Dust motes floated in the dim torchlight of the academy corridor, swirling lazily as Isaac was marched toward the Head Professor's private office. Each step felt like a slow march toward his own execution, the cold stone walls of the castle closing in on him.
Heavy iron guards flanked him on either side, their armor clanking with every step like a rhythmic countdown to his doom. They didn't speak, but their tight grips on his arms made it clear that he was considered a major threat.
Panic clawed at Isaac's throat, hot and suffocating, making it difficult to even draw a single clean breath of the damp air. He tried to steady his breathing, but his racing pulse refused to slow down.
Only ten minutes ago, he had been a nobody—a zero-tier reject who couldn't even cast a basic light spell without exhausting his entire mana pool. Now, his entire reality had been turned upside down.
Now, a legendary, calamity-class golden dragon was bound to his soul by a blood contract that demanded his hand in marriage. The sheer absurdity of it made his head spin, but the burning heat in his palm proved it was all too real.
Secretly, Isaac pressed his left hand against his thigh, feeling the raw, pulsing heat of the summoning rune burned deep into his flesh. The golden marks pulsed in tandem with his heartbeat, a constant reminder of the beast now tied to his life force.
If the guards or the faculty saw the glowing gold mark, they wouldn't just expel him; they would dissect him to find out how an outcast summoned a god. In the world of Solaris, unauthorized high-tier summoning was a crime punishable by death.
Whispers followed him as they passed the dormitory courtyard, the murmurs of his classmates cutting through the chilly evening air. Students leaned out of their windows, pointing and laughing at his sudden arrest.
Dozens of students peered through the stone archways, their eyes filled with mock pity and cruel amusement at his sudden downfall. They had always treated him like garbage, and this was just another reason to look down on him.
Everyone had felt the massive, ground-shaking shockwave of the dragon's brief appearance, a tremor that had shattered the academy's barrier. The entire campus was in a state of high alert, with battle mages patrolling the perimeter.
Rumors of a forbidden ritual were already spreading like wildfire through the ranks of the magical elite. They suspected a spy or a dark mage had infiltrated the academy, never dreaming the culprit was the weakest student in their class.
Shoving him forward, the guard on his right grunted, "Keep your eyes down, zero-tier. You have a lot of explaining to do."
Isaac stumbled but caught himself, swallowing down a bitter retort that would only make his situation worse. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay silent.
Defiance was a luxury he couldn't afford in this world, especially not when his life hung by a thread. He had to play the victim, to pretend he was just as clueless as everyone else.
Back on Earth, he had spent his life being overlooked, always the quiet, codependent guy who let others walk all over him just to feel a shred of acceptance. He had been so desperate for love that he tolerated any mistreatment.
Transmigrating into the body of an academy outcast hadn't changed that fundamental weakness; it had only amplified his fear of abandonment. He was still the same fragile boy, terrified of being left alone in the dark.
Suddenly, the guards stopped in front of a pair of towering double doors made of black walnut wood. The wood was cold to the touch, radiating a subtle, freezing energy that made the hairs on Isaac's arms stand up.
Etched into the dark wood was the seal of the Head Professor—a roaring wolf surrounded by nine magical rings representing the elements. It was a symbol of absolute authority and absolute power.
Knocking loudly, the guard announced, "Head Professor Vance, we have brought the suspect from the summoning courtyard."
"Bring him in," a cold, smooth voice replied from behind the heavy wood, the tone clipped and devoid of any warmth.
Shivers ran down Isaac's spine as the doors swung open on silent hinges, revealing the intimidating study. He swallowed hard, stepping into the lion's den.
---
Head Professor Vance sat behind a massive mahogany desk, his posture as rigid and sharp as an icicle. He didn't look up immediately, pretending to read a thick parchment document while letting the tension in the room build.
Piercing blue eyes, cold enough to freeze water, locked onto Isaac the moment he crossed the threshold. The sheer intensity of the gaze made Isaac want to turn around and run.
Vance was a legendary figure in Solaris, a master of ice magic who tolerated nothing less than absolute perfection from his students. He was known for his ruthless grading and his complete lack of empathy.
Dismissing the guards with a curt nod, the professor waited until the heavy doors clicked shut behind them, leaving them in absolute privacy. The sudden silence in the room was deafeaning.
Silence descended upon the room, heavy and absolute, broken only by the crackle of the green flames in the hearth. Isaac stood frozen, unsure of what to do with his hands.
Standing in the center of the office, Isaac felt incredibly small under Vance's predatory, analytical gaze. The professor seemed to see right through his pathetic facade.
Bookshelves lined the stone walls, packed with ancient grimoires, preserved beast hearts, and jars containing glowing magical components. It looked more like a museum of forbidden knowledge than an office.
Green fire flickered in a stone hearth, casting long, distorted shapes across the polished wooden floorboards. The eerie green light did nothing to warm the freezing room.
"Do you know why you are here, Isaac?" Vance asked, his voice low and dangerous, vibrating with quiet authority that demanded an answer.
Squeezing his hands behind his back, Isaac tried to keep his voice steady despite the tremor in his knees. "I assume it's about the... the disturbance in the courtyard, sir."
"A disturbance is an understatement," Vance murmured, standing up slowly. The movement was so fluid it seemed almost unnatural, like a predator stalking its prey.
Walking around the desk, the tall professor approached him, his leather boots making no sound against the Persian rug. He stopped only inches away, looming over Isaac.
Cold air radiated from the professor's body, a constant reminder of his immense elemental power that made Isaac's teeth chatter. It felt like standing next to a glacier.
