Ambre Vermillion's Story

Lukas gave a wave of his wand after Kallen was a foot away from the portal, a sharp flick aimed at the circle. The circle was wiped in half like an eraser on a drawing in photoshop, and when nothing exploded Lukas let out a silent sigh of relief and wiped it clean with his wand.

"Alright, that worked. Here, um, give me a second." Fumbling at the bracelets decorating his wrist, Lukas detached a brown charm that was in the shape of a book the size of his fingertip. Delicately, he pressed it against the runic book, mumbling an incomprehensible phrase under his breath. The book charm glowed a faint red that enveloped the book like a scanner before fading. When Lukas removed the charm from the book and tapped it, the charm book flipped open, pages ruffling to the middle as it glowed the color of old parchment. A beam of light shot up, and like a flower unfurling its petals in bloom, a hologram of the runic book appeared. Lukas moved away, leaving Kallen free control of the book.

It was a charm Lukas had created in his early years, one he used to keep a record of books he'd liked, similar to a Ereading function on a phone. Although I should probably start using it on all my books now, in case something like this happens again, Lukas thought self depreciatingly. Reaching his hand up, Lukas quickly flipped through the pages, typing rapidly as he compared the picture to the holographic book.

"Ok, I think I got it." Lukas said out loud, frowning in concentration. "These outer circles represent us. Each symbol represents each clan - Kotonoha, Vermillion, Isharian. I don't understand what the fourth one at the top means, but maybe its something that they have in common? Maybe its related to the middle of the circle-"

Ambre burst through the door, interrupting whatever Lukas had to say. As Kallen and Ambre chatted, Lukas moved absently to the side, mind buzzing with equations and combinations as he deciphered the circle.

They'd been mistaken about it not being a summoning circle - the middle of the circle was decorative, an image of the sun, but it was a cleverly designed timer for a disguised summoning circle. Combined with the words deciphered from the runes, it was clearly an attack on the house. But what was it -

“Lukas!" Ambre yelled. "We need an exorcism!"

"Aaa!" Lukas flinched as Hurricane Ambre broke into the room, giving a small yelp of surprise that was thankfully lost underneath Ambre's explanation. As Ambre gave him information, Lukas's face grew clouded with worry and concern. The boy - Yuki - that gave them the map was possessed, Takiya and Risako where holding him back, they needed an exorcism at the pillar chamber. "Got it," Lukas said with a nod after Ambre finished. He turned to leave, but paused as an idea crossed his mind. That'd be pretty helpful...

Lukas turned back to the map, adding code as he kept half an ear out for further chat. "We, um, deciphered part of the circle." He explained rapidly after Ambre finished, fingers flying over the hologram. "It's a disguised summoning circle - probably used to summon the demon by that wizard you mentioned, but it seems to complex for something like that." Lukas frowned thoughtfully. "There was a symbol and rune in one of the inner mini-circles that resembled a demon though, so maybe-" a beeping sound interrupted him, and Lukas glanced down at the map. "Ah, its done."

The map now resembled a simplistic video game map. Red, purple and yellow trackers shaped like tiny arrows marked where Lukas, Kallen and Ambre were respectively, located via the maps. Wherever the maps - and by extension their owners - went, the trackers would go on the map, tiny arrows representing them like a video game protagonist. At the well near the center of the pillar chamber, a green beacon shone brightly, indicating the location Lukas had to reach. Lukas made a note to add the Kotonoha siblings to the map later - after meeting up with them, maybe.

"Alright, I'm off." Lukas said briskly, striding towards the door. He tucked the photo of the circle into his pocket, book charm long since deactivated. With his free hand, he withdrew his wand, holding it in his hand like a gun (too tightly like an amateur duelist, anxiety roiling in his stomach). The explanation of the wizard and circle didn't sit well with Lukas, doubt and suspicion niggling at his mind like barely connecting circuits, but there was no time. Exorcist first, then think about it later. Lukas reminded himself, opening the door, and with that he began to run towards the location.

Lukas had only ran a couple of feet down the hallway when he could hear the faint sound of galloping hooves. Alarm bells ringing in his mind, Lukas whirled around, wand out and ready, but there was nothing (not even on the ceiling) - it was just him inside the empty hallway, the sound of galloping getting louder and louder by the second. Biting his lip, Lukas whirled back to the front and resumed running, but he’d barely taken a foot forward before -

There was the sound of something arriving at high speed, and a foot behind him the walls shattered with a devastating crack.

Lukas raised his arm instinctively over his head, shielding himself from splinters of wood flying everywhere. Through the gap he could see a black stallion, plated in armor. The horse had reins attached to it, loops of dark leather held by a headless knight. The knight tugged on the reins and the horse turned to face Lukas, moving easily despite the cramped space. The horse’ nostrils fumed a green gas as the knight atop of it unsheathed his broadsword from it’s scabbard, metal blade gleaming darkly in the light like the armor.

Lukas eyes widened at the sight of the sword. Terror and understanding ran down his back like ice water. He took a step back, and another, but the horse was already charging, the knight already swinging to behead. With a yelp, Lukas ducked under the swing like a limbo dancer. Unable to stop, the horse overshot, and without sparing a glance back Lukas began running back to where he came from at full speed.

“Lukas, get on!” Ambre shouted, as she vigorously tapped the keys on her phone. Not a second later, a futon on wheels with a coffee machine and security camera attached to it rolled into the corridor at neck-breaking speed; stopping inches away from Lukas’ feet. Without pause, Lukas leapt on it, looking expectantly at Ambre.

“You’ll have to drive it yourself,” Ambre tossed her phone at the bed buggy, Lukas fumbling a little before catching it with both hands. “Just put in the coordinates and hold on tight!”

“Got it!” Lukas was already typing furiously into the phone, quickly figuring out how to use it. The bed turned towards the direction to the well, and Lukas turned expectantly towards Ambre. “Get on!” But as he spoke, a shadow loomed over him.

