Alex slowly tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.
His gaze never left Kael. There was neither anger nor haste in his eyes—only a cold focus that made the very air around them feel heavier.
Sirena's voice quietly echoed through his mind.
"Master... you do remember that you mustn't kill him, don't you?"
Alex let out a faint breath.
"I remember."
The very next instant, he burst forward.
The distance between them vanished in a single dash. Kael barely managed to raise his sword before their blades collided with a sharp metallic screech. Sparks rained down, shattering against the stone floor of the arena as Alex drove forward, pouring not only strength but unwavering intent into the clash.
Kael took one step back. Then another. The floor cracked beneath his heels.
Alex's expression remained cold, almost indifferent. Kael, however, was no longer hiding anything. Fear was written plainly across his face—in his widened pupils, his trembling arms, and the desperate way he struggled to keep his blade from being pushed aside.
It was at that moment that a faint, cunning smile appeared on Alex's lips.
The blood-forged blade in his hands began to pulse. At first, only slightly. Then more intensely.
And suddenly, Alex released the hilt.
Kael didn't even have time to comprehend what was happening. The sword dissolved, but the blood never touched the ground. Instead, it surged forward like a living creature and, in the very next moment, wrapped itself around Kael's wrist.
His eyes snapped downward.
The dark crimson streams were already taking shape. Dense, pulsating shackles tightened around his wrists. The blood quickly spread farther, slithering over his shoulders and chest before flowing down toward his legs. Within seconds, it had bound him completely—his wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles all locked in place.
Kael struggled violently. Nothing. The shackles only dug deeper into his flesh.
Alex stood several meters away with one arm outstretched. His fingers were tense, as though he were holding invisible strings that controlled every movement of the living blood.
Then he slowly clenched his fist.
The shackles tightened violently.
Kael's scream tore through the air.
The pain was far more than skin deep. It crushed his muscles, pressed against his bones, as though the blood itself were trying to pulverize him from within. His legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed onto the stone floor, bound and helpless, still gasping from the agony.
Alex looked down at him once more. There was neither anger nor satisfaction in his eyes. Only quiet exhaustion and absolute certainty that everything was unfolding exactly as it should.
The young vampire slowly relaxed his fist. The blood shackles no longer constricted him with the same merciless force, and the pain that had twisted Kael's body only moments before gradually began to subside. It did not disappear entirely—it merely eased enough for him to breathe normally again.
Kael remained lying on the cold stone, his arms and legs restrained. His body trembled ever so slightly, whether from the pain still echoing through his muscles or from the fear he was no longer trying to hide.
Several seconds of silence passed.
"...Who are you?" Kael asked quietly, without looking up at Alex.
Alex answered calmly, without hesitation.
"Just an ordinary vampire."
A dry, broken laugh escaped Kael's lips.
"An ordinary vampire..." he repeated with bitter irony, as though savoring the absurdity of the words. "Ordinary vampires don't wield darkness magic. Ordinary vampires don't wipe out an entire party of high-ranking adventurers at the age of fifteen."
At last, he shifted his gaze slightly to the side, though he still couldn't bring himself to meet Alex's eyes.
"And an ordinary vampire certainly couldn't reduce me..." His lips twitched. "...to such a pathetic state."
Silence.
"So who the hell are you?"
Alex didn't answer. His attention had already shifted elsewhere.
Adam stood with his sword lowered, his shoulders relaxed and his expression calm. Derek, however, remained on guard. The water whips still coiled around his arms, swaying gently. His posture remained rigid and tense, and his gaze darted from Alex to Kael and back again.
Alex looked at him. His features softened. His gaze grew calmer.
"I understand," he said evenly. "You have questions for me. And I promise I'll answer them... another time."
He nodded toward the bound man.
"For now, you'd be better off taking advantage of the opportunity. Get your answers from him."
Derek stared silently at Alex for several seconds. Distrust still lingered in his eyes, but eventually he gave a slow nod.
