As I stirred my coffee, the silver spoon clinked softly against the porcelain cup. My Phantom Hand shimmered faintly in the dim light of the Fenixia mansion’s living room, its translucent fingers moving with precise intent.
Solara sat sprawled on one of the couches, her fiery hair catching what little light there was. Her gaze was locked on my hand, curiosity practically radiating off her.
On the side, Lilian swept the dust-covered floor with steady, rhythmic motions, her wolf ears twitching at intervals. She kept silent, but her glances toward Solara and I betrayed her interest in our conversation.
“This place needs some serious work,” I said, breaking the silence. “We’re spending more and more time here. Might as well renovate or, at the very least, clean it properly.”
Solara leaned back, crossing her legs as she smirked. “Sure thing. A bit of a makeover wouldn’t hurt. So this is our base of operations?” Her gaze flicked back to the Phantom Hand, and her smirk turned curious. “But, more importantly, you’re not going to tell me about that hand of yours?”
“It’s just [Phantom Hand],” I replied with a shrug as I moved it for a show, making it curl and uncurl for emphasis. “You know that skill where a ghostly hand appears in the air and punches the enemy ahead?”
She nodded.
“Well, this is exactly that—except I control it really well. Instead of letting it float in the air, I’ve made it stay attached to my elbow.” I flexed my spectral fingers, watching the soft blue light ripple across the surface. “This is a mana construct, and since my mana control is pretty insane thanks to my Heavenly Demon Body, I can do whatever I want with it. It doesn’t even hurt like a normal hand, so I can set it on fire if I feel like it.”
Her eyebrows rose slightly, impressed. “Sounds handy.”
I gave her a flat look. “Really?”
Lilian burst out on the side, somehow finding the joke very funny. Her laughter made Solara chuckle, and I allowed myself a small smile before taking a sip of my coffee.
We continued talking for a bit as Solara questioned a bit more about my hand and if it was as good as my actual hand. It wasn’t, but at the same time, it was in different senses. I could deactivate it and pull out my Starlight Sword, or Beams of Destruction, something that’d be hard to do if it was a real hand. But the drawback was that I didn’t feel how it felt to ‘touch’ something. Then again, that couldn’t be considered a drawback either, if I thought about it. I could block a sword with it, and it wouldn’t hurt at all.
Honestly, it did its work far better than expected. I had no complaints until I reached the Fifth Stage of the Heavenly Demon Body.
Our chatter slowed as we both heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the hallway. Lilian stopped sweeping, her gaze shifting toward the door as it creaked open.
“Um…” Nebula stepped into the room, her movements hesitant but deliberate. Mirella followed close behind, her expression as poised as ever, though the faintest hint of amusement flickered in her eyes. The maid gave a slight bow as they closed the distance.
Nebula’s gaze locked onto mine. Her face was a stone until now, but as seconds passed, it grew flushed, her hands fidgeting slightly at her sides. I held my coffee cup near my lips as I watched her. Everyone in the room went quiet, their attention shifting entirely to the exchange about to unfold.
Her lips parted, but no sound came out at first. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and finally managed, “Thanks… thank you.”
Lilian tilted her head, her tail flicking behind her as she scowled. “Dirty woman. Solara, you see this? No way she’s thanking him for his performance last night—”
“No! For helping me out!” Nebula’s voice shot up as she interrupted, her face growing redder. She cleared her throat, straightening her posture, and continued, ignoring Lilian’s snickering. “I was being stubborn, not realizing what I was going to end up as. Mirella told me the consequences earlier… I didn’t know. But I guess you did. As you always somehow happen to. So thank you.”
“It’s natural I’d help my fiance,” I smiled.
Rather than smiling back, her gaze dropped for a moment before she looked back at me, her cheeks aflame. “And I… I’m sorry for forcing myself onto you. I wasn’t in my right mind, but that’s no excuse.”
Lilian didn’t let the opportunity slip, resting her weight on the broom. “Trust me, he’s strong enough to push you away if he wanted to. You know what I think? I think—”
“Lilian, you’re embarrassing us!” Solara cut her off, rushing over to clamp a hand over her friend’s mouth. Her face was just as red as Nebula’s now, while Lilian started to shout muffled in her hand.
Nebula groaned softly, covering her face with her hands. Mirella, as composed as ever, stood silently behind her young lady, though the amused curve of her lips betrayed her thoughts.