“We’ve got other business.” Ambre looked straight past Lukas, as letters crawled from under her sleeves and dripped down from her fingers. “You know, Lukas, you should-” The mage grinned as her spells spread through the wooden floor and climbed up the bed buggy’s wheels, “-Think fast!”

“Wha-AAAAAAAAA!”

Within the blink of an eye, the buggy shot forward across a freshly made ramp in the floor; jumping over the Dullahan. The tiny wheels screeched and the remainder of coffee spilled onto the horse with a scalding hiss. The horse reared up with a whinny, rider’s hand outstretched as if to grab the vehicle, but too late - fingers closed around empty air, and the horse screamed in frustration as the buggy raced down the corridor at top speed. Lukas clinging onto the sheets for dear life and screaming at the top of his lungs.

“-AAAAA-!” Lukas shook his head and snapped his mouth shut with an audible click, almost biting his tongue. As the machine went helter skelter down the path, wind blowing the hair out of his face, Lukas fumbled with the map, rapidly checking the course.

According to the map, they were close. Close the desired location, and closer still to a wall up ahead. One hand wounded tightly into the sheets, Lukas tapped at Ambre’s phone for it to turn left, only for the machine to continue moving straight forward at the same breakneck pace. Eyebrows going up in surprise, Lukas glanced at the phone - and swore as he caught sight of the black screen. Tapping rapidly on the phone produced no results, and pressing the on switch confirmed Lukas’s worst fears - a white zig zag of electricity at the center of a charger symbol blinked accusingly on the screen.

The battery was dead.

Lukas’s swearing would have made milk curdle. Panic flowed through him as he glanced at the map - he was going to be hitting the wall dead on soon if he didn’t change course! The resounding backlash from a vehicle this fast crashing into a wall head on would do things to his body that Lukas didn’t want to think about (like a broken neck). But the battery of the phone was dead, and he didn’t have anything on hand that could charge it without frying it.

Oh shit. Lukas could feel his breath quickening, heart rate beating a rapid thump-thump-thump in his chest as panic began to overtake him. He was going to die. He was going to smack into the wall and get turned into a pancake. He was going to-

to stop panicking and shut up and do something before he smacked into the wall and joined his family in the afterlife.

Lukas shook his head and took a deep breath, forcing his panic back down. Little time left before the collision. Quickly, he took stock of his surroundings, pulling his wand back out of his pocket. Bed buggy. Mattress. Wand. Dead phone - oh!

Plan formed, Lukas shifted his wand to marker mode and scribbled hastily onto the sheets. He pulled out Ambre’s sim-card from the phone and laid both phone and card onto the circle. He tapped the phone. It glowed a digital green that flowed into the sim card, a stream of data that looked like it was made out of numbers and code that moved like salmon swimming upstream.

While the transfer process happened, Lukas hastily scribbled runes onto the bed. The wall was coming into sight now, a thick brown pillar that was growing larger every second. Once the glow stopped and the runes were done, Lukas pocketed the sim card and transferred the phone onto the top of the bed. Resting it firmly against the bedframe, Lukas silently apologised to Ambre and muttered a spell under his breath.

The phone sank into the frame of the bed and changed. Lukas continued muttering as parts shifted and changed shape with dizzying speed, growing longer and thinner or larger until a control panel was mounted onto the bed. At the same time, the sheets tore into thin ribbons, stretching and knitting themselves together into makeshift seat belts that wrapped securely around Lukas’s shoulders and waist in a makeshift harness, strapping him into a Holding his breath and ignoring the sight of the pillar and wall, Lukas pressed a hand against the screen and waited.

A couple of inches away from the wall, the bed swerved to the right with enough force to whip Lukas’s head sideways and careened down the corridor.

Lukas’s breath escaped from his mouth in a silent whoosh as his body slumped in relief. ”Thank heck that worked.” Lukas wheezed, laughing a little. A normal wizard might have found taking over the bed buggy in such a short time tough, let alone doing a transfer data spell at the same time (hopefully this way Ambre wouldn’t kill him), and Lukas thanked his lucky stars for knowing what to do. Spreading his fingers across the screen, Lukas concentrated, and another screen appeared, map popping up and showing their location. They were closer to the entrance now - just a few more twists and turns. Crossing his legs, wind blowing the hair out of his eyes, Lukas set it to autopilot and sat comfortably on the bed buggy, crossing his legs and urging the machine to go faster.

He shifted his wand back to marker mode. There were a few more modifications he had to make.

-----

He knew what the circle meant now. The inner circle was a summoning portal, for four specific creatures - that was why there were four miniature circles. The outward circles was a warning, one that mocked the three clans for gathering together.

The Dullahan was one. The demon was another. There were two more monsters left - he wondered if Rosa had ran into one of them, which was why she had yet to appear. And the implications - he'd have to let the Kotonoha's and everyone know as fast as possible.

Everyone in the house was in danger.

-----
Soon, the stairwell was in sight. It was a spiral that lead downwards, and Lukas quietly readied himself for the ride.

As he approached the stairwell, the bed buggy began to shift parts around like a weapon changing shapes. Part of the bed frames surrounding the mattress began to rise up like guard rails, clamping down tightly onto the mattress. Fingers twining into the soft fabric in a death grip, Lukas made sure that the pillow was strapped on in front of him like an airbag before lying low and giving the signal.

The bed buggy skidded to a stop near the stairs. The mattress, detached from the bedframe, continued moving forwards as the bedframe collapsed diagonally in the form of a makeshift ramp. Moving forwards on sheer momentum, the mattress slid down the stairs like a ski going downhill. Lukas held on for dear life as it went round and round, gathering speed until finally it reached the ground floor with a soft whump.

“I’m here!” The mattress had yet to come to a stop, but Lukas was already unbuckling and throwing himself off it, wand out and ready as he took in the current situation.

