Arthur stood at the clad metal doors of the medical wing, pacing a short groove into the polished floor. His boots clicked, paused, clicked again—an anxious metronome in the sterile hush. A thin chemical chill breathed from the vents; somewhere beyond the double doors, soft filtration fans whispered like distant surf.

Suddenly the doors parted with a sigh.

"Please, come in," a gentle voice said, beckoning him inside.

Arthur stepped through.

"I'm Vivian, nice to meet you," she gestured.

He took in the room at a glance, then looked again. The office felt like an oasis stitched inside a clinic: oak seats with delicate carvings arranged in inviting angles; a luxurious leather sofa lounging in one corner, its buttery sheen a quiet rebellion against the corridor's clinical glare. At the center, an antique desk—ornate, timeworn, alive with character—was crowded with personal effects: a fountain pen with hairline cracks in the barrel, a silver-framed photo blurred by thumbprints, a dish of polished sea glass that caught and scattered the fish-tank light like small, tame stars.

Behind the desk, a built-in exotic aquarium stretched the length of the wall. Schools of bright fish drifted through fronds and stone arches, casting slow blue ribbons across the ceiling and floor; the water's gentle burble gave the room a pulse. The space felt inhabited, curated—a living room that remembered each footfall and softened it, like a patient confessional.

Vivian was the final note of composure. Mid-twenties, black hair tied in a neat bun with a few loose strands softening the line of her cheekbones; a black summer dress patterned with butterflies, sleeves loose to the elbow where she had them rolled, the fabric whispering between library and lab. She smiled—a practiced, human warmth.

"Nice to meet you," Arthur stuttered, sitting opposite her.

"Joseph informed about the details of the operation you took part in 6 months ago. I'll be blunt – I was tasked with handling your psychological evaluation to determine whether or not you will be able to return to the line of duty." Vivian explained, clasping her hands.

"I'm ready to return!" Arthur shouted.

Vivian's gaze dipped to her notepad, then back up.

"Why don't we establish some ground rules," Vivian smiled. "As long as you comply with what I'm asking you to."

"I'll do anything you ask of me!" Arthur exclaimed.

"Then please, tell me about yourself," she smiled warmly.

"My name, as you already know, is Arthur Dulley. I am contracted to an angel known as Excalibur," Arthur explained.

"Tell me what was your childhood like? Your parents who were they?" Vivian asked.

"My childhood," Arthur paused. "Well I can't remember much about my parents." He stated.

"Well, there had to be some parental figure in your life," Vivian remarked.

"There was one." Arthur lowered his gaze. "He was my older brother, Alvin. He was kind and strong. A contractor who was among the first to be hired by knights. He took good care of me. After our parents died I was just an infant. My older brother raised me on his own. Every morning he would wake up just to make me breakfast. He would take me to school, and paid for my tuition. And after school he would come pick me up, take me home and the return back to work. And after that, he would return home, cook dinner and help me with my homework."

Vivian's pen hovered. The aquarium light slid over Arthur's knuckles as he spoke, revealing faint scars like pale lines in old bark.

"I read in your file that you have no surviving family," Vivian stated. "What happened him?" she asked.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"When I was about ten years old. A demon was able to make it's way into the city. That day my brother didn't come to pick me up. Seeing as the evacuation order was issued, I decided to return home on my own. However, the demon had wondered into our neighborhood. It noticed and attacked, trying to devour me. My brother stepped in. He attacked it with all of his might, but he was just an invoke, there was no way for him to beat such a creature. My brother was pierced through the chest. I tried comforting him in his last moments but all he could do was wish he'd taken better care of me. That was when I awakened to my contract." Arthur explained.

"And what of the demon?" Vivian wondered.

"The stress from receiving a contract as such a young age made me pass out. When I came to I was already in a hospital bed. That being said the demon was slain. When I awakened a giant beam of light shot out into the sky alerting the execution squad to it's location. I later learned that the person who killed that demon was none other than X." Arthur smiled. "Honestly had I known that I would have never attacked him when we first met."

