The rest of the day passed in a blur of seemingly 'routine' activities. I followed Dragan through his classes, training, and his way back home without any further incidents. Despite knowing that I did it out of concern, I couldn't help feeling uneasy about this ghostly stalking. Hopefully, once I returned to my body and Dragan was safe and sound, I could put an end to this behavior.

As evening descended, Ivan didn't return home at his usual time, and both Dragan and I grew concerned. However, our worry subsided when Ivan finally appeared before ten o'clock. Though he looked exhausted, his eyes held a glimmer of happiness, suggesting that his mood was still good despite the fatigue that showed in every step he took. Before he could explain, Dragan dragged him to the kitchen and prepared some food to fill his brother's growling stomach. Ivan complied without much resistance, and I observed the scene unfold with curiosity, unable to resist watching them even though I usually avoided intruding on their private moments.

After satisfying his hunger, Ivan finally explained the reason for his lateness. He had spent the time gathering the ingredients for the magical tattoo. He outlined the benefits to Dragan, who, though wary of the sudden need for it, trusted his brother's judgment and agreed to it for the time being. It was clear to me that Dragan didn’t fully buy into Ivan’s pretext of a dangerous pervert terrorizing their neighborhood, but he accepted it. 

As Ivan said, the pieces were now in place, and all we could do was wait for our enemies to reveal themselves.

***

Dressed in his casual wear, Ivan lay sprawled over his bed, his gaze fixed on me. Our eyes met, and there was a moment of contemplative silence as I sensed he was deep in thought.

“I assume it’ll take me till early evening to collect all ingredients for the spell tomorrow,” he said, taking a moment to calculate the rough timing. The realization that I would soon return to being a normal human hit me, and I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nostalgia for the things I missed out on.

“I’ll perform the spell here,” he lazily pointed to the center of the room. I thought about doing it in the pharmacy or garden but you’re in your pajamas, and besides, Dragan should be home by then. It’ll be easier for me to explain everything if he sees you himself.” Ivan yawned after his explanation and closed his eyes, taking a brief rest. 

On paper Ivan’s plan sounded reasonable, but there was something that bothered me a little…

“But if I just emerge from your room like this, Dragan might get the wrong idea.” I objected with a clear voice. For once, I didn’t feel too heated despite the implication I just made.

“That’s why I’ll make him watch from the start❤︎,” Ivan replied, unfazed by my hesitation. 

Ivan really had a way of phrasing things in a suggestive manner, but luckily, I had grown some kind of resistance to his innuendos. I was more occupied with the anticipation for tomorrow. It reminded me of my student days – the day before a class trip or an important exam. 

But the question remained: How would Dragan react to me? I knew so much about him at this point but he had no clue I even existed. My instincts told me he wouldn’t like me much for more than one reason - I was essentially stalking him to protect him and had been taking up his brother's time.

…Yeah, the more I thought about it, the more I got the feeling that Dragan would absolutely despise me. After all, he was very attached to his big brother. 

“I don’t think Dragan will like me when he hears the truth,” I eventually blurted out, my voice laden with more dejection than I liked. Being disliked by the younger brother of a person you cherish stung. 

"I'll explain everything to him, and he'll understand. Besides, why are you so convinced he would hate you? Dragan is a kind boy," Ivan replied with confidence.

To you! And his friends! 

I wanted to believe Ivan, I really did, but I had my doubts. With the way Dragan talked about Ivan with his friends, I knew he would hate me. There was no way Dragan would be happy about a sudden intruder in their house who was also close to his beloved brother. He was too protective for that. In fact, both brothers were so overprotective of each other that they often overlooked each other’s faults.

It was almost guaranteed that Dragan would see me as a potential danger to Ivan, the moment Ivan slipped up and flirted with me. I could practically hear Dragan’s bark at me already.

I sighed, but kept the rest of my thoughts to myself. If necessary I would just leave the brother’s flat and – 

“Whatever thought you’re thinking right now, drop it!”

Ivan's voice interrupted my train of thought. As if he could read my mind, he stopped me from spiraling into gloomy thoughts. My face must’ve betrayed my thoughts again. This wasn't the first time he had caught me in such a state.

“You’re incredibly transparent, you know that, Rêve? I can pinpoint the exact moment, you start hurting yourself with some strange fantasies.” Without me noticing, Ivan had shifted from his lazy position and now sat upright, gazing down at me where I was sitting on the floor. His lips were drawn into a frown directed at me, and his voice carried an air of desperation and frustration. 

It was both shocking and comforting how easily he could see through me at that moment. As if he had been the one reading about me for years and not the other way round. 

“Have a bit of trust in both me and Dragan,” he winked at me, his playful demeanor returning. The room felt less awkward again. 

Over the span of the past few days, I had come to realize that we both dislike stuffy and restricting atmospheres. 

