The sun was starting to dip behind the distant ridge, painting the sky in soft golds and pinks. Emma walked along the quiet stone path back toward the dorms, her coat loosely slung over one shoulder, the breeze tugging at strands of her hair.
Her boots clicked gently on the walkway.
Peaceful.
Until she heard him.
"Yo, Emma! Wait up."
She didn't stop walking.
Wayne jogged a little to catch up, the usual easygoing smirk on his face. "You're always in a rush, huh? You walk like someone's paying you for every step."
Emma gave a half-smile, eyes forward. "Maybe someone is."
Wayne chuckled like she'd told a joke.
He walked beside her, a bit too close.
"You know," he started, nudging his elbow lightly toward her, "I was talking to Tessa earlier. She says she saw you training alone. Again."
Emma didn't answer.
Wayne kept going.
"Not that it's a bad thing or anything, but maybe you should ease off the solo stuff, y'know? Find someone you can pair up with. Might help with, like… growth. Experience. All that."
Emma blinked slowly. "Are you offering?"
He grinned. "Just saying. You shouldn't always keep to yourself. Makes people think you're… I don't know. Cold."
Her lips pressed together for a second. "I'm not cold."
"I didn't say you were," he said quickly. "Just that people might think that. Like, the way you just kinda walk off sometimes. Or when I talk to you and you just sort of… don't say much."
Emma looked at him now. Not angry. Not annoyed. Just blank.
Wayne's grin faltered for a breath.
Then he tried again, tone softer. "Hey, I'm not trying to lecture. Just looking out for you. You're not like the others."
She glanced back toward the road. "I don't need looking after."
That seemed to settle something. Wayne didn't say anything for a few steps.
But then he laughed again. "You're tough, huh? I respect that. Really. I just think... you don't have to be alone all the time, y'know?"
Emma sighed softly. Not loud enough to be rude. Just enough to vent the dull fog settling in.
Wayne kept talking. "I mean, I've been there too. People expecting you to be strong or quiet or smart or whatever. It gets old. Maybe that's why I like talking to you. You don't fake anything. Even when you're ignoring me."
That almost earned a real reaction.
But Emma just let him walk beside her. Let him talk. Let him try.
She had no energy for confrontation today. Wayne wasn't cruel or harsh. Just… persistent. Like a stone in her shoe she didn't have the effort to kick off.
"Anyway," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "maybe one day you'll surprise me and say you do wanna spar or train or I don't know eat something that's not trail bars."
Emma didn't answer. She didn't have to.
Then she felt it.
Her pace slowed.
Wayne followed her gaze and turned toward the path ahead.
Before Emma could give the most neutral response possible, a figure appeared in the corner of her eye.
Caelen.
He was walking out of a nearby alley, the morning light hitting his dark hair. His eyes were calm, but a faint tension laced his expression, like something had just happened.
Emma instinctively stepped toward him.
Wayne took a small step back, not out of fear, but something more instinctive. He immediately noticed it and scolded himself.
What the hell?.
Caelen, spotting her, gave a slight nod, then said calmly, "Emma, we need to talk."
Her tone shifted. "What happened?"
Wayne's voice was quieter now. "Is that… Caelen?"
Emma didn't answer. Her eyes were on Caelen's face.
His expression was calm. But the air around him had shifted. Even Wayne felt it, though he couldn't explain why. Like the gravity around Caelen had deepened.
Wayne glanced sideways. "That guy… he doesn't look like much. I could take him."
He said it like a joke.
But it didn't land.
Emma didn't laugh.
She stepped forward without thinking — toward Caelen — leaving Wayne standing there, his confidence wilting slightly in the cooling air.
Emma.
Her boots crunched on the gravel path, eyes calm but focused. She didn't speak right away, just came to stand beside him.
Caelen met her gaze and said in a quiet, almost casual voice, "Lucy's with us now."
Emma blinked. "With us?"
He gave a slow nod, then clarified, "She turned. Probably different from the usual ones though. She's… not normal."
Emma frowned. "Did something happen?"
"Let's walk," he replied, starting down the path beside her.
They walked side by side, quiet at first. The trees around them swayed gently, offering them privacy with every step.
"She's one of us now," Caelen said finally, voice low and steady. "But I think I rushed it. Or maybe… maybe I didn't reach her in time."
Emma looked at him. "In time?"
He paused a second, then added, "There was a moment. Before she left. I thought I could stop it… maybe I could've, if she didn't kiss me and run."
Emma stopped mid-step. "Wait. You didn't turn her?"
Caelen shook his head. "No. I mean, not directly. This morning, I got close. I think I was about to seal it, but—she left."
Emma looked genuinely surprised. "So that's what happened huh, and went back home."
Caelen sighed. "Seems like it."
A brief pause followed. Then Emma said quietly, "She's mentally stronger than I thought."
Caelen raised an eyebrow. "I guess?" His tone made it sound like a question. Her words were giving him a new perspective, and he didn't quite know what to do with it.
Emma glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "I helped."
He blinked. "Helped?"
She nodded. "I used one of my skills on her."
"You what?" Caelen's voice wasn't angry, just stunned.
