After much struggle, Kael finally convinced Lumino to heal the wounded Agusta. But, you could totally see the hesitation on Lumino's face when he knelt down. His touch was light but distant, as if every second of the healing drained something unseen from him.
On the other side of the chamber, Clementine watched with wide eyes. She hadn't expected this side of Lumino—the boy who had effortlessly defeated their strongest warrior now demonstrated a gift for healing as well. It didn't align.
Don't judge a book by its cover, the old adage whispered in his mind.
Once the healing was done, Lumino rose and quietly returned to Kael's side.
"Ah… I just remembered something. Wait here for a moment," Lumino said, his tone oddly casual, as if a thought had just clicked into place.
"Where are you going?" Kael grabbed his wrist, concern flickering in his eyes. There was a trace of desperation, like he didn't want Lumino slipping away again.
"I was with someone earlier… and he ran off that way. I need to find him."
"…"
"It'll only take a moment," Lumino added softly.
"…Alright."
With Kael's reluctant approval, Lumino walked swiftly in the direction Bandi had escaped. He cupped his hands near his mouth and called out, "Bandi? Are you there?"
Only silence answered him. His voice echoed weakly off the cold stone walls.
"Bandi!" he called again, louder this time—and then he saw it. A tuft of spiky hair sticking out from behind a line of old, crumbling statues.
"There you are… Bandi, why are you still hiding?" Lumino muttered, grabbing the tuft and tugging it sharply.
Out popped Bandi's head, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Bro Lumino! I heard a huge crash earlier I —I thought Agusta squashed you flat!" Bandi lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Lumino in a tight hug. "Thank the stars you're okay!"
Lumino flinched at the sudden embrace, his fingers twitching with awkwardness as he tugged on Bandi's hair. "Alright, alright, I get it. Agusta's already down. Stop crying."
Bandi sniffled loudly, the sound of mucus punctuating the moment. "Can you—let go now?"
Lumino gave the tuft one last firm pull, and Bandi finally released him.
"Yeah, yeah… but bro, I heard Clementine's voice earlier. Don't tell me she's here too?"
"She's here," Lumino replied without emotion. "But more importantly, we need to head back. I need to regroup with my friends."
Bandi shook his head vigorously, eyes wide with dread. "I'm not going near Clementine!"
"Why not? She won't attack. For now, she's… sort of on our side."
"You accepted her?!"
Lumino frowned, clearly losing patience. "Accepted what?"
"She imprisoned you before. And now she's suddenly on your side? Clementine?"
Lumino had thought about it too. But her expression earlier was… different. Resigned. As if she'd let go of resistance completely.
"People can change. And let's not forget, you used to plug your nose when you were near me. Now you're hugging me."
"The smell's not that bad anymore," Bandi mumbled.
This kid… Lumino sighed internally.
With no more patience left, he grabbed Bandi by the collar. "Come on. We're going."
"If anything happens… protect me, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. I got you."
They walked back together, Bandi sticking close behind Lumino like a terrified duckling. As they entered the underground chamber again, they found Agusta sitting upright, consciousness returning to her pale face.
Her eyes sharpened the moment Lumino stepped in.
"This is Bandi," Lumino announced, his tone steady as he guided the boy forward. "Kael, he was held in the prison cell next to mine."
"Oh… uh, hi." Bandi waved timidly from behind Lumino's back.
"You little brat! You snuck out too?!" Clementine's voice cut through the room like a whip, her finger pointed accusingly at Bandi.
"Eeek…"
Lumino turned to her, eyes cold as ice. "No insults. I only forgave you because Kael asked me to."
"Ah—I mean, B12—Bandi. Sorry. I'll keep my head down now. Just stop glaring at me like that, Lumino."
"Don't get familiar."
"Yes, sir…"
Kael, who had been silently observing Bandi, finally spoke up. "Clementine, why did you imprison him? He looks like a regular teenager to me."
"Don't be fooled, Kael. He's a manipulative little fox who plays innocent just to get his way," Clementine barked.
