With long, straight grey hair and piercing red eyes, the woman stormed into the meeting hall, instantly disrupting the atmosphere. She inhaled deeply, her gaze narrowing as it landed on Lumino. In a swift movement, she lunged forward, seizing the front of his shirt with an expression of pure disgust.
"I thought he was Seraphine," she hissed. "What are you then? One of her lackeys? Or maybe... Her adored plaything?"
Kael's hand moved before his mind caught up. His stance dropped low, the blade of his sword pointed directly at her throat, his voice cold and trembling with fury.
"Let. Him. Go."
Lumino, a tiny form, remained still on her hand. A crimson trail trickled from his nose. His eyes, unfocused, stared blankly ahead. He seemed oblivious.
Bandi moved between them, his voice rising, "Terasvari, please! Calm down. Put him down." The woman's lips curled into a cruel grin as she saw him.
Scoffing, she tossed Lumino aside like trash and turned to him, saying, "Bandi. It's been a while."
Then, with a crack like thunder, she drove her fist straight into his gut, sending him crashing backward."Idiot boy. Who do you think you are, not showing up all this time?!"
"Bandi!" Kael heard Rodeo shout as he rushed to check on him.
Kael plunged to his knees, the rough stone biting into his skin. Lumino was a splash of pale against the cold, stained floor, his parted lips barely moving, the metallic tang of blood thick in the air. He shook Lumino's shoulders, feeling the slight give of his body. "Lumino? Hey—Lumino!" Kael shook him by the shoulders. No response.
"He's likely communicating," Terasvari said with a smirk, her words full of amusement hanging in the air.
Fueled by renewed rage, Kael's hands balled into fists. As his anger surged, he spat, "Communicating? With who, you crazy bitch?"
"My, you've got quite the mouth," Terasvari sneered. "So rude."
"Stop it already!" Bandi coughed as he stood again, holding his stomach.
Kael noticed Alira trembling out of the corner of his eye. The room's tension was suffocating.
"You're strong, Bandi," Terasvari said mockingly. "Still standing after a punch like that. Guess it has been too long since I last beat some sense into you."
She stepped toward him, turning her back fully to Kael. completely ignoring Kael, the polished metal of his blade catching the light.
A grunt escaped him as he lunged. Steel hissed through air, aiming to strike—but she caught the blade, the rough grip of the hilt scraping her palm. He stumbled back as she twisted, the blade screeching. Kael leaped forward, his fist a blur but, she blocked it.
Kael grinned."Shadow Manifestation," as he said that, a second blade materialized, a dark whisper. He plunged it into her chest, the impact a sickening thud. Blood gurgled, warm and wet.
after a pause, her laughter echoed, a sound that filled the space. With a casual tug, she pulled the blade from her chest. "Interesting. You're sharp, boy. Be my pupil."
"…What?" Kael froze.
Everyone went silent. Even Bandi and Rodeo were stunned.
"You should be dead," Kael muttered, eyes narrowing.
"Oh, sweet child," she said, licking the blood from her lip, "I moved my heart a second before you stab me. You think I'd let you stab it that easily?"
Kael scowled. "No thanks."
She threw her head back and laughed harder.
"Enough with this crap," Kael growled. "What did you do to Lumino?!"
"Do to him? I haven't touched his mind. He's just... communicating."
"With who?!"
"You really don't know?" Her smile darkened. "That stench of Seraphine? That isn't just a coincidence. That boy either belongs to her, or she's claimed him."
Kael's hands clenched. He wanted nothing more than to separate this woman's head from her shoulders.
"How do I wake him up?"
"Can't. Not unless he wants to. It's his will that decides whether he stays or returns."
As Bandi stood, he groaned, "Terasvari, is it impossible for you to stop provoking Kael?"
"Aw, you're worried about me now?" She turned, only to stop short as her eyes landed on the mat where Ronovan lay unconscious.
"Well, well... Ronovan. So that's why you dragged yourself back here, and brought this guy. You really do plan to pick a fight with Clementine, don't you?"
"I'm aware of her madness," Bandi said, serious now. "And I don't care. I'll destroy her, even if it means dragging Ronovan and these three guests into the war."
"Please don't lump me into your war," Alira's voice cut in for the first time.
All eyes turned to her.
"I don't want to be part of your stupid fight," she said flatly.
Terasvari's eyes narrowed, curious. She walked toward Alira, scanning her from head to toe.
"You're a white witch. Alira, Penny's friend, right?"
Alira flinched. She looked up slowly. "You know Penny?"