"I will."
Magic circles flared to life across Derek's palms. The water whips lost their form, dissolving into countless droplets that were drawn back into the glowing circles.
Derek stepped forward until he stood directly in front of his father. Kael continued staring blankly ahead, completely ignoring his son—as though Derek wasn't even there.
"Where is she?"
The young man's voice was calm.
Far too calm.
No answer came. The silence stretched on—one second, three, five.
"Where's my mother?" he repeated.
Still nothing. Only Kael's heavy breathing and the faint creaking of the blood shackles that continued to bind his body.
Derek clicked his tongue in annoyance. Then, without warning, he crouched down, grabbed his father by the hair, and yanked his head up, forcing him to look him straight in the eye.
"I'm asking you one last time. Where. Is. She."
For several seconds, Kael looked at him, yet it was as if he were looking straight through him. His eyes were empty, unfocused.
Then, ever so slightly, his pupils shifted. Focus returned, and his gaze finally met his son's. A faint smile curled across his lips.
"So..." he murmured, his voice laced with quiet amusement. "...is that really all you care about?"
"Yes," Derek replied, unable to hide the irritation in his voice.
Kael let out a quiet chuckle.
"'Where is she?'" he repeated thoughtfully, as though savoring the words. "'Where is she...'"
He slowly looked away before turning his eyes back to Derek.
"You'll get your answer... only if you release me. Right now."
Derek gave his hair another hard yank.
"You're hardly in a position to make demands."
Almost nothing changed in Kael's expression. The pain was there—visible only in the slight tightening of his jaw—but the fear had vanished.
"I'm the only one," he said calmly, "who can give you that answer. The only one who can reunite a mother with her son. So if you want the truth... you'll have to play by my rules."
A brief silence followed. His gaze drifted past Derek and settled on Alex.
"Or," he continued quietly, "you can ask your new friend to finish me off. Then you'll never find her."
Derek held Kael's gaze for several long seconds.
Tense.
Furious.
Then he let go of his father's hair. Slowly, he rose to his feet and turned his back on him.
"In that case," he said evenly, "I'll find her myself."
Kael let out a dry laugh.
"Good luck," he said, his voice dripping with open sarcasm.
Derek's expression settled into calm once more. He refused to rise to the provocation. Instead, he turned to Alex.
"You can do whatever you want with him now."
"Are you sure?" Alex asked, his tone serious.
"Yes."
Alex glanced at Adam. Adam raised an eyebrow.
"What are you looking at me for? You expect me to try and talk you out of it?"
A faint smile crossed Alex's face.
"Fair enough."
His gaze returned to Kael, who had already drifted back into his own thoughts, staring vacantly into the distance. Alex slowly raised a hand, preparing to form a dark magic circle.
Then a chill ran down his spine. His instincts reacted before his mind did. He spun around the instant he sensed danger behind him.
A heartbeat later, the air itself was ripped apart.
Dozens—
No.
Hundreds of magical projectiles tore through the night toward them at blinding speed. Lightning and fire intertwined into a raging storm, bathing the arena in violent flashes of light.
Alex didn't hesitate. A dark magic circle ignited around his wrist, and a barrier instantly unfolded around himself, Derek, Adam...and even Kael, who was still lying on the ground, restrained by the blood shackles.
The first barrage slammed into the barrier with muffled explosions. The shield shuddered, but it held.
The second volley was stronger.
The third, stronger still.
Darkness groaned under the relentless assault, and thin, almost imperceptible cracks began spreading across the barrier's surface. A few projectiles even slipped through, exploding against the stone at their feet.
Alex clicked his tongue in irritation. The dark mana surrounding his arm grew denser as the magic circle expanded, its intricate lines becoming thicker and more defined. The barrier surged outward, covering a wider area while simultaneously becoming even more resilient.
The next hail of attacks failed to leave a single new crack. Fire and lightning shattered against the darkness, dissolving into it without a trace.
