Kael staggered down the mansion corridor, every step a dull echo swallowed by the heavy silence. His breath rasped, shallow and uneven, as his eyes scanned the shadows for any trace of Lumino.
But focus was slipping from him. That cold gaze earlier—it wasn't the Lumino he knew. No words of explanation, no hesitation, just that terrifying indifference.
How far have you fallen, Lumino? Or maybe… this is who you truly were all along. And I've finally taken a month to see it.
Blood dripped steadily from his wounds, painting dark trails across the marble floor. His vision blurred at the edges, the corridors swimming as if the walls themselves were tilting. Orcha had carved him down to his limits. The victory felt more like survival than triumph.
[Warning: you lost so much blood]
[HP is low]
By the time he reached the dining hall, the scent of old wine and varnished wood brought back a cruel memory—his first night here, invited to dine under Clementine's roof. That illusion of civility now mocked him.
If we had never stepped into this mansion… perhaps none of this would have happened.
The memory of that photograph hidden inside Terasvari's book stabbed sharper than his wounds. His head throbbed with the weight of it until his knees buckled. He collapsed, sprawling face-first onto the polished floor.
His blood pooled around him, warm and metallic, seeping into the cracks between the tiles. He stared into the reflection of his own pale, fading face—until the sound of footsteps reached his ears.
Who's there…?
A playful pressure tapped his back. A finger, poking at him.
"Are you dead?"
Damn it. Not yet. I just… can't move.
The voice was familiar. Straining his mind through the haze, recognition snapped into place. The woman—the vampire who had fled when Orcha ordered her away.
"If I leave you like this, you might die," she murmured almost absently.
Kael's hearing flickered, betraying him. His eyelids felt heavier with each heartbeat.
"If you die, the alliance could collapse. And Clementine would be… disappointed. I don't want that. Nor do I want a human like you rising up again in a frenzy. But…"
Warmth spread across his battered body, alien yet soothing. The searing ache in his muscles dulled, replaced by a drowsy comfort that dragged him toward unconsciousness.
No—he could move again. Fingers first, then his arm. In a surge of will, Kael twisted sharply and caught the pale hand pressed against him.
"What are you doing?" His voice was hoarse, words scraping out with effort. He locked eyes with her—skin like porcelain, expression unreadable.
"Healing," she answered simply.
"Why heal an enemy? What's your goal?" His gaze hardened.
"You'd better not move too much," she said flatly, her hand still glowing faintly against his skin. "I haven't closed all your wounds yet."
They stared at each other, an unspoken challenge in the silence. She betrayed nothing in her face—no malice, no warmth, only a blank calm.
"Then answer me—" Kael's voice dropped low, iron in his tone. "Heal me… or I'll kill you."
A dry laugh escaped her. "Are you really in any position to threaten? You can't even sit up without bleeding out." With a flick of her finger, she tapped his forehead.
Damn it. She's right.
Kael's thoughts swirled uneasily. Why would a vampire save him here, in the heart of a battle? If she simply left him to bleed, their side would edge closer to victory. None of it made sense.
[Warning: HP is being gradually restored]
His eyes flicked to the faint overlay of his system. He turned his gaze back—her hands hovered over his torn flesh, wounds knitting together in precise, meticulous strokes.
"At least… an S-rank healing ability," he muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Nothing." He shut his mouth quickly.
This vampire magic was unlike anything he had witnessed before.
it was too refined, too delicate, almost surgical.
"I'm done," she announced, finally withdrawing her hand. Kael pushed himself up, feeling strength surge back into his limbs, not just healed, but rejuvenated.
System, status check.
[HP: 2,900,000 — restored to 98%]
[MP: 2,890,777 — restored to 80%]
What the hell… this is a jackpot.
He flexed his fingers, scrolling the translucent interface in front of him. The woman's eyes narrowed, watching him like he was mad.
[Failed to save skill]
Tch. Why can't the system save it?Or maybe… it's not a skill at all?
His scowl deepened at the floating panel.
[Do you wish to save "Triple-Blade Sword Technique"?]
Hell no, I don't want Orcha's trash technique.
[Skill not saved.]
"…Um… are you alright?" the vampire woman asked, voice soft, uncertain.
Kael dismissed the glowing interface with a flick, exhaling. "I'm fine. And… thank you."