---

Beaming gratification, Ambre watched Lukas fly off. “Watch ‘em go.” She poked Kallen’s side with her elbow. “Too bad they chose to bring out a living armour of all things, against me.” Ambre shook her head then stretched out her other arm towards the Dullahan. Her spells jumped from the ramp and latched onto the Dullahan’s armour. “Time to can this tin man, scatter!”

Rather than breaking their opponent in a million tiny pieces as the mage girl expected her disassembly spell to do, the letters were swallowed up in the Dullahan’s aura. Before Ambre realised what happened, it raised its sword and within the blink of an eye; the mansion’s walls were reduced to dust!

Kallen hurried to dodge the swings and pulled his sister to the ground, dragging her away as thick pillars of rock came up through the wooden floorboards as a shield between them and the Dullahan. He didn’t expect it to hold for long, so Kallen focused on getting away.

“I believe the Dullahan may be invulnerable to our attacks. It absorbed your spell without any show of effort, so we should assume magic does not affect it.” He explained, frowning when he heard his stone wall crumbled in the background. “We may have to find a more creative way to defeat it than using a direct offensive approach.”

“Hah, nerd.” Ambre laughed - though she took Kallen’s observations to mind. Rising above the makeshift shelter, Ambre cast her disassembly spell once more, but on the ceiling this time. Cracks appeared in it and within seconds it gave in. Wood splinters and pieces of tiles fell from the gaping hole in the ceiling, before dropping an entire bathtub on top of the Dullahan from the floor above!

Kallen pulled up some of the floorboards to cover their heads, holding Ambre close and keeping a close eye on the cloud of dust where the bathtub had crashed. The dust cleared, and he caught sight of the tub thrown off to the side, the stone wall that had been broken moments before now put back together and shielding the Dullahan. Kallen was up in a second and once again pulling Ambre away from the creature, his thoughts racing a mile a minute.

“The Dullahan can absorb all our magical attacks and replicate the spells. I doubt we are able to defeat it with magic attacks.” Kallen tried to explain as they ran, the gaps between words growing as Kallen ran out of breath. He stopped at the guest rooms and let go of his sister, heading straight for the rune book. “Fortunately, the Dullahan is a summoned creature. If we find the summoning rune and break it, the creature will disappear. The only problem is locating the rune.”

“I think it’s too soon to run out of breath, Kallen.” Ambre warned her brother. Not a second later, the headless horseman trashed into the room, door and all, heading straight for Kallen. Right before it could swing its sword at him, the floor under his feet crumbled; making him fall out of the Dullahan’s path the second it lashed out at him.

“Just because we can’t use magic on him, doesn’t mean we can’t use it on our selves!” Ambre shouted at her brother, “Get out of there!”

Kallen clutched the rune book close to his chest, a wave of his hand softening the soil at the bottom of the hole so it didn’t hurt when he met ground. “Well, I am certainly not leaving without you.” He grumbled, shifting the ground beneath his sister so she would fall down with him and hurriedly closing it up so they were protected, though only temporarily. It was pitch black, and Kallen touched a hand to one of the walls, a couple of bioluminescent mushrooms growing out from it.

Opening the rune book and flipping through the pages, he found a picture of the summoning rune required to bring a Dullahan into the surface world, holding it up so Ambre could see. “This is what we are looking for. Summoned creatures must follow direct orders, so whomever made the contract with the Dullahan must be relatively nearby, and a majority of summonings are short-term, so the rune will be nearby as well.”

“They’re a wizard thing, but that’s not the only thing crawling around. There’s a possession demon near the pillar and a slime who knows where.” Ambre replied, keeping her hands above her head to keep the sand out of her hair, (without success). They could hear the Dullahan trampling the floor, though it was unable to dig through the hard ground Kallen had put between the monster and them. When Kallen and Ambre turned out to be smarter than worms, the Dullahan seemed to leave the guest room above.

“Didn’t Takiya mention runes at dinner? Did he say anything about where he found them?” Ambre asked as the Dullahan’s footsteps quieted down.

“No, but I believe I heard a guard mention the Ginza District, and he did mention that it was found in an alleyway. That was for the rune Lukas and I are deciphering though, and it isn’t a summoning rune.” Kallen replied, closing the rune book and tucking it under his arm. “I am not sure how long we will be able to stay here safely. The Dullahan could be setting itself against the Kotonoha staff.”

Suddenly, Kallen's phone rang. “Are you going to take that?” Ambre asked, though her narrowed brow betrayed her suspicion. She grabbed Kallen's phone from his pocket, but the number on the display was unknown.

Ambre picked it up, “Hello, hello?” She tried to say, but dropped the phone from her hands. With eyes spurred wide-open she looked at Kallen, as her brother's phone landed on the speaker button. On the other end of the line, the Vermillion siblings heard only screaming.

Kallen couldn't help but cringe at the sound- one he had heard only once before, when their own house staff had been killed in the explosion that had destroyed the Vermillion pillar. The guilt he still felt over their deaths came flooding back, and Kallen hurriedly hung up the phone, reaching his arms up to touch the ceiling. The dirt easily began to wedge itself around and underneath the two of them, lifting them up to the surface.

“...Kallen? Ambre’s lip quivered as she caught sight of her brother’s expression. She squeezed his forearm, waiting for his answer.

Once light broke, Kallen dropped to a crouch, checking to make sure no one was in sight. The Dullahan was not immediately nearby, though screams and the cracking of wood could be heard in the distance. Glancing back and forth between his sister and the door of the room, Kallen finally ruffled Ambre’s hair and thrust one fist on the floor, the dirt from their shelter crawling up into a stone box around her.

“Kallen!” Ambre reached for her brother, but fell onto a stone wall. “Damn it! Kallen, don’t you dare!” She shouted, punching the stone box. The glimpse of light she’d just so briefly caught vanished in an instant. Her knuckles bled and her heart jumped up her throat. “Don’t you dare Kallen, don’t you fucking dare! I’m not letting you go alone!”