Alex shot a quick glance over his shoulder at Kael. He was still lying there as though completely oblivious to everything happening around him. His expression remained distant, his eyes fixed on nothing.
"So it isn't someone from the Blue Raven."
Alex turned his attention forward again. Through the constant storm of magical explosions, almost nothing was visible. The blinding flashes distorted the air, leaving his vision nearly useless.
He closed his eyes for only a fraction of a second.
He focused.
Blocked out the noise.
Within moments, he found it.
A powerful, unwavering magical aura.
Far away.
Hundreds of meters away.
Alex clicked his tongue again.
"How is he even reaching us from that far away...?"
Almost immediately, a possible answer surfaced.
"Artifacts. Two of them, by the feel of it. Though that hardly matters right now. I just need to reach him."
Alex glanced at Derek and Adam. Both had been watching his back the entire time, tense and focused. Their eyes met his without a single word, as though they were simply waiting for his command.
A faint smile crossed Alex's face. Another magic circle appeared above his palm, and he aimed it toward the two of them.
Adam had already opened his mouth, about to object, when the assault on the barrier suddenly stopped.
The silence that followed was so abrupt that all three of them instinctively tensed.
Alex looked ahead—and for a brief moment, he even forgot about teleporting the others back to the guild.
But it wasn't the silence that unsettled him.
The magical aura.
So dense.
So overwhelming.
It had vanished completely, just as suddenly as it had appeared.
He couldn't sense it anywhere.
Alex kept the barrier intact. Darkness continued pulsing around them while he concentrated, trying to detect even the slightest trace of the attacker's presence.
Nothing.
Adam was the first to speak.
"Someone from your guild?" he asked, glancing at Derek.
Derek looked him straight in the eye.
"The only people who would've come to rescue Kael..." he said evenly, "...are already dead. Thanks to Alex."
His expression never changed.
"I know every member of the guild. None of them are capable of an attack like that."
Adam gave a short nod before stepping closer to Alex, stopping beside him.
"So... what do you think?"
"I think we should leave the arena and decide everything once we're back at the Academy—"
He cut himself off.
The same aura.
It had returned.
Only this time... from the opposite direction.
Alex spun around sharply.
At that exact moment, a bolt of lightning pierced straight through the barrier. Darkness cracked apart as the projectile tore clean through Alex's shoulder, leaving behind a scorched, bloodied hole. Another bolt followed almost instantly, breaking through from below and piercing his knee.
Pain exploded through his body.
Alex gritted his teeth, refusing to collapse. The darkness around his wrist had already begun repairing the barrier, but it wasn't enough.
Four fireballs slammed into the shield at the same time.
One explosion.
Then another.
Then another.
The barrier shattered into countless fragments as a wave of scorching heat and thick dust engulfed the arena.
A new magic circle ignited around Alex's wrist.
He immediately tried to teleport Adam and Derek somewhere safe.
But...
The spell failed.
"Again...?"
The thought flashed through his mind in irritation.
A heartbeat later, another bolt of lightning pierced straight through his chest.
The air burst from his lungs.
Alex coughed up blood, and this time his legs finally gave out beneath him.
He dropped to his knees.
"Alex!"
Adam's and Derek's voices broke through the roaring in his ears.
They rushed to his side, saying something, but their words blurred together. All Alex could make out were fragments of sound.
Sirena's voice was no different.
He could tell she was calling to him...
But it was like hearing her through water.
Nothing more than distant noise.
Summoning what strength he had left, Alex activated another dark magic circle.
A new barrier formed around them.
Much smaller.
Far denser.
This one enclosed only the three of them.
Kael was left outside.
With his free hand, Alex opened his inventory and pulled out a vial filled with a bright green potion. He tore off the cap and drained it in three large gulps. Brilliant green light erupted from his wounds as healing magic began restoring the damaged flesh.
His shoulder.
His knee.
His chest.
The pain receded slowly but steadily. Alex could still sense the attacker's aura somewhere in the distance.
