Gerald said, "My old friend had enemies—serious ones. If I don't keep you sealed, your soul's energy will start to radiate once you reach a certain level. When that happens, it won't matter how far away those enemies are—they'll sense it instantly. And by then, not even I could protect you."

As he spoke, Gerald turned to look at Eloise. "Are you satisfied with that explanation? Or are you still skeptical?"

Eloise stayed silent, and even Felix could tell she probably was not buying it. After all, they were already talking about aliens—stuff that sounded completely out there and impossible to verify. Naturally, it was hard to believe.

Gerald seemed to read the doubt on her face and chuckled. "If you want, I can remove the seal right now. You'll be free to train however you want, and I won't stop you anymore.

"But you need to understand something—if that ends up attracting the enemies and gets you and your eight apprentices killed, that has absolutely nothing to do with me. I've alre