Her eyes flickered, almost surprised.
"Can I at least know your name?" he asked.
"…Lullaby," she said quietly.
Steel hissed into existence as Kael conjured his sword once more, its edge glinting as he pressed it against her neck. His lips curled into a sharp smile.
"Then, Lullaby… you'd better tell me where Lumino is." His voice dropped into a growl. "Before I slash you into pieces."
Screw with saving skills.
---————---
"What a foolish decision, Clementine. You left Lullaby there?" Claudius's voice thundered through the ritual chamber, his anger vibrating against the stone walls.
Clementine, however, seemed unshaken. She was busy arranging the final components of her ritual. The chamber was vast, lit by wavering candlelight that made the air heavy with incense and iron. At the far end, something sharp and yellowed lay at the center of her circle—nails. Human nails. Lumino deliberately averted his eyes, unwilling to know whose they had been.
"Calm yourself, Claudius," Clementine answered smoothly, her voice as composed as ever. "A healer like Lullaby is far more useful staying behind. I even left Agusta to guard the place."
Lumino's chest twisted at her words. Unease stirred deep inside him. No matter what explanations Clementine offered, no matter what careful logic she wielded, his heart kept circling back to Kael. After so long apart, Kael deserved an answer—why Lumino had chosen to side with Clementine, why he stood here at all.
Forgive me, Kael… but for now I must remain with Clementine. I need to find a way to reclaim my divine power.
He clenched his fists. He didn't want this either. His fury over Alisa's death had dulled, leaving only a hollow ache and a numb acceptance he despised.
Even his grief seemed restrained, like something, or someone, was dampening his feelings. Perhaps Lady Seraphine's influence, tangled still within his mind.
No. I can't waver. I won't keep dragging Kael and Alira into danger. I'll carry this alone.
"Lumino," Clementine called, her voice cutting through his thoughts. "Are you ready?"
Claudius gave a sharp huff, still visibly displeased. Lumino closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and then opened them again. His voice was firm, though soft. "I'm ready."
A quiet gratitude stirred in him toward Clementine. Her gift with scents had helped dull the oppressive whispers of Lady Seraphine, muting the suffocating aura that clung to him. For once, he could breathe without feeling her claws raking through his mind.
Clementine seated herself cross-legged within the intricate runes, her focus sharp as she sank into the ritual. Lumino knelt nearby, channeling his strange energy into her body. It wasn't mana—at least, not the kind he understood—but whatever it was, it steadied her. It kept her from convulsing under the strain of the dangerous rite.
And as the ritual pulsed forward, he couldn't help but recall that night—the conversation they shared beneath the flicker of half-burnt candles:
"Clementine… what is it you truly want?"
"I want… unity between our races. I want happiness spread equally. And I want… rest. A long, eternal rest."
Her words had chilled him then. "What do you mean?"
"I don't want you to annihilate the werewolves, Lumino. That isn't what I wish for. What I want is for Fenrir to atone for his sins—truly atone—rather than be cut down like a beast. I was the one, unintentionally, who took his life. And now, I want to return it."
"…."
She had looked at him then, her eyes shimmering with a sorrow he almost couldn't bear.
"All of this, Lumino… because of you. You conquered Caroline, freed that woman from her torment. You overcame the trauma that had bound you. You saved her. Can't you save me, too?"
Her plea had twisted his chest, struck too close to something buried deep.
"It would mean sacrificing yourself… it would mean dying," he whispered, pity breaking in his tone.
"Perhaps. But I will be Fenrir's vessel. I may still walk, still breathe—but what remains of me will no longer matter." Her hand had touched his cheek, achingly gentle. "Two centuries of life is enough, Lumino."
He hadn't realized it then, but tears had slipped down his face. For a heartbeat, he understood what Carol had once felt—her wish that he might find happiness, even if she could not.
It's the same here. I can't save Clementine. But at least… I can honor her last wish.
"Very well, Clementine," he had said, clasping her hand, forcing a smile despite the heaviness inside him. "I'll stand with you until the end. What do you want me to do?"
Her lips had parted on a soft apology—then suddenly she pulled him close, pressing a tender kiss to his mouth. Her tongue brushed his, sending a strange warmth coursing through him, silencing the ever-present hum of Lady Seraphine.
When she pulled back, she smiled faintly at his flushed expression.