But the attacks had stopped.
And somehow...
That only made him even more uneasy.
The dust gradually settled.
That was when Alex's eyes fell upon Kael.
A magic circle had appeared beneath him.
A chill ran down Alex's spine.
"No..."
An instant later...
Kael vanished.
At the very same moment, the attacker's magical aura disappeared as well.
Only the three young men remained in the arena...
...along with an oppressive silence.
Dim light barely illuminated the bathroom, fading into the thick steam that slowly filled the room. Warm water flowed steadily from above, splashing against Alex's shoulders before running down his back, weaving through his dark hair, and streaming along his body.
Alex stood beneath the shower without moving.
His head was slightly lowered, his eyes fixed on the wet floor beneath his feet, where the water spread into thin streams before gathering in shallow puddles. To anyone watching, he looked calm.
Almost too calm.
Water ran down his face, lingering for a moment on his chin before falling in slow droplets. His damp hair clung to his skin, and his shoulders remained relaxed. Yet beneath that outward stillness lay a tension carefully held in check—as though his entire body had gone rigid not from peace, but from restraint.
Fragments flashed through his mind.
Lightning piercing the barrier.
A sharp pain tearing through his shoulder.
The second strike—his knee.
Darkness cracking beneath the relentless assault.
His fingers curled ever so slightly.
The water continued to fall, steady and indifferent, as though nothing had happened.
The same sensation resurfaced once again.
That distant yet overwhelming magical aura.
Impossible to reach.
It simply existed...
...and yet remained forever beyond his grasp, slipping away every time he tried to lock onto it.
Then another image followed.
Kael.
The magic circle beneath him.
One brief instant...
...and he was gone.
Simply gone.
Alex's hand tightened until his knuckles turned white. Water streamed over the taut muscles of his arm and the tendons standing out beneath his skin, washing away the last traces of blood and dirt...
...but not what still lingered inside him.
His expression remained calm.
Cold.
Yet beneath that calmness lived another emotion.
A quiet, suffocating anger.
Not explosive.
Not reckless.
It was turned inward.
At himself.
At the situation.
At the moment that should have been the end...
...and wasn't.
Alex slowly drew a deep breath, letting the warm water run over his body, as though it could wash away everything that had happened.
Deliberately, he tried to let the thoughts go.
Not to dwell on them.
Just stand there.
Listen to the sound of the water.
Feel its warmth.
Clear his mind...
If only for a few seconds.
And for a moment...
It worked.
The thoughts faded, leaving behind a brief, deceptive silence.
But only a second later...
They came flooding back.
The same strike.
The same helpless loss of control.
The very same moment when everything had gone wrong.
His hand clenched into a fist again, harder than before.
He didn't even realize he'd done it.
Water flowed over his tightly clenched hand, breaking apart against fingers drawn tight enough to ache.
Alex took several slow, deep breaths.
The tension didn't disappear.
It was still there, buried deep inside, quietly squeezing at him from within.
But now it no longer threatened to spill over.
It had simply become part of the background.
He raised a hand and slowly ran it across his chest—where the wound had been only a short while ago. His fingers slid over his skin before stopping for a moment, as though confirming that it was truly gone.
Alex closed his eyes for a single second, letting the water wash over his face one last time.
Then he reached out and sharply turned the faucet.
The sound of running water ceased.
Silence filled the room almost instantly.
Steam still drifted lazily through the air as Alex stepped aside, picked up a dark crimson robe, and draped it over his shoulders. The heavy fabric settled against his damp skin, cool to the touch.
Running a hand through his hair to brush the wet strands back, he stepped out of the bathroom.
The room was dark.
The only light came from the window, pale and cold.
Adam sat on the windowsill, leaning forward slightly. His silhouette stood out clearly against the night sky beyond the glass. His eyes were fixed on the darkness outside, completely lost in thought.
He never noticed Alex leave the bathroom.
Alex's gaze lingered on him for only a moment.