"Of course I do. She was a friend. How is she?"
Alira lowered her gaze, eyes glistening. "She's gone. The entire Coven is gone."
"Of course they are," Terasvari muttered. "So you're the last one left. How pitiful." She patted Alira on the head gently. Kael didn't like it.
"Back to the point," Kael snapped. "Can Lumino wake up or not?!"
"You really are high-strung, boy," Terasvari sighed. "Look over there."
Kael turned sharply.
Lumino was on his feet, holding his head.
"Lumino!" Kael ran to him, grabbing his shoulders. "Are you okay?!"
"Wait, Kael, what's with you—"
"You were— I mean—just answer me, you're alright now, right?"
Lumino paused, then gave a weak, forced smile. "Yeah. I'm fine."
Terasvari turned back to Bandi. "So, are you really planning to heal Ronovan?"
"I'm not sure. We can't even guarantee he'll fight on our side."
"He only fights for the strongest," Terasvari said, folding her arms. "He's smart, not strong. That's why he got wrecked fighting Caroline. That was his karma. He underestimated her."
She then looked to Alira. "Aren't you supposed to be the expert?"
"What?" Alira blinked.
"Alchemist. Heard you can brew potions with a 98% success rate."
Alira rubbed her hands, embarrassed. "I used to be great, i mean i still great now. But my crafting table was destroyed when the Mideway Library fell. so i am not as great as before."
"Mideway, huh... So you did find Seraphine's library after all. Penny told me you witches were headed there."
"Yes… you're right," Alira said softly.
"So? Did you find what you were looking for? Or did you give up?"
Alira looked away. Her hands gripped the inside of her coat where the spellbook was hidden.
'Have I really given up?'
The question struck deeper than any blade.
She couldn't forget the legacy. Not yet. Not ever.
--
Lumino sat in silence, his body still, but his mind was being pulled somewhere else. He could hear Kael's voice calling his name—over and over again, echoing like a beacon in the darkness. But the void had swallowed him whole, a bottomless, suffocating black that stretched in every direction.
Was this… a dream again?
"No, technically, this isn't a dream," came the now-familiar whisper—a voice like silk brushing against glass, sharp yet graceful. It grew clearer, solidifying into the chilling cadence of a woman.
She stood before him.
Just like before, she wore that same crimson dress clinging to her figure like melted wax, her blood-red heels echoing in the void, her lips as scarlet as fresh wounds. The crimson in her eyes shimmered like dying stars. Her long, curly hair—usually cascading freely—was now swept up into a high twist, giving her a regal yet dangerous presence.
"What do you want from me?" Lumino asked, voice hollow, his gaze distant. He couldn't understand her game. What did Lady Seraphine want from him?
"I want you to stop using your divine power, for now," she said smoothly. "It's dangerous for your body in its current state. You'll awaken something—something I've locked away for good reason. And I'm not ready to release it yet."
Her words coiled around his thoughts like thorns. He didn't trust her. Couldn't. Whatever she meant to unlock, whatever secrets she was hiding—it couldn't be good.
"You tampered with my memories, didn't you?" he snapped.
"Tampered? No. I simply… slowed them. Let them return piece by piece, instead of crashing into you all at once. I didn't want you to root like Caroline. You're important, Lumino. I have plans for you."
"I don't care!" Lumino growled. "Give them back. All of them."
Now he was certain: his memories of his grandfather, of his life before Letruish, were smeared and fragmented, like shattered glass. The deeper he delved, the more a wave of static pushed back, obscuring his thoughts.
Even his time with Caroline was incomplete, with missing pieces. "That foolish woman only complicated matters," Seraphine sighed.
"Listen, you don't need to dwell on that painful, incomplete past. Focus on the Orb. Focus on learning to control your dimensional powers, the abilities you discovered during your battle with Drakeflamish. That is what matters."
Lumino muttered, a cold realization sinking in, "So you've been watching me. You've been watching everything."
And now, doubt crept in again. Doubt about himself. What if he was the one who cursed the Orb Eternum? What if he was the reason Kael was still stuck in this world?
Because I didn't want to be alone…
Seraphine stepped closer, her hands cool as they cradled his face. Her lips curled in a cruel smile.
"Focus on me. Feel the Orb's essence. It's inside you, Lumino. You just haven't noticed it yet."
And then—she pushed him with her finger.
He fell.
Plunging into an endless sea of inky darkness.
And from the abyss, voices roared:
"Lumino… run. Save yourself. One day, you'll find a reason again. And when you do, come back—not as a child of destruction, but as a savior."
