Chapter 6:

The Other Side of the Moon

Nova ravenously chowed down on the food Rana prepared for her like it was the last she would ever get. Aidan sat awkwardly next to her, trying to bottle all the thoughts flying through his mind at the moment.

“Sorry, boy. Yours will take a while longer.” Said Rana.

“Aidan, you have no idea how lucky you are!” Said Nova while watching Rana cook. “She isn’t often in Kulum. She travels between villages to sell her cooking.”

“I met her cleansing corrupted food back in Talbareth already.”

Rana let slip a cute laugh.

“Indeed, but little Novie put me out of that job here,” Rana teased.

“You’re the one who taught me!” Nova protested before returning to her food. Her extensive vocabulary had completely disappeared at this point.

Watching the two interact, Aidan couldn’t help but reminisce back to his time with Valerian. The pendant around Aidan’s neck weighed heavy on him.

Do not let your weakness show. Convince yourself that your heart does not bleed when cut. If you can’t keep pace with me, you will fall back down into the world of humans.

And you are no longer one of them.

Lessons and rules. That’s all he had left.

You taught me how to survive, but to what end? You left me to rot away alone in the cold.

Aidan leered at Nova with jealousy burning in his eyes.

She really has everything.

Once Rana finished filling her cauldron with all of the ingredients needed for Aidan’s meal, she came to sit with the two at the table.

“Now that I’m free, please tell me, how come you’re here, Aidan? Are you perhaps looking to throw us a concert?” Rana asked with a smile.

She’s mocking me.

“I’m afraid not. I’m still far too green. I’m just here for inspiration.”

Rana chuckled.

“And I suppose the fair Nova is your muse?”

Without taking her mouth out of her bowl, Nova levitated a rock rapidly left to right to show her disapproval.

Aidan gritted his teeth. He wasn’t going to play along with this.

“Has Nova ever cleansed a fruit, only for there to be leftover poison? Has anyone suffered or died that way?”

“No! That’s never happened!” Nova answered right away before Rana could say anything.

“Then, why was the apple you gave me still poisoned? I barely escaped with my life.” Aidan asked Rana.

Nova let go of her bowl. Her eye fluttered between Aidan and Rana. Both were staring intently at each other.

Rana brushed her hair aside.

“I deeply regret to hear that. I pride myself in cleansing them to perfection, but maybe…. You did draw the ire of the peasants there; perhaps they swapped it out for a poisoned one. I ask that you forgive them; they only meant to defend their loved ones.”

“That’s gotta be it! Auntie would never make a mistake like that!”

That’s such a blatant lie. Those words aren’t meant for me, are they?

Aidan glanced at Nova. She was visibly shaken by Aidan’s accusation. Continuing to press Rana in front of her would surely only hurt her more.

“I suppose so. Rana, since you’re so well-traveled, would you mind telling me what the state of the other villages is like? Do they suffer at the hands of this plague child as well?”

Nova slammed her bowl on the table.

“They don’t. None of them do.” She answered for Rana.

Aidan could barely hide his shock. There was someone who didn’t blame the attacks on Alaya?

“What do you mean? Your brother is quite adamant about fighting it.”

Nova’s discomfort was written on her face and her body posture. She looked like she was being pulled in multiple directions by some harrowing thoughts.

“My daughter means that every village in the area has indeed been suffering from a consistent string of misfortunes with some occasional attacks on their livestock. Like I’ve told you before, they blame it on a monster in the shape of a girl.”

“Do you not share that belief, Nova?” Aidan kept probing.

“I...She…”

Nova clutched her head as her body slumped over like a puppet with no strings.

Rana jumped out of her seat and grabbed Nova. Nova’s giant wound throbbed so strongly that Aidan could see the scar tissue move and undulate. Rana quickly placed her hand on it while comforting her.

Aidan could feel a great deal of demonic energy from Nova’s wound now. Rana worked to get it under control, similar to what she had done to the food.

This explained quite a few things. Rana had taught Nova how to control some of it, likely in the same way Valerian did for him, though he had focused it all on Aidan’s neck.

This also confirmed that a demon indeed inflicted Nova’s wound.

While Aidan coldly analyzed Nova, Rana gently stroked her head.

“You’ll be fine, darling. Don’t cry, don’t cry. I’m here for you.”

Little by little, Nova calmed down.

“What exactly happened to her?” Aidan asked, barely above a whisper.

“Nothing. Nothing happened, Aidan. Whatever storm Nova’s heart is caught in, it’s not yours to get involved with. Let sleeping dogs lie.”

Rana turned her head to face Aidan, his visage reflected in her perfect eyes.

“Or you will never sing again.”

Aidan shuddered. Despite her appearance and gentle voice, her threat struck deeper than any of the previous ones he had received thus far.

“...As you say.”

Once Nova recovered, Rana pulled her hand away. Her palm was drenched in a dark red liquid that seemed to have flown out of Nova’s empty eye socket.

Nova looked apologetically at Aidan.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry. I keep losing control. I’m so pathetic.”

“Don’t apologize, star shine. He’s the one poking at things he has no place to.” Rana said while glaring at Aidan.

Nova shook her head.

“No! This is not normal! I’m not normal! I-I-”

Aidan recognized her behavior. He had subjected Valerian to it numerous times.

This isn’t right. Someone like her doesn’t have the right to feel like this! She’s had everything handed to her!

