As the evening approached, Nala took Casey back to the hospital, the boy giving Sero a quick hug before leaving. He wasn't sure if Casey was aware or not, but having him around today had really helped Sero come to terms with some of the changes in his own life. The boy's eagerness and innocence had served as a reminder of the person Sero used to be, and the potential he had. It made him hopeful for the future, in a way that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Cleaning up the mess from the hole in the wall, Sero pondered how he was going to patch it up when he sensed Luna's presence behind him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Sero glanced back at the succubus. "Talk about what?"

"You know." Luna stared at him, holding a can of beer. He wondered if succubi could become alcoholics. Or maybe Luna had just completely embraced living like a human.

"No, I don't," Sero replied, though he was beginning to get what she was getting at.

Luna sighed, flopping back onto the couch. "I'm not what you guys call a therapist, but as a succubus, my abilities to see personalities as well as emotions make me quite qualified for the position."

Sero hesitated for a moment. "Why do you want me to talk about what happened this afternoon?"

"This afternoon?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "You mean, that attraction you have towards Amaya? No, I'm talking about before Nala and Casey left, when I sensed the conflicting feelings radiating off of you."

"What attraction- Never mind," Sero said, waving off her comment. "Look, I don't want to talk about it. It's just...things have been changing so much lately, and I'm not sure how to feel about it all. I mean, I just lost my father, learned the truth about shit happening in the world, and now I'm supposed to find a way to solve all of it."

"You don't have to solve it all at once," Luna said softly, taking a sip of her beer. "And you don't have to do it alone." She paused, studying his expression. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? I just don't want you to bottle it up. I've seen what it can do to humans."

Sero stepped back from the hole, debating on whether or not he wanted to take up Luna's offer. Finally, he shrugged, plopping onto the couch across from her.

"Well," Sero began, unsure how to start. "It's not just that, you know? It's...it's everything. It's like I'm losing control of my life. Like I'm not even sure who I am anymore." He paused, taking a deep breath. "I'll admit it, I think I'm doing a lot better now than before the apocalypse happened. I wasn't doing shit with my life, stuck in an endless loop of working, sleeping, and eating."

Luna nodded understandingly. "It's natural to feel like that. When your world gets turned upside down, it can be hard to find your bearings again. But you've made progress. You've learned to fight, to survive. I believe you've started to find purpose in your life, and because it's so new, you feel like you don't have any guidelines on how to navigate through that."

"That's... no yeah, that's true," Sero agreed, looking down at his hands. "I just wish I could... I don't know. Figure out what I want. Who I want to be. I feel like there's all this potential in me, but I don't know how to tap into it. A part of me still wants to live my dream of a comfortable life, but the other half feels restless being complacent."

Luna nodded, taking another sip of her beer. "Do you mind if I take a look into your emotional history?"

"My what?"

"Your emotional history. I can take a peek at your past emotions and experiences to help you gain some perspective on who you are and where you want to go." Luna's orange eyes glinted with curiosity and understanding. "If you're not comfortable with that, I won't push you."

Sero thought for a moment. "Will you... be able to see everything, or are there some parts I can hide from you?"

"You can always hide things from me, but I'd rather you be honest and open," Luna replied with a reassuring smile. "It's important to remember that I'm not here to judge you. I'm just here to help you understand yourself better."

"Are you sure you're a succubus?" Sero mumbled to himself. "Fine, whatever. Let's do it."

Luna set her can down, leaning forward and gazing directly into Sero's red eyes. For a moment, he thought that nothing was happening until the succubus's eyes glowed a dark purple.

His body buzzed, copying 'Mind Search' as Luna's presence pierced into his mind. Before she could get any farther, the succubus softly yelped as her concentration broke.

"What the- I can't look through your emotional history."

"Oh, sorry," Sero realized his Rationality had taken effect. "It's my passive. I'll stop it, so try again."

Luna took a deep breath, gathering her focus again. Her eyes glowed once more, and she delved deeper into Sero's mind. The sensation was both foreign and intimate, like being undressed and examined by a trusted friend. She skimmed through his emotional history, picking out important moments and experiences that had shaped who he was today.

Sero didn't know how much time had passed as he zoned out, but after he blinked back into focus, he realized that Luna had tears flowing down her face.

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"Whoa, hey, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm just a more sensitive and empathetic succubus," Luna sniffled, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. "I'm... I'm sorry. It's just... I've never seen someone with that much pain and suffering hidden away inside them. You've been through so much, and you've managed to keep going despite everything. You're incredibly strong, Sero. Stronger than you realize."

"I'm always confident in my abilities," Sero frowned slightly. "But, what did you find?"

The succubus took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking. "Your past is full of pain and loss, but it's not just that. There's a sense of longing there too, a yearning for something more. A part of you wants to embrace your new life, but you're still struggling to let go of your old self. You're torn between the comfort of the familiar and the excitement of the unknown. You're afraid of failing at your new life, just like you failed at your old one."

Sero opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. Luna's analysis had been on the mark.