The wooden floor under Ambre’s feet pulverised into sawdust, but she was too late. Kallen’s cage already had a bottom. Ambre threw her shoulder against the box with all the strength she had, but Kallen’s magic didn’t budge. Neither did Ambre. “Kallen!” She shouted, unwaveringly tackling the box… But Ambre couldn’t even hear her brother anymore. She could feel her shoulder swell up and the sawdust irritating her eyes. The girl dropped to her knees in a whimper… “Kallen…”

Kallen checked to make sure the box was secure and tucked the book safely next to it before racing out of the room, following the sounds of battle. He ended up in what had once been the guest quarter’s entrance, the walls and ceiling now gone, shrapnel and torn rice paper littering the ground and the smell of death lingering in the air.

There were already bodies. Not many, which Kallen was grateful for- it seemed the Kotonoha staff knew how to protect themselves and each other. But there were still bodies.

Bodies that may not have been there had he not retreated and hid from his opponent.

The Dullahan was standing above the chaos, showing no emotion or hesitation as it threw down another wall. Kallen erected a wall of dirt and grass to shield him from shrapnel, and when the barrage ended, he moved the wall around a group of fleeing servants, trapping them in stone much the same way Ambre was back in his room. It was the best way to keep them safe, as the Dullahan didn't seem to be able to dig through it.

Testing the waters, Kallen thrust a small mound of dirt and grass straight at the Dullahan’s chest. The mound was dissolved and instantly fired back at him. Kallen dodged with a frown, confirming that he wouldn't be able to use magic to fight. Seems I will simply have to use hand-to-hand.

Waiting for the Dullahan to strike first, Kallen dodged its attack, ducking under the swing and sliding over the grass to punch it in the gut. His hand cracked painfully on hard armor and he reared back, swearing under his breath. The hit had done no damage, not to his opponent at least. The Dullahan took his pause as an opening and backhanded Kallen across the courtyard.

Struggling to grasp his breath, Kallen dug one hand deep into the dirt, encasing a few more of the servants in stone and hoping the shelters would hold. He stood, keeping all the attention on himself, and picked up a decent-sized rock from the ground, waiting for the Dullahan to charge. When it finally did, he just barely ducked beneath its swing, shoving the jagged edge of the rock in between the cracks of the creature’s armor.

The Dullahan jerked back in what Kallen hoped was pain, and he threw the rock at it as it retreated. He quickly learned that it didn't like being injured.

Kallen, having already grown tired from lack of proper battle stamina, found it harder to keep up with the Dullahan’s suddenly frantic swings at him. Some of his hair littered the soil where he'd been too slow to dodge, and he'd bitten through his tongue at some point, blood spilling over onto his shirt. The Dullahan did not slow down, and Kallen grunted as the blunt edge of its longsword hit him across the chest, pushing him back a few steps.

Kallen dodged another swing of the sword, a dodge too close for comfort, only to find the creature anticipating his move. The Dullahan’s horse turned faster than should have been possible, its back hooves kicking him several feet away, his head cracking on one of his own stone cages, effectively knocking him unconscious. The stone cages dissolved with him.

A ray of light passed through Ambre's earth prison. As the sun touched her face, Ambre looked up to see her cage was falling apart. She tried to pick herself up, but her left arm wasn't responding to her. It was swollen and bruised, from her shoulder to her elbow. Her knee was blemished black and pain seethed through her entire leg. Clenching her teeth, Ambre raised from her crumbling prison. “...Kallen? She whispered against her better judgement, but her brother was nowhere to be seen.

The sawdust recollected itself into the shape of a staff that the girl could lean on. Cold sweat ran down her spine and her heart hadn't left her throat. Ambre saw the book Kallen had left under the newly formed pile of dirt. A bookmark was stuck between the pages... He couldn't have/ She feared the worst.

The staff trembled in her hand as Ambre walked through the corridors. She heard screaming and shouting faintly – as if she was wearing earplugs. She dragged her feet. Ambre's body was telling her she was going to a place she did not want to be, but like a moth drawn to a flame, the girl could not help but follow the echoes down the mansion.

Two of the Kotonoha guards, a male wizard and a female knight, ran past Ambre. “Miss Vermillion?” She could barely hear one guard speak as the knight turned around. The knight must had been in her early thirties. Her left eye was shut and judging by the sweat on her brow and scratches on her face, she must had fought recently. “What's going on, are you alright?” The knight asked, but Ambre didn't answer. The woman shook her head, then ran ahead ahead. Ambre followed.

Each step she took, her sense of pain seemed to fade, voices grew softer – and her heartbeat, still beating like a drum, almost felt like it slowed down. The two guards lead Ambre back to the guest quarters. The walls were torn down and past them, she recognised domes made of dirt… Kallen!

Rushing forward as fast as a leg and a staff allowed her, Ambre turned round the corner. The familiar silhouette of a headless but mounted knight loomed over one of the domes; it’s sword repeatedly slamming down against a reinforced katana, drawn by the woman knight that had passed her earlier. Like Takiya earlier, the woman’s veins lit up like magic circuits, strengthening the muscles in her arms and legs; but with each and every strike she was forced further back… And behind her laid the unconscious body of Kallen!

Time slowed in front of Ambre’s eyes. She could not tear her eyes away from her brother. The sound of the clashing blades muffled. The wizard guard was shouting at her, but she couldn’t hear what he said. Even her own heart, Ambre could no longer feel…

---

“Kallen, Kallen, I did it!”

Ambre's memories flooded her mind. She saw herself, with small, cement-covered hands, standing in a pile of dust in her mother's mansion. It was the first time she'd successfully cast a deconstruction spell; and the living room wall had felt it! There was a giant gaping hole where nicely layered bricks were supposed to go and Ambre – at six years old, had ran up to her brother's room and dragged him downstairs by the sleeve.