Aidan looked away from Rana and Nova. He couldn’t risk falling into the village’s bad graces by making Nova suffer. Still, he couldn’t do this while keeping eye contact with her.

“It’s not your fault. Those things that left their mark on us early in our lives, they aren’t something you can just move on from.”

“Aidan, what are you talking about?” Asked Nova, confused.

Aidan sighed. He felt no small measure of disgust to be doing this for her. Valerian’s teachings that were seared into Aidan’s soul were just another free handout to her.

“When I was a kid, people used dogs to hunt me down. I barely escaped with my life, and now, whenever I see them or hear their barks, I feel like curling up into a ball and screaming. It takes a lot of strength to stop myself from doing that.”

Nova and Rana both stared silently at him. Nova was genuinely curious, while Rana looked doubtful, ready to stop him if he ever overstepped.

“These wounds may never leave you, and that’s not your fault. Humans aren’t meant to suffer that kind of trauma. And, uh…”

This was where Valerian’s teachings stopped. He didn’t believe in healing or in moving on, only in discarding the part of you that was affected.

Rana will throw me to the wolves if I say that.

Aidan had to improvise the rest. But how? The horizon of his world ended where Valerian drew the line.

And then, Aidan had an idea.

“Don’t feel guilty when things become too much for you. I’m sure you have people more than happy to support you because they…they love you.”

The words I always wanted to hear….

Nova took Aidan’s words in. A modest smile crept unto her face.

“Thank you,” Nova said while wiping away some tears that formed while listening to him. “I’m afraid to admit, I worried you’d turn out to be a detestable person, Aidan. I hope you can forgive me.”

Aidan’s eyes narrowed. That was the one thing she didn’t need to apologize for.

Rana chuckled softly while running her hand over Nova’s back.

“I think our friend earned himself an extra-large portion.”

Nova stood up from her chair.

“Let me make it.”

For the first time, Rana was at a loss for words. Nova smiled and stepped past her to the cauldron.

Rana turned her gaze back to Aidan. She looked just as unsure as him of what to make of this.

Until Nova was done, Rana sat down on her chair. With her so close, Aidan had to fight the instinct to reach for his mandolin.

Rana didn’t take her eyes off of Nova. It was uncanny how normal and unthreatening Rana looked, and yet how much Aidan had to fight to stop his body from shivering.

“Are you here to make me suffer?” Rana whispered.

“What?”

Aidan’s eyes went wide, and his body shook as he felt a hand touch the back of his neck. Rana wrapped her fingers around it and gripped it tightly, giving Aidan just enough leeway to breathe.

“Never forget, your heart is always within my grasp. Any tear you make Nova cry, I will bleed out of you.”

Aidan scoffed.

“You waste your breath. I have no interest in humans.”

Rana smiled and threw her head back. She let go of Aidan and rested her head on her palms.

“It smells amazing, star shine!” Rana’s kind, motherly voice returned.

After a short while, Nova came to Aidan with his soup. After what happened in Talbareth, he couldn’t help but hesitate.

“Don’t worry. This one’s not poisoned, I promise! I made sure it tastes as amazing as possible!”

Aidan couldn’t help but feel embarrassed to eat with Nova staring so intently at him.

Aidan took a small taste. It was warm and tasty. Nova’s smile was warmer still. Even Rana was smiling, even if it was probably fake.

It feels nice….

As the soup flew down his throat, a shudder ran through him.

“Aidan, are you alright?”

Aidan’s entire face was warm. Everything except for a cold feeling trailing down his cheek. He touched it, only to wet his fingertip.

He realized what was happening. His breathing quickened as he covered his face before any more tears could flow.

“What’s wrong?”

Nova tried to reach out to Aidan, only for him to push her back.

“Don’t. Don’t speak. Leave me be.”

Aidan held Nova at an arm’s distance. He looked away and grit his teeth as he forced himself to calm down.

That’s so pathetic to cry over a kindness addressed to someone that doesn’t exist.

Once he recovered, Aidan pushed the bowl away.

“Thanks, but I already ate on my trip to the village.”

Nova glanced down at the untouched bowl.

“But, but you said that you were-”

“How much do I owe you for the meal?” Aidan asked Rana.

Rana shook her head at Nova. The girl nodded slowly, trying her hardest not to look hurt by Aidan’s words.

“Twelve silver pieces.”

Aidan pulled out his coin pouch. It contained all of the money Valerian left behind. Feeling it get lighter as time went on was strangely crushing. Every coin spent felt like a day less he had left to live on earth.

Aidan only had bronze and gold pieces left over to pay with. He tried counting on his fingers how much he had to give her, only to keep messing up and be forced to start over.

Nova saw how much he was struggling. She had not expected a person from the cities to struggle so much with basic math.

Nova pulled out the required money and handed it to Rana.

“Wait, Nova, I can handle this on my own!”

“You didn’t even eat. It was my treat, to begin with.”

Aidan’s gaze dropped. Though Nova hadn’t meant for it, Aidan felt humiliated.

That was the last straw.

“I should go now. Thank you for everything.”

“You don’t have to go!”

Before Nova and Aidan could continue, a familiar voice yelled above them.

“Hey! You three!”

Everyone turned around to see Marvin approach them with a few dozen dogs behind him. Upon seeing them, Aidan froze up.