Clearing my throat, I broke the tension. “Although she’s a loudmouth,” I said, tilting my head toward Lilian, “she’s right. If I didn’t… like it… I could’ve pushed you away. Don’t worry, you weren’t forcing anybody.”
Nebula’s blue eyes softened, though her blush remained. “Yeah, true, but… Well, you know? You only didn’t push me away since that helped me calm down. Right?”
I met her gaze… and slowly took another sip of my coffee.
****
Nebula settled herself onto the couch, her gaze averted, and Mirella stood beside her with an almost amused smile. I held back a smile and took in the strange assortment of individuals gathered in this worn-out living room. There were too many of the opposite gender, though…
Lilian was now sitting down beside Solara, holding back a snicker. Earlier, I thought she was really offended that Nebula and I had lost ourselves in lust last night, but seeing how she was enjoying teasing the girl, I was wrong. Nebula, her cheeks still tinged red from the earlier exchange, was ignoring the werewolf girl while Mirella shook her head.
The atmosphere was fun, but it was time to get serious now. I gave a slow exhale and walked over. I lowered myself into an armchair, gesturing for Mirella to join us. “We need to talk about Victor,” I said. The words came out more strongly than I intended.
I had built a grudge against that bastard and hoped to pay it back to him. But it might go the other way around if we didn't act fast. Although he had no proof, he had serious suspicions that Nebula was a vampire. So the sooner we address this, the better.
Sensing my resolve, Mirella sat down beside Nebula without hesitation, smoothing her skirts as she did. She had a natural composure, even here in this derelict mansion. I was holding this meeting with her in the hope that her age and experience would help us with ideas.
She looked at each of us, her lips pulling into a calm smile. “My young lady gave me a detailed description of what happened last night, and after hearing all that, I feel like Victor Seraph won’t stop here,” she began, her voice even and certain.
Lilian frowned, her ears twitching. “He’s already done enough, and his plans to unveil her fangs have failed. What more can he do other than direct confrontation?”
Mirella tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly in thought. “Real confrontation will be possible to deal with, given the strength of your group. The real danger lies in rumors. If he spreads the word about the young lady—” she nodded towards Nebula—“and what he might have suspected about her identity, the academy might take action. And if they start conducting serious testing against her...” she trailed off, her meaning unmistakable.
Nebula paled, her lips parting slightly. “Testing? But the Holy Knight found nothing wrong. Will that not be enough to reassure them?”
“Nope,” I sighed, running my Phantom Hand through my hair. “It certainly hadn’t convinced Victor enough, so the academy trying again isn’t impossible. Especially considering that the Holy Knight vanished after our group encountered him. We’re suspicious, Nebula.”
The room fell silent. Right now, the suspicion had worn off. Rather, I think people were thinking that the demons were after me in particular since I’d been targeted thrice now, instead of the possibility that I was a demon myself. But if Nebula’s mask was exposed, it’d be a matter of time before I’d be exposed as well.
This had always been my worry. If they found out, if they tested Nebula and confirmed her true nature, then no amount of charm or quick words would save her. I glanced at Mirella, who met my eyes, her expression solemn but sharp.
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“Aren’t you quite close to the chancellor, young master?” Mirella asked, her eyes pinning me with a look of expectation. I nodded. “I think you should tell her the truth about the young lady.”
Nebula sucked in a breath. “M-Mirella?!”
Mirella’s expression softened, and she raised a hand in reassurance. “Of course, only if you trust her,” she continued. “If you believe she won’t take any public action against my lady, then perhaps she’ll be willing to assist, even if it’s quietly. If lucky, she could arrange a mission outside the academy. A mission that aligns with Victor’s perhaps, where that could get all of you out in the open together.”
Her eyes glinted, and the intention was clear without having to be said: get us outside with Victor and eliminate him where no prying eyes could watch. Since Nebula gave her a brief, she must know our group was capable of taking down a Level 97 student.
I rubbed the back of my head, letting out a half-laugh. “We’re close, yes, she owes her life to me. But I don’t think she’ll help me in actively killing one of her students. But,” I looked at Nebula, then back to Mirella, “Yeah, she might help us in some way. I’ll go meet her and see what can be done.”
I glanced toward Solara and Lilian, who both were frowning in thought. “As for you two, good work dealing with Victor’s minions,” I said, my voice steady. “I told you earlier too, but you really did well.”
“Why’re you giving such an embarrassing speech suddenly?”
“Lilian, let him talk.”
