"Azrael."
When Raphael’s friend introduced herself for the first ti to everyone, Essa, who was leaning on the door with a casual expression, suddenly frowned beneath her cloak. Her sharp eyes narrowed as she tilted her head first towards Raphael’s friend, Azrael, then slowly back to Raphael, and finally... towards Leo.
Leo nodded with a gentle smile, "Azrael... a cute na, just like you."
"Oh?" Azrael’s cheeks flushed a delicate red, and she lowered her gaze for a mont before peeking up at him shyly.
"Co on, sweet talker... you’re making this young woman, who just turned twenty-seven and is still single in life, blush, you know~"
Raphael’s lips twitched violently... did her friend really just expose her whole situation in a single line?
And...
’What do you an twenty-seven? You’re thirty-three, you liar!!’ Raphael scread inside her head, seething as she watched Azrael fumble like a maiden struck by first love.
Leo let out an awkward chuckle, scratching the side of his cheek, "I didn’t an to fluster you... anyway, it’s nice to finally et you, Ms. Azrael."
"Oh? So sweet," Azrael cooed, her voice soft and lodic, almost predatory. She patted his shoulder gently, the touch lingering longer than it should. "But don’t call ’Ms. Azrael.’ You can call Azrael... or even Azy. That’s what my closest friends call . It feels warr that way, don’t you think?"
"I... I never knew you had a nickna," Raphael muttered, her frown deepening into an annoyed deadpan glare that could cut through stone.
But Azrael only brushed it aside, her eyes fixed on Leo like he was prey she had just discovered.
"But Leo, you really know how to fight, don’t you? You didn’t even flinch when facing those monsters. With the blade you swung—like this, and then like this—each strike so precise, and then... boom!" Her hands moved to mimic his slashes, her eyes glittering in excitent.
"I was so taken aback, you know! It was terrifying and srising all at once." Her voice lowered as she leaned in closer, her shoulder nearly brushing his.
As she tilted her head, her breath ghosting near his neck, she whispered, "Can you teach ?" Her voice trembled with feigned innocence as her hand drifted up, resting on his chest with a pleading expression.
Her eyes shimred like a lost child’s!
"Well..." Leo dragged out the word, his expression caught between politeness and discomfort. He wasn’t sure how to react.
She was far too clingy, far too insistent for soone he had just t.
He glanced at Raphael, silently pleading. Raphael imdiately moved, "Okay, that’s enough." She shoved Azrael to the side with firm hands and sat directly between them, a barrier of steel.
"W-Wait, what?" Azrael stamred, startled.
"What ’What?’" Raphael hissed, "You’re making him uncomfortable, can’t you see that?"
Azrael froze, blinking rapidly as the realisation struck her. She had been pushy, reckless, letting her eagerness overwhelm her sense. Her face burned, and she coughed into her hand, her tone softening.
"I-I am sorry, Leo."
She hadn’t ant to get that close. In truth, she only wanted to leave a good impression, to be seen as soone special in his eyes. She thought approaching boldly would charm him... but she hadn’t expected him to discomfort.
Weren’t n nowadays supposed to be so forward, so eager?
’Maybe my prince wants to take things slow,’ she thought with a faint smile, nodding to herself in quiet reassurance.
Leo shook his head calmly, his eyes steady, "It’s fine... I can understand your fear." His words carried a warmth that disard her, even after her clumsy attempt.
’So sweet~’ Azrael thought, her heart fluttering again despite Raphael’s burning glare beside them.
Raphael’s lips twitched, ’Boy, you’re giving her unwanted green cards!’ she thought as she clenched her fists before speaking aloud, "Anyway... so what’s going to happen from now on? Are those monsters going to keep eating more humans? Will the army get involved if things get out of hand?"
Leo, however, shook his head slowly, "If they wanted to, they could have done it openly. But they chose to move in secret... which ans they don’t want to attract attention. Which ans..."
"They were probably planning for sothing else," Essa added, "From the looks of it... the Two Fallen lost their original energy source. So they resorted to draining humans to gain mana. As for Dracula... he lost his strength to his own daughter, and that forced him to behave like the others. It was the only way to power himself up in such a short ti."
Leo nodded with a frowning expression, "Energy source? What is it?"
Essa sighed before tilting her head back towards the sky, where the faint blush of dawn was beginning to spread. "Like us, the Fallen need their true energy source in order to use their full form. The mana they’re currently using isn’t the one they require... and that’s why the Fallen haven’t spread their darkness everywhere yet."
Raphael’s face turned grim, her voice sharp with fear. "What happens if the darkness touches us?"