"I saw how lonely you were..." Luna continued. "Your peers only tolerated you to use you for your abilities. You knew this, but you feigned ignorance. All because..." the succubus choked up, but pushed on. "Your parents were the only ones who provided you with the emotional and mental support you lacked from everyone else. You were extremely close with your mother in particular, who developed that insatiable curiosity and restless nature. You endured being bullied and taken advantage of by your peers because you thought you could lie to your parents and pretend they were your friends."

Sero nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. It was painful to acknowledge how much he had been deluding himself. "I never realized... how much I've been clinging to those memories," he whispered. "I thought I was moving on, but..."

"That's why you're feeling so conflicted," Luna sniffed. "When you were alone, all you had to worry about was yourself. You didn't have to deal with being judged or ostracized, but you also had that void that your mother filled. You pushed away your father because he didn't understand that that was what you needed from him. And when you got a second chance at life, your past fears prevented you from taking chances to change yourself."

Sero hung his head, ashamed of his own weakness. "I guess I've been running away from my feelings, even now."

The succubus shook her head. "Anyone would do that in your situation. Right now, you're scared that you might mess up with whatever it is you think you have to do, wanting to go back to the life that you had gotten used to. It's clashing with the teachings your mother engraved deep within you, the need to embrace change and the unknown." Luna took a deep breath. "But I think...I think you need to let go of the past. Not forget it, but accept that it's part of who you are, and move on. You can't keep living in fear of making mistakes."

For a while, Sero mulled over her words, finding truth in what she said. He leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes as he tried to process his feelings. The weight of his past was heavy, but he knew he couldn't carry it with him any longer. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, opening his eyes.

"Thanks, Luna. I think I've got a sense of what you're saying."

The succubus seemed to want to say something else, but thought better of it as she gave him a reassuring smile. Instead, she changed the subject. "I take it you haven't decided what you're going to do about your feelings for Amaya?"

Sero blinked, his mind momentarily caught off guard by the sudden question. He'd been trying to ignore the growing attraction he felt for her, but Luna's words had made him more aware of it. He looked at the succubus for a moment, considering her question. "I don't know," he admitted. "I'm honestly not sure how I feel about her."

Luna gave a sly smile. "All I know is, with everything she's done for you and your father, you've started to view her in a different light."

Sero chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I suppose I have."

They lapsed into silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Then, Luna spoke up. "You know, you don't have to rush into anything. You've been through a lot recently, and you should take your time getting to know her better. Just because you have feelings for her doesn't mean you need to act on them right away. And who knows? Maybe it's just the fact that you're vulnerable right now and she was the one who comforted you the most."

Sero nodded, considering her words. "I guess you're right," he said quietly. "I'll just have to see where things go." He looked at Luna and smiled. "Thanks again for talking to me about this. I feel a lot better now. Never expected to get life advice from a succubus."

Luna waved off his comment with a dismissive hand. "Hey, I've been around the block a few times. You'd be surprised what you can learn from the most unexpected places." She paused, then added with a grin, "Besides, it's not like I'm the only one who's interested in your well-being."

The comment took Sero aback for a moment. "What do you mean?" he asked, feeling a hint of wariness creeping into his voice.

"It's been a whole 10 minutes, and you still haven't noticed me."

Sero whirled around, finding Kit standing in the doorway of his bedroom. She had a sullen, almost angry pout on her face. "Oh, hello, Kit," he said, feeling a little embarrassed. "I didn't... know... you were here..."

The Paradox sniffed and stepped into the room, folding her arms irritably. "Well, I've been here for a while, you know. Just because you're so wrapped up in your little...drama with Amaya doesn't mean you can ignore me." Her voice was accusing, but there was a hint of hurt beneath the anger.

"Sorry, Kit," Sero said, feeling guilty for not noticing her sooner. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately. I didn't mean to ignore you."

Kit's face softened, and she immediately dropped her anger, rushing to wrap her arms around Sero. "Oh, my little bookworm," she cooed, stroking his hair. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have been so snippy. I've just been feeling a bit neglected lately."

"I mean, you've basically been staying at my place for while so–"

"You can make it up to me by cuddling together tonight!" Kit ignored his comment, squeezing him tighter.

Luna watched the pair with an awkward smile. "Even with my abilities, I can't tell if it's just overprotectiveness, or if you really have feelings for him, Kit."

"Why not both?" The Paradox stuck her tongue out playfully.

Sero chuckled, returning Kit's hug. "I think that can be arranged," he said, resting his chin on her shoulder. "You did help me, too."

In the back of his mind, Sero noticed that hugging Kit felt distinctly different from holding Amaya. He still found Kit attractive, but now he thought of her as more of a dear friend, a sister even. His feelings for Amaya were new and confusing, and he couldn't help but wonder if they were real or just a result of everything they'd been through together. The thought scared him, but he pushed it away, not wanting to dwell on it. He desperately hoped that Luna hadn't picked up on his emotions at that moment.

"So," Kit purred, still clinging to Sero as she noticed Luna's can on the table. "Are we going to continue from last night? Tomorrow's my little bookworm's victory ceremony, so it'll be more of a happier vibe, right?"

"You know I'm always willing to drink," Luna said with a grin, once again causing Sero to wonder about the succubus's habits.