I ignored their banter and continued, “Honestly, I was prepared for both of you to get at least a little hurt, but you held your ground. You’re strong, and I’m proud of you both.” I leaned forward slightly, letting the weight of my words settle between us. “So make sure to train even harder now. I think it’s time I taught you some martial arts techniques. Lilian should pick them up pretty fast, and Solara… you’ll get there with time.”
The two girls exchanged a look, then nodded, determination clear in their eyes. There was still so much to learn, and while they’d proven themselves capable tonight, they knew better than to let that get to their heads. They needed to grow stronger and fast.
I turned my attention back to Nebula and Mirella. “You two, in the meantime, should work on securing something that’ll help mask your vampire nature better,” I said, my gaze resting on Nebula. “I’m not sure why the Baron hasn’t done this already, or at least when he was sending you here to Waybound. Really careless.”
“Magic and Artifacts that hide a person’s race are very hard to come by,” Nebula said. “Sure, there are those that can maybe change your skin color, hide your elf ears, make your fangs vanish, but they won’t hide your nature, your mana, from a person like Professor Katheran, for example. And of course, Holy Knights. Thankfully, my Vampire lineage is hard for most to detect as a halfling. We’ve tested it out before with the help of a close friend of my father. So I knew even Professor Katheran wouldn’t be able to detect it. So we never bothered to look for an item that can totally hide my nature, as they’re super rare and expensive.”
I hummed and then nodded. “Fair. But now that we have the capital, with Mirella’s knowledge, we should be able to either buy a useful artifact or create something ourselves. Let us do that, alright? If Victor tries something similar next time, we need to be ready.”
Nebula nodded, her expression resolute, but before she could speak, Mirella cut in, her gaze playful. “You’re not planning to teach the young lady these martial arts techniques of yours?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. For a moment, I feared that Nebula had told her about Murim. That’d not be good. “I understand she’s a [Mage], but her physical strength is more than adequate thanks to her lineage. Obsidian Vampires aren’t like regular vampires. I think she’d benefit from the training as well.”
“...Obsidian?” Lilian asked, blinking. My heart fell as my eyes widened.
“Yes? Vampires have different families, and my young lady happens to be from a very prominent one called the House of Obsidian,” Mirella said with a tint of pride in her voice.
In response, Lilian’s lip parted, her canine flashing for a moment. I saw clouds covering her eyes for a moment. Clouds that roared with thunder. I got up and quickly walked over, putting a hand on her shoulder.
“Lilian,” I said. “I’ll explain later,” I said, and she looked at me, her eyes growing red as she realized I already knew. I always did. She shut her lips, her jaws tightening, as she glared at me.
Mirella and Nebula exchanged confused glances. Lilian stood up from her seat and walked away in speedy steps. Shit why did it have to come out now?
A silence fell over the room. I could feel my weariness rising. The other three looked confused, but Solara caught on to the fact that something was wrong.
“Mirella, to answer your question,” she quickly explained. “Nebula is not part of our, uh, party… so we can’t teach her these martial arts. Before you ask, it’s not because we don’t want her in the party,” she quickly clarified, “but because she hasn’t made up her mind to join yet.”
Mirella tilted her head, her gaze sweeping across the group, understanding flickering in her eyes. I felt a little relieved. This meant Nebula hadn’t told her about Murim and my other life. She’d only asked about martial arts because of my fighting style, which she’d seen when I fought Lilian’s half-brother.
She gave a slight nod, a small smile playing on her lips. “I see. Well then, as always, I’ll focus on securing the young lady’s safety.” She leaned back, her gaze meeting mine, and I could tell she wasn’t pushing the matter any further.
The conversation drifted to a close, and with it, a new sense of resolution settled over all of us. There was so much to do, and the threats were still real. Except in my heart, I grew worried about Lilian.
****
I couldn’t find Lilian anywhere. I was worried, but… if I knew her, I knew she’d at least allow me to explain before she did anything stupid. So I decided to follow the plan first.
“Come in,” a voice said after I knocked. I pushed open the door and walked into Chancellor Duskleaf's office, the familiar dark wood panels and the soft fragrance of incense filling the space. It was a comfort, a sign of the quiet power that emanated from Amelia herself. She had a way of making any room feel safe and defended—though today, I found an unexpected guest.
“My, it’s my dearest student Iskandaar,” Amelia said from her seat, smiling at me as she nudged her chin to the girl sitting across from her. “I believe you two have met before? You’re classmates.”