His grandfather's voice.
"I'll find you… Mother."
His own voice, but broken, determined.
"You are destined to rule! Antonio will crown himself king at eight tomorrow. You must stop him. Kill him… and claim the throne."
A woman's voice—familiar. Terrifying.
"...I don't need this anymore."
A man's hopeless whisper. Followed by Lumino's own scream.
The voices overlapped, louder and louder, until suddenly—clarity.
"I don't care if you're suspicious, dangerous, or even the one who got us trapped with that damn Orb. I'm done doubting you."
Kael's face appeared in the dark, smiling.
Kael…
Lumino gasped. He could breathe again.
His eyes snapped open. Harsh light filled his vision. He was lying on the floor of the meeting hall—when had he collapsed?
A groan escaped his lips as he pushed himself upright, just in time to see the same woman—the one who'd grabbed him by the collar earlier—motioning toward him.
"Look over there."
Kael turned, and their eyes met.
"Lumino!" Kael rushed over, falling to his knees and gripping his shoulders. "Are you okay?!"
"Wait, Kael, what's with you—"
"You were— I mean… just answer me. You're alright now, right?"
Kael's voice cracked, his expression unusually intense.
Lumino blinked, still dazed. "I'm fine." Lumino forced a smile. The grip on his shoulder loosened.
"I don't think I can heal Ronovan, Kael. I'm sorry…" His voice dropped with guilt.
"Idiot… Don't worry about that. As long as you're safe." Kael grinned, sharp canines showing.
He helped Lumino to his feet. Together, they walked toward Alira—until Kael suddenly raised his voice again.
"Don't you touch him again! You shitty woman!" he barked at the woman near Alira.
"Cchh." The woman scoffed and turned her gaze to Lumino.
"Are you okay, Lumino? You were bleeding a lot earlier. Your clothes are drenched." Alira approached, concern flooding her features.
"I'm fine, Alira. Don't worry." He smiled gently.
"Thank goodness." She exhaled in relief. Bandi joined them.
"We were just talking about Alira. I think she might be able to heal Ronovan. It's better that way—so you don't have to force yourself anymore." Bandi patted his shoulder.
"…I see." Lumino's eyes flicked toward the older vampire—Terasvari.
"She's Terasvari, one of the oldest vampires. She practically raised me," Bandi explained.
Lumino nodded, but he could feel her eyes on him. Cold. Judgmental. She didn't like him. She could probably sense it—Seraphine. Or maybe the Orb.
'She said the Orb is inside me…'
Then… it must be true.
The Orb—that mysterious force—had become the red string of fate binding him and Kael. The tether no longer tugged or shimmered, but… it was still there. He knew it. And maybe Kael still did too.
That truth coiled tightly around his chest. The red thread connecting him and Kael… was it fading?
Maybe the spell had weakened. Maybe Kael was free. Maybe… there was no reason left for him to stay.
Maybe, in the end, I'll be alone again.
"Now that I think about it… you two are connected, aren't you? That's the ancient artifact, the Orb Eternum," Terasvari said, eyes sharp.
"How do you know that?!" Kael shouted.
Lumino's heart skipped. So… the bond still remained. He couldn't stop the smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"Do you even know how old I am?" Terasvari laughed dryly. "But tell me—why is the Orb with you two?"
Her eyes narrowed at Lumino. She was searching him. Seeing too much. Even if no one else noticed, she saw the way his eyes smiled when his face didn't.
"Come."
She summoned her power—fangs bared, darkness coalescing around her. The space dimmed, and shimmering red sparkles emerged, orbiting around Lumino. A magical swarm.
They drifted toward Kael too—but only around his wrist.
Then, like fate tying a knot, a red thread of light stretched from Kael's wrist—straight into Lumino's chest.
"You're alive because of the Orb, aren't you?" Terasvari chuckled. "Fascinating, boy."
Lumino turned ghost-pale. The truth was laid bare.
"No way…" Alira whispered.
"What does that mean?!" Bandi shouted.
"It can be!" Rodeo added.
"Old hag, what do you mean? Lumino's alive because of the Orb?!" Kael growled.
"Orb Eternum, huh…" Derelia mused with an eerie smile from her seat.
"What a shame Ozrik isn't here to see this," Orcha smirked.
"Clementine might have already figured it out," Tivulin muttered.
"Young man," Terasvari cut the magic, the sparkles vanishing. She locked eyes with Lumino.
"You've died before, haven't you?"
The question pierced deeper than any spell.
"…Yes," Lumino whispered.
"I have."