ushernet Chapter 33
Chapter 33
A girl’s heart is a mystery, an enigma more difficult to unravel than... well, let’s just say it’s complicated.
Adele, her attention shifting from the fading ice-blue magic to Celeste’s face, noticed the determined expression on the golden-haired girl’s face, a resolve that seemed to radiate from her very being.
And then... a ball of pure fire magic, crackling and swirling, erupted in Celeste’s palm, its chaotic energy a reflection of her inner turmoil.
The light danced across her face, illuminating her features with an ethereal glow. And around it, unseen by Adele, a torrent of mental energy swirled, draining Celeste’s mental reserves, pushing her to her limits.
It wasn’t the kind of oppressive mental pressure that Adele had experienced with Dorothy and Hermione. This was something... different. Refined, focused, almost... gentle?
Adele, instead of feeling threatened, felt a surge of curiosity.
What is she doing?
She had no idea. She was, after all, a complete novice when it came to magic and elemental manipulation. It was a major disadvantage of transmigrating into this world without inheriting the original Adele’s memories, her accumulated knowledge.
Besides, Celeste’s role in the original novel had been relatively minor, her story arc quickly resolved. There wasn’t much to draw from her memories.
And Adele was sure it wasn’t just her faulty memory. This... this was something new, something that hadn’t happened in the original story.
She wanted to ask, to understand what was happening, what Celeste was trying to achieve. But seeing Celeste struggle, her face pale, sweat dripping from her chin, her body trembling with exertion... Adele couldn’t bring herself to interrupt.
She watched in silence, her curiosity battling with a growing sense of unease.
After what felt like an eternity, the torrent of mental energy subsided, flowing into the ball of fire magic, transforming it, shaping it, until it pulsed with a steady, golden light.
Celeste, drained but exhilarated, her voice a breathless whisper, called out to Adele.
“Adele... quickly... infuse it with your mental energy.”
There was no hint of resistance in her voice, no fear of Adele’s touch. Even though Adele’s mental energy was weak, insignificant compared to her own, Celeste welcomed it, craved it.
The golden sphere pulsed with a gentle warmth, its chaotic energy subdued, its flames extinguished.
“B-But... I don’t know how!” Adele exclaimed, her voice a mixture of panic and embarrassment. Celeste, you know I’m a Sequence Five! My mental energy is practically nonexistent! How am I supposed to...
Besides, as a transmigrator, she lacked the knowledge, the training, that the original Adele had possessed. She would need weeks, maybe even months, of intensive study to even begin to understand the intricacies of magic, of mental manipulation.
Celeste bit her tongue, hard, the pain a welcome distraction from the wave of dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her. She should have known better. Adele wasn’t capable of such advanced techniques.
This... this was all she could offer Adele.
Hermione could never do this. Could she?
She had accepted Adele, her magic, her essence, her very being. She had allowed Adele to become her master, her ruler.
In ancient times, this ritual had been known as the “First Embrace,” a brutal act of dominance, a forced submission achieved through blood and magic. The vampire, taking advantage of their victim’s weakened state, would drain their blood, then use their mental powers to break their defenses, to invade their mind, to... tame them.
They would leave their mark, their magic, within their victim’s body, a permanent reminder of their subservience. Any attempt at defiance would result in excruciating pain, a backlash of magic that could cripple, even kill.
But times had changed. The ritual had been refined, its methods less barbaric, its purpose... well, it depended on who you asked.
It was now known as a “spiritual contract,” a binding agreement between two souls, a pact sealed with magic. And to ensure compliance, to prevent rebellion... they used “magic crests.”
It was still a form of magical branding, a way to mark their property. But thanks to the ingenuity of a certain vampire, who had borrowed techniques from the succubus race, the process had become... more subtle, more insidious.
The magic crest wasn’t just a mark of ownership, but a tool of manipulation, a way to subtly influence the victim’s thoughts, their emotions, their very sense of self. It was a slow, insidious form of brainwashing, a way to ensure complete and utter submission.
Celeste, who had secretly learned this forbidden art, this ancient ritual that was now banned by the academy... she had performed it on Adele.
Her eyes, glazed with a mixture of exhaustion and bliss, settled on the mark on her abdomen, the warmth of Adele’s magic a constant reminder of their bond.
Adele’s magic wasn’t forceful, demanding. It was gentle, comforting, like a warm embrace.
She felt a shift within her, a tightening of the bond between her and Celeste, a sense of... control? She didn’t understand, but she couldn’t deny the feeling.
“What... What does this mean, Celeste?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. “What did you do to me? I just... I need to know.”
Celeste’s gaze met hers, her eyes burning with an intensity that sent shivers down Adele’s spine.
“I just... atoned for my sins,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “From this day forward, Adele... I am yours.”
“What... What!?”
Celeste’s expression was serious, her gaze unwavering. She took Adele’s hand in hers, her lips brushing against her skin, leaving a trail of kisses from her wrist to her fingertips.
Each kiss sent a jolt of heat through the magic crest on her abdomen, a physical manifestation of her submission, her surrender.
“Adele... may I call you... Master?” she asked, her voice barely audible.
“Please... allow me... to be your dog.”