“Marvin? What are you doing here?” Nova asked.

Seemingly emboldened by the dejection in Nova’s voice, Marvin stormed over to Aidan. Before he could get up, Marvin grabbed Aidan by the shoulder and pulled him to his feet, knocking the chair he stood on over.

“You bastard!-” Marvin yelled, only for his voice to be cut off.

In an instant, Marvin was blasted back through the air, landing several meters away from him. Purple, dust-like waves of magic were flowing around Marvin’s body.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing to him?” Nova growled with her hands pointed at Marvin. More faint purple waves were flowing out of her hands, all pointing towards Marvin.

The large man tried to rise, only for Nova to pin him down with her magic.

“Novarac…told me…what he did to you!” Despite Nova’s attempts to freeze his body, Marvin managed to speak. “He made you cry!”

It was only then that Aidan noticed little Tabby hiding beneath the table. The puppy was shaking horribly from fear, but he alone had been brave enough to approach Rana out of all the hounds.

“What does it matter?!? I can handle myself! I don’t need you attacking anyone in my name!”

Despite her telekinesis pressing upon him, Marvin slowly rose back up.

“You can’t! You can’t …protect yourself!” Yelled Marvin.

Before Nova could reply, she felt a hand on his shoulder. She turned around to see Rana walk past him.

“Marvin.”

Seeing Rana, Marvin’s anger only grew.

“Rana! How could you...allow this to happen?!? You should know how fragile Nova is!”

“Nova is capable of deciding for herself who she wants to spend her time with.”

“Don’t give me that shit….If it wasn’t for you, she’d already have accepted the plague child’s blame in all of this!”

Rana crossed her arms. The two were staring daggers into each other.

“You are not listening, Marvin. Why do you insist on keeping her shackled?”

Marvin grit his teeth. The edges of his mouth were shaking as his rage was constantly fighting against Nova’s magic.

“... Last time I listened… I nearly lost her.”

“What happened that night was nobody’s fault. Not hers, and not yours. Do you want Nova to not be able to live her life?”

Marvin stepped forward with heavy steps, fighting Nova’s magic every inch of the way until he was face to face with Rana.

“As long as she is safe.”

Rana dropped her calm tone, outright yelling now.

“Listen to yourself talk! So obsessed with fighting imaginary monsters that even the slightest shadow scares you!”

Rana grabbed Marvin by the collar of his shirt.

“Until you face the plague child, you have no right to say that you are protecting Nova!”

This time it looked like her words set in.

“Nova, it’s fine; you can let him go now.” Rana waved dismissively at Marvin while walking back to her stand.

Nova hesitantly released her magic. Just like she said, Marvin did not try to attack Aidan anymore.

“Aidan,” Marvin spoke up. “No matter what Rana or Nova says, you still have to come with me. Novarac’s orders. He said to show you to your room.”

“Now? But sundown is hours away!” Yelled Nova.

“Aidan’s apparently been scaring villagers with how he’s been acting, so Novarac wants to make a show of security.”

Aidan’s eyes lit up. A place away from everyone was just what he needed.

“I accept. Just, please, no dogs. I have no intention of disobeying the order.”

Marvin nodded and shooed the dogs away. Aidan breathed easy and followed Marvin.

---

Marvin brought Aidan to a single-floor house standing quite far from the village center and isolated from all the other buildings in Kulum.

Aidan watched as Marvin pulled out the key to the house’s front door with bated breath.

“Sorry. Boss’s orders.”

Aidan raised an eyebrow. Marvin motioned him to enter.

Something felt off about this house from the first step he took within. The entrance hall had many old children’s shoes of different sizes lined up orderly. Passing through the corridor leading to the living room, Aidan and Marvin walked past a family painting.

The piece was riddled with spots where colors went on for longer than they should have, almost as if the painter’s hand kept slipping whenever they meant to end their stroke. The family portrayed within looked happy at first glance. However, upon closer look, both parents stood with their eyes closed as they held their children. Dark lines ran across the hands and faces of the parents, almost as if their bodies were crumbling to pieces like shattered stone.

The wife and husband Aidan could not recognize from any of the people he had seen walking the streets.

The children, however, were easy. The girl had long black and red hair with half her face covered by a shadow—the other, deep blue hair, whose face was obscured by a large splotch of black.

Many such paintings were hanging on the walls, all chronicling the lives of those two children. The parents didn’t feature in any of them. Instead, a purple-haired woman appeared, raising the siblings in their stead. In a few select paintings, a man with scars running down his face was drawn, always with a book in his hand. Both children looked to be studying meticulously in all the images they shared with him.

In the usual tradition of the Antarian empire, every painting was mandated to contain the symbol of the sun. Even in this remote village, the painter followed the law; only their sun was pitch black, casting harsh shadows upon the children.

Did Nova paint these?

Passing through the door to the living room, Aidan was taken off guard just by how dark it was inside. It was more than enough to allow a demon to manifest its true form.

*Clap*

Ten candles lit up simultaneously in the room, crimson trails of magic particles flowing upwards from them like smoke for a brief moment. Darkness still covered most of the room, but the flames were enough to light up small sections of it in a soft shade of red.

“Welcome back, esteemed guest. Please, take a seat.”

The voice drew Aidan’s eyes to a man sitting on a red carpet with a candle at his knees. The man’s face was obscured in the darkness, but that didn’t matter.

