~Ding~Dong~Ding~Dong~Ding~Dong~
The doorbell rang again... and again... like a fly flying over the ear all the ti.
Raphael groaned beneath her blanket, her ears twitching in irritation as the noise refused to stop.
"Ugh..." she mumbled, her eyes fluttering open. Her brows pulled into an annoyed frown.
"Give a break..." she muttered, her voice hoarse with drowsiness. She reached blindly for her glasses on the side table, sliding them on before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Her body moved reluctantly, muscles groaning along with her as she padded across the cool floor, barefoot, grumbling under her breath.
As she descended the stairs, the living room lay in dim silence. The lights hadn’t been turned on.
She blinked through her tired haze, muttering, "Where did he go?"
Then she rembered.
Leo.
He said that he was going to Ophis’s place.
She let out a long sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Her footsteps led her to the front door, fingers brushing the handle, and she opened it slowly.
"H-Hello...?"
The voice was soft.
Raphael blinked in surprise. Standing at the door was a girl dressed in elegant, brown-tinted, fluffy clothes, her long skirt swaying gently in the night breeze.
In her arms, she held a small fruit basket wrapped in transparent paper and... most of all, A delicate blush colored her cheeks.
"...Oh? Valra" Raphael’s surprise softened into curiosity. She opened the door wider and stepped aside, gesturing her in.
"Co in," she said.
Valra nodded politely and stepped inside, her shoes clicking softly against the floor. She noticed Raphael’s dishevelled hair and sleep-dazed look and imdiately lowered her head in apology.
"I’m sorry... I didn’t an to wake you," Valra said softly, almost guiltily.
Raphael waved it off with a slow flick of her hand, followed by a yawn that stretched her jaw wide.
"It’s fine... I needed to wake up anyway," she said through the tail end of the yawn. "Yaaah... I slept enough."
Valra smiled faintly, clutching the fruit basket with both hands.
"What’s the sudden visit?" Raphael asked, her voice more alert now, eyes scanning the girl in front of her.
"I... I ca to see you, Ms. Raphael," Valra said gently, offering the basket. "It’s been a long ti since we t."
Raphael raised an eyebrow, taking the fruit with a blink of amusent.
"?" she said aloud, while her thoughts whispered, ’Long ti? Girl, we literally t just a few days ago...’
Still, she didn’t voice it. She turned and led Valra into the living room, placing the fruit basket on the centre table.
Turning on the lights.
Valra sat down carefully on the edge of the sofa. Her hands rested in her lap, and her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her sleeve.
Last ti, she ca here as a guest... innocent, unknown guest, still she was a girlfriend, but that was just sake of the na.
But tonight felt different.
This ti... she was here as Leo’s girlfriend.... Real Freaking Girlfriend!
Especially after getting the kiss.
And sohow, that made it scarier.
Raphael sat across from her, brushing her ssy hair back with her fingers.
"So?" she asked casually, "Any updates about the school? Are they reopening?"
Valra flinched slightly, startled out of her thoughts. She gave a quick nod.
"Y-Yes. Actually... the principal decided to use one of the secondary buildings for the sester. Until the main school is rebuilt."
"Oh?" Raphael blinked. "That’s new. I haven’t heard anything."
Valra offered a sheepish smile. "I just got the news this evening. Maybe... maybe you went to bed early after work?"
Raphael humd, leaning back into the couch. That made sense. Her gaze shifted back to Valra and she noticed sothing.
The girl’s eyes kept drifting... scanning the room.
Searching for soone.
Of course.
She’s looking for him.
Leo had co to visit Valra earlier that morning. And now, tonight, Valra had co to his house.
Valra clearly wanted to make a good impression on Leo’s aunt... probably before soone like Sakura tried anything questionable.
Still, for all her effort, it was obvious that without Leo here to support her, Valra was drowning in awkwardness.
"If you’re looking for Leo..." Raphael said with a teasing glint in her eyes, "...he’s not here."
