The moment the young man spoke Noah's name, his head flew from his shoulders. His body hit the floor with a dull thud.
Ari froze. Her small hands trembled before she clung tightly to Noah from behind, hiding her face against his back.
The room fell silent for a few heartbeats — until footsteps echoed through the hall. Guards stormed in, weapons drawn. What they saw made them hesitate: a crying girl in Noah's arms… and a headless corpse on the floor.
Their eyes locked onto Noah.
"Who are you?" one of them demanded.
Noah looked calm, almost gentle, his hand resting on Ari's shoulder. "I'm my master's summon," he said quietly.
The guards exchanged uneasy glances but didn't argue. They brought him before the family head — Christian Ares, Ari's father and the lord of the estate.
Christian studied Noah carefully from behind his desk, his eyes sharp and suspicious. Ari stayed close to Noah's side, still shaken but unwilling to let go of him.
"Well, if it isn't you, Fool," Christian said, rising from his desk. His voice carried a mix of surprise and irritation. "Three hundred years since you last walked this world… and now my daughter has gone and revived you — the walking disaster himself."
He studied Noah carefully. "Still, it seems you killed the assassin who came for her. I'll overlook the rest for now. I assume you'll be protecting your new master, Fool?"
Christian's tone made it clear he was already planning to use Noah as his daughter's personal guard. After all, who could possibly defeat him?
"My name is Noah," he replied calmly. "And yes, my only intention is to protect my master from any future threats."
Christian nodded slowly, leaning back in his chair. "Good. My daughter will be attending the academy in two days. You understand what that means, Noah?" His sharp gaze met Noah's, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
"Of course," Noah said with a small smile. "Though I'll need to be careful about it." He turned slightly to Ari, who was still standing close behind him. "I have a shapeshifting technique. What form would you like me to take, Master?"
Ari hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Could you be… a bracelet?"
"Good choice, Master," Noah said, grinning. His body shimmered with dark light as he transformed into a sleek black and deep blue bracelet that wrapped perfectly around Ari's wrist.
Christian exhaled quietly, the tension in his shoulders fading.
"That will do," he said.
Noah's voice echoed faintly in Christian's mind, smooth and calm. "Now that that's settled, Christian."
Christian allowed himself a small smirk. He had secured a guard no one could rival.