Author's Preface
Chapter 4 — The Guardian
Kael couldn't sleep.
Every single time he closed his eyes, countless numbers drifted through the darkness.
Accompanied with whispers.
They hovered silently before fading away like a dream wave.
"...This is ridiculous, why can't I sleep."
"Haven't I seen enough..ughh."
He turned over for what he felt like was the hundredth time.
Luckily for him
Morning eventually arrived.
---
"Kael!"
His mother's voice echoed from downstairs.
"Look If you're planning on skipping breakfast again, don't blame me when you faint like a girl in class."
"I'm coming."
Kael dragged himself downstairs.
"Morning mum."
His younger sister was already eating while scrolling through reels on her phone.
That's always what she is good at.
She stares at him briefly.
"Morning, sleepyhead."
"...uhmm Morning."
First time, she gave him morning greetings.
He contemplates the reason behind her sudden change.
"Is she finally yielding to fact am older cause am masculine."
Kael reached out for a slice of bread.
Then...his vision blurred.
"Not again."
Above his mother...an eighth figure floated quietly
His sister wasn't left out just that hers was 0?
He froze"The numbers were here too."
His mother noticed him staring and stares at him meaningfully.
"What?"
"...Nothing."that was weird.
He quickly lowered his head to avoid further awkward moments.
His sister frowned.
"Kael Why are you looking at us like that?"
"I said it's nothing."
Out of embarrassment,he immediately swallowed the whole food without chewing them and rushed out of the dining table practically escaping the house.
His mom and sister exchange glances at his weird behavior and departure.
---
The sun was mild today.
The city as usual was lively...People rushed towards their daily activities
Children hurried to their respective classes.
Kael sighed.
"If only I could live a normal life."
"I'm definitely not normal anymore."
---
The lecture that morning was torture to kael.
It wasn't because of the subject...nor the lecturer.
But because he couldn't stop looking around.
Thirty students..thirty different numbers.
He tried jotting them down..but Nothing made sense.
One classmate yawned .
His number stayed the same.
Another borrowed a pen from her sit mate.
Nothing changed
But something gave him a little hint
A student known as dogo, lied about finishing an assignment.
The number above his head trembled slightly...then changed.
From twelve to thirteen.
Kael's pen stopped moving.
"It changed..."
His heartbeat quickened in anticipation.
"So they aren't fixed..."
---
By lunchtime, his head was pounding as headache made a torment out of him.
He decided to take some fresh air outside , it might help.
But rather...It made everything worse, no obvious improvement .
As he stepped into the courtyard...
He noticed an old man feeding the pigeons with bread crumbs.
"Weird."
The man wore Gray coat.
Held a Black cane.
And possessed Calm eyes.
The old man smiled at him faintly.
Kael politely nodded in return and quickly walked past him.
So his terrible day continued.
---
After buying a bottle of water to calm his hidden thirst, he sat beneath a cool shade spot of a tree.
Ten minutes later...
The same old man walked past him again.
Still carrying the same cane... smiling.
Kael muttered.
"...Coincidence."
"That should be so."
---
Classes ended early.
Cause today was Friday.
He stood on the road and waited for a ride
Under the hot scorch of the sun.
Beep.
A city bus stopped briefly as he stepped in
Tsss!!
the doors hissed shut.
He found an empty seat near the back.
Two stops later...Someone sat beside him.
Hold on ...
Gray coat.
Black cane.
The same old man.
Kael slowly turned his head.
"..."
The old man unfolded a newspaper.
But it exposed him.the newspaper was upside down.
Kael called out to him.
"...Sir."
No response came forth
"Sir..."
The old man calmly turned another page.
Still upside down.
Unable to hold it in any longer, Kael finally voiced out what he had to say.
"...You're reading it upside down."
The old man nodded thoughtfully.
"I know."
"...Then why?"
"So i wouldn't get distracted or disturbed."
Kael blinked.
"...That makes absolutely makes no sense."
Silence filled the space between them.
But The bus continued forward.
Finally...
The old man spoke with a hint of curiosity
"You've been staring at people's heads all day."
Kael's body stiffened like ice.
He slowly turned towards the old man.
"...Excuse me?"
"The numbers."
"They're distracting, aren't they?"
