The Bookkeeper
Chapter 80: Dream 4

Chapter 80: Dream 4

Dawn had barely broken, the early morning light throwing shadows onto the building while Raiden and Soul shadowboxed in front of the house.

Raiden stood bare-chested, his muscled torso exposed as he embraced the day’s chill, while Soul mirrored his movements in her black turtleneck, enchanted stickers adorning her hair and skin.

Raiden shivered with every strike he threw into the air. He was growing weak, and he knew it. Trembling in temperatures barely below six degrees, when he used to train in subzero conditions each morning in his past life. He needed to reconnect with the cold once more.

It wasn’t long before he paused and looked at Soul. Even with her hands and stomach exposed to the cold air, she didn’t appear to be struggling the way he was.

His expression turned grim. "Do you not feel the cold?"

Soul’s expression remained soft. "I don’t get cold..."

"What?" Her response caught Raiden off guard.

"Um..." she said quietly, "since my crest turned black, my body has stayed warm."

"Really?"

She gave Raiden a gentle nod.

Raiden gave her a subtle expression as they both began their training anew. He wondered if it was her mana or perhaps some other magical force, given that she hadn’t obtained her corrupt crest through the usual means—by consuming devil milk. But he held back from asking; she might be just as uncertain.

Not long after they resumed their training, Freya burst outside with a huge smile on her face. Her dark hair was scattered as if she’d just rolled out of bed.

"Raiden, can I speak to you?" He muttered as she tried to catch her breath.

Raiden was confused because ever since she’d recovered a memory, the only times he’d seen a genuine smile on her face were when she bargained with Speed to help her in exchange for restraining and stabilizing seals, and when she got the chance to torture the knights before their battles with the FIRMO assassins.

But this smile seemed more natural compared to the others. Raiden then stopped training and excused himself from Soul.

Freya motioned for them to walk a bit farther from Soul. "There’s something you have to know."

Raiden gestured for her to continue.

"I had a dream today, about the arch hell phoenix."

Raiden’s expression darkened. The title sounded familiar, and he had heard a creature call themselves that before, but who?

It didn’t take long for his eyes to widen in realization. It was Freya herself during her fight with Axel, from the Jasper family. The moment before she burned him to a crisp.

"As it turns out, Free is an arch hell phoenix."

Raiden narrowed his eyes slightly. That much was obvious because when she spoke during the fight, she didn’t sound human, and it being her familiar was the only logical possibility. But still, there was a little confusion.

"What is that?"

Freya’s smile widened. "I don’t really know. I’ve been dreaming, and each time I find myself in this hell."

A sudden chill shot through his spine. He had been having similar dreams, which his familiar Ash called Bloom. He’d thought he was the only one, at least something connected to Ash alone.

"There were flames everywhere, and for some reason, I never got burnt."

Raiden’s expression fell in disappointment. There were no flames where Ash led him, just darkness and shadows.

"I think I will be Free in this manner. I don’t want to conjure him out of mana or even resurrect him." She giggled lustfully. "This is best."

Raiden gave her a lazy look. "And why are you telling me this?"

Her obsessive expression disappeared in an instant, and she locked eyes with Raiden. "Free wanted me to tell you that the arch hell phoenix is at your service."

Raiden’s expression became more listless. "Weren’t you the same person who said you didn’t want to be considered a servant?"

"These aren’t my words; they’re from Free, and he was quite serious about it." Her voice became steady. "He believed this information would be relevant to you."

The information was more confusing than relevant. He believed Free wanted to speak with Ash directly, and since Free possessed her heart and soul, he had confused the two of them. But Free knew nothing about Ash, which meant the information would be even more irrelevant if delivered to Ash.

"I don’t understand what’s going on, but okay?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Can you get more information about this for me?"

Freya shook her head, her expression dimming as she began a practiced sobbing. "He said he would meet me again when the time is right..."

Raiden slapped his forehead in disbelief. What kind of people had he contracted with? Why was she this oblivious? At least she should have asked more questions.

Raiden let out a sigh. "Okay... I’ve heard you."

Her expression was truly saddened this time as she began playing with her fingers. "Have you heard about Levi?" She failed to meet Raiden’s eyes. "It’s been a while. Should I go and save them?"

Raiden was confused by her sudden shyness, but it had been two days since he met with the high court to discuss the bloodline ritual, and he still hadn’t heard anything. Worse, his agreement with Alex still stood, and he had less than three days to comply.

He reached for his pocket, touched Alex’s family badge, and smirked. "Don’t worry, someone will be bringing them soon."

Freya’s expression shifted in an instant. "Well, I’m leaving."

Raiden stared at her as she walked away, still confused about her sudden mixed emotions. But he shrugged it off, and to his surprise, Soul had already left, probably because they’d been taking too long.

Raiden then tilted his head upward in frustration. He had been trying to ignore his confusion about Ash for quite a while, at least until he received a response from the high court and Alex had honored their agreement.

But now, Freya’s words reopened the wound, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. What exactly was Ash? Not a primordial dragon or any known dragon species for that matter—so what?

This wasn’t about loyalty or trust; even sometimes the strongest relationships shivered when there were too many secrets. He needed to understand.

He let out a sigh and glanced left, where the grassy field lay.

"Bloom." He muttered.

Everything within a twenty-meter radius turned into a dark, smoky sensation—the grass, the earth, even the air and sky—but it barely lasted a second.

Ever since he was introduced to this by Ash, he had tried over and over to get it to last longer, but there was no luck. Worse, Ash had been sleeping for quite a while now. She would wake for a brief few minutes and sleep again—no meals, nothing.

And now the arch hell phoenix has a message?

Whenever this got this complicated, he began to remember why he was still with her: to return back to his world and nothing more. So if this was the price he had to pay for that to happen, then so be it.

He stretched his body with a lazy yawn. "Not easy to tolerate, but for the sake of home..." He smiled.