Look who's talking, Kael and Lumino both thought at once.
"Let's set the record straight," Clementine said, crossing her arms. "I really did want your help—manpower, to be exact. That's why I wanted to turn Kael into a vampire."
Lumino's jaw tightened. His teeth clenched audibly. His eyes darkened.
"You wanted to turn Kael—"
"I-it's fine! Let's skip that part," Kael interjected quickly. "What about Lumino? And Bandi? Why were they in those cells?"
"I'm already half-vampire," Bandi cut in. "And Lumino smells like Lady Seraphine. They didn't want either of us joining their ranks."
"Smells like... Lady Seraphine? Clementine, you've also said that before, right. " Kael turned to Clementine, brow furrowed.
She winced. "Y-yeah. He's saturated with her scent. But it's safe now! Totally safe!" She flashed a forced smile.
"Yeah… That's the part that annoys me too," Lumino muttered. "According to Bandi, only vampires or werewolves can even smell it."
"Lumino…" Kael began, then stopped himself. "Never mind."
He knew that pressing the matter would only make him sound distrustful. But deep down, he couldn't help it. There was so much about Lumino that didn't add up.
Before the tension could deepen, Clementine's voice broke the silence.
"Now that things have calmed down, we should regroup with Alira."
"You're right… I want to check on her too," Kael said softly.
Lumino turned his eyes to Agusta, who still wouldn't meet his gaze.
"Um… I want to apologize," Lumino said, holding out his hand. "For being rough with you earlier."
Agusta shot to her feet, refusing the gesture. "No need to apologize. Clementine, if we're done here, I'll be going."
Without waiting for a reply, she dashed out of the underground chamber.
She's… traumatized, Kael thought grimly.
--
"When the time has come, it truly comes."
All Alira could think about was how terrifying Ronovan looked, lying there all frail and skinny on the bed. His breath was shallow, barely stirring the air around him. The scent of rot and bitter herbs clung to the room like a second skin. Alira hadn't even finished reading through Lady Seraphine's cursed tome, and yet, here she was—expected to cure this ancient creature for the sake of a fragile truce with Rosalina.
"I might die today."
The thought was grim, yet she couldn't shake it. Perhaps this was her end. After all, she had outlived nearly all of her Coven companions. With no clear path forward and no compelling reason to continue, she almost gave in.
But no, that wasn't true. She had a goal. More than anything, Alira desperately wanted to meet Lady Seraphine. She was certain now: the Orb, the cryptic spell linking Kael and Lumino, bore Seraphine's unmistakable mark.
"But where is she?"
No matter how hard she tried to calculate it, to unravel the clues—nothing led to Seraphine. And now, in the present, the pressing issue was keeping Rosalina and Rosaria from sparking some nonsensical blood feud.
'" thought twins shared a connection," Alira mused bitterly. "Apparently not these two."
"You done thinking yet?"
Rosalina's skeptical voice cut through the heavy air, her breath brushing past Alira's ear like a blade of ice. Alira clenched her jaw. Whatever divine or infernal power existed, she silently begged:
"I don't believe in gods, but if you're there, save me."
"Alira…"
It was Lumino's voice—soft, familiar—echoing through the doorway, followed by Kael, Clementine, and a young boy she didn't recognize.
Lumino… You came just in time. My savior.
"What's going on here, Clementine? Are you done turning him into a vampire? And why are B12 and L90 here?" Rosalina asked, eyeing the new arrivals with visible suspicion.
Clementine subtly shook her head, trying to signal Rosalina to stop talking, to not making anything that make them angry.
"What's with you?" Rosalina scoffed. "Whatever. Good work, I guess. Now I want to see this alchemist work. She said she could heal Ronovan."
Why did I say that…?
"Could someone explain what's going on?" Kael asked, voice steady.
"A human giving orders now?" Rosalina sneered, tilting her head with disdain.
"Come on now, Rosalina." Rosaria spoke calmly. "Explain, please."
"She claimed she could heal our elder," Rosaria said bluntly.