"Did you attack him because he was a demon? Is it why you became a knight?" Vivian asked.

"Yes, at the time I assumed all demons to be evil. From the moment I woke up from the hospital I set only one goal for myself – to exterminate all demons. Thanks to my legendary contractor status, the knights financed the remainder of my studies, and trained me from a young age. By the time I entered the Academy I was already working as a low rank knight. So, when I graduated as a valedictorian I was immediately placed into an advanced unit." Arthur sighed.

"Tell me about your time with the advanced unit," Vivian smiled.

"If I were to summarize it with one word, that word would be—long. I spent eight years with the advanced unit. I always wanted to become a special grade investigator, and when I joined I assumed the advanced unit was just a stepping stone. But I was wrong. For a while I tried getting promoted using merit points, but that only got me up to senior investigator. Four years after joining, I asked Joseph directly what I lacked. And you know what he told me? He said there isn't a single special grade who's unable to completely manifest their soul. It took me another three years to do that. And after another year of appealing, I finally reached my goal. I became an associate special grade investigator." Arthur paused. "And then I went and got beaten to a pulp by X."

"You're not the first." Vivian shook her head. "And you won't be the last." She exhaled, a measured breath that fogged the aquarium glass for a blink, then vanished.

"You might be right," Arthur giggled, the sound fraying into the leather-cushion creak beneath him. "Well, that sums up my background. Is there anything else you need to know?" he asked.

Vivian smiled. The fish behind her drifted like living commas, punctuating the pause.

"Now tell me about the operation leading up to your capture." She kept her tone warm, inviting the memory out gently, like teasing a thorn from skin.

"That's classified information," Arthur squinted.

Vivian lifted a case file from the desk and thumbed through crisp pages.

"Operation Undercity—upon the discovery of portals leading into an area known as the Undercity, an elite team was formed to infiltrate and disrupt the operations of whatever organization resided within." She looked up. "I have been permitted access," she said, a small, professional smile softening the words.

"Well, as long as you were permitted," Arthur cleared his throat. "It was just as you read. We were set to explore the Undercity. However, when we arrived, it was not at all what we expected. It wasn't a den for criminals. It was a city—people trying to survive. The city had guardians who ruled over its districts. After inspection, it became obvious that disrupting the operations of such a large settlement would be impossible. So we opted to attack and capture targets of leadership. In District 7, we found an identical copy of the Gun-Barrel and, upon further investigation, learned that the guardian resides within it. During our second excursion we were greeted at the entrance by the contractor codenamed Trickster. Joseph stayed behind to allow us to slip past. We entered the bar and started a commotion in hopes of attracting the guardian, a figure known as the Prowler. It worked, and when he tried to escape I went after him, and that's when I was captured," he recalled.

"How exactly did they capture you? Did they lead you into a trap?" Vivian asked.

"No," Arthur shook his head. "He simply hid his strength until he got me separated. Then he struck me down and brought me before the Contractor King. I can't quite recall what he looked like. It was like a dream. And when I woke up, I was standing outside a ditch in the middle of nowhere."

"So you can't recall the last six months you spent missing?" Vivian wondered.

"I don't remember anything," Arthur stated.

"I see," Vivian said, gaze tilting left as thought gathered behind her eyes. The aquarium cast a soft ripple over her cheekbones, blue light moving like quiet weather.

"Have you heard about what happened to your companions?" Vivian asked.

"Viktor died in action and Dalas was injured and is currently in a coma," Arthur said, clenching his fist.

"I was informed they were tracking the Prowler when it happened," Vivian added, voice lowering as if the walls might listen.

"Isn't that classified information?" Arthur wondered.

"Only when you leave my office," Vivian smiled. "Viktor was my client, you see, so it's a real shame hearing what happened."

"Thank you for telling me," Arthur said with a determined expression. "I assure you, I will do everything in my power to capture him."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.