Without saying a word, he simply looked away...
...and quietly left the room.
The dormitory corridors were empty. The magical lamps cast a warm, subdued glow—soft enough to leave the halls wrapped in quiet shadows. Alex's footsteps echoed faintly, their muted sound dissolving into the stillness of the night.
He wasn't in a hurry.
He simply walked.
The moment he stepped outside, the cool night air greeted him. A gentle breeze brushed against his damp hair and skin, carrying with it a refreshing chill that stood in sharp contrast to the warmth of the shower.
It felt...
Nice.
Alex slowly made his way toward the garden beside the men's dormitory.
Silence reigned all around him. Every now and then, the rustling of leaves or the distant chorus of nocturnal insects broke the stillness. The gravel path crunched softly beneath his feet, while the shadows of the trees swayed gently beneath the lanterns.
The garden welcomed him with peace.
The very peace he had been missing only minutes earlier.
Alex walked over to one of the benches and sat down, slowly leaning back against it. The wood was cool against his back, but that only made the moment feel more real.
He lifted his eyes toward the sky.
The stars shone brightly, scattered across the darkness like cold sparks. The breeze gently brushed against his face, and for the first time in a long while...
Everything became quiet.
Not around him.
Inside him.
His heart finally slowed, no longer pounding wildly in his chest. The chaotic thoughts and painful memories ceased their relentless assault, allowing him to simply enjoy the moment.
For several more seconds, Alex silently gazed at the star-filled sky, letting the silence settle completely within him. The cool breeze carried away the last traces of moisture from his hair, while the night remained astonishingly peaceful—as though nothing had happened at all.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"You've been awfully quiet," he said softly. "Didn't you have something you wanted to ask me? If I remember correctly."
Silence answered him for a brief moment.
Only then did Sirena's voice echo through his thoughts.
She tried to sound composed, but Alex still caught the faint note of concern beneath her calm tone.
"I thought... this wasn't the best time. I wanted to give You a little while, Master. To calm down... and gather Your thoughts."
Alex let out a quiet breath and closed his eyes.
"I'm fine now," he replied calmly. "And... thank you."
For a brief moment, his voice grew softer.
"Besides, what you wanted to ask me has nothing to do with what happened at the very end of the battle."
He tilted his head back slightly, feeling the cool night air against his face.
"You were asking why I dragged out the fight with the raid party."
He fell silent for several seconds.
Then a few more.
The silence was no longer tense.
It was thoughtful.
"Tell me," he finally said without opening his eyes, "haven't you noticed a rather strange pattern in everything I've been doing since returning to the past?"
Sirena hesitated.
"I... I'm not entirely sure what You're getting at."
A faint smile crossed Alex's face. He raised one hand and slowly began extending his fingers, as though counting.
"The Montamer family. Lorenzo de Carvalho. And now... Kael Daskreith. Every one of them was an aristocrat. Every one of them was a vampire. And every one of them was involved in..." He paused for a moment. "...let's just say, some very dirty business. The Montamers used Miss Lorina's poison magic to eliminate noble families that stood in their way. Lorenzo dealt in slaves—one of the greatest taboos imaginable. And Kael..."
He opened his eyes for a brief moment.
"Kael used curses, his position as a guildmaster, and his connections with Morakan to do whatever he pleased."
Alex lowered his hand and looked back up at the sky.
"When I returned to the past, I thought my greatest challenge would be the war. The demons. The angels. Figuring out how to stop the other races from being dragged into it all over again."
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"But instead..."
He shook his head ever so slightly.
"I've ended up doing nothing but exterminating the rotten part of vampire nobility."
A trace of irony slipped into his voice as he spoke those last words.
"And that raises a rather obvious question."
He tilted his head slightly, as though speaking not only to Sirena, but to himself as well.
"What exactly is King Morakan doing?"
He spoke the name with the faintest trace of mockery.