"…Wait. You two are twins?" Lumino blinked in mild surprise.
"Now's not the time, Lumino!" Alira thought in exasperation.
Clementine exchanged glances with Alira, while Kael and Lumino examined the sunken, sleeping form on the bed.
"Is he even alive?" Kael murmured.
"Ronovan's still breathing," the young boy beside Lumino spoke up. "His condition is the result of a deadly curse from Caroline long ago."
Lumino turned to Alira, eyes filled with concern. "Can you really heal this?"
Stop looking at me like that… I have no idea how to do this! Lumino, help me—please help me!
But it was Rosalina who responded coolly, "She said she could."
Something inside Alira cracked. She cursed herself for ever pretending to be confident. Then Kael opened his mouth, trying to defend her.
"You might have the wrong idea about her, but her strength—"
"You're amazing, Alira! Do your best!" Lumino interrupted, eyes gleaming with misplaced faith.
'Oh gods… there's no turning back now.'
'Whatever. Let's bluff to the end.'
Her expression blank, Alira moved around the bed. She began pouring glowing potions in a circle, the scents of lavender, copper, and something sulfurous filling the room. Everyone watched intently—especially Lumino and Rosaria. Kael, on the other hand, gave her a subtle glance—one that said: I know this is all for show.
"Omivuz Sempra… dom valz…" Alira chanted. A green light pulsed around the bed, gentle at first, then glowing more intensely.
A shimmer of white mana began trailing from her fingertips.
"Putz Remiklo tovaz…" she continued, her voice trembling slightly.
The light became blinding.
"Rtyuoz vutri… Abra Cadabra."
With that final invocation, a burst of radiant light exploded in the room. Smoke billowed outward. Everyone shielded their eyes.
Rosalina rushed to throw open the window, coughing—only to freeze as the smoke began to clear.
Alira, Lumino, Kael, Bandi, and Ronovan were all gone.
"That wretched woman…" Rosalina hissed, fists clenched with rage.
Clementine, however, had fallen deadly silent. She undid her twin-tails, sweeping her bangs back with a slow hand.
"I've been fooled," she muttered. "I get scammed? Haha! Me? They truly underestimated me."
A magenta aura surged around her, fangs flashing in the dim light."Rosalina. Gather the others. We're taking Ronovan back."
"Understood, Clementine."
Meanwhile—
Alira staggered through the woods, supporting the frail weight of Ronovan on her back.
"Why'd you tell me to teleport?" Lumino asked, carrying Bandi under one arm.
"You didn't see her, Lumino," Kael muttered. "She lied so well, it was scary."
"I-I panicked, okay?! They were planning a war! I couldn't just sit there!" Alira gasped as she gently laid Ronovan down on the grass.
"…So why'd you take their elder?" Lumino asked, still catching his breath.
"I dunno. Impulse."
"That wasn't a bad move," said Bandi, who had somehow dusted himself off and was now standing confidently beside them. "With Ronovan gone, they'll focus on finding him first. That means less time for war."
His tone was different—more assertive now. He looked at Alira with admiration.
"Nice work, sis." He winked.
"What is with this kid…"
"I'll reintroduce myself," Bandi said, placing a hand on his chest. "I am the true leader of the werewolf faction—Bandi, also known as B12. Since I can trust you… I'll bring you to our base."
'What kind of plot twist is this?!'
"Wait… you're that Bandi?" Lumino asked, disbelieving.
"Of course, bro. I was just undercover. Observing."
"You said you're half-vampire?" Kael asked skeptically.
"Yeah… I hate them, to be honest. I even convinced some vampire forces—led by Ozrik—to switch sides. I might be a vampire in name, but from the shadows, I support the werewolves. Publicly, Rodeo is the werewolf leader."
Lumino and Kael exchanged glances. He was revealing way too much.
"…Why are you telling us this?"
"Because I want you to join us. Help us win."
Alira's jaw dropped.
'WHY does everything come back to war!?'
'I'm so doomed.'