“Hello, Chancellor,” I nodded at her and then looked at the girl. “Yes, we’ve had the opportunity to walk by each other a few times before but were never lucky enough to exchange greetings. Good morning, Princess.”
[Sathari Nezehra; Level 28]
The Naga princess, Sathari Nezehra, looked at me. Her red scales were slightly purple now as they gleamed under the sunlight filtering through the tall window behind the Chancellor's desk. They shimmered and her purple eyes met mine with that piercing intensity that someone else might mistake for hostility.
She smiled, her fangs just barely peeking out from her lips. "Greetingsss, Romani," she said, her voice as smooth as the silk scarf that wound around her shoulders. Her accent colored every word with an exotic, almost hypnotic edge. “I haven’t seen you around recently in classesss,” she said, “I have missed you.” She smiled a kind smile.
Despite how she looked, she was a kind and friendly girl. I smiled back, "That is very kind of you, Princess," I nodded, offering a polite smile. Seeing her here, in the flesh, brought back some memories. Episode 4 of Arcane Crown was Nebula’s Red Night, which naturally meant that Episode 3 had already passed.
That episode was dedicated to this Princess here, and given how her scales had changed colors, she’d gone through. I’d missed it, but thankfully she was safe and alright even without it.
The Poison in the Shadows. A tangled mess of political machinations, hidden societies, and the dark underbelly of Waybound City. Sathari had been at the center of it, dodging poison-laced knives and whispers of a criminal organization. She’d been kidnapped, her life nearly torn from her by devil worshippers looking to rip the Naga Pearl from her head. Lord Draygon Valis was the one leading the whole episode, and since this time I hadn’t seen an end to him myself, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was still lurking.
Hopefully, he was gone. Prince Orion was still the main character, so he must have saved Sathari as he did in the game. He must have taken care of the enemies too.
Sathari tilted her head, her slitted eyes narrowing as she watched me. “You seem deep in thought, classsmate. Something troubling you?”
I shook my head, pushing those memories aside. “No. Just surprised to see you here.”
She hissed softly—not a sound of annoyance, but more like amusement. “I had some work with the chancellor here. But it’s done now, ssso you can have the room.” Saying so, she bowed to Amelia and slipped past me, her tail curling as she moved out the door, the soft hiss of her scales against the floor fading as she disappeared down the hallway.
I watched her leave before turning back to Amelia. The chancellor was leaning against her desk now, her chin resting on her palm, an amused glint in her eyes. “I think I’m going to teach her Dragon Tongue Magic,” she said, her voice warm with the kind of excitement I hadn’t seen from her in a while. “She’ll be my first student in that subject. I’ve been trying to find one for decades, and I’m happy a candidate finally showed up.”
“That is interesting,” I said.
Her lips curled up slightly. “Try to get along with her if you get the chance. I think you’ll encounter her frequently since you like to visit my chambers quite often.” She winked, and I couldn’t help but chuckle, even if a smile tugged at my lips. “She’s still foreign to this place, especially she must feel that way more after her recent kidnapping incident, so a friend will help,” Amelia added, her tone shifting to something more serious, a softness in her gaze.
I frowned at that, remembering more of the chaos in Episode 3. The desperate attempts to extract her Naga Pearl, the cultists, and the fear that had hung over the entire city like a stormcloud. No way I missed all that. She was safe now, but a kidnap like that left a mark. It made people wary, and more guarded. Thankfully, it seemed she’d receive a boon she hadn’t in the game. Dragon Tongue Magic from Amelia Duskleaf.
“Sure,” I said, sliding into the chair opposite Amelia. “I’ll get along.”
Amelia smiled, and her expression was sly as she leaned forward, her eyes twinkling. “Thank you, my dear. But, why are you here today? It can’t be that you want more of my nuggets?” She tilted her head, her smile widening. “If so, you’d have to visit my home again.”
“Maybe later,” I said, letting the teasing roll off me. “But right now, there’s something important I need to tell you. Something… serious.” She raised an eyebrow, her smile fading just slightly as she waited, her gaze sharp, focused. I hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath.
“My fiancée,” I said, “is a vampire.”
For a second, Amelia didn’t move. She blinked, the words hanging in the air between us like a weight. Then she let out a long sigh, her eyes closing as she brought her hands up to cover her face.
“Of course,” she muttered, her voice muffled by her hands. “Of course, she is. Dammit, you brat.”