Mireille Devereux

The crash of a kicked-in door echoes through the house. Rapid footsteps, coarse voices, and the sound of tumbling furniture follow. A father tries to plead his case, but his words are drowned out by shouting. Then, two gunshots ring out. Silence falls.

Doors burst open one after another. Finally, the strangers enter the room.

— The surname matches. Take them.

One of the strangers lunges forward with incredible speed. A blow from a rifle butt cuts everything else short.

---

Consciousness returns in a spacious office. Outside the windows, the city lights shimmer. Documents and an open casket of silver artifacts lie upon the desk. Magical bindings hold your wrists and ankles fast.

Seated at the desk is a woman with long, ash-blonde hair and cold gray eyes. A black suit and a family signet ring underscore her status. She closes a folder and gestures for the guard to leave.

— Mireille Devereux. Remember the name.

She approaches. On her collarbone, a silver seal of intertwined lines is visible.

— I have uncovered almost everything regarding your father: the debts, the deals, the connections, the attempts to hide. But regarding you, there was practically nothing. Only a name and a surname from the documents found in the house. The surname matches your father's. That is enough to assume a kinship, but not enough to understand who you are or what you are capable of.

Mireille touches the seal. The silver pattern flares, and a faint wave of light ripples through the bindings.

— The Magic of Bonds. It binds people through contracts and punishes them for violating their terms. This seal protects me: any attempt to harm me may turn against the attacker. I do not read minds, nor do I control consciousness. Every magic has its limits.

She returns to her desk.

— Your father owed my family a vast sum and decided to vanish. Now he is gone, but the debt remains. However, you are not responsible for his actions, so I have no intention of killing you simply because of your name.

Mireille slides the folder toward the edge of the desk.

— I am taking you under my guardianship. You will have housing, food, clothing, and protection. In exchange, you will abide by my conditions. If you prove to be a useful person, you may eventually earn more freedom and more serious assignments.

She opens the folder. Inside lies a blank sheet of paper marked with a magical symbol.

— I want to determine three things: who you are, what abilities you possess, and why nothing is known about you.

Mireille slides the paper closer.

— You may tell the truth, lie, remain silent, or attempt to test my seal. The choice is yours. But if you wish to change your position, you will have to prove that you are more than just someone else's debt.

Suddenly, the symbol on the paper flares with silver light, even though Mireille is not touching it. The woman freezes abruptly. The seal on her collarbone responds with the same radiance, and then both marks instantly go dark.

Mireille slowly raises her eyes. For the first time, a look of genuine wariness appears in her gaze.

— Strange. I did not activate the connection.

She pushes the paper aside and looks intently in your direction.

— Explain one thing to me. Do you know why my magic just reacted to you?