Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound of footsteps echoed up the stairs as a pair of maids made thier way up to the upper floor. They wore crisp black-and-white uniforms, with aprons tied neatly around their necks. One was a little chubby, her short hair pulled into a loose bun, while the other was slim with a neatly cropped cut.
"Lady Catherine, I've been busy a lot this days, you know," the chubby one said, puffing slightly as they climbed.
The slimmer one giggled softly behind her hand. "Busy? Of course she's always busy. That girl is always trying to catch her father's attention. Hehe, don't you remember how she practically forced him to let her become a sorcerer? Just because she noticed he took a liking to them, especially that one named 'Mr. Shadow.' "
"She's such a funny girl," they both said in unison, as they giggled.
The slim maid rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Still, even with her actions, she's actually helping the land. Remember when she invested in orphanages, repaired the train locomotive, improved the number of sorcerers for security..." She paused, lowering her voice. "Even when her father changed the currency because of that inflation mess, she's the one, who deliberately kept it quiet, didn't spread it to the banks, so that people can deposit thier money for what is worth. Though when some banks found out it was quite troublesome for them."
The chubby maid chuckled again. "That girl really has a strong sense of righteousness."
...
Meanwhile, inside one of the mansion's rooms, a girl with long, disheveled black hair turned restlessly on her bed, as though she was lost in a pleasant dream.
When the red rays of the sun, cut through the window, she finally woke up. She rubbed her eyes and sat up right on the bed, looking at the ever-present crimson sun.
Sighing, V13, stood up from her bed and wandered to the mirror next to it. She sat and brushed her hair, in front of the silver mirror and was just about to tie it back, when—
Knock! Knock!
"I'm coming," she said softly, setting her brush down.
When she opened the door, the two maids from earlier stood there, bowing slightly.
"Lady Catherine, your father asked us to tell you that, breakfast is ready." Said the chubby one.
Catherine gave a cool nod, and said with an indifferent expression. "Alright, I'll be right there," before gently closing the door.
...
In the Ward household, a figure stepped out from a room. He wore a green shirt and black trousers. As he walked forward, he flicked on the light. It was Lumian Ward.
He sat down on the chair and glanced at the the ticking clock. "8:00, but with the captain be there already? Normally, the captain and other members only come by 9:00. The only person, who might be there this early is Alice, since she always comes by this time."
His gaze then landed on the green shirt he wore. "I can't believe, this is thing actually cost 45 pounds."
Standing up, he went to the mirror next to the door—usually Kelvin's mirror, since it was his 'motto' to always look perfect before heading to his job.
Lumian looked at himself in the mirror and brushed a strand of hair forward. "What a fine young man I am," he said with a sly smile.
He checked the time again before sitting back down with a sigh. Eventually as boredom crept in, his thoughts wandered to the "new secret organization" he had mentioned earlier. With a serious expression, he began to weigh the pros and cons.
"By using this secret organization, it can help me in the long term—allowing my investigations or any future events to go smoothly without intervention or bureaucracy. It could also help with quick decision-making... and we could shape events without public opinion."
Lumian crossed his legs and touched his lips thoughtfully. "As for the disadvantages—it might lead to trust issues, power struggles, maybe even paranoia… or get me killed." He removed his hand and rubbed his cheek. "But the pros outweigh the cons. If I use a code name, and the members of The Veiled or this new organization stay quiet, no one can ever discover my identity."
Just as Lumian was lost in thought, Kelvin walked in wearing his nightgown. Seeing Lumian, he raised his brows, in slight surprise.
"Lumian, you're up this early? Where are you heading? I thought the crimson sun's already up, and there's no need for Laura to go to school again, so…"
"Hmm. Kelvin, the office just called. They said we're resuming work earlier than expected." Lumian said with a straight face, as though he doesn't lie to even children.
Kelvin walked toward the fridge. "What's the reason?"
Lumian chuckled. "Well, I don't really know, hehe. I'll just go and check."
"Alright," Kelvin said, filling a glass water before sitting on the couch beside Lumian. He took a gulp, then turned to Lumian. "Lumian, your going to wake up tomorrow early, right? To drop Laura at school before the crimson sun rises?"
Lumian scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "Hehe, I don't really think so. Work matters may come up."
"That's not an excuse!" Kelvin said Inwardly, but outwardly he simply nodded and took another gulp. Then after a pause, he asked, "Lumian, I've been meaning to ask… what kind of job do you actually do?"
...
The sky outside was dyed a deep crimson as Lumian stared into Kelvin's brown eyes in a daze. Finally, with a faint smile, he replied, "I work at the Moonlight Watchers Faculty. We protect individuals, inspect, and interpret information."
It was the same answer he'd given Mr. Whitefield.