“I’ll try to,” I honestly responded and layed down on the floor, feeling both physically and mentally tired. The topic had run dry and neither of us felt like adding more to it. 

The bed made a squeaky noise, followed by some shuffling. Ivan probably changed his position again, before he addressed me out of the blue. 

“It’s likely that we won’t see each other in the morning. I plan to go out early for some dungeon crawling.” 

His words immediately brought both concern and excitement to my mind. I would love to accompany him one day to see how he operates inside a dungeon, but that had to wait. If there was a need to go to a dungeon, it meant the ingredients Ivan needed for the spell were on the rarer side. Stuff like rare boss monster materials, rare flowers, and other dangerous items you couldn’t find in a town?

 I sat up again, urgency in my voice as I looked at Ivan.

“Don’t tell me you’ll go monster hunting for my sake! What if you got hurt?” I worriedly exclaimed, voice shrill and foreign to my own ears. 

Yes, Ivan was one of the best mages in this universe, but going into a dungeon was a dangerous endeavor. Judging by the fact that he had to create a spell from scratch, the materials he needed had to be of high rank and level, which were only found in high level dungeons.

"I won't get hurt by some random monsters," Ivan confidently and flatly replied. "But if you continue thinking so lowly of me, you'll be the one causing serious mental damage.”

Feeling the weight of the blunder I made, I sought out to explain myself. 

“I trust you, but I don’t want you to get hurt because of me!” My honesty made me very self-conscious. It didn’t take long for my face to grow hot with embarrassment. I didn’t remember a moment where I had ever spoken to someone else like this aside from my sister, much less a guy I liked. 

“Like I said, there’s no need for you to worry about me," Ivan reassured me, his voice gentle yet firm. "And even if, theoretically speaking, I got injured while collecting the ingredients for you, I'd carry the pain with pride because I did it for you."

…! 

I was left momentarily speechless, but my beating heart loved to remind me of my own feelings during this moment by relentlessly hammering against my ribcage. If I looked in a mirror right now, I was sure I would be beet red. The way Ivan was willing to put himself into danger and endure any pain for me, made me feel weak and warm. I was such a hopeless fool.

“Ivan…,” I mouthed his name, barely audible and trailed off. The sheer depth of emotion in his statement had overwhelmed me completely, and my brain seemed to have stopped working. When had I entered a romance novel? Sometimes I wondered whether this wasn’t a dream after all. 

Ivan observed me calmly, almost as if etching every inch of my current expression into his memories. 

He clearly enjoyed this, didn’t he?

“Thank you and please rest now,” I sheepishly said and bowed my head, only for a brief chance to hide my flushed and overwhelmed expression.  

“Will do. You should rest, too, Rêve.” He said, tone light and soothing, perfectly suited to help me calm down. 

After that, he settled back into a comfortable position on his bed and I tried to do the same on the floor, though after all this I questioned whether staying in the same room was for the best. 

My heart didn’t settle down even after a few minutes. Tomorrow, I will be a normal human again…!

The intense pounding of my heart made me forget the sense of impending doom I was feeling the whole day. The nervousness made it hard for me to find peace and fall asleep. In the end, I only drifted off when my exhaustion got the better of me.

***

“I can’t wait!” A blonde woman dressed in a black lace dress with a little black tophat bounced up and down in elation. Beside her was a figure in a white and red lolita dress, their long white hair styled in pigtails. They stood perfectly still, while the woman walked through the room with a spring in her step. 

The room was lavishly decorated with frills and cutesy furniture, and a huge amount of different dolls, all female, were sitting on a huge shelf.

“Tomorrow’s our big day, my dear Lu!” The woman cheered and hugged the white haired lolita, who just eyed her with calm brown eyes. Their white hair swayed back and forth from the force of the action, but aside from that they didn’t seem to reciprocate or share the enthusiasm.

The eerie silence was cut off, when the sound of skin slapping skin echoed through the room.

“You could stand to emote a bit more, or you’re wasting my goodness in creating that beautiful appearance of yours.”

Angry eyes were aimed at the white lolita whose porcelain-like skin was stained with a red bruise. Their face displayed a forced smile, their blood red lips curled into a smile that didn't quite reach the eyes. The woman brushed a finger across the red bruise, as if mesmerized by it. She then focused her eyes on the expression the white haired was showing and smiled with a childish glee that seemed out of place.

 “Yes, that’s good, dear Lu,” the woman praised, patting Lu on the head with an unsettling mixture of affection and dominance. 

“When we catch that stupid boy tomorrow, I want to see you smile like this. Do you understand?” The woman's words held a threatening undertone, leaving no room for disagreement.

“Yes, master,” Lu replied, their voice obedient, yet tinged with a hint of hidden emotions.