With quickened footsteps, the three of us hurried on our way to the church, the moon lighting our path ahead. The sight of the monk’s long black coat flapping in the wind obscured my vision as we scurried along the cobblestone pavement at alarming speed.

Ming Yi ran beside me, not letting me miss a beat as we made several turns down the narrow pathways and deep into the ghastly side of Cassanova. Buildings made from ancient architecture surrounded us as we came to a familiar opening with a fountain of a stone dragon perched in the middle of the town square.

I stared into the dragon’s gaping maw as we ran past. His expression was one of pride instead of trying to strike intimidation. His wings stretched out wide, appearing frozen mid-flight, while the water on the bottom rim of the fountain remained encased within the circle of his tail.

Candles flickered as we burst through the front doors of the church.

Sagittarius vanished into the back rooms without notice. He returned a second later, hand in hand with Aelius, pulling him along.

Aelius blinked wearily. The buttons on his shirt were burst open, his long red hair askew, and his eyes were drooping from slumber.

Li Wei quickly caught up and locked eyes with me as the others hurried over. He appeared restless.

Aelius assessed the situation, kneeling and placing a hand on my chest.

“How’s he doing?” Li Wei asked. He poked his nose over Aelius to look.

“Basically, you’re going to be fine,” Aelius said, rising to his feet. “I’m not sure how you keep surviving unusual situations, but good job, I guess.”

I pointed to Ming Yi. “Him too.”

Ming Yi looked uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong with him?” Aelius asked.

“He hasn’t slept in ages,” I said, ushering them both away.

Li Wei’s voice, filled with sadness, betrayed his attempt to smile. “When I suggested meeting again, this isn’t what I expected.”

I laughed half-heartedly, though the sound was bitter. “Things rarely go well when I’m involved.”

Li Wei looked at me softly. “That can’t be true.”

He reassured me in such an earnest way that I could not respond. Would he still say that if he knew about the death of my family? Changing my mind, I asked him something else. “Aren’t you curious about my unusual appearance?”

Li Wei smiled. His earrings dazzled as he stepped closer to whisper. “Darling, don’t think I was unaware. I’ve known who you are from the moment I met you.”

I maintained eye contact for a moment, but couldn’t understand his thoughts, so I turned my gaze elsewhere.

Ming Yi reluctantly yielded to Aelius’s approach, cornered in a pew.

Aelius was older by several years and had some height compared to him.

The idea of someone challenging Ming Yi, the naturally gifted and unstoppable male lead, was amusing.

“Did he have anything broken?” I asked when Aelius returned with a dark expression.

“An unfathomable amount of things, including that tongue of his,” Aelius said, muttering darkly and folding his arms.

My shoulders sank with some relief. “At least you helped him. Thank you for that.”

Aelius nodded. Though stubborn, I could tell he understood.

I noticed Ming Yi’s shoulders appeared heavy. “Why are you bad-mouthing our doctor?” I asked him.

Ming Yi grumbled, rubbing his neck. “I don’t know about your experience, but mine hurt like hell.”

His familiar tone caught me off guard. “Fair enough,” I laughed.

“I’m glad he was there to save you, but I’m the one who’s always supposed to be there.” The playful nature in his voice was gone, causing my smile to vanish. He put a hand to his chest, clutching his clothes in frustration.

I try to manage a reassuring smile despite the ache in my heart. “I’m okay, though. You didn’t fail me.”

An empty expression replaced Ming Yi’s sadness, one that felt like he went a thousand miles away. “I feel like I’m not strong enough to save you from whatever you’re running from.”

My smile vanished. “Ming Yi, what do you-”

The front doors of the Church swung open and Zenith toppled over the threshold. She slumped into a seat, appearing tired to the bone.

Aelius hurried over to check her wounds, followed by Sagittarius, who watched her with quiet panic and concern.

“Zenith, darling,” Li Wei approached, speaking to her gently. “What happened? Didn’t I send Helix with you?”

