The morning bell rang, signalling the end of first period. As James packed up his things, Mia, Nathan, and Alex approached his desk.

"Hey James, you got a sec?" Mia asked.

James nodded, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as they filed out of the classroom.

Once in the hallway, Mia's voice was bright with enthusiasm. "Guess what? I met your cousin Lily yesterday!"

James's step hitched, but he maintained his composure. "Oh, really? Where'd you bump into her?"

"Oh, I've met her yesterday on my subway," Mia said. "She's really nice! I wouldn't have connected the two but fortunately Alistair was with her."

Nathan's face broke into an eager grin. "Your cousin's in town? Is she hot?"

James shot him an icy glare.

"Kidding, kidding!" Nathan said quickly, raising his hands in defence.

Ignoring Nathan's comment, Alex chimed in, "What's she like? Are you guys close?"

James toyed with the string of his hoodie, looking elsewhere. "We're related, but I don't know her very well, honestly."

He hoped his friends would drop the subject. The last thing he wanted was to spin an elaborate web of lies about Lilia.

"Anyway, she left quite the impression on me," Mia continued. "She comes off as so sophisticated. And her style? Absolutely stunning."

James bit back a retort, thinking about how Lilia's "style" was the result of Ren's insistence on buying her a whole new wardrobe.

"You should introduce us properly next time she's here," Nathan added, more cautiously this time.

"Maybe," James replied, noncommittal before heading out to the next class.

As the group neared their next classroom, the conversation softly faded out. James was relieved; he couldn't afford to let them get too curious about Lilia.

The final bell echoed through the halls, marking the end of the school day. James and his friends spilled out onto the street, lost in conversation. As they made their way along the sidewalk, James's eyes caught a group of figures ahead, draped in hoods that hid their faces.

Suddenly, James blurted out, "Hey, I just remembered I've got to run a quick errand."

Mia’s voice carried a tinge of letdown as she replied, "Oh, okay. Catch you tomorrow, then."

With a brief wave, James peeled away from his friends and followed the mysterious group, maintaining a careful distance. His gut told him something interesting was bound to happen.

The group stopped at an abandoned construction site a few blocks later. James paused, then slipped behind a dumpster.

"Alistair, let's check it out," he murmured. Understanding the cue, the cat gave a nod and shifted into his imp form.

James focused inwards, feeling his body morph into Lilia's feminine shape. He decided it was best to approach them as her.

Lilia and Alistair crept onto the site, hiding behind stacks of rusty girders and concrete rubble. Up ahead, the group had removed their hoods and appeared to be...performing some kind of ritual?

Lilia inched closer, trying to overhear their chants. Strange, it seemed as if they were all speaking in Latin or similar language.

As she watched in confusion, the group began jumping around and yelling wildly. Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Lilia stepped out from her hiding spot.

"What is going on in here?" she asked in a commanding voice.

The group whirled around in shock, then began shrieking.

"It worked! We summoned her!" one shouted.

"We're all doomed!" another wailed.

Lilia blinked, completely baffled by their reaction.

One of the teens, a skinny boy with glasses, pointed a shaking finger at her. "P-please oh dark mistress, spare us!"

"What? I'm not a—" Lilia began but was cut off.

"Please spare us! We meant no offense with our amateur ritual," the boy pleaded.

Alistair sidled up next to Lilia, bowing with dramatic flair. "Greetings, mortals. You stand in the presence of Lilia, Mistress of Night. I am Alistair, her loyal servant."

Lilia shot him an irritated glance. He was not helping matters.

"There must be some misunderstanding," Lilia said gently, raising her palms. "I'm not a demon nor a devil. And Alistair is just… my friend in a costume."

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The group hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances. "But the ritual worked...you appeared before us..." the apparent leader muttered in disbelief.

Lilia almost laughed at the absurd situation. "Look, whatever you were doing, it clearly wasn't real magic. I'm just a normal gu—uh, person."

But the teens seemed unconvinced, continuing to view Lilia with suspicion and fear.

One of the boys spoke up hesitantly. "How do we know this isn't just a trick?"

Lilia sighed, about to further plead her case when a hidden door abruptly slid open in the concrete wall behind the group. Strange robed figures began filing out, carrying wicked-looking daggers and candles.

Lilia and the teens stood frozen for a long moment, both groups staring at each other in confusion.

Finally, one of the robed figures shouted "Intruders!" and pointed toward Lilia and the teens.

Chaos erupted as the robed figures surged forward. The teens turned to run but found their path blocked by more of the mysterious newcomers.

Just as Lilia braced herself to fight, the chanters caught sight of her inhuman blue skin and horns.

"The Exalted One!" one of the cultists exclaimed, immediately dropping to his knees. The other chanters followed suit, pressing their foreheads to the dirty concrete floor.

"At last, after countless sacrifices, the dark lady answered our plea!" the prostrating leader declared reverently.

Alistair stepped forward and proclaimed, "Indeed, mere humans! My lady has returned to assume her rightful place as your master."

Lilia winced. This day was getting worse by the minute.

Before she could do anything about the situation, another figure dropped from above, landing nimbly like a cat.

It was Akari, her face grim. She stared at Lilia, then the mix of cowering teens and kneeling cultists.

"You..." she said slowly. "What exactly is going on here?"

Lilia held up her hands in a placating gesture as Akari glared at her suspiciously. "I know this looks bad, but I can explain," she began.