“Am I to understand I’ve been causing trouble, Novarac?”

“You could say that.” Answered Marvin from the right.

Aidan glanced in Marvin’s direction. The tall man had also sat down at the edge of a candle’s flame, obscuring all but his legs and stomach in the darkness. Noticing Aidan’s gaze upon him, Marvin drew one of his axes and placed it on the floor in full view of Aidan.

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“Take a seat,” Novarac ordered. His voice was calm and cold.

As far as Aidan could see, there were no chairs. Taking the hint, Aidan sat on the floor. Out of the three, he was the only one whose body was fully lit up by the candles.

Aidan clutched his mandolin tight.

“You’ve been pressing my protege. Tabby showed me her bloody tears flow.”

As Novarac said that, Tabby walked past Aidan and jumped into Novarac’s lap.

Aidan kept a straight face and let no emotion show.

“All I did was ask her questions about the monster. I did not realize that I was overstepping my boundaries. I am sorry for hurting her, it wasn’t my intention.”

Aidan made sure to look in Marvin’s direction when he made the apology.

“I am not chastising you, though I insist that you behave with more tact around her. That girl’s love for magic is only matched by her attachment to phantasms. I try to guide her on the right path, but that devil Rana keeps indulging her delusions-”

A loud bang interrupted Novarac. Aidan turned to see Marvin lifting his fist from the broken floor he punched. Novarac and Marvin didn’t need to exchange any words for Marvin’s message to get across.

“...What I wished to talk to you about is different. I saw you with the plague child.”

In a split second, Novarac raised his hand. At that same moment, magic flowed out of his palm and wrapped around Marvin. It was the exact same thing Nova had done to Marvin, except this time Marvin was completely frozen. Novarac had stopped him right as he moved to strike at Aidan, leaving Marvin’s face visible in the light.

Only Novarac was still shrouded in darkness.

“You…lied!” Marvin protested weakly.

“You are free to enact your judgment upon me once the village is safe. Until then, you will sit and listen.”

Aidan’s heart was beating out of his chest. His life rested in Novarac’s hands.

“What-What do you want from me?”

“I only want what you came here for. Free us from the demon, inquisitor.”

Aidan’s eyes went wide. A cold chill ran down his spine as memories of their hunts flashed in his mind.

It was impossible. It couldn’t be possible! Their existence was kept a complete secret from the populace. Anyone who saw an inquisitor would either have their memories altered or be killed. Even most demons are not aware of their existence.

And yet, he knew.

“What are you-” Marvin tried to ask, only for Novarac’s spell to slam his mouth shut.

“The one we call plague child is a demon, a unique being. There is not a thing under the sun that can hurt them, not blade, magic, monsters, or gods. Even I am powerless before them.”

Novarac said to Marvin before freeing him. The tension frozen in Marvin's body was released all at once, causing his body to jitter violently for a few seconds.

“Sir Aidan is our only hope at killing the plague child. Marvin, I trust that you will accompany him and assist him to be the best of your abilities. I am sure that you will best the monster together.”

“You can’t be serious. A weak little kid like him killing the plague child? That’s impossible! I’m the only one who can!”

Marvin’s strongly-worded demand came across as begging. Aidan might have even pitied him had he not known the truth about Alaya.

“Marvin…I know how much you want to be the one who claims her head. She ate your parents, disfigured your sister, left a black mark on your face.”

Novarac’s voice was gentle and understanding. And yet, the very next sentence, it dropped into a harsh scolding.

“Have you remained the same scared child that let his family perish? We are here to shed our blood, not our tears. If you cannot put your pride aside, I have no choice but to remove you from the squads.”

Marvin clenched his fists and looked down in a combination of shame and anger.

“As long as Nova is safe, kill me as many times as you need.”

The gentleness returned to Novarac’s voice upon hearing Marvin’s words.

“Your father would be so proud to hear that. I trust you two to keep this information a secret for now. For Nova’s sake, at least. Time is fleeting. I shall address you two again tomorrow.”

Novarac clapped his hands. The light of the candles went out one by one until the entire room was dark once more.

---

Aidan and Marvin were standing outside of the empty house. Novarac had already left with Tabby.

They were resting up against opposite ends of the doorway. Neither dared look at each other, lest the other sees how torn they were.

“Is it true? Are you going to help us?” Marvin asked without looking at Aidan.

Aidan lowered his gaze. What an awful situation Novarac had forced upon him.

“Yes. I will.”

Marvin crossed his arms.

“I guess I’ll try hoping.”

Aidan watched Marvin leave before finally letting all the tension leave his body. He re-entered the house and threw himself on the first bed he could find. Much to his dismay, he couldn’t bring himself to relax anymore.

Why would he do that? To make Marvin focus and keep an eye on me? He already has his hounds for that.

Aidan let the thought slip his mind for now. As long as he had his mandolin, he could handle Marvin and the dogs. No, for now, he had a different target.

He would make use of the time he had left.

---

Night had set in over Kulum. Everyone returned to their houses, but the village was by no means empty. Patrolling its streets vigilantly, Novarac’s hounds were wide awake.

Five of them were standing guard in front of the house Aidan rested in. Magical signals were dancing around in their minds, reminding them of their order to ensure that Aidan would not sneak away.