"Does he truly not see what's happening right under his nose? Some of his actions... even during the war, they made me question him. Before that as well. I simply never had the time to think about it. But now..." He paused for a moment. "...things have changed."
He let out a slow breath.
"And it was during the fight with the raid party that this thought..." He frowned ever so slightly. "...took root in my mind far too deeply. So deeply that, for a while, I stopped thinking about the battle altogether. My body fought on its own. It attacked. It defended itself. And I..." He shook his head faintly. "...I just kept thinking. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't reach a single reasonable conclusion."
A gentle breeze swept through the garden, stirring the leaves overhead.
"What do you think?" he asked quietly. "Do you have any ideas? Any theories?"
Sirena remained silent for several seconds.
The silence stretched on longer than usual—long enough that it could easily have been mistaken for minutes. Alex didn't interrupt it. He simply continued gazing at the stars, waiting patiently.
At last, her voice echoed through his thoughts, carrying an unusual weight.
"I'm afraid I'll disappoint You, Master... I don't have any answers. Nor do I have a single theory that could explain any of this."
She fell silent for a moment before continuing.
"I agree that Morakan's actions raise far too many questions. But... You understand that simply walking into the royal palace and demanding answers isn't exactly an option."
A faint smile appeared on Alex's face.
"I know," he replied quietly. "I came to the same conclusion."
His eyes settled on one of the brighter stars overhead.
"The only person who might be able to shed some light on all this..." He paused briefly. "...is the Jester."
"Exactly," Sirena agreed without hesitation.
Alex let out a quiet chuckle.
"The only problem is that I have no idea when I'll see him again." He sighed. "I haven't made the slightest progress with combining blood and darkness magic."
Sirena answered more calmly this time, the concern in her voice having faded.
"There's nothing surprising about that. What You're trying to accomplish borders on the impossible. And You simply haven't had enough time... especially considering You've also been training with Aria, observing Adam, and keeping up with everything at the Academy."
Alex gave a faint nod.
"You're right."
He fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"And that's the second thing that's been bothering me lately. Instead of focusing on what truly matters if I want to save the continent..." He let out a quiet sigh. "...I've been spending my time on everything else."
His hand slowly brushed across his knee as he considered his own words.
"Instead of becoming stronger as quickly as possible, I've been training with Aria, working with the raid party, sparring with Adam." He shook his head. "I don't regret any of it. Quite the opposite. But..." His voice grew quieter. "...I need to focus more on myself."
His gaze drifted into the darkness of the garden.
"When Lumenia sent me back here with the abilities I had in my previous life..." He smiled bitterly. "...I foolishly believed that, sooner or later, I'd become one of the strongest people on the continent. Maybe even the strongest."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"But that confidence was shattered first by the Jester."
"And now..."
"...by this mysterious attacker."
His expression hardened.
"So even with such an overwhelming advantage in levels..." He slowly shook his head. "...I'm still lacking experience."
Another quiet chuckle escaped him.
"Me."
"The man who spent years fighting for his life..."
"...every single day."
For several seconds, he said nothing.
"And yet..." he finally continued, "part of me is actually glad."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I like fighting strong opponents."
The smile faded almost as quickly as it had appeared.
"But the problem is..."
"None of them are allies."
"And if even I'm struggling against enemies like these..."
"...then what hope is there for everyone else?"
He lowered his gaze.
"Tonight proved that once again."
"Adam isn't ready for battles like this."
"He still has a long way to go."
"I understand why he wants to stand beside me."
"And I'm more grateful for that than he realizes."
"But..."
"I can't keep putting him in danger like this."
Alex let out a long, weary breath.
"...Why is it so difficult to do the right thing?"
He ran a hand across his face.
"On one hand, the fight with Kael was supposed to give him valuable experience. But on the other..." He sighed. "...the price could've been far too high if Kael had been fighting seriously instead of toying with us. And because Adam and Derek were there... I couldn't go after that unknown attacker the moment I sensed his aura."
His hand slowly curled into a fist.
"I had to stay."
