Ren's eyes widened.
She turned toward him slowly.
"I don't care if history changes," she said honestly. "If it ends badly for me… I can make a wish to Samael."
Gabriel chuckled softly—not mocking, just amused by the innocent courage mixed with recklessness in her words.
"Your first wish," he finally said, "was to meet someone."
Ren blinked. "Someone…?"
"Shido Itsuka."
The name fell between them like a small stone dropped into a silent lake.
"If you hadn't met me," Gabriel continued, "in the future you would meet him in the human world."
He glanced at Ren briefly.
"As a threat… and as someone who would eventually make you hesitate to remain a threat."
The wind blew. Ren's chains swayed gently.
"Not because fate forced you," Gabriel added, "but because your own heart chose to change after knowing him."
Ren remained silent for a long moment.
The reflection of the surreal sky trembled in her violet eyes—this time not sharp, but deep. She replayed Gabriel's words in her mind.
She still held something for Shido… yet at the same time, her hatred toward her mother, toward the reason she had been sealed, had never truly disappeared.
"…I see…" she murmured softly.
Her head dipped for a moment, then she looked back at Gabriel. Her smile lifted—thin, faint, impossible to read whether it was hope… or irony.
"Is your presence," she asked quietly, "also part of the wish Samael granted me? You freed me from the seal… and took me away."
The chains around her wrists shifted slightly as she tilted her head.
"You know my wish. That means you're like another door… with the same key."
Gabriel glanced at her briefly, then returned his gaze to the ever-shifting horizon of colors.
"Impossible," he said calmly. "But not entirely unfeasible either."
A soft breeze passed between them.
"In a world like this, 'yes' and 'no' are merely perspectives. Possibility is never singular."
He turned his gaze to Ren, Gigan glinting faintly from beneath his bangs.
"Ash isn't the answer," he said softly. "Ash is a sign. A point where the threads of possibility intersect."
Ren blinked. "…What do you mean?"
"Think of it this way," Gabriel continued, "I am just another branch of your wish to meet Shido. Not the goal… but a divergence."
Silence fell gently.
"But Ash won't return to the human world just yet," he added. "There are still matters that need to be resolved here."
His gaze settled squarely on Ren.
"Spirit of Jester… be patient."
There was no command in his tone.
Only certainty.
***
In the teachers' lounge, the blue flame beneath the cauldron gradually dwindled, leaving a soft glow that reflected off the walls like rippling water.
Morgan poured the glowing blue liquid into a crystal glass.
A thin wisp of vapor rose slowly, shimmering like stardust. She gave a small nod—satisfied, like a queen who had just signed an important decree.
At the other side of the room, Baobhan Sith sat in a teacher's chair, her chin resting in both hands on the desk. Her legs swung gently beneath the chair, but her eyes never left the glass in Morgan's hands.
Curiosity was clear—though she tried to mask it with a neutral expression.
"Mother…" she finally called out, her tone casual but too quick to sound truly indifferent. "What is that potion? What does it do? It's for Sith, right?"
Morgan turned slightly. Her expression remained calm, almost unflinching.
"My daughter," she said evenly, "this is not for you. It is for Gabriel. And its effects… are not suitable for a faerie body like yours."
The answer was delivered simply. Calm. Final.
Sith's brows immediately furrowed.
Not out of confusion—but out of displeasure.
"…Mother is far too attentive to the Lowly Prey…" she murmured softly, her lips pursed slightly.
Her tone was low, but clear enough to carry through the quiet room.
Her hands clenched on the desk.
Not in outright anger.
More like… a sharp little annoyance, like a fine thorn pricking at her fingertips.
A moment later, the door to the teachers' lounge creaked open gently.
Morgan stepped out calmly, the crystal glass filled with the glowing blue potion in her hand.
Thin wisps of vapor still danced above the surface, leaving trails of soft light in the air before the door closed behind her.
Click.
Silence.
Baobhan Sith rose from her chair.
The light echo of her heels on the floor followed her as she approached the large cauldron, which still held most of the potion.
The surface of the liquid shimmered calmly, seemingly innocent.
Curiosity—which had been just a small spark before—now flared into a little fire crawling up her chest.
Sith glanced toward the door.
No one was there.
Without hesitation, she picked up the stirring spoon, scooped a bit of the blue liquid, and tasted it.
Her gray eyes widened instantly.