“I touched it and it went boom!” The girl beamed at Kallen. She could hardly contain herself, jumping up and down as she pointed at the hole. “And look, look, now it's gone!”

“Wow. Did you do that? You are amazing.” Kallen ruffled his sister's hair, smiling in a way even Ambre rarely saw him do.

“I did, I did!” Ambre grabbed her brother's hand and pet herself with it more. “I'm going to show mum, then she'll let me go to school!”

For a second, Kallen's smile vanished. As if Ambre had been speaking of the devil, Elise Vermillion came down the stairs. Ambre felt a gust of wind swoop through her hair and then the corridor; taking out the dusty mess she had created.

“What is this!” Her mother gasped, but unlike her brother, Elise did not smile at all. The woman's brow narrowed – and for a split second wrinkles blinked in and out of existence. “Who did this to the house?” She shrieked in anger. Ambre balled her fists.

“I am sorry mother, one of my spells went wrong.” Kallen answered, before Ambre could even say a thing. She tried to protest, but Kallen covered her mouth. “It is my fault.”

“Well of all-” Their mother could barely restrain herself. “Kallen, we're having a word right now!” Elise barked at him and grabbed Kallen by his sleeve. Ambre tried to run after her brother, but her legs were too short to keep up. Kallen turned his head and smiled at her, silently hushing her by putting his index finger to his lips as Elise pulled him up the stairs.

---

The Dullahan had forced the knight her back against the wall. With a fell swoop of its sword, it knocked up her katana and with its heels, the monster spurred on the horse to trample her! The knight raised a force field in a knick of time, but was thrown back through the wall, into the kitchen. For a second, the Dullahan hovered over Kallen, but decided to pursue its opponent.

The memory faded from Ambre’s head. As did the feelings from her heart. The scene in front of her, the knight defending Kallen, the wizard handing out shield charms to all the servants emerging from the domes… She could see it all in slow motion. Ambre’s mind had never felt so clear. She tore her body from her thoughts, as every step she took after the knight and the Dullahan, she sizzled with magic. Ambre brushed Kallen’s cheek with her fingers as she passed him; he was still warm.

Inside the kitchen, the Dullahan had its opponent on the ropes. There was a dent near the midriff of it’s armour, but it still fought ferociously. Ambre could see the knight’s lips move, trying to tell her something while she was fighting, but Ambre still heard no sound.

The mage her mana seeped into the entirety of the kitchen. Each cupboard, each drawer, each oven, she could feel their presence like extensions of her own body. As the Dullahan raised its sword once more, the beams tore from the floor and the exposed water pipes burst; throwing Dullahan and horse of their feet and tossing them across the room.

The entirety of the estate began to rumble, as a golden glow spread like cracks through the kitchen. The knight ran up to Ambre, but the girl could not tell what she was saying. The floors fragmented and - with pipelines spurring them, the kitchen floor rolled like waves around her. Knives rattled in their drawers and gas stewed from their stoves. The knight grabbed Ambre’s shoulder, but the mage’s magic overtook the knight’s clothing; sewing her legs together. The knight was then toppled by the maelstrom of wood, water and tiles underneath her, as it roughly tossed the woman out of the kitchen.

The horse could hardly catch it’s footing. The Dullahan tried to stab it’s sword in the floor to absorb the magic, but to no avail. The mana ebbed and flooded faster than it could pinpoint Ambre’s spells. An indiscriminate chaos of magic tore down the foundation of the kitchen. Chunks of wood and stone rained from the ceiling, Fire-alarms screeched. Sprinklers and pipelines stormed water everywhere. The Dullahan’s horse climbed atop a kitchen counter, using the isle for a short gallop, before it jumped at Ambre.

A burst of gas met the Dullahan mid-air and the stove flickered; blasting a stream of fire at the horseman’s side! The Dullahan was blown off it’s horse and both crashed into the floor. The horse landed inches in front of Ambre, who promptly opened a drawer with her staff. The kitchen knives glued onto it, forging a heavy spear, which Ambre, barely glancing at the beast, plunged into it’s neck. The horse convulsed and it bled and burned - but the girl’s eyes were fixed on the Dullahan.

The headless armour was at the mercy of Ambre’s maelstrom, tossed around like a ragdoll by the waves, it could no longer get up. The raging seas split before their creator as Vermillion mage approached the Dullahan, bowing for her each time her spear tapped the floor. Behind Ambre coiled gas lines; like snakes they leered over her shoulders. One wave after another, they spit fire at the Dullahan; boiling it inside of it’s armour.

If it screamed, Ambre couldn’t hear it. Once it was a medieval harness, but now the Dullahan’s form was broken, malformed and melting. As if paying the girl their respects, the closer Ambre came, the calmer the floors and walls that had so violently trashed her foe became. The Dullahan lied at her feet, convulsing with the last of its strength inside of its red-hot armour. Ambre knelt down, being so close to the glowing iron brought sweat to her forehead, but the girl did not care. Her index finger touched the armour, the blaze consumed her skin, but Ambre’s senses were too numb to feel the pain. Her magic spread throughout the harness; transforming its protective layers into spikes bent inwardly. The limbs melted together. The visor closed. The Dullahan’s armour warped into an iron maiden; with the monster still inside.

Slowly, Ambre could feel her heartbeat returning. Pressure built up in her ears - as if landing a plane. Her knees submitted to the sudden weight in her chest, she would have tumbled over if it weren’t for a pair of hands catching her fall. It was the Kotonoha guard, the woman knight, who pulled Ambre against her breast. A beeping noise filled Ambre’s head, although she knew for sure the woman was supposed to be talking. “...Kallen?” Ambre muttered. The woman pointed her finger outside where her wizard companion was performing first aid on the white-haired Vermillion boy.

