Lysia froze for a beat, then decided this was simply his idea of revenge for her earlier joke about him being a demon.
She burst out laughing. "...Haha. Good one. Really got me. Now open the portal."
"Did my words fail to reach you?" Athanor said, cold as ever. "I told you I cannot do it."
"The reason being that doing so would breach our contract. It states plainly that you are to train under my guidance for five years. And under my guidance means this land, since I am forbidden from setting foot in your world."
He went on, utterly unhurried. "Any attempt to breach that contract results in your death. And as I have sworn to safeguard your life, your death would drag mine along with it."
"And lastly, opening a portal is nowhere near as simple as you imagine. It is a one-time thing, spent as a choice. Whether you wish your slave to aid you here in Luminera, or to remain in the mortal realm to spy on it, or to carry out some task there."
