“No need to fear, Mia. It’s me, Aloen,” he said in a warm voice. “Let’s go home,” he added gently, stretching out his arm.

His voice, his gestures were too kind, too deliberate. I would have fallen for his act, had I not known him before.

“Ah! The cold-hearted bastard,” I scoffed, crossing my arms.

“How dare you!” He snapped.

“Before we parted ways, didn’t you refer to me as ‘Lady’ whatsoever? What’s with your tone now?”

His jaw tightened. “I – Forgive my impudence, my Lady.”

“Never mind that. How the hell did you find me anyway?” I shouted, ignoring his forced politeness.

“No need to cause a scene, my Lady. It does not matter how I found you, what matters is that I am here for you.”

“Here for me?” I laughed bitterly. “Why would I go back to that hellhole, huh?” I spat. “Every person in that crazy mansion wants my head! Get lost!”

“Whatever happened to your manners, my Lady!” he said through gritted teeth.

“Don’t you dare lecture me about manners!” I spat, shooting him with a sharp glare. “Let me remind you that you abandoned me in the middle of nowhere over a petty argument!”

“I did not expect you to travel to the other side of the kingdom in two days!” he shouted, his hands balling into fists. “How did you even do it?” he added, slamming his fists on the table, rattling the dishes.

At this instant, Ansel stormed in and savagely shoved Aloen against the wall with a force that shook the room.

“How dare you raise your voice in front of my Lady! Such insolence cannot be forgiven,” Ansel growled, his grip unrelenting.

“Ansel! Please, put him down!” I pleaded. “He doesn’t have any ill intentions!”

Ansel stiffened. At my words, he instantly knew that it was Aloen, without even uncovering his face. Slowly, he released his grip, though he remained tense, on his guard.

Aloen exhaled sharply, rubbing his throat. “I see that you made a new acquaintance during your travels, my Lady.” He smirked, uncovering his eye bandage. “You never cease to amaze me. Let’s get going now, it’s getting late.”

“What is there for me to do there, Aloen?” I hesitated.

His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Asher is long gone, and is not within me anymore, so I am of no use to you now.”

Aloen fell silent. A silence that spoke a million words. His reaction proved me right – my presence was no longer needed.

Seeing this turn of events, Ansel took his chance and said: “My Lady, if you are done eating, we should leave.”

Aloen didn’t move. He didn’t even flinch.  Deep down, I hoped that he would stop me from leaving but he turned away.

My chest tightened. Ansel leaned closer, lowering his voice. “My Lady,” Ansel murmured, “Please do not let such trivialities sadden you. That man is no good for you.”

“I am not sad at all! Hahaha.” I said, with a forced smile. “I just…I just can’t understand him… Nor understand my heart!” I whispered.

Ansel hesitated for a moment before saying softly, “I may be a spirit, my Lady, but I was human once too. If you need to talk or any other form of assistance, I will be happy to be there for you. Know that you can always count on me.”

His comforting words were sincere, yet they failed to reassure me completely. Perhaps because they didn’t not come from the one person I had hoped would say them. Nevertheless, Ansel was trying hard to lift my spirits, I should do the same.

I took a deep breath and offered him a small, grateful smile. “Thank you, Ansel, really.”

He smiled back, then walked ahead, leading the way.

“How about exploring the area?” Ansel suggested enthusiastically.

“I’d be glad to. What is it called?”

“Petrichor.”

“I see. How far are we from the capital?”

He looked at me and said, “Not that far, my Lady. Magical arrays can take you anywhere in a blink of an eye.” He remained silent for a minute then added, “Would you be willing to learn magic, my–”

“Yes! Yes! I would love to,” I interrupted without hesitation.

Ansel’s eyes widened before he burst into laughter.

“Hahaha. Very well, my Lady. I will be honored to be your mentor.”

“When can we start?” I asked eagerly.

“How about now?”

“That would be perfect.”

“Let us find an adequate location for our first lesson, then.”

He drew another array using a beam of light, swiftly and gracefully. In less than a second, we were in a vast green plain, surrounded by towering mountains.

“What a beautiful scenery!”

“We are still in Petrichor. This place is a secluded area dedicated to meditation and training,” he explained. “Discipline is key to a successful learning, I will be strict with you, my Lady Ahem, sine you still lack a bit of training discipline.”

“Hahaha. Thanks for your sincere opinion, Ansel. Somehow, hearing this from you is less bothersome than from him!”

Even in the middle of nature, the thought of Aloen lingered. Ansel doesn’t show it, but it must have bothered him. I can be really tactless sometimes!

