The Jinn's Ten-Year Oath

Liora woke up to feed little Amo—

But his blanket was empty.

Her heart sank. She searched the whole house, her steps frantic, calling softly, "Amo? Amo?"

Nothing.

In desperation, she made a small cut on her palm and whispered, "Kale…"

Kale's voice stirred in her mind. "What happened?"

"Amo's missing," Liora said, voice tight. "He's gone."

"Don't panic," Kale replied, calm but alert. "Use the werewolf clone to track his scent. I'll send out the mosquitoes to search the city."

He paused, then added, "Our baby is special. He doesn't emit any spiritual energy. He's like a living black hole. That's why normal tracking doesn't work… but I just need to find where that void is and mosquito see with emmeted spiritual energy."

Liora know Magnar don't need protection.

They grow up alone.

Their bodies harder and faster than steel. Their minds resist illusion and fear. By the time they walk, most can kill. And yet… he still cries for me.

She had seen it firsthand: one of the girl in her new house had tried to lift Amo . But as soon as her hands touched the child, he stumbled—her arms sagging from invisible weight.But thankfully he make himself weigh less than normal baby.

> He can manipulate his body mass… make himself weigh less than a leaf, or heavier than a mountain. A survival instinct built into his very flesh.

But he is still a baby and don't know anything about kidnapping. If he fight from now he might be a killing weapon.When he grow up he will devour every leaving beings. Or absorb all spiritual energy.

Liora nodded grimly. She grabbed the cloned baby werewolf. Its nose twitched, already sniffing the air like a hound.

They moved quickly through the streets, alleys, and rooftops—following faint traces, but eventually, the trail went cold. No scent. No sign.

They reached a murky river at the forest's edge.

"Search the river," Liora said. "Use fish."

"I can't," Kale admitted. "Fish are almost blind. I don't have proper control."

"Then who can see in the river?"

Kale was silent for a moment. Then:

"I think we can do it. But I need more energy. Give me control of your hand—I can absorb through contact better."

Liora pulled out a pure magic stone and pressed it against her palm. "Fine. Control it now."

With a shimmer of light, Kale used her hand to cast a deep spell. A glowing magic barrier spread, parting the water like a curtain. The riverbed was exposed—stones, weeds, skeletons, glinting scales.

Suddenly, aggressive fish darted toward her—fangs bared, magic burning in their eyes.

Liora struck, fast and clean. One-handed, she sliced them apart with grace and fury.

While they searched, Kale's voice warned her, "Someone's coming. Hide—behind that rock."

A man trudged along the river's edge, checking something. They followed him silently. He moved toward a narrow path that disappeared into a cave.

They slipped in after him.

Inside, Liora readied her sword, tense. But as the man turned to light a torch, her arm moved without her will—Kale had taken control—and slashed his throat in one clean strike.

Liora gasped. "Why did you kill him?!"

Kale's voice was cold. "Because we found Amo. We don't need him."

"You used my hand."

"Others might be coming," Kale said. "We had no choice."

Liora couldn't argue.

Soon, three more men came down the tunnel. Kale whispered, "I'll shock them with soul power. You cut their necks."

Liora moved like a ghost through shadows. One by one, they fell.

Then another figure appeared—a man smoking quietly by a rock. Kale tensed. "He's strong. Almost as strong as us. On my count—attack with the sword talisman."

"Three…"

"Two…"

"One!"

Liora dashed in. The talisman flared, and her blade sliced deep into his throat.

Liora stood frozen, her sword still warm in her trembling grip. The kidnapper's body lay twisted at her feet, eyes wide with shock, a gash blooming red across his throat.

He had screamed.

And then gone silent.

Another man lay behind her, motionless. She didn't even remember landing the blow.

Her breaths came sharp and ragged. Her hands were shaking—worse than any time she'd faced nobles or spirits.

They were humans. Not monsters. Not demons.

Just... men.

She staggered back, pressing her back to the wall, her sword slipping from her fingers with a clatter.

> "They were going to sell Amo," she whispered aloud—to herself. "They were going to hurt him…"

But her voice wavered.

> Still, they were human.

Still, they bled when she cut them.

Still, she killed them.

Kale's voice emerged from the shadows of her mind, neither mocking nor kind. "You did what had to be done."

She didn't answer.

He continued softly, "I've killed more than you could count. But I remember the first too. It never leaves."

"I didn't want this," she muttered.

"You think I did?" Kale asked. "You think anyone chooses their first bloodshed? No. It's chosen for us. When the world draws its knife and points it at what you love."