Such a localized magical surge of that magnitude requires a massive reservoir of mana, something you simply do not possess. Vance's eyes narrowed, scanning Isaac's face for any sign of deception.
"Yet, your records show you possess a zero-tier core, barely capable of sustaining a simple light charm." The professor's voice was a dangerous whisper, his eyes dropping to Isaac's hidden hands.
Isaac took a small step back, but his hips pressed against the edge of the heavy mahogany desk, trapping him completely. He had nowhere left to run.
Trapped, he could only look up at the towering professor, his heart hammering against his ribs like a caged bird. The physical proximity was overwhelming.
"I... I don't know what happened," Isaac lied, his voice trembling as he stared at the professor's collar. "I was just practicing my focus, and suddenly the ground shook. It must have been a rogue mana vein."
Vance leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk on either side of Isaac's waist, effectively pinning him in place. The distance between their faces shrank to mere inches.
Close up, Isaac could smell the sharp scent of mint and winter frost on the professor's breath, a chilling sensory assault that made him lightheaded.
"Lying to me is a very dangerous game, Isaac," Vance whispered, his icy gaze dropping to Isaac's collarbone before rising to meet his eyes. "I can feel the residual magic clinging to you. It doesn't belong to this world."
Sweat broke out on Isaac's forehead as he struggled to maintain eye contact with the man who held his academic future in his hands. He felt like he was about to faint.
Fear warred with a strange, deep-seated need to submit, to confess everything just to make the terrifying pressure stop. He had always been weak for dominant, powerful men, and Vance was the epitome of authority.
Suddenly, the temperature in the room spiked dramatically, shattering the icy atmosphere. The chilling air was instantly replaced by a wave of suffocating heat.
Frost that had begun to form on the corners of the desk melted instantly, turning into tiny, sizzling beads of water that dripped onto the floor.
Vance's icy aura vanished, replaced by a sudden, smothering heat that smelled of ozone, cedarwood, and ancient gold. It was a scent Isaac had learned to associate with pure trouble.
Isaac gasped as the professor's body went momentarily rigid, his head tilting back as if catching his breath after a deep dive into cold water.
Slowly, the head professor's eyes fluttered open, but they were no longer the cold blue of winter.
Molten, predatory gold now filled Vance's irises, burning with a wicked, mischievous light that was instantly recognizable. The pupils were slit like a reptile's.
Aurelius had taken control, hijacking the body of the most feared man in the academy with terrifying ease.
"My, my, what a delicious little scene I've interrupted," the possessed professor purred, his voice dropping an octave into a rumbling resonance that vibrated in Isaac's bones.
Isaac's breath hitched in his throat as Vance's stern face melted into a roguish, teasing smile that the real professor would never wear in a million years.
"Aurelius?" Isaac whispered, his hands gripping the edge of the desk behind him so hard his knuckles turned white. He couldn't believe the dragon had actually followed him here.
"Who else would it be, my darling?" the dragon chuckled, using Vance's elegant hand to reach up and gently stroke Isaac's flushed cheek.
Heat flooded Isaac's body at the touch, a searing contrast to the previous cold that made him shiver with a different kind of intensity. The touch was possessive, demanding, and utterly intoxicating.
This was insane; he was being cornered by his stern head professor, but the soul inside was the arrogant, possessive beast he had bound himself to. The boundary between reality and fantasy was blurring.
"Get out of him!" Isaac hissed, trying to squirm away, but Vance's body was solid muscle, completely unyielding under the dragon's control.
"Why should I?" Aurelius laughed, his thumb brushing over Isaac's trembling lower lip, tracing the shape of it with agonizing slowness. "This body has such a lovely view of you."
Possessing this vessel is quite convenient, don't you think? Such a commanding presence, such a handsome face to look down upon you.
Leaning closer, the dragon inhaled deeply, his golden eyes narrowing with dark, obsessive satisfaction. He seemed to feed on Isaac's mounting panic.
"You smell of sweet panic, my little tamer. It's incredibly endearing to watch you squirm under my touch, completely at my mercy."
Tears of frustration and sheer sensory overload prickled at the corners of Isaac's eyes. He felt so weak, so utterly defenseless against this creature.
"Please," Isaac whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and a shameful, fluttering desire he couldn't control. "If anyone walks in, they'll think we're... they'll think the professor is taking advantage of me."
"Let them think what they want," Aurelius interrupted, his other hand sliding down to grip Isaac's hip, pulling him flush against the professor's broad chest.
Every nerve ending in Isaac's body screamed as the physical contact sent a jolt of raw magic through their bond, warming his cold core and leaving him breathless.
"No matter whose face I wear, you cannot escape me, Isaac. You are mine, bound to me by blood and soul."
Terrified of his own reaction, Isaac clutched at the lapels of Vance's coat, unsure if he was trying to push the man away or pull him closer. He was drowning in the dragon's presence.
His codependent heart, starved for affection for so long, pulsed with a dangerous urge to just surrender to this overwhelming possessiveness. It was so easy to let someone else take control.
Aurelius smirked, clearly sensing the internal conflict raging within his fragile tamer, enjoying every second of the struggle. He loved how easy it was to break Isaac down.
Whispering softly, the dragon murmured, his lips brushing against Isaac's jawline, sending shivers down his spine. "So soft."
Helpless against me, aren't you?
With a slow, wicked grin, the possessed Professor Vance leans down, his breath hot against Isaac's ear, and murmurs, 'Do you think you can hide from me just because I lack my scales, my sweet little tamer?'