Sweet.
Not an ordinary sweetness—but soft, warm, with a subtle sensation spreading from her tongue down her throat like melting light.
Immediately, her expression shifted.
Annoyed.
Her lips pursed slightly.
"…Mother made something this delicious… and it's not for me?"
Her tone was low. Offended. A small jealousy pricking deeper than anger.
But in the next moment—something flickered through her mind.
Sith's movements froze.
Then slowly… the corner of her lips curved upward.
A thin smile. Dangerous.
She placed the spoon back very carefully, as if it had never been touched.
Silently, she turned and walked out of the room.
Her steps were light.
But her intent… was unmistakable.
***
In the school corridor, the clicks of Sith's high heels echoed, each step marking her presence on the cold floor. She moved with singular focus: toward the rooftop, where Gabriel waited.
But suddenly, her body trembled, her heart pounding harder than usual.
Heat spread through her, her face flushed, and her head felt light, as if spinning.
In an instant, her balance gave out—Sith sank to the floor, gasping.
Ren, walking not far behind after finishing her conversation with Gabriel, saw her.
Without hesitation, she crouched beside Sith, her purple eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and concern.
"Hey…" she called softly, "if I'm not mistaken… you're Tristan, right? What's wrong?"
Sith lowered her head, saying nothing, only drawing ragged breaths.
In her mind, she realized quickly—the sensation she felt was no coincidence.
The sweet scent in the air, the warmth inside her… the aphrodisiac her mother had given Gabriel.
Her lower teeth bit down gently.
"Lowly Prey…" she whispered softly, but her tone was filled with anger and frustration.
She understood the consequences of that potion. She could already picture the scenarios to come, what would happen between Gabriel and the effects of the aphrodisiac.
Sith felt upset, angry, and at the same time… anxious. She wanted to stop it—but in her weakened, trembling state, preventing it seemed impossible.
"…Did you hear me?" Ren asked, curiosity lacing her voice, a slight tremor in the corridor air.
But before waiting for an answer, Sith's hands suddenly wrapped around Ren's shoulders, holding her in place instantly.
Without a word, she struck—sudden, tense, and deliberate.
"W-wait! Wh-what…!?" Ren gasped, falling to the floor, her body trembling in shock and confusion.
Sith leaned her face close to Ren's neck, her breath soft yet carrying a whispered tension that made the air thick.
"Help me…" she murmured, almost inaudible. "I'll repay the debt later."
Ren froze for a moment, her eyes widening.
"Heh…!?"
The next moment, Sith's fangs sank into Ren's neck. Pain spread quickly like fire, mingling with a warm sensation as her blood was consumed.
Ren's body trembled lightly, struggling to break free, but Sith's grip was too strong, restraining every movement.
The air around them vibrated with tension—between pain, restraint, and the uncertainty that haunted the two souls meeting in that instant.
Not far away, around the corner of the corridor, Kurumi reflexively covered her mouth with the back of her right hand.
Her heterochromatic eyes widened slightly—not out of fear… but from a mix of shock and curiosity.
Beside her, Sawa also froze abruptly. For a moment, even the White Queen forgot to maintain her elegant expression.
At the end of the hallway, two Spirits were entangled in a situation… difficult to describe with neutral words.
Kurumi tilted her head sweetly.
"Ara~ Sawa-san," she spoke softly, her tone almost like a polite joke. "I'm just a tourist in Rinkai, so may I ask? Is… a scene like that considered a natural phenomenon in the neighboring world?"
She fanned her sailor uniform skirt gently.
"Our original goal was to take care of your subordinate who was tied up in the warehouse. But now I'm confused… does this fall under an incident, a ritual, or… teenage drama?"
Sawa closed her eyes for a moment, then let out a small, awkward laugh—one that rarely escaped her.
"…I wish I could say it's part of the ecosystem," she murmured. "But it seems it's just a combination of Spirit emotions, magic, and poor decisions happening all at once."
Kurumi nodded slightly, as if accepting a scientific explanation.
"So… not a local tradition, then."
"Not," Sawa replied curtly.
"Good. I almost felt like I needed to make a travel note."
___
Author's Note:
A little Yuri Vampire scene isn't a problem, right? Let's have a bit of fun with that poor Jester 😏
Ah, yes… don't forget to add this to your favorites, leave a comment, and… if possible, a review too, hehe~