The Demon Queen's Contract

Cratos's declaration of laziness hung in the air, his dismissive attitude doing little to deter Seraphina and me. Determined not to be brushed aside, I stepped closer, intending to persuade him. However, before I could utter another word, Cratos sprang to his feet and bolted towards the stacks of books.

"Hey! Get back here!" Seraphina shouted, her eyes wide with surprise.

Without hesitation, we gave chase. The library was a maze of towering shelves, each aisle seeming to twist and turn in unexpected directions. Cratos weaved through them with surprising agility, ducking behind corners and leaping over low tables. I had to admit, for someone who claimed to be lazy, he moved with incredible speed.

"He's heading towards the history section!" I called out to Seraphina, trying to keep my eyes on his retreating figure.

She nodded, her face set with determination. "We've got to corner him somehow!"

We sprinted down the aisles, narrowly avoiding crashing into startled students and scholars. Cratos seemed to delight in our pursuit, occasionally glancing back with a mischievous grin before darting down another corridor. His erratic movements made it nearly impossible to predict his next move.

At one point, he ducked into a study room, slamming the door behind him. Seraphina and I skidded to a halt outside the room, exchanging exasperated glances.

"How does he move so fast?" I panted, leaning against the doorframe to catch my breath.

"I have no idea, but we can't let him get away," Seraphina replied, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of his escape route.

Suddenly, we heard a rustling sound from above. We looked up just in time to see Cratos climbing out of a small window near the ceiling, his legs disappearing from view.

"He's on the roof!" I exclaimed, disbelief tinged with amusement.

"Of course he is," Seraphina muttered, shaking her head. "Let's find a way up."

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We quickly navigated the library, searching for a staircase that would lead us to the roof. After what felt like an eternity, we found a narrow spiral staircase tucked away in a corner. We ascended rapidly, the metal steps clanging beneath our feet.

Emerging onto the roof, we were greeted by a panoramic view of the university grounds. The morning sun cast a golden glow over the landscape, but our attention was solely focused on Cratos, who was perched nonchalantly on the edge of the roof, his legs swinging casually over the side.

"Enjoying the view?" I called out, my voice laced with sarcasm.

Cratos grinned, tipping an imaginary hat. "Quite. It's a lovely morning for a run, don't you think?"

Seraphina rolled her eyes, stepping closer. "We're not here for a morning jog, Cratos. We need your help with that symbol."

He stood up, stretching lazily. "And I told you, I'm too lazy to help."

Before we could react, he took off again, sprinting across the rooftop. We followed, our feet pounding against the tiles. He leapt gracefully from one section of the roof to another, his movements fluid and effortless. We, on the other hand, stumbled and struggled to keep up, our frustration mounting with each passing second.

"He's like a squirrel on caffeine," Seraphina muttered, her breath coming in short bursts.

I couldn't help but laugh, despite the situation. "I've never seen anyone move like this."

Cratos darted towards the edge of the roof and, to our horror, jumped off. We skidded to a halt, peering over the edge. To our amazement, he had landed safely on a lower ledge and was now climbing down a trellis covered in ivy.

"We can't let him get away!" I urged, already starting to climb down after him.

Seraphina followed, her grip firm on the trellis. "I've got a feeling he's leading us on purpose."

As we descended, I couldn't help but agree. Cratos seemed to be enjoying our pursuit, his every move calculated to keep us on our toes. We finally reached the ground and continued the chase through the university's gardens, ducking under low-hanging branches and leaping over flower beds.

Cratos disappeared into a hedge maze, and we plunged in after him, the tall hedges towering above us. The maze was a bewildering tangle of paths, each one seeming to twist back on itself. We could hear Cratos's footsteps echoing through the maze, but he remained frustratingly out of sight.

"This is ridiculous," Seraphina muttered, her frustration evident.

"Tell me about it," I replied, scanning the maze for any sign of our elusive quarry.

Suddenly, Cratos appeared at the far end of the path, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Getting warmer," he teased before vanishing around a corner.

"He's toying with us," I said, exasperated.

"We need to split up," Seraphina suggested. "You go left, I'll go right. We'll trap him in the middle."

Nodding, I took the left path while Seraphina took the right. We moved swiftly, the hedge walls a blur as we raced to outmaneuver Cratos. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of excitement and determination driving me forward.

I turned a corner and found myself face-to-face with Cratos, who was leaning casually against the hedge, his arms crossed. "Caught me," he said, sounding almost impressed.

"Don't move," I warned, trying to catch my breath.

Seraphina appeared moments later, blocking his escape route. "End of the line, Cratos."

He raised his hands in mock surrender, a smirk playing on his lips. "Alright, alright. You've got me. But I have a proposition for you."

I narrowed my eyes, wary of his intentions. "What kind of proposition?"

Cratos's smirk widened. "I'll help you with your symbol, but you have to do something for me first."

Seraphina and I exchanged wary glances, knowing full well that Cratos was unlikely to make things easy for us. Still, his help was essential, and we couldn't afford to waste any more time. But I hope he wasn't going to ask something impossible and not something that is too difficult. This Scholar have to ask something simple.