(A Few Months Ago, The Eternal Garden, Leo And Leonardo’s POV)
Only a few days after learning that Mauriss had personally approached Caleb, Leo summoned Leonardo to the Eternal Garden for a private conversation, as although he trusted both Caleb and Mairon pletely, he also understood that the Deceiver was not the sort of man who abandoned a scheme after just a couple failed attempts.
If Mauriss failed to turn Caleb against the Cult, then he would simply move on to somebody else, while if he failed to turn Mairon as well, then he would continue searching until eventually he found a person willing to play the role he needed.
As far as Leo was concerned, it made little difference whether that process took five years, ten years, or even longer, because as long as Mauriss remained alive, he would continue probing for weaknesses until he finally found one.
And that possibility was precisely what troubled Leo the most, because while he trusted his family and manders today, nobody could predict what the future might look like decades down the line.
Circumstances changed, people changed, and Mauriss excelled at exploiting moments of weakness better than anyone else in the universe, which was why Leo planned for a contingency today.
"Sometime in the future, it is my understanding that Mauriss will eventually approach you as well, and when he does, I want you to agree to his proposal and bee a part of whatever plan he presents to you."
Leo instructed as the color instantly drained from Leonardo’s face.
"You want me to bee a part of his plan? What are you saying, uncle? I don’t want anything to do with the Deceiver’s schemes.
I’m loyal to you and the Cult. You’re my uncle, my flesh and blood."
Leonardo replied as genuine panic surfaced within his voice, because even pretending to entertain such an idea felt dangerously close to betrayal.
However, Leo simply stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand upon his shoulder, as though the concern Leonardo felt was something he had expected from the very beginning.
"Of course you’re loyal to me, my boy, and that’s exactly why it needs to be you."
Leo replied as he looked directly into Leonardo’s eyes.
"Mauriss won’t stop searching until he finds somebody willing to play the role he needs, because the final battle will only happen once every piece is in place.
If we don’t give him what he needs right now, he might e after my unborn grandson next, because that bastard won’t mind waiting for 10 years, if he can manipulate a child to bring down the Cult.
So our options are that either you give him what he wants, or we wait and see which of our trusted men betray us ...."
Leo explained as his expression gradually grew more serious.
"So rather than waiting for Mauriss to eventually find somebody who genuinely hates us, I’d rather give him somebody I trust pletely, because if the Deceiver is determined to recruit a traitor, then I’d prefer that traitor to be one of my own choosing."
Leo concluded as Leonardo felt his heart sink at those words.
Because the implications behind the plan became clear almost immediately, as accepting this role meant willingly stepping into the most dangerous position imaginable.
If things went wrong, then regardless of his true intentions, history itself might remember him as another Kaelith, while countless people across the universe would curse his name for generations to e.
"Uncle... that’s an enormous amount of trust you’re placing in me."
Leonardo muttered as uncertainty surfaced across his face.
"What if Mauriss forces me to sign a Soul Contract? What if he leaves me with no way out of whatever scheme he’s planning?"
He questioned as Leo unexpectedly smiled.
"Then sign it."
Leo replied calmly.
"If he presents you with a Soul Contract, then sign it without hesitation, because regardless of what contract he creates, I trust that when the moment es, you’ll find a way to do the right thing. I trust your judgment, I trust your loyalty, and most importantly, I trust that you’ll find a path forward even when I can’t see one myself."
Leo said as he squeezed Leonardo’s shoulder firmly.
Those words struck Leonardo harder than any battlefield wound ever could, because this was not simply an order being passed down from leader to subordinate. Leo was placing the future of the Cult, the safety of his family, and potentially even his own life into Leonardo’s hands without demanding guarantees or assurances in return.
"All right, uncle... I’ll do my best."
Leonardo promised as despite the fear lingering within his chest, he ultimately nodded his head in agreement, as immediately afterward, Leo pulled him into a hug.
"That’s all I ask."
Leo replied as a faint smile appeared across his face.
What neither of them could have ever dreamed of, however, was just how quickly Leo’s prediction would prove accurate, because only a few days later, exactly as expected, Mauriss approached Leonardo and attempted to recruit him into a conspiracy against the Cult.
Yet throughout that entire exchange, the Deceiver fundamentally misunderstood the position he occupied, because while he believed himself to be manipulating Leonardo into being his pawn, the reality was that Leonardo entered those negotiations with a pletely different objective already fixed inside his mind.
From the moment Leo entrusted him with this responsibility, Leonardo’s goal never changed.
He intended to protect his family, protect the Cult, and ensure that when the decisive battle finally arrived, Mauriss’ greatest scheme would ultimately bee the instrument of his own destruction.
Which was why, when Mauriss eventually placed the Soul Contract before him and demanded his signature, Leonardo accepted without resistance and carefully studied every condition written upon the agreement before signing his name.
Because the moment he finished reading the contract, he immediately noticed the flaw hidden within its wording, as Mauriss had tied the pletion clause to a single action rather than the overall success of the plan itself.
The contract did not require Leo’s death, nor did it require the Alliance to win the battle, as all it demanded from Leonardo was that he successfully sever Leo’s legs during the decisive confrontation.
And that was precisely why he signed it.
Because from the moment that condition was fulfilled, the contract would lose all authority over him, leaving him pletely free to act according to his own conscience once again.
And so, while Mauriss viewed the agreement as an ironclad guarantee of loyalty, Leonardo viewed it as a temporary prison that he only needed to endure until the correct moment arrived.
Because if he succeeded in his plan, then by the time the Deceiver realized the mistake, it would already be too late, because Leo would have already made him pay for his arrogance.
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