“What skill would you like to learn first? I assume teleportation arrays?”

“Correct!”

“Then let us begin,” Ansel said. “You may have noticed that there are two types of arrays: dark arrays powered by Syr energy and light arrays fueled by Lunara energy. Both energies exist within us, be it a spirit or a human.

“Once a human enters our world, he cannot resist the overwhelming pull of the Syrath Lunara, — the crimson light of the moon. He will inevitably absorb either Syr or Lunara energy. Those who absorb Syr energy will become Vyraths if they fall into the wrong hands. However, should they remain free, they will become spirits once their human bodies wither.” “On the other hand, those who take in Lunara energy will not sense much change in them, as they remain human. But such individuals are highly sought after by mages as they represent a tremendous source of power. As such, this type of human is rarely seen wandering freely.”

“I see… Can a human absorb both?” I asked.

He looked at me sharply. “No. A human can’t, but a spirit can. As a matter of fact, I am a high ranked spirit namely an Aeryn. Your Narciss friend is not a spirit. He is a Velathar.” He explained. “You, my Lady, are quite unique. Your current state is neither human nor Velathar nor Aeryn. Worry not, this is not a bad thing. Through our training, we will determine which energy flows within you.”

“Oh, okay. So how do I start?”

“First, close your eyes and free your mind from all worldly desires,” he instructed. “You will feel a surge of energy in your body. If it is painful to bear then it’s the Syr energy. If it’s warm and pleasant then it’s the Lunara energy. Once you sense it, draw this—” he said, tracing a geometric pattern on the ground. “—then, think about your destination as accurately as possible, otherwise you may be teleported randomly. Now start.”

I shut my eyes trying to follow his indications. I tried to clear my mind, but to no avail. My soul was agitated, my mind bustling with thoughts I couldn’t even hear.

“I can’t do it, Ansel. I am too agitated for this.”

“Do not lose hope that easily. Here, let me help you.”

He put his hand on my back, and a soothing warmth spread through my body. Suddenly, he pulled his hand back quickly as if he was struck by lightning.

I spun around, eyes widening in horror. Blood dripped from his wrist.

“Are you okay?” I gasped, “Oh my god — was it me? Did I do this to you?”

He pressed a hand to my mouth, signaling for me to lower my voice.

“My Lady, I am afraid that the other Narcis twin is dormant within you,” he said gravely.

“What?” My breath hitched.

“I am afraid that you cannot unlock your full potential as long as he is in you. This insignia may seem like a protection for you, but in truth, it acts as a shackle, limiting your powers.”

“Then how can I get rid of him?”

“Killing him will destroy you, my Lady.”

“I mean how can I free him?”

Ansel hesitated before answering. “I am afraid only a skilled Velathar can help you. I am not sure how he got in to begin with, but his twin brother may be the key to setting him free,” he said, “You should go back to that mansion and tell them that he is still among the living.” He added bitterly.

“You are not coming with me?” I asked.

“I am to remain here on my land, my Lady. Should you be in a life-threatening situation, this gem will activate and summon you back if needed.”

He placed a gem into the palm of my hand. Its soft and cold surface was soothing, emitting a faint pulse of energy against my skin.

He drew a Syr array with his dripping blood, a faint glow pulsed beneath his fingers

“Looking forward to our next meeting… Mia. Good luck.”

I opened my eyes inside the sinister Narcis manor. Somehow it felt gloomier than before.

Not a soul was around.

A commotion echoed from the main hall.

“When was the last time you saw her?” Alphonso’s voice rang out sharp with urgency.

“Last night, in her bedchamber,” another voice responded. “If she had been abducted, there would be clues somewhere, right?”

A tense silence followed.

“Unless,” Alphonso murmured, “the culprit is from within the manor”

An awkward silence spread through the cold, thick air. I didn’t dare reveal myself. Were they talking about me? Were…worried?

“Come out,”Aloen snapped.

I stepped from the shadows. Alphonso and Aloen at the center of the majestic hall, surrounded by a group of knights bowing their heads.

“Umm, I wasn’t eavesdropping,” I said quickly. “I just didn’t want to interrupt. Is something the matter?”

Aloen’s gaze burned into mine. “Philamina… has disappeared.” His jaw clenched. “And worse, I can’t sense her life force.” He slammed his fist into a nearby table. “Damn it! Damn it all!”

Alphonso turned his gaze on me, cold and sharp.

“What have you done this time, Mia?” Alphonso added bitterly.