Zenith grimaced, recalling whatever events she went through. “More importantly,” she said. “What happened to the three of you?”

I revealed what had happened earlier.

Zenith looked at me with wide eyes, as though I said something truly outlandish. “You survived a possession?!”

“Almost possession, dear,” Li Wei said, gently correcting her.

She recomposed herself, and said, “Sorry, Zhen Xue. It’s just… we’ve never been able to save a possessed human before. Your circumstances are the first we’ve seen.”

As if sensing my confusion, Sagittarius replied, “The problem is not the method, but how the Underworld god rules over his domain. He allows the spirits to do as they please. No one has seen the god himself for generations.”

I watched as the candles flickered ominously upon hearing the mention of the Underworld god, but the monk’s gaze remained calm and clear.

He considered how to elaborate, and said, “Imagine the possessed human as a dirty cup filled with water. A priest or monk can cleanse the cup’s interior, but the god of death must remove the water to prevent soul deterioration.”

“If I may interrupt,” Li Wei said with a soft smile. “Why don’t we take our conversation to a warmer atmosphere? I think everyone has been through enough eventful circumstances for tonight, wouldn’t you agree?”

With no objections, everyone, except for me, entered the backrooms.

This feeling of suffocation has been tying around my neck like a noose. It was present in my previous world too, but I ignored it each day. Once more, what I care about was slipping through my fingers like sand. I can’t ignore my anxiety any longer.

The world beyond the quiet night seemed peaceful, yet I found the sight suffocating. I wandered off alone with newfound determination, my hands clenched at my sides.

Sagittarius remained by the doorframe, cigarette in his mouth, not having departed like the rest.

“Teach me how to become stronger.”

He debated my request with a lazy, contemplative expression. “Why ask me? Your knight is more than qualified to train you.”

“I can’t use a sword.”

“So, learn how to use one.”

I sighed, seeing that I didn’t convince him. “It’s not that simple.”

“Don’t look so disheartened.” He blew smoke from his mouth and smiled. “I haven’t turned down your request. I’ll teach you. Learn the rules, then break them.”

He gestured for me to follow, leading me to the church’s basement.

The door creaked open as we entered.

I stared at the junk that littered the room. Retrieving a scorched book, my nose scrunched at the terrible stench. “What is this place?”

Sagittarius smiled and said, “Your salvation.”

“Be serious.”

“My room, but the details aren’t important. Starting now, you’ll be training here.”

He cleared a table nearby, swiping the notebooks and paper onto the floor, where they joined their brethren in a pile of mess. The more he went about to “help” the situation, the worse it appeared.

“Listen, kid, I’m going to teach you the most crucial rule to fight someone.” He moved so fast in my direction that I tripped backward into a pile of pots and pans.

I lifted my gaze, focusing on his staff, which was pointed at my throat.

His red eyes glittered down at me coldly. “No matter the circumstances, prioritize your survival. That is it. There are no rules.”

He swept away the staff, offering me his hand.

I accepted his offer. He pulled me off the floor, only to hook my leg with his own, attempting to knock me over again. My breath hitched in my throat. I dodged his movement just barely, maintaining my balance with a spin on my feet.

Sagittarius smiled at my quick reaction. “I think confidence is what you lack more than skill. We’ll begin your second lesson.”

A sudden dread rose in my gut as he turned to leave. “Wait! You’re not seriously going to—”

He was already out the door, leisurely shutting it behind himself, waving at me goodbye. A key twisted into the lock, confirming my worst fear.

With growing frustration, I searched the room for an exit. No windows, only a small one near the ceiling for moonlight to bleed through. I walked closer, mindful to avoid the sharp objects, observing the night sky.

Three whole days went by and I didn’t eat.

On the fourth day, I stopped waiting around and began cleaning. I’m sure there’s food lying somewhere among this rubbish.

I picked up the empty cups and bowls to place by the door, grabbing an empty bin to hold loose objects and organize the bookshelves.

