Boundless Evolution: The Summoning Beast
Chapter 57: Reporting To Bennet

Chapter 57: Reporting To Bennet

Ash’s gaze darkened slightly as his thoughts spiraled deeper. If he had this freedom, did that mean he was no longer a summon in the traditional sense? Or was this simply a trick of Aether, a side effect of his contract? His claws flexed absently against his arms as a quiet thought slipped into his mind—a whisper of something unsettling.

If I can leave whenever I want... What does that make me?

And then, amidst the storm in his mind, his mind suddenly flicked toward the feline summon. The contrast between them became painfully clear.

The feline had no choice. It had no contract, no bond, nothing tethering it to this world except the temporary grace of Aether. When its time was up, it would simply disappear, pulled back into Aegaryn with no say in the matter.

His ears flicked, and he turned back to Bennet. "And what about the feline?"

Bennet leaned back, following Ash’s gaze toward the creature resting in the shadows, its golden eyes half-lidded yet watchful. "It’s not meant for us," he admitted. "But as long as it remains in Terranis, we will take care of it. However, it is not going to be placed under a contract like you."

Ash’s tail flicked. "So when its five days are up... it’ll be sent back?"

Bennet nodded, his expression firm but measured. "Yes. When the time comes, the summon will return to Aegaryn. That is an unavoidable rule of its existence here. Unlike you now, it has no ties to this world—no contract, no anchor."

Ash absorbed that information, his tail flicking as his mind drifted elsewhere. He had intended to test Realm Passage, to see exactly how it worked...

But something tugged at his thoughts, he still had something that he wanted to ask.

Ash hesitated for a moment, before raising his head and speaking to Bennet, ’Something was off at the funeral...’

Bennet’s attention sharpened instantly. "Go on."

Ash began, his voice steady, ’One of the lanterns... it didn’t float like the others. At first, I thought it was nothing, just a trick of the wind, but the way it moved... It was deliberate. Almost like it was being guided by something—or someone.’

Bennet’s brow furrowed slightly, skepticism flashing in his expression, "A lantern moving oddly during a funeral? Sounds like a coincidence more than anything significant."

Ash was not perturbed at Bennet’s response as he immediately responded, ’That’s what I thought at first, but something about it just didn’t sit right with me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t moving randomly. So, I followed it. And I kept following it until it drifted all the way to the middle zone of the city... and then, suddenly, it began to descend.’

Bennet’s skepticism faded slightly, replaced by a flicker of curiosity. His arms remained crossed, but his eyes sharpened, "Alright, continue."

Ash took a breath, steadying his thoughts. ’The lantern kept moving until it reached a noble estate. It wasn’t just drifting anymore—it floated directly onto the property, like it was meant to be there.’

Bennet’s gaze sharpened further, "Which house?"

Ash frowned, shaking his head, ’I don’t know. I didn’t recognize it. But...’

He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the details, ’There was a crest carved into the gates. A raven with outstretched wings perched atop a broken shield, its talons gripping the remnants of a shattered blade.’

Bennet’s fingers stopped tapping. His expression shifted slightly as he leaned back, a sigh escaping him.

"House Valtair," he muttered as a confused look appeared on his face.

Ash’s ears flicked. ’So you know them.’

"Everyone in Westreach knows them," Bennet replied, his tone neutral. "The Valtairs are well-respected. They have a long-standing reputation for fairness, efficiency, and maintaining order within their sphere of influence. If the lantern ended up on their estate, it was either an elaborate mistake or something incredibly discreet. They aren’t the type to engage in open deception, and if they were involved, they would ensure there were no loose ends."

Bennet’s fingers tapped lightly against the desk before he looked at Ash again, "And what happened with the lantern once it arrived there?"

Ash absorbed that, his tail flicking thoughtfully, ’The lantern floated to a window and stayed floating there for a split second before the window opened. A figure emerged from the shadows. I think they were expecting the lantern.’

Bennet’s gaze sharpened, "Expecting it?"