“...Thank… You.” Ambre’s voice was hoarse and small. She let the knight support her in the spear’s stead and for a brief moment, she felt the weight slide off her chest.

K O T O N O H A
T A K I Y A
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「Magic Knight 2」

「#965660 | #DFA855 」

「♬」

After the demon possessing Yukito had been expelled from his body, the white hair boy laid where he was struck, motionlessly. "Yukito!" Takiya called out hastily as he dashed forward towards his apprentice, unwrapping him off the prayer bead and held the younger boy up in his arm. His breath was weakened, but fortunately, his heart was still beating. His eyes, demonically reddened only a while ago, are now back to their primitive state. Yukito then stirred and mumbled weakly, "T...Takiya-sama... is that... you?"

Takiya smiled lightly and brushed some of Yukito's stranded hair away, "Yes, it's over now. Just rest."

As if a sense of relief and assurance had just washed over him, Yukito's consciousness left him completely as he nudged over Takiya's shirt. Holding the boy up in his arms, he stood up and turned to Risako and Lukas, "Let's get outta here. I have a feeling our estate has already been wrecked into a ruin up there already. But don't let your guard down yet." With that said, the three of them made their way out of the sanctuary. For now, the Pillar will be safe, as Minami can take care of any other intruders should they have the guts to face her head on.

And as Takiya expected, the scenery outside the well is a complete mess. Every corner of the estate was reduced to ruin. One good thing though, is that there seemed to be no more monsters wandering about, as the guards have apparently dispersed of them for now. However, most of them are all worn out and wounded, as the few lucky unscathed ones are trying to clean up the mess that the attackers left behind and tend for the less lucky ones.

So, the Vermillions and the Isharians are also like this when they were under attack... Takiya thought and sighed. Never had he thought they would be struck with such severe casualty like this. All of the security tasked with the duty of supervising the estate are of the top elites, yet there are those who have died for their causes. This could only proved how much the odds are against them in the upcoming days, not to mention that the Drakens are even yet to step into play. They need to step up their games now, or everything they are trying to fight for is lost.

"Takiya-san." Shinoda and Tetsuo called over to Takiya as they approached him. They too didn't look very bright after what had happened, but at least they are still alive.

"Glad to see you two didn't end up in body bags." He nodded to them, "How's thing?"

"It seemed that the situation was much worse than we anticipated, but luckily the body count is kept at the lowest possible. I think we have warded them off for now, but I have no ideas when will they strike again. Hopefully we'll be more ready when that happen."

"What's done is done, we'll see if we can rejuvenate the situation before we face another storm." Takiya remarked, "Let's focusing on cleaning things up and heal our wounds for now. Get me a medic." He then carried Yukito into the nearest room that hadn't been destroyed yet

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It was the third time those two trying to corner me up and tried to beat me to a pulp already. I don't know what exactly that had happened. All that I've ever seen in my life is darkness. Yet, this time, I don't know why, but I felt as if a hidden strength within me had told me to fight back, to live on even though I have no directions to aim for, and to no longer running. And before I could even notice, I have taken them down.

"Hey boy, nice putting these two scoundrels down. You okay?"

Another man approached me, and I have no idea who he is, or how he looked like. But I can faintly felt that he is extending his arm, offered to lift me up. Unlike the two I beaten down, this person exerted no ill intentions towards me, but he is much, much stronger than them, and at the same time intimidating. I felt like if he wanted to kill me, then he would be able to do it in mere seconds. That was enough to send chills through my back, as shook my head violently and curled into a ball.

"Hey, no worries. I'm not going to harm you or anything. Tell me your name?"

"... I... don't know... For as long as I know... I have been wandering on these streets..."

"You're visually impaired, yet you managed to survive that long by relying on your other senses alone, completely unaided. That, I must say, is simply remarkable. I don't think I could have been able to pull that off if I were you."

Although the man is still quite intimidating, at the same time, his words also felt so... tender and genuinely caring. Never in my life have someone treated me that way. And somehow, strange feelings I have never had before filled my heart.

"Thank... you...?"

"Say, I think if you are trained enough, you will be very strong one day. I certainly can use a hand like you around my place." He extended his arm once again towards me, "So what do you say? Will you come with me and be my apprentice?"

Those words for me were like a lifesaver, and I certainly would be a fool to pass such an offer. But somewhere in my heart, I think I accepted it simply because that I wanted to know more about this man, and to be closer to him. So, like someone who was offered a rescued hand after having drifting on the ocean for ages, I reached out my own hand to him.

"Yes."

"That's good. My name is Takiya, I came from the Kotonoha household." The man called Takiya helped me to stand up, as he patted my shoulder, "You have beautiful white hair like snow, and since you don't know your name, from now on I will call you 'Yukito', how does that sound?"

I don't think I have ever smiled so happily in my life before, as I was quick to accept my new given name. I must looked really silly back then, but I don't think I care, as I know for sure that... I was saved.

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Two Days Later

Everything slowly went back into order as two days slowly passed by after the attack of the monsters on the Kotonoha estate. As far as things are concerned, no Drakens were involved in this attack, but the monsters surely must have taken orders from someone. The explanations are still on Lukas and Kallen, who have been researching the magic circle that Takiya found, though after their encounter with the dullahan demon, both Kallen and Ambre have been shaken up quite a bit, and Kallen have been outcold ever since. One good thing though is the wrecked Kotonoha estate is now restored with the help of Ambre and the guards, and those who survived the attack are now healed and revitalized, prepared for any further movements from the invaders. Those who unfortunately given up their lives have also been given proper burial.

On other news, Rosa somehow had disappeared during the whole ordeal and was nowhere to be found. The search for her had been going on for the past two days, yet there were no positive results so far. The Isharian household on the other side of the world was quick to be informed by this and they have promised to send another one of their wizards as a temporal replacement for Rosa until she is found.

