Clementine saw herself, unconscious yet raging uncontrollably.
It was Ronovan himself who had to stop her.
Was that… truly me?
When she thought about it, it was since that moment Rosaria began to grow closer to her—while Ronovan started to drift away.
"That is the risk of one who carries both vampire and werewolf blood," Claudius words struck like a whip.
What?
"You should never have brought her here, Ronovan! Why did you insist?" Claudius spat.
"I only wished to see her potential… but it is such a pity," Ronovan muttered.
"But that power was magnificent," Rio added quietly.
"Too bad she does not possess true control over it. Her second phase is far too dangerous," Ajax shook his head.
"I think there's potential within that." Rio smiled faintly.
--
Clementine watched as the scene shifted, revealing a horrifying figure standing before Ronovan: Fenrir.
His pale skin, golden hair, and crimson eyes were striking as his long hair flowed freely, his very presence smothering the air. The battle was overwhelming, yet Clementine was there, though she had no memory of it. She had unleashed her second phase and struck Fenrir down, leaving the man in disbelief that a mere child had defeated him.
Nearby, a dying werewolf lay slumped, gazing at Clementine with warmth.
"Brother…" Geraldine wept.
"I thought she had perished… never imagined she had a child…"
"Don't speak, Garou. You will survive," Geraldine pleaded.
"…I may not have the time to tell her myself… but tell her I loved her…" With that, Garou's life ended.
"You saw it."
A small girl with golden hair appeared beside her.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Carol." Her bright green eyes gleamed with innocent light.
"Once, long ago, survivors from another dimension came into this world… into Letruish. Two vampires, five humans."
"You mean… they weren't from this world?"
"Correct. I only know this through Sera's memories."
"What do you want me to see?"
"Follow me."
Carol led her to another memory, where a broken dimensional gate opened. From it, people emerged, bearing capsules containing important artifacts. There, they encountered young Ronovan, young Fenrir, a child-aged Geraldine, a Garou in his prime, and young Rio. Alongside them stood Terasvari, a white-haired vampire woman and beside her a woman named Seraphine.
But Seraphine looked nothing like the Lady Seraphine Clementine knew. This one was gentle, almost kind.
The newcomers introduced themselves:
"My name is Mira. This is Aster, Serina, and the gloomy one at the end is Alaric." Alaric simply scoffed. "And these are Yujin, Rumi, and Lola."
They explained their mission, though not all trusted them.
Alaric, cold and skeptical, focused only on repairing the gate to leave Letruish.
Serina clung to him protectively.
Mira was the calm, level-headed one. Aster, though young, carried a fatherly aura.
Yujin, a stunning woman, grew close to Ronovan and Fenrir.
And Rumi—a temperamental vampire who openly disliked the werewolves present.
"…She looks like me," Clementine whispered.
"Rumi was your mother. Garou, your father," Caroline revealed.
"…So I truly am vampire-werewolf blood…"
"Love is not everything. Rumi died giving birth to you."
"And Ronovan raised you because it was her dying wish."
"I see… so Ronovan was never my father…"
"Disappointed? We cannot choose our parents," Carol lowered her gaze. "Neither could I."
The memories unraveled further. The group were Dimension Keepers—guardians of ancient artifacts across worlds. Mira, Aster, Alaric, and Serina left to secure another threat, while Rumi, Yujin, and Lola remained behind to guard the Orb Eternum.
"Lady Seraphine betrayed them…"
Clementine snapped her gaze toward Caroline, who stared forward grimly.
"She stole the Orb Eternum from Lola and murdered her. Terasvari was close to Lola, perhaps even loved her—so betrayal cut deeply."
"Rumi, pregnant, fought to reclaim the Orb. The battle was fierce. Lady Seraphine nearly lost—until the Orb itself chose her as its wielder. Rumi survived long enough to bring you into the world."
Clementine's eyes burned as she watched.