Kelvin nodded once, a small smile tugging at his lips. "So, your like a police officer?"
"Yes," Lumian replied calmly.
With a smile, Kelvin stood, walked to the counter, and set his glass down. Turning back, he said, "Alright, bro, just be back by ten this time. Last time, you came home the next day."
Lumian nodded. "Okay, Kelvin. Last time, something serious came up."
Kelvin gave a small hum of acknowledgement as he headed towards his room. "Sometimes, staying with family is best," he said quietly before closing the door behind him.
After that, the room fell silent.
Lumian sat there for a moment, before finally standing and heading outside. As he closed the door behind him, Kelvin's words echoed in his mind. The corners of his mouth twitched. "Staying with family is best... of course it is. But with the world changing like this, and the word 'sorcerer' spreading, I can't let them get caught up in these otherworldly matters"
He sighed and began walking down the crimson lit path. "My plan is to become a sorcerer—and protect myself and my family... Maybe one day, we can be the same happy family we once were.
...
When Lumian arrived at the Moonlight Watchers Faculty, he saw Lury behind the counter as usual.
"Good morning, Lumian," she said cheerfully. "You look splendid today."
Stepping closer, Lumian flashed a small smile. "Thank you, Lury. You know what today is right?"
Lury waved her hand playfully, her lips forming a grin. "Why wouldn't I, silly? It's the day you'll be taking your first potion." She paused, her eyes filled with excitement. "I'm not even sure, if I should still call you my colleague, though—since I'm not a sorcerer, heh."
Lumian chuckled. "Of course you still are. You help out however you can."
She smiled, then tilted her head curiously. "By the way, why don't you slick your hair back like before?"
Lumian laughed awkwardly, brushing a hand through his hair. "You liked it?"
"No, I didn't," Lury replied flatly. "That made you look like an old man. This style makes you look younger."
"Thank you, Lury," Lumian said with a small grin, making a mental note of it.
Just then, footsteps echoed down the stairs. A moment later, Hargreaves appeared, dressed in a blue shirt and brown trousers.
"Good morning, Captain," Lumian greeted quickly.
Hargreaves smiled as he approached. "Good morning, Lumain. So today's your big day. Are you sure want to go through with this—choosing the diviner order?" He said as his tone became serious, almost fatherly.
This time, Lumian didn't hesitate. He met his captain gaze and said firmly, "yes, Captain. I choose diviner."
...
Hargreaves looked at Lumian for a while before speaking. "You know, if you take a potion and it doesn't suit your mind or body, you'll turn into a curse."
Lumian smiled and nodded. "Yes, Captain. But you told me to follow my heart, remember?"
"...There are many orders, but the Church only has five potion recipes — the Mystery Pryer, Visionary, Night Crosser, Seer, and Diviner orders. As for the Mystery Pryer, they're mainly focused on solving mysteries. The Visionary and Night Crosser both come with side effects — they blur the line between what's real and what's not, even though their powers are quite interesting. That only leaves two real options — the Seer and the Diviner. Although they seem similar, they're completely different. The Diviner order is more interpretive — it allows one to see what normal human eyes can't, and to read fate through instruments like tarot, stars, or bones. The Seer order, on the other hand, is more direct — glimpsing into the future through dreams or visions… without necessary needing tools."
Lumian smirked slightly. "And honestly, id rather not hear things whispering in my head."
"Alright then," Hargreaves said, his tone still calm and firm. "Follow me."
Lumian nodded and fell in step behind him.
...
Tap. Tap. Tap. Their footsteps echoed softly, as they ascended the narrow stairwell. Despite being high above the ground, it was still dark, only the flickering torches on the wall giving it light. Each flame reflected faint carvings of the Skywalker symbol, engraved on every step.
"You remember Derrick, right?" Hargreaves said, breaking the silence.
Lumian rubbed his chin as he climbed another step. Suddenly a face appeared in his mind—a man with tired eyes and neatly combed brown hair. "Yes, Derrick… I haven't seen him for a while. Last time was when I'd just joined the faculty. We were talking about the war between the Red Moon Empire and the Blue Dynasty… they sent me to fetch something that day."
Hargreaves looked over his shoulder and asked. "And what exactly happened during that war?"
Lumian stopped in his tracks, forcing a small laugh, as he realized he had just shot himself with a bullet.
...
In that moment, Lumian quickly went through his memories but couldn't remember anything; it was as though, he was recalling a blurry textbook. Noticing Lumian having trouble, Hargreaves smiled, as they eventually stopped near a door.
"Derrick is the person who's in charge of brewing the potions and refining certain things. He should be there already, waiting for you."
"Got it, captain. Thank you."
Before leaving, Hargreaves put a hand on his shoulder and flashed a reassuring smile, melting a bit of Lumian's paranoia. After that, he turned and left.