"I had to protect them."
"I couldn't just—"
"Master."
Sirena's calm yet unwavering voice interrupted him.
"You're thinking too much about what has already happened. Once again, You're dwelling on things that could have happened... but didn't. I understand Your worries. I understand Your fear of losing those close to You... and Your desire to protect them."
Her voice softened.
"And we've already talked about this more than once. So have You and Elizabeth." She paused briefly. "Tell me... what exactly did You promise her?"
Alex let out a long breath.
"That I'd trust... my family and the people close to me more."
"Exactly," Sirena replied gently. "Which means it's time to stop returning to these doubts. You've already made your decision."
"And now..."
"...You have to see it through."
She paused once more.
"Besides, You've been told this time and time again."
"You cannot save the continent alone."
"You need allies."
"Strong allies."
"And even You admitted that yourself."
A gentle breeze swept through the garden.
"So instead of exhausting Yourself with these thoughts..."
"...get some rest."
"Tomorrow is another day."
Alex sat in silence for another moment.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
Not loudly.
Not bitterly.
Just...
Lightly.
He slapped both hands against his knees and rose to his feet in one smooth motion.
"You're right."
"The decision's already been made."
"And backing out has never been my style."
His voice sounded noticeably calmer now.
"Thanks for listening."
"I promise..."
"We won't be coming back to this again."
Alex looked up at the starry sky one last time, lingering on it for only a second.
Then he turned around and slowly made his way back toward the dormitory.
Derek appeared inside Kael's office.
Silence engulfed him almost immediately after the chaos of the arena. Yet instead of bringing relief, it only sharpened everything stirring inside him. His heart was beating far too fast—each heavy thud echoing through his chest.
He noticed it.
And deliberately ignored it.
Slowly, he walked forward through the familiar office. His footsteps glided quietly across the polished floor, while everything around him looked exactly as it always had.
As though nothing had happened.
He came to a stop before the panoramic window.
Almost unconsciously, his hands folded behind his back, his fingers interlocking as his gaze settled on the city below. The lanterns. The dark rooftops. The scattered lights.
Everything looked peaceful.
Distant.
Almost unfamiliar.
On the outside, he remained exactly the same.
Calm. Composed. Cold.
But inside...
Something was steadily tightening.
His fingers slowly clenched behind his back.
Then tighter still.
His heartbeat refused to slow.
If anything, it grew louder.
More insistent.
He drew in a slow breath, trying to steady himself.
Then exhaled just as slowly.
His jaw tightened on its own, so hard that the muscles along his cheekbones stood out beneath his skin. His expression barely changed, his eyes never leaving the darkness beyond the glass.
Behind his back, his fingers began rubbing against one another.
Slowly.
Restlessly.
As though trying to hold something back that was already fighting to break free.
Another breath.
The air felt heavy.
Far too heavy.
Images began surfacing in his mind.
The fountain.
The water.
His father...
Lying there, helpless.
His voice.
His laughter.
His words.
His fingers clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
Derek didn't move.
For several more seconds, he remained standing perfectly still, staring out the window as though nothing were happening.
As though everything was under control.
Then...
Something snapped.
"Damn it...!"
His voice shattered the silence.
Derek spun around violently.
The movement bore no resemblance to the calm he'd maintained only moments before.
It was sharp.
Uncontrolled.
Overflowing with the fury he'd been suppressing for so long.
He grabbed the chair beside him...
...and hurled it across the room with all his strength.
The chair slammed into the bookshelf with a deafening crash. Wood splintered, the shelves gave way, and everything resting upon them—books, documents, scattered trinkets—came crashing to the floor.
But it wasn't enough.
His eyes had already fallen on the desk.
On the wine glasses that still held the last remnants of red wine.
Derek strode forward and drove his fist into the desk with all his strength.
A heavy crack echoed through the room.
The wood couldn't withstand the impact.
The desk split apart, breaking clean in two beneath the force of the blow. Everything resting on top of it crashed to the floor.
