Amber paced around impatiently, a deep frown etched across her face.
Yami had been taking her for a fool and she was tired of it.
Earlier that day, after he returned, he asked her to demonstrate how powerful she had become. When she refused, he ordered his men to attack her.
She had been so furious… she lost control.
And she crushed them.
The memory flashed in her mind. Bodies slamming into walls, bones snapping under pressure, the wind roaring like a storm that refused to be tamed. She didn't even remember when it stopped.
Yami, on the other hand, had smiled.
He had been delighted.
After that, he ordered everyone to pack up immediately. No hesitation. No explanation. Just one vague statement.
They were going to find a magical artifact hidden in an abandoned shrine.
And now here they were.
Far away from anything that had to do with her father's killers.
Amber clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.
"Hey there, Amber… Why aren't you looking around like everyone else?" Yami asked, walking toward her in slow, relaxed strides.
Amber shot him a hard glare and continued pacing.
"Do you still doubt me?" he added calmly. "Do you really think I won't help you find the people who ended your father's life?"
Amber stopped.
Slowly, she turned to face him.
"What do you think?" she snapped. "I've done everything you asked. The potions are already in your hands. You've gathered more than enough men to carry out whatever plan you're hiding because let's be honest, I still don't know what your actual goal is."
Her voice rose with each word.
"And yet… you're still stalling. You were supposed to repay the favor!"
The ruins seemed to react to her anger.
Rustling echoed from the darker corners of the building. Rats scrambling over each other in fear, desperate to escape the oppressive aura radiating from the two of them.
Yami sighed, almost tiredly, and rested his axe against a broken wall.
"Well… I suppose that's on me," he said. "I should have told you sooner. I was waiting for the right moment but…"
He paused, then glanced at her.
"My men are closing in on the location of the group that attacked your father."
Amber froze.
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"Are you serious?"
Yami smiled faintly. "Of course. One of my birds brought me the information not too long ago."
Amber stepped forward, urgency flooding her expression.
"Tell me where they are. I'll meet them on the way."
"Not so fast, princess…" Yami called after her.
Amber frowned, her eyes glowing faintly red in the dim light.
"What? Are you trying to stop me?"
A gentle breeze picked up around them, swirling softly at first but there was tension underneath it. Something unstable. Something waiting to snap.
Yami's grip tightened slightly around his axe.
"I'm not stopping you," he said smoothly. "I'm just… advising you."
Amber said nothing. She just stared at him.
Yami exhaled quietly.
"The people who killed your father are far more dangerous than you think. Not just the ones who carried out the attack… but the ones behind them. The ones pulling the strings."
Amber's expression hardened.
"Even with the transformation potions, it won't be enough," Yami continued. "Not yet. That's why we're here."
He gestured around the ruins.
"This artifact… it might be the edge we need."
Amber hesitated.
"What does it even do?" she asked.
Yami shrugged lightly. "I don't know the full details. But I do know one thing. If we're going to win… we'll need it."
He stepped closer, his voice softening just slightly.
"We're a team, remember?"
Amber stared at him, searching his face for something. Anything that would confirm or deny the doubt growing inside her.
A silent battle raged in her mind.
Then slowly… her shoulders relaxed.
"…Fine," she muttered. "We'll do it your way."
Yami's smile widened just a fraction.
"Good."
He picked up his axe again and rested it on his shoulder.
"So… how about you start helping us search?"
Amber sighed.
"Sure… but what exactly am I looking for?"
Yami chuckled under his breath.
"Don't worry. When you see it… you'll know."
Amber didn't respond. She simply turned and walked deeper into the ruins.
Crows cawed loudly from the broken roof above, their cries echoing through the hollow structure. The place felt wrong. Too quiet. Too… watchful.
Yami remained where he was, watching her retreating figure.
Then slowly,
A cold, satisfied smile spread across his face.
***
Lena stood quietly, her eyes fixed on Dante.
Her chest tightened.
Her heart raced.
A strange, overwhelming sensation washed over her and she gasped softly, pressing a hand against her chest before quickly looking away.
Her form had stabilized now. It was completely solid.
She looked human.
Almost perfectly so.
Except for one thing.
That faint, unnatural chill that lingered around her… like winter clinging to her skin.
"What are you standing around for? Help us pack!" Leo barked suddenly, his voice sharp enough to make her flinch.
Lena nodded quickly and moved to obey, but before she could take more than a step,
Leo grabbed her arm.
Tightly.
He leaned in, his voice dropping into a low whisper, his breath brushing against her ear.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are… or where you came from," he muttered, venom dripping from every word. "But I'm watching you."
Lena remained still.
"You may look like Elena…" he continued, tightening his grip slightly, "…but you can never be her."
Silence.
For a moment, Lena said nothing.
Her pale hair fluttered gently as a breeze passed through the room.
Then finally,
"What's there to say?" she replied quietly.
Leo frowned.
"I can never be Elena," she continued, her voice calm… almost too calm. "She's amazing. And I'll do everything I can to protect her."
There was no hesitation in her tone.
No anger.
Just certainty.
Leo clicked his tongue in irritation and released her arm abruptly.
"Tch."
He muttered something under his breath as he turned away.
Lena rubbed the spot where he held her.
Then she walked off.
Her face completely expressionless.
Across the room, Dante had been watching.
But not the way he usually did.
This time…
He wasn't watching Lena.
He was watching Leo.
His brows furrowed slightly, eyes narrowing in quiet suspicion.
Something about that interaction didn't sit right with him.
And for the first time,
Leo, not Lena…
Had his full attention.