though her expression remained unreadable.

"Very well," she said at last, her voice softer now, touched by something that might have been sorrow or respect.

"Before we proceed," she said, her voice calm but resolute, "I would like for you to understand what a blood oath truly entails. If you change your mind after reading it, you may leave. The conditions Jian Rui offered will still stand, but you will have to stay away from Jian Ci. You will also be monitored for the safety of those around you."

Yu Xi nodded, though his heart had already decided. He would give anything to remain by Jian Ci’s side.

His communicator buzzed. A floating screen unfolded before him, casting a soft glow across his face. He began to read.

In Varelia, blood oaths were sacred psychic contracts governed by the Celestial Mandate. They came in varying degrees of severity. Lesser oaths bound silence, loyalty, or protection. But the most extreme, known as the Mandated Blood Oath, demanded absolute obedience.

Violation resulted in instant death through psychic rupture. These oaths were sealed with the bearer’s blood and monitored by the Mandate itself, an ancient force that ensured compliance.

Yu Xi read every word carefully. When he looked up, Seraphyne was already watching him. She saw the answer in his eyes.

She didn’t want to do this. Not to someone who had already endured so much. But Yu Xi was unwavering.

"I still would like to proceed," he said.

Seraphyne rose, her expression unreadable but firm. She chose the Mandated Blood Oath. It was not cruelty, it was necessity. Bringing Yu Xi into their inner circle meant exposing him to every classified operation, every hidden truth. If he ever betrayed them, her sons’ lives would hang in the balance. She would not take that risk. Not again. Not ever.

***

Yu Xi stood before her, the room cloaked in silence. The air was thick with reverence and something colder—finality. The glow from the crystalline panels above cast pale light across his face, but it did nothing to warm the chill settling in his chest.

Seraphyne’s voice broke the stillness, steady and grave. "You, Yu Xi, hereby swear upon the Celestial Mandate that you shall never betray the Jian brothers, myself, or any organization affiliated with our name for the remainder of your life. You shall not disclose your feelings for Jian Ci, regardless of circumstance, temptation, or suffering. This oath shall remain binding until I or Jian Rui amend it. Do you understand?"

Yu Xi nodded once, his expression unreadable. "I do."

Seraphyne gestured to the table beside the altar. A ceremonial knife lay there, its blade etched with ancient sigils that shimmered faintly in the dim light. "Then take the blade."

Yu Xi stepped forward and picked it up. The metal was cool against his skin, the weight as heavy as the oath he was about to seal.

Seraphyne turned and led him to the altar. It was smaller than the one in the High Celestial Court, but no less sacred. Carved from obsidian and moonstone, it stood like a sentinel of judgment. At its center, a shallow bowl waited, its surface smooth and dark, like a mouth ready to drink.

She opened her mouth to instruct him. "Just prick your-"

But Yu Xi had already drawn the blade across his palm, deep and deliberate. The cut was clean, purposeful. His face remained blank, unreadable, but the way he held the knife spoke volumes. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t hesitate.

Seraphyne blinked, a flicker of surprise breaking through her composure. "You didn’t have to cut that much."

Yu Xi looked down at his bleeding hand, as if only now registering the crimson pooling in his palm. "Oh."

He stepped forward and squeezed his hand, letting the blood drip into the obsidian bowl at the center of the altar. The moment the first drop touched the stone, the fluid ignited, not with fire, but with light. A soft, golden blaze rose from the bowl, casting flickering shadows across the room walls like ancient spirits dancing in silence.

Above the altar, a floating screen flickered to life. Lines of glowing script unfurled, the oath written in the language of the Celestial Mandate. As the final drop of blood fell, the text shimmered and sealed itself with a resonant chime that echoed through the chamber.

Seraphyne watched, her expression unreadable, then gave a single nod. "It is done. Jian Rui will help you curate an identity in Virelia. He will give you further instructions."

Yu Xi lowered his hand. The pain was already fading, eclipsed by the gravity of what he had just sworn. The oath was sealed and there was no turning back.

"Okay," Yu Xi replied quietly.

Seraphyne nodded. "You can leave. They are probably serving breakfast."

Yu Xi turned to go, but her voice stopped him. "Wait."

He turned back, eyes steady.

"Don’t tell Ah-Ci about this," she said, her tone gentle but firm.

Yu Xi gave a faint smile. "I know what to say and what not to say."