The scent of cedarwood and faint lavender greeted us as we crossed the threshold, the familiar, grounding atmosphere of House 132 enveloping us like a heavy blanket. One by one, we filed into the main hallway, our footsteps echoing softly on the polished hardwood floors. Elicia moved with an effortless, graceful familiarity, her fingers tracing the edge of the entryway console before she reached for the silver matchbox resting in its usual glass dish. With a crisp, satisfying skritch, a warm amber flame burst to life, and she began to methodically light the thick tallow candles placed systematically throughout the ground floor.
As the gentle, flickering glow bloomed across the walls, casting long, dancing shadows against the floral wallpaper, the interior of the house was fully revealed. It was a space frozen in time, utterly unchanged from the moment I had slipped out of the side door early this morning to pursue my targets. For a bounty hunter whose life was defined by constant displacement, chaotic battlefields, and shifting identities, the absolute stagnation of this house was a profound luxury. Every book on the shelf remained at its exact, meticulous angle; every heavy velvet curtain hung precisely where I had pulled it.
We wandered into the cozy, low-ceilinged living room, where the amber candlelight washed over the plush, dark green armchairs and the heavy oak coffee table sitting dead center on a faded woven rug. There, resting on a small porcelain saucer right where I had left it before dawn, was the small handful of roasted hickory nuts I had been quietly sucking on this morning… a lingering habit from my tongue-less days, using the smooth, roasted shells to stimulate my senses and occupy my mind during long hours of tactical contemplation.
Evelyn's sharp jade-green eyes locked onto the saucer instantly. Her chaotic, childish instincts immediately overrode any sense of domestic etiquette. With a gasp of pure, unadulterated curiosity, her voluptuous frame leaned completely over the edge of the sofa, her hand darting out like a striking viper to snatch one of the left-over nuts just to see what it tasted like.
"Ooh, mystery snacks!" Evelyn chirped, her fingers a mere inch away from the porcelain.
Smack.
Before her fingertips could even brush the saucer, Elicia's hand intercepted her with lightning speed, delivering a sharp, maternal swat directly to Evelyn's wrist. The silver-haired principal loomed over her with an expression of absolute, administrative disapproval, her crimson eyes flashing with an authority that could quiet a whole auditorium of unruly academy scholars.
"Evelyn Rynd, absolutely not, Have you completely lost your manners? Your big sister was chewing on those hours ago before we even arrived in the district. Leave the poor girl's things exactly where they are, and keep your hands to yourself. We are guests in her home, not a pack of wild goblins scavenging in a tavern." Elicia scolded, her voice a low, firm lecture that brooked no room for argument
Evelyn immediately pulled her hand back, cradling her swatted wrist with a comically exaggerated, deeply tragic pout, the bioluminescent green tips of her hair dimming into a dull, disappointed shade of teal.
"Ouch! Grandma, you're so strict! I was just investigating the local culinary habits of the Crimson Phantom! It's called research!"
I stood by the doorway, my arms crossed beneath my tattered cloak as my massive crimson blood wings gave a quiet, highly amused fold against my spine. A faint, genuine smile tugged at the corner of my lips, my single jade-green eye crinkling softly as I watched the familiar domestic chaos unfold in the safety of my own living room. After years of dark, freezing isolation, the simple, noisy bickering of my family beneath the warm candlelight felt like the greatest treasure Andromeda could ever offer.
A long, heavy wave of exhaustion finally caught up with me, the sheer emotional and physical toll of the day crashing down all at once. I let out a soft, tattered yawn, covering my fangs with a pale hand as my massive crimson wings gave a tired, heavy droop behind my back.
"Let's get some sleep, The hour is late, and our energy reserves are thoroughly depleted." I murmured in my quiet deadpan, my single jade-green eye blinking sleepily under the flickering candlelight.
Evelyn immediately let out a dramatic, theatrical groan, her voluptuous frame completely collapsing sideways onto the plush green sofa. The bioluminescent green tips of her hair dimmed to a sleepy, rhythmic pulse.
"Ugh, finally! My legs feel like jelly from that cramped shadow horse ride. If I don't close my eyes in the next five minutes, I'm going to dissolve right into this carpet."
Elicia adjusted the collar of her academic robes, a soft, weary smile gracing her elegant features as she shook her head.
"I must agree. Between the academy administrative chaos and our sudden District 7 excursion, a proper night's rest is severely overdue."
I gestured toward the wooden staircase leading to the upper floor.
"I will sleep down here on the sofa, There are exactly two fully furnished bedrooms upstairs… Evelyn's room and my own room. The three of you can divide the space up there."
Elicia immediately crossed her arms, her sharp crimson eyes narrowing with a look of fierce, protective disapproval.