"After that, Terasvari vanished. Ronovan, urged by Fenrir, took the mantle of leadership. But Fenrir… slowly, he was consumed by the lust for power."
"He wasn't always like that?" Clementine whispered.
"No," Carol answered quietly. "He was just a lonely boy. Yujin was human. Her life was short. He loved her, and when she died… he broke."
"You mean he went mad… because of love?"
"Perhaps. As a human, she died content, having refused to become a vampire. Even though he forced himself upon her, she never once blamed him."
Clementine's eyes widened in horror.
"Though her heart belonged to Alaric, she never confessed her feelings. Yet she bore Fenrir's child, and continued to bear his children despite the terrible things he did to her. By chance, as her death approached, she met Terasvari, and entrusted the boy to her care, a secret Fenrir never knew."
A shadow formed before Clementine. A boy with sharp features, familiar eyes.
"B12…" Clementine whispered, her heart stopping. "Bandi."
"Yes," Caroline said coldly. "The blood of Fenrir. The Prince of Darkness."
-----
Clementine saw it—the image carved into her mind, undeniable. She was the one who had claimed Fenrir's life. Fenrir, father of Bandi.
"Perhaps that is why Ronovan despises me… for him," she whispered, the thought heavy in her chest.
Carol's voice cut through the memory. "Ronovan's face was unreadable when he looked at Fenrir's ashes. But you saw it, didn't you? The way his jaw trembled… the silence too heavy to hold."
Clementine turned her head slightly, glimpsing Ronovan's rigid back, Rio's broken sobs, Geraldine's wails echoing like claws against stone. And there—Garou's lifeless body, her father. His scent, faint even in memory, lingered like rain-soaked earth and wolf's musk.
"Rio bore his child?" she asked, her voice sharp with disbelief.
Carol smiled faintly, eyes glimmering with cruel knowing. "Sharp eyes… yes. Rio carried Garou's blood within her. That child was Rodeo. A son of both vampire and werewolf."
Clementine's breath caught. "You mean… I have a younger brother?"
The scene shifted like smoke curling into another shape, dragging her into the werewolf den. The air there was thick—damp stone, musk, the copper tang of wolf blood. She stumbled into the shadows of a secret conversation: Bandi and Geraldine, whispering hurriedly.
Rio lay in the background, her skin fever-pale, sweat beading at her temples. The smell of sickness stung Clementine's senses.
"That's why…" she realized, her chest tightening. "That's why Bandi left for the vampire nest. To find a cure. And he took Lullaby with him, without permission."
The image jolted—Rodeo appeared, a young wolf with sharp grey eyes, startling them both. Clementine's half-brother. His stance was strong, his expression stubborn, almost a mirror of Garou himself.
But chaos rose quickly. Claudius stormed into the vampire nest like a hurricane, rage dripping from every movement. He was searching for Lullaby.
His slaughter left the nest weakened—fragile as old stone. And Caroline… Caroline had vanished from the den during negotiations, her absence like a blade drawn in silence.
The horror unfolded fast: Geraldine slain beneath Claudius's fury, Lullaby unconscious on the ground, Rio's body cold beside her. Claudius's howl tore the air open.
Bandi ran to catch up to Ronovan—into the shattered vampire nest already drenched in ruin. Negotiations had failed. Desperation stained his voice as he begged Caroline to spare the werewolves.
But what came was massacre.
Blood sprayed the walls, thick metallic scent choking the air. The shrieks of vampires split the night, their Phase forms writhing under Caroline's unyielding power. Their deaths fell one by one—until she stood, crimson-drenched, a goddess of ruin.
Ronovan's eyes widened, realization striking him like lightning. His choice, his decision, had birthed only collapse. He then fought with Caroline, until Clementine come in rescue.
Still, Clementine remained—fighting, protecting. Her own body ragged, her clothes shredded. Her heart thundered, her claws ready.