Kael's breathing stopped briefly."
"You..."
"You can see them?"
The old man folded the newspaper.
This time...he folded it right.
"I can."
For several seconds...Neither of them spoke.
Then Kael asked the only question that mattered.
"...Who are you?"
The old man extended a wrinkled hand.
"My name is Aster Venn."
"And believe me kid i've been looking for you since yesterday."
"You really gave me a little tough time."
Kael didn't shake his hand.
"...Why?"
Aster chuckled lightly.
"Because yesterday...You became a Debtor."
"Or should I say contracted."
Kael laughed nervously
"This is should be some kind of prank."
"No at all."
"In fact, You've been seeing Outstanding Balances."
" And also You've seen the Black Door."
The fake smile on Kael's face slowly disintegrated.
"...How do you know that?"
"Because I've observed hundreds of awakenings Kael."Aster answered calmly.
"But... honestly Yours was strange."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?"
"For a newly awakened Debtor..."
"You ask surprisingly few questions."
Kael leaned back both in satisfaction and hunger for more answers.
"Not really, i have like hundreds."
"Just for the sake of being non intrusive and secondly I just don't know where to start."
The old man broke into genuine laughter..
That's good boy , it means you still have your common sense intact."
The bus slowed to a stop.
Aster stood up while beckoning to kael.
"This is our stop."
"...Mine isn't."
"Well it is now."
Without waiting..the old man stepped off the bus.
Kael hesitates at first.
Every human part of him screamed to stay where he was.
Yet...Curiosity won.
He followed as well....The bus pulled away behind them vanishing towards the main roads end
They now stood before an ordinary five-storey apartment building.
It seemed abandoned .
Aster casually reached into his coat in search of something.
Kael instinctively leaned back expecting something dangerous
But Instead of a weapon...
The old man produced an old leather notebook.
He opened it..but Its pages were completely blank.
He placed a finger on one page.
Black ink slowly spread across it by itself.
Kael watched in amazement.
"This..."
"My Ledger."
Aster smiled faintly.
"Every awakened chooses how they interact with their Ledger."
Kael frowns.
"Communicate."
"The ledger has no shape...it simply takes the form it's owner understands best .
Some prefer books, others systems.."
"I once even met someone who used a deck of cards."
"It depends."
"
He turned the book toward Kael.
"Now then... shall we verify your registration."
Kael nodded nervously.
The page began writing by itself.
Name: Kael Adorin
Realm: Debtor
System: Contract System
Compatibility: 79%
Guardian: Aster Venn
Status: Stable
Aster nods in satisfaction.
"Looks normal to me."
Kael secretly sighed in relief.
Then...for less than a heartbeat...
Every word on the page vanished.
Replaced by:
ERROR
ACCESS DENIED
ADMINISTRATOR AUTHORITY DETECTED
Before Aster could notice..
The words distorted.
Like ink being washed away by strolls of water.
Aster tucked the Ledger back into his coat.
"Am also aware you probably got a thousand questions."
Kael gave a bitter smile.
"More than that."
"Good."
The old man turned toward the abandoned apartment building.
"Because bear it in mind that from this moment onward..."
"...your ordinary life is over."
He walked towards the building entrance.
Instead of opening the rusty gate...
He placed his palm against empty air.
Ripples spread outward slightly changing the atmosphere.
The space before them became a bit out of balance like disturbed water.
Black chains slowly emerged from nothingness of the void.
One after another...they wrapped themselves around an enormous obsidian door.
Kael's pupils widened in both awe and fear.
"...The Black Door...So it wasn't hallucination."
Aster didn't give an answer, He looked at Kael."For ordinary people..this is an abandoned building."
"But for we Debtors..."
He placed his hand upon the cold black chains.
"This...is where Contracts begin."
As if responding to him...the chains clinked softly.
The Black Door slowly creaked open.
Only darkness waited beyond the other side.
Aster stepped inside without hesitation as though it was a walk in the park.
He didn't even mind looking back.
"Come."
"If you think you are brave enough."
Kael stared at the endless darkness behind the door...his instincts screamed at him to run.
His curiosity became louder.
After a long silence of decision...
He clenched his fists .
"...hey old man wait for me..What the hell."
He takes a step forward..