They were all shaken up by what had happened, but they all know the risks, and they needed to be vigilant still.

Yukito began to stir as the sunshine peaked through the curtain of the room he was lying in. "Morning, sleepy head. How do you feel?" Takiya, who was sitting next to the futon he laid on, asked with a light smile.

"Takiya-sama?" He abruptly sat up when he heard the familiar voice, then turned his face away while blushing a little, "I... I'm fine. Better than ever, I suppose."

"You've been out cold for two days already, you know." Takiya filliped on Yukito's forehead, which caused the boy to let out an 'Ow' why rubbing the place where he was hit, "Just how careless you are to allow yourself to be possessed like that?"

"I... I'm sorry. Everything was in such a ruse back then..." He gripped the blanket, feeling guilty for having caused trouble for his master. But then, he was taken aback when Takiya ruffle his hair, "Just kidding. I was worried, you know. Be sure to watch your back next time." He said with a smile.

Yukito's face scrunched up as if he wanted to cry, and then without restraining himself, turned to Takiya and hugged him, buried his face into his well-toned abs. "H-Hey, what's wrong?"

"I swear... I'll never leave your side... Takiya-sama... I'll give up even my life for you..." The white hair boy mumbled between sobs, which left Takiya to blink in confusion, as he was left stunned by the sudden emotional outbreak of his apprentice. But he just let Yukito to hug him anyway.

"Yeah, I know. You're important to me too, so don't come dying." Takiya ruffled the boy's hair like a mother comforting her child and smiled.

---

No matter the clear skies in Tokyo, Ambre’s head had been clouded for the past two days. She sat next to Kallen’s futon, legs folded sideways as she looked over her brother. Ambre wore bags under her eyes, her long hair tangled and her cheeks had sunk in. Not a sleight of her usual energy had shown since the invasion, rather, Ambre had communicated more with glares than words.

Between waiting at her brother’s bedside, Ambre had spent her days helping with the repairs to the Kotonoha mansion. Though she could feel the opinions on Ambre’s actions were somewhat divided - he dullahan’s summoning circle had been found and erased, but she’d heard the staff talk about how it’s cries still haunted their nightmares - it seemed the previous head Kotonoha Minami valued the victory more than the methods. Her fingers still ached, even if the resident staff had healed back her skin - at least, after Ambre persistently refusing treatment until she had restored the kitchen scene.

With said fingers, Ambre weakly clutched onto Kallen’s blanket. Even now, the fear he’d instilled in her still echoed. Not if I have anything to say about it. Ambre had repeated in her mind. She had told Takiya and Risako that security lacked something - and whether her hosts would like it or not, Ambre was determined to make up for it. With her free hand, she took out her phone. It was a new model after Lukas had… Not exactly brought her old one back in any recognisable shape or size. She wasn’t exactly sure why the wizard had deemed it appropriate to buy her one in a Hello Kitty case, but at this point in time, Ambre couldn’t bring herself to care much.She opened the messaging app, better able to recognise it by its symbol than the moonrunes on the display, before popping up the qwerty keys and entering a message for Lukas.

fullmetal | you made a map tracking kallen and me.
fullmetal | for how many people can you do that?
fullmetal | how much time do you need?

Lukas answered almost instantly. If she didn’t know better, Ambre could have sworn the boy had his phone glued to his hand.

Glassabi | uh ye. idk, i think a lot of ppl? Depends on how many there r n if they gt maps. Takes a few min tops why?
Glassabi | if ur planning on pranking every1 dont minami n takuya will kill u ( ;-_-)

fullmetal | no.
fullmetal | i’m planning to prevent future murder.
fullmetal | can you do track people without maps?

Glassabi | ok. And uhhhh
Glassabi | it’ll take me some time but
Glassabi | mb?
Glassabi | i passed out some charms td t evry1
Glassabi | made some fr u 2
Glassabi | i can recog the settings t trak the charms instd of the maps
Glassabi | shldnt take me much but why?

fullmetal | if you can track who goes in and out
fullmetal | at what time
fullmetal | you can see when someone unusual comes in. when someone goes somewhere unusual. i can make sure that gets analysed. i can eliminate the possibility of invasion.
fullmetal | your sister is missing. with this i could have found out what happened.

Glassabi | I… ye. I guess so hmm
Glassabi | but thats not ur goal. Nors the rescuing people. I think
Glassabi | ur doing this for Kallen, arent you?

Ambre bit her lip, Who does he think he is? She muttered inwardly. It was a good thing they were having this conversation over text instead of face to face, because if looks could kill...

fullmetal | so?

Ambre promptly admitted. Though her fingers were weak, in that fraction of time she felt like she could have crushed the tiny pink device with her bare hands.

Glassabi | ... how long have yo bn up? U eaten anything?

fullmetal | will you do it?

Glassabi | answer my question and ill ans yours.
Glassabi | if you havent i can get something fr you to eat

fullmetal | i haven’t.
fullmetal | don’t bother.

Glassabi | r u kidding me of course im gonna bother!

You clueless little… Ambre almost hissed at the phone. As if she could even get one bite down her throat with Kallen like this. Ambre grinded her teeth. You need his help. You need his help.

fullmetal | not hungry.

Glassabi | dsnt mean you dont need to eat.
Glassabi | ill bring you fd. I dont think Kallen wants his sister fainting from not eating and i nd 2 pass you guys stuff anyways, so 2 birds 1 stone.

fullmetal | whatever.

Glassabi | if you dont take care of urself im not helping u with the system. Nd 2 tell Lady Minami first tho cause its her house

fullmetal | if you must.

Glassabi | Rosa would murder me if i found her with the wrong methods
Glassabi | what d’u want 2 eat?

The door opened the same time the message arrived. Shoulders tense, Lukas stepped into the room like a soldier into the battlefield. “What do you want to eat?” he asked with a smile, phone in hand. “We could get something from the kitchens if we ask nicely. Uh. Probably.”