"That was to sever her hold on you, even if only temporarily. Your scent no longer reeks of her."
Lumino suddenly cover his mouth with his arm, stunned. "W-what was that for?"
"Shh…" she hushed him with a playful glance, her nose twitching as though scenting the air. "Listen to me, Lumino. There is a way to break free of her entirely."
Lumino's face steadied, his hope flickering to life. "Truly? How? That woman has chained down my divine power. I can feel her watching me every moment."
"The truth is… the Orb Eternum is embedded within you. It was Lady Seraphine who activated it, but she cannot use it on her own."
"You mean she needs me?"
"Exactly. I know a little about her. I once witnessed her wield the Red Orb Eternum in battle. She is dangerous, but her bond with you is fragile."
Her expression hardened, shadows crossing her features. "She bound you with a complex spell. And that spell is split into three channels."
Lumino swallowed hard. "…Kael. Isn't he one of them?"
"Yes," Lumino admitted. "Some kind of red thread connects Kael and me. It once pulled us together whenever we strayed too far apart, like a magnet… but after I died, it changed. The thread shifted—not from wrist to wrist—but from his wrist… straight into my heart."
"I see." Clementine's eyes narrowed. "That must be what she's after."
"I thought so too. It was her who persuade me to take Caroline's attack directly that day."
"Listen to me, Lumino. From one schemer to another—I can tell you Lady Seraphine's ambitions for you are vast. You must not let her twist you into her pawn."
Lumino frowned at her words. Did she just… call herself a schemer too?
Clementine pressed on. "If my suspicion is right, she replaced your very life with the Orb Eternum. Which means…"
"Means what?"
"Without the Orb, you cannot live." She paused, her words heavy. "But there is another possibility. She may be trying to awaken the Orb to its full capacity—using your life as the fuel. Feeding it your emotions: anger, sorrow, despair, hatred."
"Ah… that makes sense. I've been more unstable lately." Lumino exhaled. "Clementine, your insight… it's frighteningly sharp."
"That night you fight against Agusta, making her trauma. When I saw you, I heard it clearly—your sound crackling like broken glass. It was your emotions spilling out."
"So what should I do?" Lumino clenched his fists. The realization weighed on him like iron.
I have been in Lady Seraphine's grip all along.
"Because you agreed to aid my plan, I will help you break free," Clementine said firmly.
"…Will you?"
"Then place your trust in me."
"…Alright."
"Clementine…" Lumino stepped closer and said quietly, "I will help you."
--—--
Now, back in the present, the ritual thrummed at its halfway mark. Sigils glowed faintly under Clementine's hands as Claudius loomed near the chamber doors, keeping a watchful eye.
Then—he stiffened. His face hardened in sudden recognition.
"You—!"
A voice cut through the chamber. Smooth, cold, and painfully familiar.
"…Holaaa…."
Lumino's heart lurched. That voice. He would know it anywhere.
Kael.
From the doorway, Kael stepped forward, his sword gleaming, its edge hooked tight around Lullaby's throat. He held her against him, his gaze unyielding.
"Move aside, or she dies."
Lumino shot to his feet, shock rippling through him. His breath caught at the sight—Kael's blade grazing Lullaby's pale skin, her terrified eyes reflecting its deadly shine.
"Damn you—release her!" Claudius roared.
"I will." Kael's eyes never left Lumino. "If you give him back to me."
He looks mad…
"Do you still mean to block my path?" Kael asked, voice edged with steel as he pressed the blade closer.
Claudius faltered, rage and desperation warring in his face. Finally, with a growl: "Go. Take him. Just let her go."
Lumino blinked in disbelief. What?
"At least you can think rationally," Kael said coldly.
He slid his sword away from Lullaby's neck and shoved her toward Claudius, who immediately caught her in his arms.
"Are you alright?" Claudius muttered urgently.
"You fool! Why let him through?" she cried, her voice shaking.
"I don't care about them, my love." Claudius hissed back, holding her tightly. "For me you're the one that I care about."
Kael stepped forward, dragging his blade against the stone floor, sparks crackling in its wake. Every step he took rang with grim resolve, his silver eyes burning with determination.
At last, he stopped before Lumino, sword raised, the air between them charged and unyielding.
"Now," Kael said, his voice low, his blade at Lumino's throat. "Let's hear your explanation."