And yet, one by one, their consciousness failed them. The dogs fell to the ground, their eyes open wide to their absolute limits as music played in the air above them.

The door to the house opened, and a shadowy figure emerged. It stopped to look at the unconscious dogs for only a moment before diving into the darkness of the village.

---

*Slurp*

Rana took a sip from a hot cup of tea. She was sitting comfortably on a chair, rocking back and forth by pushing from the table.

Behind her, the full moon was shining brightly, casting what almost looked like a spotlight on Rana’s general area, bathing her in a snow-white light that made the light of day pale by comparison.

After taking another sip, Rana put the cup on the table.

“Ah, I thought you’d come. It was rather difficult to commune in my darling’s presence.”

A shadowy figure stepped out from the pitch-black village and into the dazzling light. Like an ink stain flowing down a blank page, the dark figure approached Rana.

“In this light, one might mistake you for a celestial.” The figure said and pulled off its hood, revealing Aidan’s face.

Rana chuckled. She pushed away from the table and rose from the chair. The night breeze blew gently through her hair, and her golden eyes sparkled under the moonlight.

“During my time in the capital, I received many compliments from both men and women.”

Every one of her movements was graceful, like a master dancer that had practiced a million times for her performance.

*Crack.*

*Snap.*

Rana twisted her neck to a degree that would instantly kill a human.

“And not a one made my blood boil like yours!”

With a wave of her hand, the light beaming down on them shrank and weakened in intensity until it punched through the darkness no better than a candle would. Rana then grabbed hold of the light itself and motioned with her hands like she was handing Aidan something. The wave of light traveled through the air like a sentient being until it reached Aidan, at which point it wrapped around him.

She did the same for herself. Once done, everything else went back to normal, except for the spheres of light wrapped around Rana and Aidan, making them the only things visible in the entire village.

Aidan glanced down at his body. Whenever he moved his arms or legs, the sphere moved as well.

“I’ve rarely met demons that could affect the world with such control and precision.”

Aidan praised her, but in truth, it was terrifying. It was only through their emotional instability that his song worked on demons in the first place. Rana’s heart, however, was too stable. He had already witnessed it back in Talbareth, where she simply strolled through his melody.

Anything but a perfect song would not move her in her current state.

Rana titled her head without moving her neck an inch.

“Odd. The greater demon hanging by your shoulders surely could do far more than me. How are my talents worth any mention?”

Aidan grabbed hold of his cloak.

“Demon? No…but he was greater than all.”

Rana’s eyes sparkled with interest. She gave Aidan a most predatory smile.

“Such reverence in your words….For a hunter, you carry yourself strangely. Where does your zealous interest in our kind stem from?”

Aidan’s eyes went wide. He retreated a couple of steps. Until he could discern her true intentions, it was dangerous to allow any information to slip.

“I could ask you much the same. I’ve never seen a devourer play house with a fawn before.”

Rana’s eyes narrowed. She wordlessly marched towards him with a fierce glare.

Shit, I went too far!

Aidan drew his sword and pointed it at her.

A tremor ran down Rana’s body. It felt like a thread attached to a pin had just been stabbed into her heart, connecting her to Aidan’s blade.

The first two runes on Aidan’s sword lit up. Aidan took a deep breath as power flooded him, strengthening his body and giving him what felt like an inexhaustible source of stamina.

The third rune was not entirely dark, however. A small part of it had awakened, just like Aidan expected.

Rana cracked her neck as she observed his blade.

“You wish to die by traditional combat? Shame.”

Rana leaped at Aidan. He raised his sword in time to intercept her fist. The impact blew their hair backward, but Aidan remained firm.

Rana took a second to observe her fist. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at Aidan.

Aidan braced himself as Rana struck him again. With every swing of her fist, the strength of her blows increased. Possessing only part of her strength, it was inevitable that his defense would crumble.

When Rana’s next came strike, Aidan ducked and avoided the blow. Before Rana could recover, Aidan struck her in the face with his fist, sending her crashing down to the ground.

Rana tumbled for several meters before jumping back to her feet. She didn’t show any discomfort, and her cheek was completely unharmed. The only indication that she had been hit was the dirt staining her cheek and clothes.

Rana rubbed away some of the muck as she analyzed Aidan’s sword, wary of the strength it provided him.

He couldn’t give her the time to think.

“You act indignant, but from everything I’ve seen, you are the one responsible for Nova’s suffering!” Yelled Aidan.

Dark waves ran through the light sphere surrounding Rana, warping its shape and brightness. A cold chill ran down Aidan’s back. Her entire body was quaking with anger.

Aidan tightened the grip on his blade as he pushed the memories of his loss out of his mind. His words were slowly cracking her defenses.

“Am I wrong? A demon bit into her face and pinned it on Alaya! So why are you raising Nova now? Did you inherit an attachment after eating her parents? Or are you just looking to refine her taste?!?” Aidan continued to probe at her.

Rana dropped her pretense of humanity. She snarled, her barred teeth growing in size and sharpness until they were too large to allow her to close her mouth.

Here were go.

Rana reached for the black hairpin attached to her hair. More magic flew into the sword as Rana removed the pin. Aidan nearly dropped his blade as it became too heavy to carry, only for the influx of magic to flow into him and give him the strength to hold it.

This is too much! A single errant slash, and I’ll devastate the entire area!

The cold night air turned warm.