Emma gave a small shrug. "It was just [Soothing Bloom] — a calming aura. Makes it easier for people to let go of stress… or resistance."
"You used a charm aura on Lucy?" Caelen ran a hand through his hair. "No wonder she opened up so fast and kissed me…"
He stopped walking. "Wait—how does it work? Is it like a touch thing, or… does it radiate like my pheromone skill?"
Emma gave a small smirk. "Similar to yours. But I don't know what yours feels like."
Caelen chuckled under his breath, muttering, "Probably for the best."
They were nearing the entrance of Artgen Spire again, the familiar obsidian-black tower now standing still like a sleeping beast.
Emma slowed her steps. "Why are we here?"
Caelen looked ahead. "I need Evelyn to take us to Lucy's quarters. I need to understand what happened."
She nodded, no more questions.
Inside, the building was quiet. As they walked toward the reception, a young man was finishing up some paperwork. Caelen waited until he left, then approached.
The assistant behind the desk eyed him with polite disinterest. "Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for Evelyn."
"She's not available unless it's—"
The door behind the desk opened with a soft hiss.
Evelyn stepped out, dressed in her usual professional attire. Her dark eyes landed on Caelen with mild curiosity.
"I wasn't expecting you yet. I was planning to find you later."
Caelen kept his voice steady. "Why?"
She tilted her head, smiling slightly. "Let's talk in a different room."
Emma stood behind him, watching quietly.
Without another word, Evelyn turned and led them deeper into the Spire.
The quiet hallway echoed slightly as Caelen, Emma, and Evelyn moved down its length, the soft hum of overhead lights filling the silence. The sterile walls of the Artgen Spire's upper floors looked different from the main dungeon level, less intimidating, more clinical. It felt like a place meant for containment and careful discussion rather than combat.
Evelyn stopped in front of a side door, her dark-gloved hand brushing against the access panel. The door slid open with a soft whoosh, revealing a minimalist but comfortable room, a circular table, three chairs, and a long window that dimmed its tint at her command.
"In here," she said with a slight glance over her shoulder. Caelen stepped in first, Emma close behind.
The moment the door closed behind them, Evelyn turned toward Caelen, her voice calm but cool.
"You know," she began, folding her arms, "your new companion caused quite the disruption. The Desmire estate's alarms were triggered, and your dear Lucy gave them quite the scare." A subtle smile tugged at the edge of her lips. "Her father is chasing a very empty trail. Thanks to me."
Caelen raised a brow and gave a soft nod. "Then I owe you. Really. Thank you."
"Yes," Evelyn replied, brushing a strand of black hair behind her ear. "You do."
Emma, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke. "Who are you exactly? Are you really helping us? And why?"
Evelyn turned to her, measured and poised. "I'm someone who believes in leverage and results. He has what I want."
Emma frowned. "And what's that?"
Caelen answered before Evelyn could. "The seed. The same one I gave you. And Lucy."
Emma blinked. "Wait... does that mean she wants to be a demon too?"
Caelen shook his head slightly. "I don't know. That's her choice. I'm not forcing anyone. Not anymore."
Emma looked at him carefully, catching the weight behind his words. The last time they'd talked about this, his tone was different—more certain, more direct. Now, there was hesitation. Growth. Responsibility.
Evelyn tilted her head, observing him quietly. "So... what do you want now, Caelen? You've got Lucy. You're expanding your influence. What comes next?"
Caelen's gaze turned thoughtful. "I want to meet her again. Not to force her to do this. Not trap her. But meet her where she is. I want to enter your dungeon."
Emma tilted her head. "My dungeon, huh? Why? You want to enter it?"
"Yes," Caelen confirmed. "I want to find a way for our paths to cross naturally. To challenge her. Show her I understand what she went through and that she's not alone in it, and maybe get her on my side, then maybe I can try to win her over again."
Evelyn slowly sat down on the chair nearest the window, crossing one leg over the other. "You want to manipulate the dungeon mechanics... to create a forced convergence. That's not easy."
"Is it possible?" Caelen asked.
"Theoretically," she replied. "But doing so would expose you to her world. And her wrath. She's angry. She will feel betrayed. You showing up and telling her that... might push her over the edge."
"Then I have to risk it," he said simply.
Emma stepped closer, her voice gentler now. "Should I come with you? Just in case?"
Caelen shook his head. "No. I need you in position. I want you to use your calming skill on both of us. Make sure it affects me and Lucy. I want her to feel what's real between us. I want her to decide, not as a Desmire, not as someone twisted by pain—but as herself."
Emma smiled at that. It was soft, genuine. "Alright. I'll do it. I want to help."
Caelen nodded once, then turned to Evelyn. "Can you take me there?"
She stood and walked toward the panel again, activating a hidden transport path that connected deep into the Spire's specialized routes. "I can. But whatever happens in there, remember: this isn't about power anymore. It's about understanding."
He followed her through the next set of doors, the air growing colder and heavier as they moved. The distant sound of humming crystals, arcane machinery, and faint echoes of power filled the space. This wasn't a normal dungeon entrance. This was personal. Designed. And Caelen could already feel the pressure in the air change.
He gripped the hilt of the practice blade at his side, even though he knew it wouldn't be enough.