"On the sofa? Absolutely not, Ren, You've been pushing yourself to the absolute brink for weeks, running around as a bounty hunter and barely getting any real rest. Look at those dark circles under your eyes! You are not spending the night on a cramped piece of living room furniture in your own house. We are sleeping in your room, and that is final." she protested firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument
Before I could voice a protest about the tight spacing, Elias stepped forward. The heavy leather duster of the 5th-ranked Shadow Walker rustled as he placed a large, reassuring hand on my shoulder, his sharp green eyes losing all of their previous bickering edge.
"Grandma's right, Weird Eyes, You're the one who's been carrying the heaviest load today. I'll take the sofa down here. The three of you girls head upstairs and take the actual beds. I'm used to roughing it on stakeouts anyway, so a couch is practically a luxury suite for me." Elias said, his rough voice dropping into a low, genuinely caring tone as he gestured for me to step away from the couch.
He casually kicked his boots off and slumped his massive frame into the armchair, leaning back with a tired but contented sigh. Surrounded by the quiet safety of House 132, the long, chaotic night was finally drawing to a close, leaving nothing but the warm glow of the candles and the comforting presence of a family fully reunited.
The wooden stairs creaked softly under our weight as the three of us made our way up to the second floor, leaving Elias downstairs to claim the sofa. Reaching the landing, Evelyn gave a sleepy, muted wave, her glowing hair tips dimming to a faint glimmer as she slipped into her bedroom and closed the door.
Elicia and I turned toward the end of the hall and stepped into my bedroom. The space was completely untouched, exactly as I had left it before dawn, but the atmosphere instantly shifted the moment Elicia's elegant presence occupied the room. Together, we set down a small glass lantern and a brass kerosene lamp on the bedside table. With a soft click and the strike of a match, the warm, amber glow of the burning oil bloomed across the walls, driving the heavy shadows into the corners of the room.
As the light filled the space, it illuminated a full-length, silver-framed mirror standing against the far wall. I walked over and looked directly into the glass, only to be reminded of the physical reality of my transformation.
The glass was completely blank where I stood. I was entirely invisible. There was a profound, eerie lack of any reflection… even the fabric of my white dress and my tattered cloak blended perfectly into the background, leaving nothing but an empty view of the room behind me. It was the undeniable mark of my high-tier vampire physiology, a stark reminder that I was no longer entirely human.
Elicia saw me staring at the empty glass. Her expression softened with an immense, protective empathy. She walked over, her silver hair shimmering in the lamplight, and gently reached out to touch my hand, wrapping her warm fingers securely around my pale, scarred skin to anchor me.
"Oh, Ren… No matter what the glass fails to show, you are entirely real, and you are right here with us. Never let a piece of silvered glass make you forget who you are." Elicia whispered softly, her crimson eyes holding a deep, sisterly warmth as she squeezed my hand.
I offered a small, grateful nod, my single jade-green eye softening before my gaze drifted toward the corner of the room. There sat my bed. It was a modest, narrow cot… far too small to comfortably fit both a grown divine woman and a vampire with a pair of massive crimson blood wings.
I looked back at her and gestured toward the wooden floorboards.
"Big sister, the parameters of this mattress are insufficient for two people, I will sleep on the floor. My wings require extra space, and you deserve a proper rest after the academy's burdens." I said
Elicia looked over at the narrow cot, then back at my massive, fully extended crimson wings, and let out a soft, defeated sigh. A warm, sisterly smile quickly returned to her face as she shook her head.
"Oh, yeah, We definitely can't lay next to each other with a bed this tiny. Your wings would be completely crushed against the wall, and I don't think either of us would get a single wink of sleep." Elicia agreed softly, her elegant voice carrying a mix of amusement and maternal care.
She turned around and immediately began adjusting the sheets on the cot. Realizing the floorboards were bare and cold, she swept her arms across the top of the mattress. With a fluid, generous motion, she scooped up one of the thick, fluffy down pillows from her own designated sleeping space and tossed it directly toward me.
"Here, take some pillows," big sister said warmly as the plush cushion sailed through the amber lamplight.
I caught it effortlessly against my chest plate, the soft fabric pressing against my arms. Looking back at the narrow bed, I noticed that by giving me the cushion, big sister didn't have any pillow left for herself. She was completely sacrificing her own sleeping comfort just to ensure that her little sister wouldn't have to rest her head on the hard, unyielding wood of the floor.
A profound wave of genuine gratitude washed through my chest, melting away the final layers of my cold, analytical bounty hunter persona. I held the fluffy pillow tightly against my frame, my massive blood wings giving a relaxed, quiet ripple behind my back as my single jade-green eye locked onto her tired, smiling face.
"Thank you, big sister, Your kindness is... highly appreciated."
"Think nothing of it, Little Ren, Now, let's finally get some rest. We have a long week ahead of us."