*Crack!!! Snap!!!*

Monstrous noise boomed from Rana as her torso dropped forward until her head smashed into the ground, all while her legs and hips remained perfectly still. The angle and speed of the movement would have snapped the spine of a regular human in two.

Aidan shifted the grip on his sword as he got into a stance. The sounds of dogs barking, birds flying, and insects frolicking through the grass all vanished.

He had stepped into her silent world.

Rana slammed her fingers into the ground in front of her. The bones in her hand were pushing against the edges of her skin, protruding through in some spots and sending blood gushing out the wounds.

“Gah!”

Rana cut through the air like an arrow, flying right towards Aidan’s head. He barely raised his sword in time as a set of elongated nails turned claws smashed into it. The impact drew blood from Aidan’s fingers and launched him backward with both of his feet raised off the ground.

Aidan quickly regained his footing and turned around, only to find…nothing.

His eyes scanned the entire area around him, but he could not find any traces of Rana anywhere. Her light had vanished.

A sharp slashing sound pierced the silence, followed by Aidan’s scream. He turned around and swung his blade at the darkness, only to hit naught but open air.

A chilling laugh echoed from all around him as Aidan put his hand beneath his shirt and cupped the left side of his waist and back. He pulled back his hand only to find his fingers stained with blood.

The fear was plain to read on Aidan’s face. His entire body was trembling, and rows of sweat were flowing down his face. His heavy breathing was perfectly audible.

N-No! This can’t be happening again!

“Where art thou, courage? Thine minstrel seeks mine death! The wine is bloody; his wine is sweet! His scarlet river is mine to drain!”

Rana and Vaska’s voices melded together. She sang of his demise to the tune of trashing bones. The same melody that had haunted his dreams ever since meeting her.

She, she’s going to kill me! I don’t-

Aidan bit down hard on his hand, letting the pain break him out of his trance before her song could poison his thoughts any further.

Calm down. Remember, it doesn’t matter how little you can see, how little you can feel. You two are connected now.

Valerian’s words blared in his thoughts. Aidan closed his eyes. He let his focus fall entirely upon his blade. He felt the thread of its magic flow out from it and into the darkness.

There!

Aidan turned to his left as a blur entered his sight.

The silent world came alive for a brief moment with the sounds of tearing flesh.

“Ugh…”

Small streaks of crimson painted his right shoulder beneath his clothes. Rana’s right claw was buried a couple of inches within his skin, pushing against his cloak. Aidan held Rana’s right hand in his own, stopping her from sinking it further.

There was a small moment of respite as the two stared each other in the eyes, both caught off guard by Aidan’s interception.

Rana’s left claw was twitching, ready to shred Aidan to pieces at any moment. Aidan’s sword was raised, ready to be driven into her stomach.

With the hairpin holding back her demonic self gone, her human visage surrendered ever more to the demons. Her skin had changed color to the same midnight blue hue of Vaska. Her neck and arms were elongated, and the skin on her face was uneven in height. Her teeth had turned to fangs, and her face pulsated as its flesh writhed and twisted without end, seemingly being held back from bursting forth and assuming its full demonic form.

And still, her eyes were very much the same perfect golden ones that gazed upon Nova with endless love.

Both were breathing heavily as they waited for the right moment to strike.

“Tell me,” Aidan spoke out. “Why is it that Nova gets coddled while Alaya is the target of everyone’s scorn? They are both children tainted by your corruption, so what makes one worthy of love and the other of death?”

Rana blinked in surprise. She tilted her head as her half-lidded eyes scanned the man before them.

“You fool. They are nothing alike, and I am not the one who-” Rana stopped herself before she revealed any information. “...Do you have an inkling of who you are fighting for?”

“An innocent soul,” Aidan answered with no hesitation.

Rana scoffed.

“Then do your best to reunite with her in heaven.”

Rana punched Aidan’s blade aside before head butting him in the face. The impact blasted Aidan backward, his feet digging through the earth as he went. He stopped himself by slamming his sword into the ground, only for Rana to come charging at him. He blocked several of her slashes before he finally retaliated.

Aidan sunk his fist into her gut, launching her several dozen meters. Aidan couldn’t see where she landed, but he could feel it through his blade.

Aidan gritted his teeth. Rana was attacking and moving too fast for him to be able to swing his sword. Without it, it didn’t matter if he hit her a million times. It would never affect her.

Aidan felt Rana slowly approaching him from the darkness, all while humming her song. She stopped just short of where the sphere’s light could illuminate her. Aidan turned to face her as she walked circles around him.

What’s the point of this? I’m not going to lose track of her!

Rana completed a few more circles before stopping in front of Aidan. Aidan braced himself as Rana walked towards him, stepping into the light again.

Aidan raised his sword to strike, only for his mouth to fall open and his eyes widen.

Rana’s body was in full view, but her head was missing!

*Snap!*

A blue tendril flew in from behind Aidan and coiled around his torso like a snake. Aidan tried to free himself, only for Rana’s body to grab his arms and hold them in place, allowing the tendril to wrap around them.

The tendril tightened on Aidan as it continued to climb his body. He felt the soft touch of hair stroke his cheek.

“V-Vaska?!?”

“Hehe. A meager feast.” Rana’s voice sounded right next to his face.

Aidan understood now. Her head was not missing. Her neck had simply extended down her back and slithered across the ground until it reached his back.