And Bandi saw her—her monstrous visage, Fase 2 unleashed in full. He watched her hurl herself against Caroline, unafraid where he had cowered.
The battle was carnage. Caroline's body healed endlessly, every gash sealing with a hiss of flesh. Clementine leapt onto her back, her claws raking, her teeth snapping, her fury relentless. For the first time, Caroline faltered, her perfect skin split.
That was Clementine's chance. She seized Ronovan, dragging his trembling body into the shadows, running, lungs burning with iron and smoke.
Behind her, Caroline's voice slithered out, amused:
"She is not bad, Sera… she makes my skin crawl."
The memory dragged her further. She saw Bandi again—his voice cracked, desperate.
"How? How can you be this strong, Clementine? Tell me—what's your secret?!"
But Clementine, still in her feral form, struck him down instead. His blood spilled hot on her hands, his body crumpled. She left him gasping, broken on the ground.
And then—Terasvari appeared. Calm, terrible, lifting Bandi from the wreckage, carrying him away to safety.
--
The memory ended, snapping like a thread. Clementine's chest heaved, her heart torn between grief, fury, and shame. She turned sharply toward Carol.
"Now I can ask, can't I? Carol… you are Caroline, aren't you?"
The little girl's eyes shimmered, fragile and eerie all at once. "I am not what I seem. Darkness has gnawed at me… thoughts, whispers, corruption. My body and my soul—they no longer belong together. I've chosen to split them apart."
Clementine's voice lowered. "Why show me all this?"
The world bled back into clarity. Caroline's finger pressed gently against her forehead—her touch icy, electric.
Then a light burst from her house, blinding-white, laced with whispers like rushing leaves, yet carrying a strange, holy resonance.
Clementine shielded her eyes, her breath stolen.
When the brilliance faded, Caroline was no longer standing before her. She had walked back into her house, her form folding into meditation. A statue of vengeance, gathering power endlessly.
"Is that your purpose?" Clementine whispered.
Carol, the small, transparent child at her side, shook her head. "No… perhaps that is Caroline's path, but not mine. That light you felt—it wasn't hers. I've waited for it. A presence. A savior, maybe. Someone who will end my torment and give me the release I long for."
"The rustling light…" Clementine's brows furrowed. "You mean that?"
"Yes," Carol's form flickered, her tone soft, hopeful. "I believe it will come. Perhaps… it will save me."
Clementine turned away, the air of Flirmus thick and bitter against her skin.
"If that person truly comes… I hope they save me too."
She walked away from Flirmus, never once looking back.
----
The remnants of the vampire kin bent beneath Clementine's will. Even so, Ozrik did not accept her rule. Yet the voices of the coven rose unanimous in her favor, and she was granted the seat of leadership.
From that day onward, a cold war burned between Lullaby and Claudius. Claudius sank into his long slumber, burying his rage beneath centuries of silence, while Lullaby wandered—her steps echoing across lands unknown.
Clementine led differently. She was no tyrant. Her reign bore warmth, compassion, though no new vampires were born into their dwindling number. Still, she found a strange contentment in their quiet survival.
What she could not foresee was Rodeo—her half-brother—returning one hundred years later, carrying Garou's blood and Garou's fury.
She beheld him then, a towering figure, his presence cut from the same steel as their father. His eyes burned with the fire of grievance, of hatred sharpened over time.
No matter what, Clementine thought, he must still carry vengeance in his heart for Claudius.
"How is Bandi?" Clementine asked softly, a smile playing at her lips as she faced her brother.
"Silence, wretched woman!" Rodeo's claws glinted in the torchlight, trembling with rage. "I stand here to avenge. This war—I wage it to burn away the shame you vampires have cast upon us!"
Clementine's smile did not falter. "I only hope you do not regret this choice. Do not bring war into being for the sake of love alone."
Color surged into Rodeo's face, his jaw tightening. "Love? What nonsense! You know nothing! You deranged bitch!"