Liora closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of blood splash on her boots, still wet. The smell was metallic. Real.

> Is this what it means to be strong?

To protect?

To become the very blade you once feared?

She looked toward the small passage where she had found Amo, curled in a basket, breathing softly—unaware of the violence echoing outside his dreams.

Her fists clenched.

> "If I have to kill again to keep him safe…"

"Then I will."

Her voice cracked, but it was steady.

Kale's silence was approval enough.

Kale controlled his mosquito scouts. "Another strong man is patrolling. We need to hide."

They waited behind crates for fifteen minutes. When the man finally left to check on the missing scouts, they crept forward.

Liora tried to open a large metal door but found it sealed.

"We can't break it," Kale muttered. "Let them come and open it themselves."

Just then, they heard voices behind the door.

A strong man entered, inspecting the children. "Everything seems normal… but someone's been here. Our people are dead. We've been found. Take the baby and move to Base Three."

They began migrating—moving the children and valuables through another path.

Liora whispered, "Can we rescue him now?"

Kale shook his head. "No. Not yet."

They followed them to the new base. As the enemies settled, Liora whispered, "If we can reach them, I can teleport the baby away."

Kale said seriously, "He could die from the shock of teleportation. I can only take Amo, not the others. And if you teleport without coordinates, I'll need power to shield us to avoid teleportation damage You'll have to give me the magic stone."

Liora stared at the stone. He's always negotiating, she thought bitterly. Yet he says he loves me.

Still… she agreed.

Kale and Liora temporarily merged their magic and spirit. She ran, reached the baby, and activated the teleportation spell.

On the other side, she stumbled out—holding Amo in her arms.

After retrieving Amo, Liora and Kale moved through the forest in silence, every twig snap like a blade to the spine. She carried the baby. Kale—still only a voice in her head—guided her with whispered warnings and flickers of soul sense.

But the truth was clear:

> They were nearly defenseless.

"We can't fight a beast," Liora said under her breath, eyes scanning the underbrush. "Not like this. My sword talismans are almost gone. And the teleportation ones... I used the last to save Amo."

Her hand moved to her pouch. A single low-grade concealment charm, frayed and already cracking from overuse. The rest were just useless papers now.With those she can't out run beast or say in defense forever.

Kale responded grimly. "I know. My clone's body is still growing. I can't channel full magic through it yet. If we face anything stronger than a wolf, we run."

"Run where?" Liora snapped, not with anger—but fear. "We don't even know where we are. We're outside the trade routes. This is beast territory."

The forest around them thickened. Even the moonlight struggled to pierce the canopy. Insects hummed like distant drums. Somewhere far off, a howl echoed.

A long, low growl followed.

> Something big was nearby.

Liora knelt, clutching Amo tighter. "We can't outrun that."

"I think they are fighting among themself. We have Opertunaty to escape." Kale said. "But not for long."

She looked down at the baby.

He didn't stir. Didn't cry.

Just... stared at her with glowing gray eyes, too ancient for his age.

> "He knows," she murmured. "He knows we're hunted."

Kale's voice was quiet. "He's a Magnar. He was born to survive."

Liora bit her lip. "And I wasn't?"

"You weren't," Kale replied softly. "But you're still here."

She run slowly according to kale's direction. while kale use mosquito to find a save route.Kale say it's safe to make a fire. Liora make a small fire and threw the used stone into the flames, watching it gives direction.

Then she activated a speed talisman and rushed home.

Liora sat beside him, arms wrapped around her knees. She wasn't just hiding a child. She was hiding a weapon the world would kill to control—or destroy.

> "You're not weak, Amo," she whispered. "But you are still… my baby."

Back at the bakery, something was off.

Kale didn't speak. His presence inside her felt distant—muted.

She gave food to Amo quietly, whispering, "We'll need to hide for a while."

She placed Amo in her magical storage space, but it felt strangely heavy now—like carrying a mountain.

To keep others from suspecting, she told her workers to post a notice:

---

Missing Baby

If anyone can return our child, you will receive 300 mid-grade magic stones.

Also recruiting: abandoned infants and children.

---

She filled her bathtub with water and dropped in a few low-grade magic stones. Then she lay down, exhausted and aching.

Liora remember what happened before.The cave stank of damp blood.

---Soon, crowds began to gather around the bakery—curious, hungry, and suspicious.

And among them…

The strong man from the river base stepped inside, eyes scanning every corner.