Before Lilia could say more, the lead cultist rose to his feet, arms outstretched. "Brothers, the time has come! Get the non-believers."

The other cultists sprang into action, grabbing the terrified teens who had summoned Lilia.

"Hey, let us go!" one of the teens shouted as he was dragged by one of the cultists

Akari's eyes narrowed dangerously at the scene unfolding. She turned on Lilia, fury etched across her face.

"What twisted game are you playing at, demon?" Akari hissed.

Lilia shook her head vehemently, her long silver hair swishing around her shoulders. "No, you don't understand! I'm not with them, I don't want this!"

Suddenly, Lilia was wracked by an unknown vision—hazy and disjointed. She saw herself suspended naked in a crystalline structure, her arms and legs bound by glowing chains. Shadowy, robed figures shuffled in and out of view around her. Muffled cries echoed in the chamber, along with eerie chanting and blood-curdling screams. Anger and sorrow gripped Lilia's heart, emotions that were not her own.

Lilia snapped back to the present, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. The phantom rage still lingered beneath her skin, making her muscles tense. Shaking off the disturbing vision's influence, Lilia called out to Akari over the din. "Truce! Let me help you."

At that moment, a burly cultist charged straight for Akari, his dagger aimed at her heart. With cat-like agility, Akari vaulted over his head, twisting in mid-air to drive her heel down between his shoulder blades. The cultist crashed face-first into the concrete with a sickening crunch.

"This is some trick," Akari shot back, narrowly avoiding another cultist's wild slash. "I won't fall for it, demon."

Lilia opened her mouth to argue but was cut off by Alistair's shout. "Mistress, behind you!" Whipping around, Lilia sent a fiery blast into the chest of a cultist who had tried to ambush her. The man flew backwards, hitting the ground with smoke rising from his robes.

"I swear it's no trick!" Lilia insisted, blocking a strike from another attacker with a summoned shield of flames. The cultist shrieked as his sleeve caught fire. "I want to protect them as much as you do."

Akari's only response was to clench her jaw stubbornly. She had no plans to team up with a monster. But secretly she admitted that she could use the help against the growing mob. For now, the focus had to be saving those teens. "Fine," Akari ground out. "But this doesn't mean I trust you, demon."

Lilia nodded, accepting that it was the closest thing to cooperation she would get. Together, she and Akari steadily advanced on the riled cultists who moved to surround them.

Initially confused by the unexpected turn of events, the leader quickly regained his composure. "Attack the witch! She is nothing more than a fraud, an imposter!" he spat out the command.

At his words, his fellow cultists roared their assent, hoisting their blades high as they turned toward Lilia and Akari. The steel of their weapons glinted ominously as the mob advanced with a surge of aggression.

Together, they launched into the chaos, Lilia wielding her pyromancy and strength while Akari harnessed spirit magic and agility to immobilize opponents. Their disparate fighting styles synced seamlessly, felling cultists left and right.

Within minutes, the tide had turned. The remaining cultists were disarmed and bound with glowing spirit chains conjured by Akari. The teens huddled nearby, wide-eyed but unharmed.

Lilia dusted off her hands, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. She met Akari's gaze. "Not bad."

Akari's eyes narrowed. "Don't think this changes anything between us, demon. I let you assist because lives were at stake." Her voice hardened. "But I won't stop until I've uncovered the full extent of your plans."

Lilia suppressed an exasperated sigh. She couldn't really blame Akari for her suspicions. To her, Lilia was just a dangerous monster who'd appeared mysteriously in the city.

"I understand your scepticism," Lilia replied evenly. "But I don't have some grand scheme. This was all just a huge misunderstanding." She swept a hand toward the bound cultists. "Clearly I'm not allied with these lunatics."

Akari crossed her arms, unconvinced. "We'll see. Once I've finished questioning them, your true motives will be exposed." Her eyes flashed with determination. "And don't think that I owe you for helping me."

Before Lilia could respond, a new voice cut in. "That's enough." Agent Collins stepped into the light, two dozen armoured NABI agents fanning out behind him. His gaze swept the bizarre scene clinically.

"Excellent work containing the situation," Collins said briskly. He turned to Akari with a stern expression. "But need I remind you that we have orders from above to leave this woman be."

Akari's eyes flashed with anger. "You can't expect me to just let this demon roam free after what happened here!"

Collins held up a hand. "The directive was clear - she is not to be apprehended or harmed." His tone allowed no argument.

Akari pressed her lips into a thin line, outrage simmering in her eyes. But she held her tongue and offered no further protest.

Satisfied she would comply, Collins glanced at Lilia. "You're free to go. We'll handle things from here."

At his signal, the agents swarmed forward, gathering up cultists and teens alike. But none moved to restrain Lilia, obediently following orders and allowing Lilia to leave.

As she strode out of the place, Alistair, now in his feline form, slipped stealthily to her side. Clenched in his jaws was an odd dagger, its hilt fashioned in the likeness of a white horse, the blade inscribed with arcane runes.

Lilia's eyes widened. "Where did you get that?"

"Swiped it off one of the cultists while everyone was distracted," Alistair mumbled around the dagger's hilt. "Thought it seemed important."

Lilia, unsure of what else to do, accepted a dagger and slipped it into her bag. Questions whirled in her mind, yet answers remained just beyond her reach. Perhaps another visit to Ren was in order.