The wine glasses shattered, sending shards of glass flying in every direction, while the dark wine spilled across the stone floor, slowly spreading between the debris.
Silence returned as abruptly as it had disappeared.
But this silence was different.
Heavier.
Denser.
Derek stood in the middle of the ruined office, breathing heavily. His shoulders rose and fell faster than they should have, while his hands remained tense, his fingers still tightly clenched.
His gaze remained fixed on the floor.
The cold composure he always showed the world was gone.
Only pure anger remained.
The kind that had been held back for far too long.
Sirena's concerned voice echoed through his thoughts.
"Do You feel any better...?"
He answered with nothing more than an irritated click of his tongue.
"You already know exactly when I'll feel better."
Slowly, Derek tilted his head back and covered his face with both hands. For several long seconds, he remained perfectly still, allowing the heavy silence to fill the room once more.
His fingers slowly slid down his face before he lowered his hands.
"What an idiot I am..."
The words barely rose above a whisper.
Yet they carried more honesty than any scream he could have let out.
"I let myself hope..." He grimaced faintly. "...just for a moment."
"And now I'm angry because it wasn't enough."
Silence settled over the room once again.
Then another voice cut through it.
A man's voice.
Calm.
Warm in its own quiet way.
Almost gentle.
"Is that really the only reason you're angry?"
Derek answered automatically, without thinking.
"Not just that, but—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
His eyes widened.
Recognition struck instantly.
That wasn't Sirena's voice.
Water burst from the magic circles on his palms, covering both arms before instantly taking the shape of long whips. Their tips stretched outward, sharpening into blade-like edges.
Derek spun around.
The twin water blades stopped a mere millimeter from the stranger's throat.
The air itself seemed to freeze.
The man didn't so much as flinch.
A calm smile rested upon his lips.
Without the slightest hint of urgency, he casually raised one hand and gently pushed the blades aside, as though they posed no threat whatsoever.
"Is this how guests are usually welcomed in this guild?" he asked, a hint of amusement coloring his voice.
The intensity in Derek's eyes gradually faded, returning to the familiar expression he always wore—cold, composed, devoid of unnecessary emotion. The tension left his shoulders as he lowered them slightly, reclaiming his composure.
The water whips lingered in the air for another few seconds, trembling faintly before losing their form and dissolving into droplets that vanished without a trace.
Derek looked at the visitor calmly.
"As of today, this guild is closed indefinitely," he said evenly, slipping back into his usual composed manner of speaking. "I'd appreciate it if You would leave my office."
The man didn't move.
That same relaxed, almost effortless smile remained on his face, as though Derek's words hadn't affected him in the slightest.
"I won't take much of your time," he replied gently. "Of course, I can leave... and let you remain alone with your thoughts."
He paused briefly.
"I can let you continue fighting your own demons."
There wasn't a trace of mockery in his voice.
Only quiet confidence.
"Or..."
"...I can help you solve your problems."
He tilted his head slightly.
"The choice is yours."
Derek narrowed his eyes.
"What exactly do You mean?"
The man's smile widened ever so slightly, one of quiet satisfaction, as though that was the very question he'd been waiting for.
He raised a single finger and gave it a light wag through the air.
"There."
"Now that's the right question."
His gaze drifted toward the chair lying amid the shattered shelves and scattered debris.
A dark magic circle appeared above his palm.
Darkness flowed from it in a smooth stream, gradually taking the shape of an enormous hand. It reached toward the overturned chair, carefully—almost lazily—lifted it into the air, and gently carried it back.
The man casually brushed the dust from the seat as though it were beneath notice before calmly sitting down directly across from Derek.
He leaned back, folded his arms across his chest, and crossed one leg over the other, looking perfectly at ease.
As though he weren't sitting inside a wrecked office...
...but in his own home.
That same tranquil smile never left his face.
"So..." he said after a brief pause.
"How would you feel...about making a deal with me?"