Ash nodded, ’They didn’t hesitate and immediately reached out for it. The moment the lantern stopped, their hand reached forward and took something from it. I couldn’t see what it was, but as soon as they retrieved it, the lantern just... turned normal. Like nothing had ever been strange about it.’

Bennet leaned back, fingers tapping against the desk as he processed Ash’s words. His brows knitted together as he muttered, ’What could possibly be inside a lantern that needed to be delivered that way? Something small, but important enough to be concealed and moved in plain sight.’

His eyes narrowed, the weight of another unsolved piece adding to his already growing list of problems. ’If House Valtair has nothing to hide, then why would someone be receiving a secret delivery in the middle of the night?’

His eyes narrowed, the weight of another unsolved piece adding to his already growing list of problems. He leaned back slightly, fingers tapping against the desk in a rhythmic pattern as his mind worked through the layers of uncertainty. There had been rumours of a group of secretive people moving around the city at night past the curfew. And while they had yet to do anything wrong or commit any crimes, their existence brought a deep troubling feeling to his mind and every time he tried to track them down, they had always managed to escaped.

Could this event be linked to them? Could this lantern delivery be part of something bigger?

Considering the possibility, Bennet exhaled slowly, pressing his fingers to his forehead, "Fantastic. More problems to deal with."

His voice was edged with exhaustion as he leaned forward again, "I hope nothing big happens until the Coming of Age Ceremony."

Ash, sensing Bennet’s struggle, let the silence settle for a moment before he straightened slightly, ’Do you need me to do anything about this?’

Bennet exhaled, shaking his head, "Not right now, the city’s manpower and attention is spread too thin already. Our first priority is the Coming of Age Ceremony, especially with Lucas attending. This is a once in a lifetime thing for him so it must be perfect."

’Oh, I see,’ Ash’s ears perked slightly at that, ’When is it?’

Bennet glanced at the clock on the wall before answering, "Three days from now. And with everything happening, I have my hands full ensuring that everything goes smoothly."

A small glimmer of hope and expectation appeared on Bennet’s eyes as he then added a comment, "I have high hopes for Lucas that he will reveal amazing affinities that are even more astounding than ever recorded in the history of this family."

Suddenly, Ash’s body tensed slightly, a strange unease exploded into his mind. The Coming of Age Ceremony. He remembered it and recollected a memory of something unpleasant through him, something familiar and horrible.

The ritual. The chanting. The cold, unyielding stone beneath his body. The reason why he was put in the ritual was because of the ceremony.

He could still feel the phantom weight of being immobilised on the cold stone floor, the suffocating grip of something far greater than himself tightening around his very being.

He clenched his jaw, shaking the thought away, forcing himself to focus on the present. But the feeling lingered, gnawing at the edges of his thoughts like a persistent shadow.

Bennet, noticing the shift in Ash’s expression, gave him a long, considering look before exhaling, "That’s why I want you there, standing beside Lucas. Not just as a summon—but as his protector."

Ash blinked, the weight of those words momentarily pushing back the creeping unease, ’You want me... guarding him?’

Bennet nodded, ’Lucas will be exposed during the ceremony, and with everything that’s been happening, I don’t want to take chances. You’ll be at his side—watching, listening, ensuring that nothing goes wrong.’

Ash hesitated, his tail flicking as he processed it all. The request made sense, but it also meant stepping into a ceremony that dredged up a past he wasn’t ready to face.

He forced himself to take a slow breath, trying to push down the unease curling in his chest. This wasn’t the same as before—he wasn’t trapped, he wasn’t powerless. He had a choice now. And he owed it to himself to face it.

I have to do this, he told himself, convincing himself more than anything else. It’s different this time.

But the lingering weight of memory still clung to him. His body felt restless, his instincts screaming for space, for distance—

He needed to retreat, if only for a moment.

The thought settled quickly, and before he knew it, he was already speaking, ’Before the ceremony... I want to go to Aegaryn for a bit.’

Bennet studied him for a long moment before giving a short nod, "That’s fine. I’ll resummon you when it’s time for the ceremony."

A small smirk formed on Ash’s lips, ’Actually, there is no need to do that. There’s something I want to try.’