Beneath the scarlet moon's persistent shadows, her slick, pale face looked as though it had never once known the touch of sunlight, smooth and impossibly white, yet somehow warm beneath that red glow.
The crimson light tried to claim her skin, but it brushed over it softly, turning the edges a faint rose while her natural whiteness remained pure and untouched.
All her hair, every single strand, fell in smooth cascades of white so bright it almost shimmered against the dark sky, catching the scarlet light and reflecting it gently like silk dipped in diluted wine.
In that red-soaked world, the moon did not overpower her. It felt as if it existed only to frame her, to deepen the contrast, to make her beauty stand even more impossibly clear against the night.
No smile graced her face, but it wasn't necessary. Even a gentle smile would have been enough to make Scar's nose bleed.
Haven locked eyes with Scar, her hands nervously rubbing against each other as she struggled with what to say.
"It's been some time, hasn't it? I've long wished to speak with you, though I never had the opportunity."
The awe etched in Scar's dazed face softened.
"What? You wanted to see me?"
If he had known, he'd have probably run to her.
Haven nodded gently.
"I came to see how you're doing. I stopped by once, but you weren't there. Where were you?"
Scar furrowed his brow and smiled.
"I suspected as much. When I returned, the entrance appeared frozen, though only subtly, and it was already thawing, so I couldn't make any assumptions. In any case, my roommate was injured during his duel, and I was at the infirmary."
The instant Scar spoke, Haven's demeanor changed subtly. Scar's face darkened. She looked the same on the surface, expressionless as ever, but he knew her well enough to sense her disapproval. Though what he'd said to offend her, he had no idea.
Haven's eyes slid toward Julien and Purple, who were intensely focused on their training. Purple worked to shatter four wooden dummies with a single thread, while Julien did the same with a fragile spear nearly as long as himself.
Training could wait. Haven had arrived. The heavens had clearly malfunctioned, allowing an angel to slip into the mortal realm. This deserved his undivided attention.
Training be damned.
"You're supposed to do that? Burn them to ashes?"
Scar traced Haven's eyes to the wooden dummies.
"Not exactly, but that's the point. I'll summon flames from all six fingers and use them to burn them down."
Haven's eyes narrowed.
"Okay, then. Let's get to work."
Huh?
Scar was bewildered. Was she going to train with him?
"You heard me. Get up. Sitting won't do you any good, and I'm pretty sure Uncle Arthur wouldn't like it either."
Scar swallowed hard.
He was glad she wanted to help him train. Having her around would give him the motivation he needed. But was that still ideal? She was a Moon Killer, wasn't she?
"Are you sure about this?"
Haven's stare was enough to shut him up. It was a death glare with enough weight to form dark shadows beneath her eyes.
"I'm your guardian. Isaac made that clear. So whether you like it or not, I'll be here."
Scar kept his opinions to himself. Instead, he led the way and showed Haven the dummies he was training with. He needed motivation to finish this impossible task, and who better to provide that than his crush?
As a Moon Killer, nighttime was when they worked hardest. When the moon covered the entire world, Nightwalkers lurking in the shadows of human domains would rise.
Abandoning her duty to train with Scar wasn't something that would be taken lightly, she was putting humans at risk.
But at this moment, she didn't care. Instead, she focused on being Scar's training instructor.
During the day, Scar drew several conclusions from watching his rival Storm train. He approached the task with one guiding principle: awareness… identify his opponent's weakness and strike it with confidence and knowing precision.
Haven's presence was soothing, and even though she scolded him when he failed, he was glad she was there.
Scar studied the dummy's weakened parts, littered with shards and charred fragments. He moved his finger close to these spots, attempting to burn them without releasing too much flames. But he was suddenly seized by the shoulder and thrown ten meters back.
"Don't hesitate—launch the flame from there!"
It was brutal, but Scar knew that was exactly what he needed. The training was about controlling his flames better, not just setting the dummies ablaze.
But the gloves had finite uses. He was being careful now, using only one finger for precision, yet he'd already expended seven uses. That left approximately thirteen.
"This shouldn't be beyond you. I can manipulate my ice the same way. Guide the flames from within, calculate the force and speed, and shoot."
Haven stood at a distance, hands folded over her chest.
Purple and Julien, who at first seemed bothered by her presence, soon found her words worth hearing. Truly, seeing that she was helpful to them as well was enough to make Scar smile. She had always been helpful to them, after all.
Using a breathing technique, Scar combined everything he'd learned and channeled his flames. He hadn't mastered how hot his flames could burn, but that didn't stop him.
If one shot wasn't enough, he'd use two. If two wasn't enough, he'd use three. He'd keep going until these damn dummies were engulfed in flames.
He targeted the dummies' weakened spots as usual. Staying connected to his Inheritance, he started firing. The first dummy required three shots, and even then, he had to wait for it to catch fire completely. The next, three… The third, two…
By the time he reached his fifth dummy, Purple had already succeeded, and Julien was on his last.
Soon, he was done and his gloves' usage had depleted from twenty to three, but something about Julien caught his attention. The poor boy looked sluggish, and worse, blood was trickling rapidly from his hand.
Scar started toward him, but Haven immediately stopped him.
"Don't. He's a blood manipulator, isn't he? He probably overheard us and controlled his weapon from within. That could've forced his blood to circulate too rapidly, that's why he's bleeding. I'm certain Uncle Arthur knew this before assigning him the task. He has to handle it himself."
Scar gritted his teeth in irritation. Purple was already yawning in her seat, clearly unconcerned. Arthur hadn't shown up all night, and morning was approaching. He knew that without some guidance, Julien would face even deeper challenges.
He was caught in a dilemma. He didn't want to see Julien get hurt, but he also didn't want to disregard Haven's instructions.
Tch.
'What the heck is happening?!'
He nearly tore at his hair in frustration before he saw Julien's red eyes. Scar smiled. He didn't know why, but something about that look told him Julien would be fine.
He joined Haven immediately, having no desire to make her feel as though he doubted her.
"…You're right, Haven. He can handle himself."
Haven nodded in agreement.
Minutes passed, and Julien just kept bleeding. For a moment, everyone thought he'd fallen asleep standing up. But soon, all the blood that had spilled began pulling itself together from the ground, reconstructing and returning to his body.
"By all calculations, he should have died. At minimum, he should've collapsed. I underestimated him."
Scar stared into Haven's blue eyes. She didn't flinch. Everything came out so calmly, as if she truly believed those words were encouraging. For a moment there, Scar had actually thought she believed in Julien.
"I won't let that happen to you, Scar. You're not going to die. You're mine… mine to protect."