Note: This time, we'll follow Everline, the playful little ghost, as all sorts of fun events unfold around her.
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"Hello!"
"Uh… hi?"
It was that day in 2017. While Karl Heisenberg busied himself scavenging corpses from the graveyard to defy his so-called "mother," a girl spoke to him. He tilted his head. Unless his eyes were playing tricks, she was floating.
"…Miranda, that bastard, now I'm seeing ghosts?" he muttered.
"Ghost? How rude! I've got a proper name—Eveline!" she huffed.
"Oh, right, Eveline. Look, I'm busy. Scram. …Wait, Eveline? You're not Eva or something, are you?"
"Who's that?"
"Not her, huh? Then who the hell are you?"
"My name is Eveline."
Heisenberg had suspected she might be Miranda's daughter, given the name's similarity, but no dice. Hauling corpses back to his factory for modifications, he noticed Eveline watching with keen interest.
"Whoa, you're turning corpses into machines? That's cool!" she said.
"You get the romance of it, huh? Drills, man—drills are the way to go. But control's a problem. Maybe I should ditch the Cadou…"
"Why not control the Cadou instead?"
"Huh! That's a damn good idea!"
Stuck in a rut, Heisenberg found a breakthrough thanks to Eveline's suggestion. Grinning, he acknowledged her presence.
The Four Lords' monthly meeting was, as usual, a chaotic affair. At the usual gathering spot, Heisenberg squirmed under the others' curious stares, the air thick with awkwardness. Breaking the silence was Angie, never one for tact.
"Hey, Heisenberg! Since when'd you start babysitting?" she cackled.
"Shut it, Angie," he snapped. "She followed me. Donna, muzzle that ugly doll."
"Who're you calling ugly, jerk?!" Angie shrieked.
"Did you… kidnap her or something?" Moreau ventured.
"Don't make me sound like a creep, Moreau! I only mess with corpses!" Heisenberg retorted.
"Honestly… crude, rude, and filthy," Alcina Dimitrescu sneered. "Hand that girl over. Young blood's perfect for draining."
"Sorry, Lady D, she's got no body," Heisenberg shot back. "And you calling me crude? That's rich."
"Angie, Donna, Moreau, Dimitrescu—got it! Nice to meet ya!" Eveline chirped, floating before each lord with a cheeky grin.
The other lords recoiled, half-doubting her intangibility but convinced as she phased through them. Then, crows swarmed, coalescing into Mother Miranda.
"What's this commotion?" Miranda demanded. "…Eva!?"
"Yo, hi, Mom?" Eveline greeted, smirking.
Recognizing her mistake, Miranda's face twisted with irritation. "Eveline… how dare you. Why are you here?"
"Dunno," Eveline said. "Thought Ethan killed me, then I was in some weird world. Got bored, wanted to meet someone, and poof—here I am with Karl. Know anything, Mother?"
"Don't call me that—it's disgusting," Miranda snapped. "If you see me as your mother, you must've manifested through the fungal network. Only those with Cadou implants can see you, likely. Could I reach Eva the same way? Is it because you, the E-type mold's host, lost your body? Or was consciousness surfacing always possible? Speak! How'd you get here?"
"I said I don't know! Were you even listening? Are you stupid? Wanna die?"
"Pfft… heh heh!" Heisenberg stifled a laugh.
Miranda, in full researcher mode, rambled excitedly, only for Eveline to grimace and shut her down. Heisenberg barely held back his laughter. Dimitrescu, overhearing, bowed to Eveline, mistaking her for Miranda's daughter.
"Could she be your daughter, Lady Miranda? My apologies," Dimitrescu said.
"No worries, no worries," Eveline teased. "But you're an eyesore, so keep your head down."
"Y-Yes…!" Dimitrescu stammered.
"Dimitrescu, she's not my daughter," Miranda barked. "Just a failure."
"Oh… I see," Dimitrescu faltered.
"Tch, I wanted to play big shot longer," Eveline pouted.
Moreau shuffled forward, clutching documents. "Mama, don't worry about failures. I'll make the perfect vessel!"
"Pfft! Didn't your assistant just get eaten by—what was it, a Varcolac? Which mouth's talking now?" Eveline cackled.
"Exactly, Moreau," Dimitrescu said. "You wasted the maid I lent you. Such delicious blood, gone!"
"I said I'm sorry…" Moreau mumbled.
"My gardener's kinda a success, though!" Eveline laughed. "He's been guarding my yard forever!"
"No matter how strong, it's a failure if it's not a vessel for Miranda's daughter," Moreau sulked.
"What a fun family!" Eveline giggled.
As the lords bickered, Miranda clutched her head, clearly pained. "When will I get Eva back…?"
"Hey, I was born from Eva's embryo, right? Should I call you Grandma?" Eveline asked.
"I'm neither your mother nor grandmother!" Miranda roared. "Say that again, and I'll kill you!"
"How, exactly?" Eveline taunted.
"Shut up, you make me sick," Miranda spat.
The meeting ended, and Heisenberg exchanged a wink with Eveline. As planned, they'd dodged any real discussion with the "idiots." Mission accomplished.
"Eveline, you're just adorable!" Dimitrescu cooed.
"Seriously, can't you get a body somehow?" Cassandra asked.
"I've got a drained maid right here," Bela offered.
"Uh, no thanks, probably can't anyway…" Eveline declined.
Bored, Eveline had floated to Dimitrescu's castle. Overwhelmed by the fawning Dimitrescu sisters, she sulked as Lady Dimitrescu sipped wine and puffed on her pipe, amused. Seeing the brat who'd tried to deceive her squirm was delightful.
"Ugh, old lady! Quit staring! Etch-a-Sketch, one-touch!" Eveline snapped.
"O-Old…!?" Dimitrescu froze.
"No, Eveline, don't!" Cassandra gasped.
"That's the one thing you never say!" Bela cried.
"Take it back, quick—AAH!" Daniela screamed.
Eveline's forbidden word stunned Dimitrescu, who rose in fury, slashing with her extended claws. Daniela, caught in her arms, took the hit and vanished.
"Over here, old lady! Follow the clap!" Eveline taunted, clapping.
"I'm a lady!" Dimitrescu roared, swinging again.
"Wait, Mother—ow!" Cassandra yelped.
"Stop, Mother, not this way—AAH!" Bela shrieked.
Eveline dodged gleefully, goading Dimitrescu as she accidentally struck Cassandra and Bela, who vanished. With her daughters gone, Dimitrescu calmed, breathing heavily.
"Hey! Say! Hey! Say! You okay? Sounding winded!" Eveline mocked.
"You… my daughters!" Dimitrescu growled.
"You're the one who killed them," Eveline pointed out.
"You insolent—!" Dimitrescu bellowed.
"Need some wine?" Eveline teased.
"You little—!"
Furious, Dimitrescu transformed into her massive dragon form, rampaging through the hall. Even Eveline, spooked, fled the castle.
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