To my dismay, there wasn’t an ounce of food, but I found something that caught my attention. A book I knocked over, filled with pages of symmetrical circles and ancient runes that described magic.

Not resisting my curiosity, I flipped through the book. Upon glancing around, I found that none of the other books covered subjects about monsters and ways to cast exorcisms on spirits. Someone intentionally left this book here.

In the room’s spacious area, a faded circle and a pile of chalk marked the floorboards.

With the book, I followed the instructions and replicated a teleportation rune.

With happiness, I stared at my work, aware that the trickiest part was still ahead. The images described there was a second part needed to activate the rune. Luckily, from my time reading as a kid, I recalled there were two ways to cast a spell.

The first was using your own god-gifted talents from the mana running through your veins.

The second was a blood sacrifice.

Since I never used magic, the likelihood I had enough mana in my body was slim. Without power, I’d have to choose the second path.

I retrieved the knife on display, letting it settle above my palm over the rune. Using some force, I carefully broke the skin, setting my hand against the floor and discarding the knife.

The circle burst to life upon contact, glowing multiple colors that blinded my vision.

When I could see again. I found myself sprawled on the kitchen floor, leaning against my hands for support.

Sagittarius was idly standing near the countertop, the sight of him setting my mind ablaze.

“You!!!” I shouted, crawling towards him.

Sagittarius took one look at me, dropping his bowl of food on the floor, where it smashed to pieces.

“Wait until I can stand,” I said, lacking strength in my limbs. “Forget our age difference. I’m going to smack you.”

“I’m twenty-six.”

“And you’ll be fifty-six by the time I’m done.”

Sagittarius folded his arms in displeasure. “You wanted me to train you.”

“Training???” I got up and lunged for him. “I’ll show you training!”

We ended up slightly bruised when Aelius broke up our fight, knocking us both to the floor.

I glared at Sagittarius, who was sitting beside me with his legs crossed. My dislike for him was growing stronger. “This is so unfair! He started it first.”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Aelius folded his enormous arms, giving us both a pressed look. “You’re in my kitchen, so have some manners and fight elsewhere if you must.”

Despite being half tempted to ignore Aelius, I calmed myself, knowing the argument would be pointless. My stomach growled. I was so hungry the bowl of spilled food on the floor looked appealing.

Aelius noticed, sighing heavily. “Stay there. I’ll whip something up.”

He prepared for work by gathering ingredients from the cupboards.

“Kid, do you realize what you’ve accomplished?” Sagittarius remarked with a cool smile.

“Cleaning your room was actually quite the accomplishment.”

“No, not that! Although Li Wei would be glad to hear the news.” He laughed at the thought and shifted closer, clutching my shoulder to hold my gaze. “Not only do you understand ancient tongue, but you can use that old power. You have a gift for wielding dark magic.”

I scoffed, realizing his revelation was baseless, and said, “There’s only one way to use magic when you don’t have mana, my friend. Blood sacrifice. Anyone can achieve what I did.”

“No, they can’t.”

The kitchen fell into silence. Even Aelius froze over the boiling pot, holding a pack of noodles.

“Do you know the last person who performed dark magic?” Sagittarius asked, gaze darkening at whatever he imagined.

Aelius continued filling the pot with ingredients, stirring slowly to listen.

“They did there,” Sagittarius continued. “To escape death. You haven’t noticed, but your hands deserve attention. That isn’t your body. You have surpassed a mortal’s limitation, taking control of your soul to possess Themis.”

I looked at my hands, realizing I had longer fingers with slightly older, well-groomed nails.

Sagittarius chuckled to himself. “I bet you chose him because he was standing next to me. You probably did so in a blind rage.”

I retrieved the round glasses that were discarded during the fight with Sagittarius, the same ones Themis usually wears. I hesitated, finally returning to the monk. “Who last had this power?”

The monk’s expression carried an invisible weight, seeming to reminisce about a time long ago. “Though his true name is unknown, they mounted a statue in honor of his countless sacrifices. They called him… the Silver Dragoness.”