Leo muttered in a low, serious tone, "It will... eat us alive from the inside. It destroys the self and lets the darkness grow until nothing remains... like what happened to Caelindra."
Essa added flatly, "It’s the sa as dying."
Raphael and Azrael’s faces both drained of colour, leaving them pale and trembling.
"T-Then shouldn’t we inform the army? Kill them before anything worse happens?" Azrael blurted, her voice shaking.
However—
"The Mage Association is the one that monitors these incidents," Essa said with a grim. "If they refuse to step in, then not even the army could kill the Fallen. Worse... the army might even turn against us. It’s far too dangerous to gamble on them."
Raphael and Azrael clenched their fists tightly. They had already suffered once and understood well what survival truly ant... and they could not bear to imagine others being dragged through the sa nightmare.
This was worse than anything they could ever feel or witness.
As everyone tensed, their silence weighed down by dread, Raphael tried to reach for a sliver of hope. "You said there were other mages, right? What about contacting them? With their help, they could—"
"They would have done it already if they intended to," Essa cut in sharply, her voice matter-of-fact, ending the thought before it could bloom.
Everyone’s face turned pale...
This was no way out... they... need to think... they need to do sothing... they-
"Yaaahh..." Leo suddenly yawned. He stood up, stretching lazily. "I want to sleep. I’m not going to school today." Without another glance, he walked away, leaving the others in their stunned silence.
Raphael and Azrael wanted to say sothing, but they knew... they had been awake far longer than necessary. If they made any decision now, it would only be a reckless and dangerous one.
What they needed most was to cool their minds and rest.
Essa’s body faded like mist and disappeared.
Raphael and Azrael yawned almost at the sa ti. "Well, let’s sleep then," Azrael said lightly as she started to follow Leo back. But before she could slip away, Raphael grabbed her arm firmly.
"Where the hell are you going?"
Azrael blinked at her with an innocent expression, tilting her head as if she truly didn’t understand. "Of course... to sleep."
"... You can sleep with ," Raphael said in a blunt tone, her eyes narrowing as she dragged Azrael away.
"W-Wait! Let tell you sothing... let tell you sothing!!" Azrael squealed, trying to resist, but no matter how she scread, Raphael wasn’t about to release this dangerous pedophile onto the loose!
Dragging her straight into the room, Raphael threw Azrael onto the bed. Azrael flinched as her body bounced, her clothes loosening from the sudden force. Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she glanced at Raphael with trembling lips.
"P-Please... be gentle."
"..."
Veins popped on Raphael’s forehead, her blush furious. She grabbed the pillow and slamd it hard against Azrael’s face.
Thwack!
"You idiot! What the hell are you doing?!"
Thwack!
"Ouch! W-What are you talking about?!" Azrael muffled under the pillow.
"You know what I an! Are you trying to seduce my nephew?!"
Thwack!
"Argh! Co on... I was just playing with him! There’s no way I would harm him behind your back!" Azrael groaned, flailing her hands before smirking slyly.
"But... I will do it in front of you though~"
"YOU!!"
Thwack!
"Ouch..! Bitch, it’s starting to hurt!!"
Thwack!
Thwack!
"Take that!!"
Thwack!Thwack!Thwack!Thwack!
"Argh!!"
The sound of pillow slams echoed through the room until Raphael’s arms grew heavy. She stood there panting, her chest heaving, face flushed with exhaustion. Finally, she let the pillow drop with a thud and sat down beside Azrael.
Azrael smiled weakly despite the red marks on her cheek, then leaned toward her friend, her voice soft and trembling.
"I thought... I really lost you."
Raphael’s lips quivered as she nodded, her eyes glistening.
"I-I too... when I saw that man closing the manhole... I couldn’t do anything. I felt so useless..."
Azrael imdiately wrapped her arms around Raphael, holding her tightly. "No, no... you aren’t useless! You did what you were capable of doing. You fought, you endured. There’s no need to bla yourself, okay? I’m fine... you’re fine... and... we are fine."
Raphael smiled quietly as they hugged each other, their nerves finally beginning to calm. The danger still lingered in their hearts, but for now... they needed rest.
They needed to put everything aside and let their bodies breathe and calm down their minds.
Just then—
"About... Leo’s birthday... when was it again? I need to prepare a big gift for him~" Azrael said in a sly tone that instantly broke the mont. Raphael turned toward her with a deadpan expression, slowly raising the pillow like a weapon.
"O-Okay, okay! I’m sorry—ouch!" Azrael yelped as the pillow smacked her head.
anwhile, back in Leo’s room—
Leo froze as his eyes fell on the coffin. Ophis was lying inside it... curled up against her mother.
Reviews
All reviews (0)