With a roar, he lunged.
Rosaria and Rosalina appeared like a storm breaking, their bodies intercepting his strike, forcing him to stumble back.
Rodeo snarled, his amber eyes blazing. "I will return, Clementine! I will tear your heart from your chest, and then—then you will never smile again!"
And then, in an instant, he vanished into shadow.
Clementine's lips curved with sorrow and strange tenderness. I will be waiting, little brother.
---
But treachery came not from wolves alone. Ozrik stoked rebellion within, his schemes fueled by Bandi's quiet manipulations. The boy's tactics were ruthless, precise—enough to divide them from within.
And then, as though the walls of her domain were nothing, Bandi appeared before her. He raised his hands, unarmed, his expression sly.
Clementine's eyes narrowed, and she gave a single command. "Agusta—imprison him."
Chains clattered. Now, he knelt in his cell, a faint smirk on his lips as Clementine approached.
"Yoo… Clem," he greeted with mockery, "how have you been?"
"You are the only one foolish enough to call me that," Clementine said, lowering herself onto the chair before him.
"Still not satisfied with beating me?" His grin widened.
"I have no need to savor victory. I won. You lost."
"Then we're even," Bandi replied with false ease. "I came here to offer myself as a hostage. Perhaps you'll find it… useful." His voice dropped lower. "Tell me, how is Ronovan?"
Clementine's face twisted, anger flaring. "Don't you dare mention his name."
"You can't hide him forever," Bandi said. "Hand him over, and I will try to persuade the werewolves to end this war."
"Your words," Clementine hissed, "are nothing but poison."
He leaned forward, eyes wide and bitter. "And what of you? You've always looked down on me! I hate you, Clementine. I always have. You wield such power—and yet you waste it on kindness and restraint. If I had your strength, I would never need to bargain. I would never have dragged us all into chaos!"
Clementine's laughter was hollow, sharp with sorrow. "So you know. You know this ruin is your doing. And yet you dare speak of hate?" She shook her head. "Pathetic, Bandi. You are truly pathetic."
His silence was his confession.
"Rot here," Clementine said coldly, standing. "Rot in these chains for all eternity. You will never touch Ronovan. Not while I draw breath."
She turned her back on him, her steps echoing in the stone corridor. At the door, she spoke quietly to Agusta.
"Prepare the vessel."
Agusta's eyes widened. "A vessel? Clementine… for what purpose?"
"For war. I will make myself its vessel."
"That's madness—it could destroy you!"
But Clementine froze. A sound drifted through the air.
The rustling. That same divine murmur she had heard one hundred and ninety years ago.
Her heart skipped.
"I must go, Agusta."
"Wait! Where are you—?"
She did not wait. She bolted, her body blurring through the halls, chasing the call of that sound. The rustling grew louder, clearer, pulling her toward Flirmus.
And then—she saw him.
A man with hair like falling snow, sapphire eyes burning like the heart of winter. He stood in the city square, smiling faintly, as though sensing her presence. And for the first time in nearly two centuries, Clementine felt Caroline's aura vanish completely.
Carol… had been saved.
Her lips curled upward. Steadfast, she strode toward him, the air thick with his scent—a fragrance that struck her with déjà vu, stirring something long buried.
The rustling song, the divine aura—it was him. The one she had hoped for. The one she had waited for.
"Who the hell are you?" barked a man with black hair nearby, breaking the moment.
But Clementine's gaze never left the white-haired figure.
She stepped closer, inhaling deeply. Her voice was almost trembling. "You… you smell delicious."
The white-haired man spun, eyes wide. A crackle of surprise laced his voice, "Who… are you?"
Her tongue darted out, tasting the air. A hungry thrill, mixed with reverence, sparked in her chest.
"Are you the ones who defeated the Red Witch?"
Her pulse hammered. Finally, salvation. The savior had arrived. Just as she had once saved Carol, now—someone had come for her.