Rana sang directly into Aidan’s ears as her elongated neck squeezed the life out of him.

V-Valerian suffered worse!

Aidan stopped fighting back against Rana’s grip. He let his mind flow freely to find ideas for a song. His thoughts wandered back to the table he sat on with Rana and Nova earlier that day.

He couldn’t use his mandolin for this, but she was so close to him that he didn’t need it.

Slowly Aidan sang back to Rana. He weaved forth an image of a simple house resting in a mountain's lap, perched above a large lake. Two women lived within, a mother and a daughter. In the morning, the two would hunt for food before returning home with their catch.

Rana’s eyes fluttered as images of the life Aidan sang of flashed before them. The mother taught her daughter to dance, how to skin and prepare the deer they had caught, how to make juice and wine out of the fruits of the land. An entire lifetime of love passed in a single day.

The two spent the final hours of twilight together at the lake's edge. The mother’s hair was grey now, and her visage tired while the daughter had matured into an adult.

Tears escaped Rana’s eyes as she watched the mother breathe her last in her daughter’s embrace.

The neck’s grip on his body weakened. Aidan took a much-needed breath of air.

The grip tightened again.

It didn’t work?!?

Rana lifted Aidan off the ground and then smashed him back down.

“You!!! How dare you try to manipulate me?!?”

Blood was flowing out of the corner of Aidan’s mouth, flowing past his chin and to the ground.

“I-I wasn’t. I wanted to see if your feelings for Nova were genuine. I want to know if you were truly like my father.”

Rana remained silent. Her eyes focused on the cloak she was wrapped around.

“What made you do it? Why did you adopt two human children?” Aidan asked.

“...What are you looking to gain from my answer?”

Aidan chuckled as blood spurted from his mouth. A few groans were mixed in from the pain he was in.

“My father never told me why he adopted me. What he saw in me.”

Rana considered Aidan’s words. She retracted her neck, freeing Aidan from her bind. The sphere of light around Rana returned, allowing Aidan’s eyes to gaze upon her half demonic form.

“It wasn’t my intention. An order from above forced me to clean up his mess forced.”

Aidan opened his mouth wide, taking in as much air as he could into his flattened lungs.

“Haa….Do you regret it?”

Rana laughed.

“Why? Did your father regret adopting you?”

Aidan closed his eyes.

“I don’t know. I’d like to think he didn’t.”

Rana stared intently at the man lying at her feet. She let out an exasperated sigh and reached out her clawed hand to him.

Aidan considered taking her hand for a moment before brushing it aside. He rose back to his feet on his own. Though heavy, the strength from his blade still carried him well.

“Is the demon who mauled Nova still here?” Aidan asked bluntly.

Rana shied away from Aidan’s gaze. That was answer enough.

Aidan’s brow furrowed. Despite his own feelings towards her, he couldn’t help but feel angry for Nova.

“How can you sit and watch as the monster that hurt your daughter roams freely? Are you telling me that in all these years, you’ve never thought of getting revenge for her?!?”

Rana bared her teeth and leered at Aidan. She grabbed his shirt and lifted him off the ground.

“Don’t speak as if you understand! You cannot even begin to comprehend the weight of the situation! My own feelings on the matter pale when compared to the truth!”

“The truth?!?” Aidan yelled back. “The truth is that you are scared of losing yourself, so you’d rather hang back where its safe and watch Nova cry!”

Rana’s anger twisted her monstrous visage even more. She looked more like a feral monster than a human now.

“You! You don’t get to accuse me of anything! The only reason you’re even here is that you are a reject of humanity, seeking some company before you expire!”

Aidan couldn’t hide his shock. Sensing what he was going to say next, Rana continued for him.

“Of course, I can tell, you fool! Hunted by dogs, marked by the tears of the empyrean, raised by a demon! You have nothing to your name. You’re just a stain upon this world that both man and demon wish scrubbed clean!”

Rana’s claws sunk into Aidan’s chest, but Aidan didn’t scream. He defiantly stared Rana down.

“You lonely, worthless sack of filth! You lust after the plague child’s tail for comfort, and you’ll doom us all if you succeed in pleasing her!”

Rana pulled back one of her hands. Her claws extended even more as she poised it to strike Aidan’s neck.

“Find peace at the bottom of my stomach.” She said without an ounce of emotion in her voice.

“You’re right…about everything. My life’s never meant much of anything, to anyone.” Aidan’s voice cracked as he spoke.

Aidan grit his teeth.

”And so what?!? I don’t care how worthless my life has been! My death will mean something! It will ring the bells to let the world know that Alaya has freed herself!” Aidan yelled as loudly as he could.

He grabbed the clawed hand Rana was holding him by and gripped it tight. Blood seeped from his fingers as he pressed against her sharp claws. For a moment Aidan thought that his fingers would sever before he freed himself.

And he didn’t care.

Aidan roared with pain and anger as he crushed her hand and ripped himself free of her grasp. His face was twitching nonstop as his fingers screamed at him in agony. He fought the need to clutch his injured hand and immediately looked at Rana, expecting her to attack, only to find her glaring back at him.

“Free herself? We have done nothing to her!”

Even in the miasma of pain floating in Aidan’s head, anger still flared above it all.

“You tainted the land, killed its people, and pinned the blame on her!”

