The next day was almost suspiciously peaceful.
After everything that had happened—the fight, the blood beast, the exhaustion that still clung to my bones—I'd expected another disaster waiting for behind every door. But the castle was quiet. Peaceful, even. Maybe too peaceful.
I sat in the cafeteria with Effie, the sll of roasted grain and sothing vaguely tallic wafting through the air. The food here always tasted faintly of iron, but I didn't complain. Effie sat across from , picking at her bread like she was testing if it was poisoned.
"Aiko's busy today," she said between bites. "Said sothing about accounts. You know how she gets when people owe her."
"Yeah," I muttered, staring into my mug. "Figures. Guess I'll bring her breakfast."
She gave a look that said I was either too kind or too stupid for my own good. Maybe both.
---
Aiko's gambling den sat tucked in the lower east wing of the castle, behind a curtain of glowing red sigils. The air inside was thick with smoke and soul energy, both swirling around the tables like lazy ghosts. The rhythmic clack of shards being tossed echoed across the room.
And there she was—Aiko. Sitting like a queen behind her desk, eyes sharp as daggers, fingers dancing through piles of soul shards with the precision of a surgeon.
"So," I said, leaning against the desk, "how's my favorite gremlin doing?"
She didn't even look up. "Good. How's my favorite bloodsucker doing?"
I smirked. "Alive. Surprisingly."
Her hand paused mid-count, and she finally looked at , irritation flickering across her face. I put the food down in front of her. "Breakfast. Figured you'd forget again."
Aiko blinked once, then sighed and reached for it. "Thanks," she muttered, tearing a piece of bread and biting into it without ceremony.
I just watched her for a while. She was… different like this. Without the sly grin or the gleam of a con artist's eyes, she looked almost normal. Almost soft. But then she caught staring, and that glint ca right back.
"What?" she asked, half a smirk curling her lips. "Falling for ?"
I rolled my eyes. "In your dreams."
"Good," she said, swallowing the last bite and leaning back. "Dreams are my specialty."
We sat in companionable silence for a mont, the air between us thick with old jokes and unspoken debts. Then she pulled a slip of parchnt from her drawer and slid it across the desk.
"I've got a job for you."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Soone owes . Too much, too long. I need you to find him—short guy, brown hair, light armor, about as threatening as a wet towel. Get my shards and his mories back. Don't kill him if you can help it."
"Sounds fun. What's my pay?"
"Two soul shards," she said, smiling. "And I'll throw in a drink."
That actually wasn't bad. "Fine," I said after a pause. "But why ?"
She leaned forward, fingers brushing my arm. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Because I trust you."
I sighed. I was dood the mont she said that. "Alright. Deal."
---
On my way to find the debtor, I summoned my echo—Beast.
The creature's hulking form materialized beside , its crimson veins pulsing faintly, its face an eternal snarl. It looked exactly like it had when I'd killed it, though sothing felt… different. The way the blood inside it flowed—it was alive. I could feel it, each pulse a whisper through my senses but it felt like it pulsed incorrectly.
"Yo, Alucard!"
Kai's voice broke through my thoughts. He was striding down the corridor with his usual grin and a folded letter in his hand.
I pointed at it. "That your love letter? Who's the lucky girl?"
He barked a laugh. "Seishan. But it's not mine. One of the guards begged to deliver it. Poor guy couldn't even look her in the eyes."
"Can't bla him. Seishan's terrifying… and beautiful. Dangerous combo."
Kai snorted. "You sound like you're the one in love."
"Maybe I just appreciate fine art."
He grinned wider. "You're hopeless."
I shrugged. "Anyway, I've got a bounty to collect for Aiko. Wanna help? I catch a debtor, you deliver a love letter. Teamwork."
"Sure," he said easily. "I could use so excitent."
We walked together, Beast lumbering behind us like a crimson shadow. The few apprentices we passed gave us wide-eyed stares. The girls mostly at Kai. The guys… mostly at and the walking nightmare following us.
"Do they always stare like that?" I asked.
Kai laughed. "Fan girls are part of the fa package, man. You'll get used to it."
"I'd rather not."
His gaze flicked to Beast, then back to . "That thing still freaks out, you know."
I chuckled. "Co on, it's harmless. Mostly."
"Yeah, tell that to my heartbeat," he muttered, stepping a little farther from my echo.
We turned down another corridor. "So how'd you get it again?" he asked.
"Effie, , and so folks from the outskirts went hunting. Found it, fought it, killed it, nearly died. You know, a normal day."
Kai smirked. "You an Effie dragged your unconscious body back to the castle. Twice."
I groaned. "You're never letting that go, are you?"
"Not a chance."
But sothing about that stuck in my mind. Twice? Was Kai even there the first ti? My mories blurred a little when I thought about it. The edges of the world seed to ripple, like blood vibrating in a glass.
I blinked and shook it off. Probably just exhaustion.
---
The handmaiden quarters were a sharp contrast to the rest of the castle—bright light, the faint scent of flowers, and soft laughter echoing from behind the doors. As we approached, we heard voices.
"You should tell him, Lady Seishan," one of the handmaidens urged. "He won't reject you."
"I'm not sure," Seishan replied softly. "If only there were a sign…"
Kai's grin widened. He looked at , eyes sparkling with mischief. "Here's your sign."
Before I could stop him, he shoved through the door.
I stumbled forward, nearly tripping over my own boots, arms flailing. The room went silent. Five pairs of eyes turned toward —four shocked handmaidens and one blushing Seishan holding a teacup midair.
"Uh," I said. "Hi?"
Kai's laughter echoed faintly from the hallway.
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