Valra jolted. "N-No! I-I didn’t co for him!" she stamred, face going even redder. "I ca to et you!" as she pointed at the basket.
Her voice sounded too high-pitched to be believable.
But then Raphael’s grin even more elongated... that only made Valra’s gaze drop to her lap as she squird.
Raphael chuckled softly, watching the girl’s bashfulness bloom like a flower.
’Just what is my nephew doing with all these innocent girls?’ she thought, mildly exasperated. ’He already has a lover, doesn’t he?’
She sighed inwardly... Leo was getting more and more like a Playboy.
So many heartbreaks~
He’d definitely need a proper scolding later.
"Wait... he’s really not here?" Valra asked with a bit more seriousness.
Raphael nodded. "Yeah. I think he told he’d be staying at Ophis’s place for the night. Sothing like that."
Valra’s face drained of colour.
"O-Ophis? Wait! You know Ophis!?"
Raphael frowned, confused by the reaction. "Why? Isn’t she Cael’s sister? She ca here after you guys left. She stayed with us for a day."
Valra froze.
Everything about her expression shifted... from awkward to terrified.
****
anwhile...
Far away, deep within a shadow-choked forest, a towering castle made of black stone trembled beneath the moonlight.
The ground shuddered.
The doors slamd open one by one.
A low, vibrating hum spread across the castle like sothing awakening beneath its foundations.
Crows exploded into the night sky, screeching. Wolves howled wildly from the woods, their instincts rattled by the presence stirring below.
Beneath the castle...
Sssshhh~
The smoke and dust from a violent explosion finally began to settle.
Reddish black sparks hung in the air like tendrils, twitching once or twice before vanishing into the shadows.
"Cough... cough..."
Leo’s lungs burned. He coughed violently, choking on the air. The shockwave had knocked the breath right out of him.
He blinked rapidly, eyes stinging, as he tried to sit up.
Then—
Squish.
His hand pressed against sothing soft.... Almost sponge-like.
Leo froze.
His gaze dropped... and widened.
He was touching soone.
A cloaked figure beneath him.
"You’re a girl?" Leo blurted out, shocked.
The cloaked figure stared at him, deadpan.
"You just figured that out now?" Her voice was flat, and then it turned cold. "And... would you mind taking your hand off ?"
Leo yelped and pulled back as if stung.
"S-Sorry!" He scrambled to his feet, flustered.
He turned toward the broken altar, shards of black stone jutting like teeth from the floor, runes still fading with a sickly glow.
"OPHIS!!"
Leo shouted when he saw Ophis lying motionless on the ground behind the broken altar.
He ran towards her and for a mont, his chest tightened... but then his eyes widened. Her skin was pale, yes, but smooth and healthy... nothing like the withered, mummified state he had seen her in before.
"S-She’s... really fine?" he muttered, his voice trembling with a fragile hope.
Dropping to his knees, he gathered her into his arms as though she were the most delicate flower. His hands shook as he cradled her, afraid she might slip away if he loosened his grip for even a second.
He pressed two fingers to her neck. A faint throb... small, but steady. Alive.
A deep breath of relief escaped him, his lips curling into a shaky smile. His eyes stung as tears welled up, blurring her face.
"We saved her..." he whispered, looking up at the cloaked figure who was approaching.
The figure paused, watching him for a mont before shaking her head. "No. You saved her," she said softly.
The cloaked figure’s eyes fell to the ground near the altar. The intricate symbol Leo had carved earlier was half-destroyed, blasted apart by the force of the ritual’s collapse, ’What was that symbol... and how did he write it?’ but she didn’t ask now.
"Let’s get the hell out of here," she said.
Leo nodded. Ophis was safe; there was nothing left here worth staying for. Adjusting his grip on her, he rose to his feet—
Crack... crack...
The sound of shifting stone echoed through the underground. Pebbles rolled across the floor. Both of them turned sharply toward the noise, eyes narrowing.
Two crimson points of light flared in the shadows.
BOOOM!
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