“The plague child’s corruption would have left this entire land in ruin if not for us! We’ve certainly hurt people, but it is only thanks to us that they all still breathe!”

Rana’s words only served to anger Aidan more.

“Nonsense!” He yelled and let loose a slash.

The attack caught Rana off guard, landing head-on. The slash itself did no damage to her body, but that was not its purpose.

“Aaaaaaaaah!” Rana screamed and dropped to her knees as the sword’s magic forced open the entry to her soul.

Aidan and Rana’s eyes lit up as the magic reached its target. Aidan’s vision slowly faded as a white light engulfed it.

---

Aidan woke up inside a well-lit room. It took him a good few moments for his eyes to readjust to the drastic change in lighting. He tried to move, only to tumble forward thanks to his now weightless body.

Aidan looked around, careful not to overcommit to his movements. The walls and floors were composed of an obsidian-colored metal. The ceiling was abnormally high, tall enough that even Vaska would not reach it if she extended her neck towards it.

There was no hint of furniture, windows, paintings, or anything of the sort within. Instead, what looked like tortured devices were littered across the spacious interior.

From a distance, they had looked human-sized. Up close, however, it was clear that they were meant for beasts that far exceeded the human frame.

Aidan tried to touch one out of curiosity, only for his arm to pass right through.

I’m really in a vision!

Aidan saw a vast expansive desert stretch out into the horizon when looking through the room's windows.

Antaria has no such deserts within its borders.

Aidan wandered around the expansive room from one end to another.

Argh, Valerian never explained how these visions work. What am I supposed to see?

The sounds of whimpering pulled Aidan out of his thoughts.

He turned around to find the empty spot behind him now occupied by a gigantic monster, easily more than twice the size of Vaska's demon form. The creature was bipedal, with many clawed limbs growing out of its backs like abberant growths. Its body was torn to shreds with wounds that looked like they were inflicted by the torture devices in the room.

The beast's head was lifted just above the ground, held in the hands of an unknown woman.The woman was crouched down, her long, periwinkle blue hair flowing down her shoulders. Alaya’s height was positively modest compared to hers. She wore modified armor to fit her frame, and around her mouth, she wore a familiar jet-black scarf. The scarf's size looked far more fitting around her neck than Alaya's.

Aidan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“Another failure. We expect better of you, Alyssia,” Spoke a soldier in heavy armor that stood at her side.

Aidan’s eyes went wide. His breathing became erratic, and his legs trembled, begging Aidan to run for his life. Within the lifeless eyes, semi obscured behind the man's helmet, Aidan saw Valerian’s dying visage staring back at him.

It-It’s just a vision! It’s just a vision!

Aidan’s body trembled out of his control, and he fell to his knees. He clutched his cloak tight as the mere projection before him had sundered his courage.

“How many more….” The woman’s voice drew Aidan’s attention.

The woman named Alyssia raised her head to face the man and in turn, Aidan. Her eyes had the same auburn color as Alaya’s.

“How many more will you rip away from me?!?” Alyssia asked.

“As many as it takes.”

---

The vision faded away, returning Aidan’s consciousness to his body. The young man blinked a few times and shook his head.

The third rune’s light shined bright, awakened further by the vision Aidan experienced.

Aidan glanced at Rana. She was looking at nothing in particular; all while tears streamed down her face.

Did she see that too?

“Hey, are you-”

Aidan reached out to her, only for Rana to raise her hand at him to stop.

“Don’t bother. These are not my tears. I care not for the dead abomination you showed, nor do I know its name.”

Rana took a deep breath and wiped away her tears.

Aidan’s eyes narrowed as he thought more about the vision he had just seen.

I didn’t see Vaska anywhere. How did any of that hint at her ties to this world?

“Vaska, did you poison me thinking I was an inquisitor?”

After a bit of hesitation, she nodded.

“Then why? Why did you spare me?”

Rana’s gaze fell to the ground at her feet. Her ferocity gone; the woman before him was downright morose now.

“Because your songs made me feel better. The only things I’ve ever witnessed them do was bring pain and death to my kind.”

Aidan opened his mouth to speak, only for Rana to leap at him and draw her claws to his exposed neck.

“And it means nothing to me, minstrel. I will murder anyone who dares hurt my daughter, do you understand?!?”

Aidan nodded nervously. Rana sighed and took her hand away.

The temperature of the air around them was in flux, changing constantly. A clear sign that Rana’s stability had crumpled.

Rana plucked her hairpin out of her palm and attached it to her hair. Her demonic features vanished gradually, and the temperature returned to normal.

Rana stepped in front of the proud moon, birds singing above her and insects chirping below. She looked like a normal human again, but happy she was not.

“Aidan.” She paused, clearly torn. “If you choose to support…Alaya, I will have no choice but to kill you. As much as Nova lost to the hands of the demon, the plague child stands to take much, much more.”

Aidan frowned. He readied his sword once more, only for Rana to glance his way with a disarming look.

“But, regretfully, my arrival at Kulum was delayed due to the beating the plague child gave me. By the time I reached its gates, the demon of Kulum had already fallen to the plague child and her Murmur.”

Aidan stared at her in complete shock. Rana threw up her hands in a defeated shrug and turned her back to him.

“I suppose I will have to intercept them in Ravallena instead.”

Aidan watched Rana walk away, too stunned to say anything.