Lumian stared at the departing Hargreaves figure, and took a deep breath as he turned towards the door. He braced himself and opened it, slowly stepping inside.
Inside, it was faintly dark, with only the yellow glow of candles on the wall giving it light. At his front was a slightly long table filled with pipettes by the left, a notebook in front, and a black cauldron by the right. Other than that, there was also the symbol of the Skywalker in front of the room.
Lumian stepped forward, and was Just about to read the contents of the notebook until a deep and hoarse voice suddenly came from behind.
"Don't touch my stuff."
Lumian quickly looked back and saw a man wearing colored trousers of red and black, also with a sweater accustomed to the same colors. The man didn't seem concerned about Lumian's presence after that. Stepping forward to the table, he bent down and brought out a jar containing dust, placing it on the table. After that, he walked to a cabinet and brought another jar of lavender. He opened it and took a small sniff, confirming it was fresh. He then gestured to Lumian.
"Boy, can you help me bring that thing over there?" he said, pointing to a smaller table by the sink.
"Ok, sir," Lumian said as he quickly went to fetch it.
Tak!
While he was doing that, Derrick had already lit a match on the stove, putting it over it. Lumian came over and handed him the tube. Inside it was a crimson red liquid. Derrick took it and looked at Lumian with a calm gaze. "So your the one who chose the Diviner order?"
"Yes, sir." Lumian kept his tone respectful—he didn't want this man's bad mood ruining his potion.
Derrick finally smiled as he turned to the desk. He took out a tube next to him and poured the contents inside the cauldron. "Eighty milliliters of holy water..." he muttered. He then opened another tube and poured it inside. "Thirty milliliters of blood from a great white shark. Normally, it's the sailors who help find this one," he said, turning to Lumian.
Then, with the grace of a magician, he quickly poured the lavender. "One, two, three... three teaspoons of dried lavender. Remember, never leave the contents brewing for long; if you do, it'll fail."
He took a peek at the notebook and told Lumian, "Boy, measure out half a beaker of clean water over there."
Lumian gave a look of slight surprise, but still, went to the tap and turned it on, placing a beaker under it.
After he was done, he brought it close to his eyes, checking the measurement. "Perfect!" He said Inwardly, before handing it over.
Receiving it, Derrick immediately poured it without giving it much thought, making Lumian's heart nearly leap out of his body. Still stirring, Derrick asked, "What's your name?"
"Lumian Ward," Lumian replied with a polite smile, though inwardly he screamed, "Just focus on the potion!"
Then, after observing the cauldron, Derrick noticed it wasn't bringing out the result he wanted. He took out the jar of dust and added one spoon. "A little bit should be enough." He turned to Lumian again and said, "There's a kind of reaction you'll see soon, a color just like a rainbow—though not every phase gets that. Phase Seven, for example, is different."
"You've brewed a Phase 6 potion before?" Lumian asked in slight surprise.
Derrick chuckled. "Not exactly. People keep their advancements hidden these days. But others in the church have reached that level—like James Carrick, serving over in Montmartre Heights."
"Montmartre Heights? We also have a faculty there?"
"Of course. Two in Betyl, one in Montmartre Heights," Derrick replied casually.
Suddenly, the cauldron began to bubble violently, rising up gradually as it produced a dazzling effervescence of rainbow light.
As Lumian cast his gaze over it, his pupils suddenly glowed blue as his gaze shifted from the room to a giant Kingdom—but it was not clearly visible! It was all covered in shades of crimson!
At that quick moment, Derrick took a tube and scooped a little of the rainbow liquid, calling his name. "My boy, diviner, your potion is ready."
...
Lumian was knocked out of the daze as he saw the brown-haired man handing him his potion. As he took it, he began looking at it tensely. "So this is my fate."
Go on, drink it," Derrick said, with his back turned against him, as he organized jars on the shelf.
Lumian's mouth twitched. "You know, at first when I saw him I thought he would be the smart, kind and gentle type."
He sighed and unbuttoned the top of his shirt for air. Bringing the tube close and keeping his gaze on it, he immediately frowned, because inside the rainbow colors were things moving. But having no other choice, he slapped himself—one, two—two times and quickly took a gulp.
In that split second, Lumian's body immediately began to grow cold; the hairs on his body stood up. He felt as though something was touching him from the inside. The colors of the room began to swirl up and down as though they were dancing. He covered his face with his fingers, hoping to at least get this terrible vision away.
Suddenly his head began to throb, combined with the bad vision—Lumian felt very bad. After an unknown amount of time, the pain gradually subsided. Lumian removed his fingers from his face, only to find himself in a black-filled space. He looked around but suddenly froze, as there were dozens of eyes looking at him in every direction.
"Derrick, there are many eyes—"
"Lumian, stop!"