The wizard however, was met with a cold glare, but Lukas’ smile was set into his face like hardening cement. “If you’re worried about Kallen, this charm will help to take care of him.” Lukas produced the wooden charm in his hand, showing it carefully to Ambre. His tone was gentle, considerate but firm. “Eating is necessary. I don’t think Kallen will be happy to know that you stayed up all this time without taking care of yourself.”

”Over there.” Ambre pointed at Kallen’s bedside, her tone of voice chilling even her own spine. She looked Lukas dead in the eye. Her lip trembled, but Lukas continued to smile like a generator at full blast, eyes turning into little upside down crescents with the force of it. Stalwartly, he looked utterly unaffected as he walked by her, but the trembling of his hands betrayed his anxiety.

“Got it.” Carefully, he placed the charm at Kallen’s bedside. The charm glowed a warm kaleidoscope of leafy colors before settling on maple red, and Kallen’s bed was immediately surrounded by a faint clear barrier. Even Ambre could feel a gentle warmth radiating from the charm - and when she blinked a slight hint of colour seemed to have returned to Kallen’s cheeks.

“It’ll protect him until we get back, or when he wakes up.” Dusting his hands, Lukas turned to face her, still wearing the same smile. “And this is yours. Here.” Walking over to her, Lukas handed her two charms - the protection charm he had made in bulk and a ceramic green-glazed spiral.

The ceramic spiral was cool to the touch, and the moment Ambre took it, she could smell pine tree and petrichor, as if her skin-contact ignited a scent candle. As though Lukas had opened a window she could feel a soft breeze against her skin. Within a fraction of a second she dropped charm and it’s effects faded.

”I’m fine. Thank you.” Ambre replied in a low growl - even if she still looked and sounded far from it. She brushed the charm further away with the back of her hand, her lip twisting in disgust as she touched it.

From Lukas’ gift on the floor, Ambre heaved her gaze up to the wizard once more. ”I’d like to be alone.” She stated monotonously, but visibly trembling. The pounding of her heart echoed in the hollow of her chest. ”Please leave me be.”

With a sigh, Lukas walked towards the fallen charm. “Alright.” He said easily, still smiling, but the worry behind his eyes was apparent. The charm had fallen in front of Kallen’s bed, and Lukas crouched down to pick it up, tapping lightly against the floor. His expression was hidden as he picked up the charm, but his voice was gentle as he asked, “Just answer me this - why do you want to be alone?”

”Go away.” Ambre’s voice quivered and tears welled up in her red eyes. ”Go away. Lukas.” Her fists clenched. Her skin crawled. Her voice raised. ”Go away.”

“And I will, if you tell me how going away and leaving the both of you alone will help Kallen.” Lukas’s voice was still light, even in tone as he carefully stared at the floor, but his shoulders were tensed like he was ready for a blow. Quietly, he placed the charm back on the floor. “I know you’ve been taking care of him, and I understand that you’ve been doing a really good job of it, but leaving only one person to guard Kallen seems foolhar-”

Lukas' speech was cut short as the floor behind him gave in; the beams under his feet bent upward; throwing him off his feet face onto a makeshift wooden catapult that - with no hesitation - launched Lukas back the way he'd entered Kallen's room. Midflight, Lukas could see the door he just flew through transforming into solid wall before he even landed.

The impact to the wall didn’t do a thing - the charm Lukas had made only yesterday protected him. With a shaky sigh, he sat down, leaning his back against the wall.

“-dy.” His voice echoed from inside the room as if hidden speakers had activated. “That was pretty rude, Ambre. Especially since I hadn’t finished what I was saying. You look like you’ve gotten no sleep, and you haven’t eaten anything. That’s why I added my protection charm, in case you felt like doing that anytime soon.”

Lukas' protests were met with silence, but thirty seconds later his phone vibrated on the other end of the wall.

fullmetal | go away or suffer consequences.

It didn’t take Lukas more than a few moments to respond.

Glassabi | Id love to, but I have a promise 2 keep. Kallens share s also on the tray outside, givit 2 him when he wakes up!

The Hello Kitty case crumbled to dust in Ambre’s hand alongside the replacement phone, and the calming charm Lukas had left as his speaker was impaled by a stake that rose from the floor. Ambre put her head down on Kallen’s chest, drying her eyes with the blanket. ”Please wake up soon.” She whimpered. The girl didn't know how much more she could take.

---

Kallen’s breath became uneasy. Ambre raised her head from his chest; there was sweat on her brother’s brow. His mouth opened, but no words came out. Ambre took Kallen’s hand with both of hers, as she watched him toss and turn… But as Kallen did… Reflections of her own home started to appear on the room’s walls. Ambre’s heart skipped a beat. It was almost as if their mother’s magic was present in Tokyo, but the reflections were more treble than Elise’ picture-like illusions. Yet they distinctly showed her something… As if she was peering straight into Kallen’s dreams.

Kallen stands in the Vermillion estate dining hall, the table impossibly long, stacks of plates and piles of cutlery set on trolleys against one wall. Elise stands at the end of the hall, poised as ever, her face impassive as her steely gaze settles on Kallen.

“Kallen.” She says, voice hard. “Set the table, properly.”

Nodding without a word, Kallen steps over to where the plates are set, taking them off the tall stacks one by one and setting them in their places. He moves as quickly as he can without endangering the dishes, and then repeats the action for the glasses, and then the cutlery.

When the table is set, Kallen turns to his mother, only to find her staring back at him with a look of disappointment. “You have failed, Kallen.” She says.

Kallen whips back to the table, searching for what it is he did wrong, but as he turns, his pants catch on the tablecloth and drags the entire table setting off and crashing to the floor, plates and glasses shattering into a million pieces and the tablecloth fading the floor into black.

Then, Kallen is standing in the courtyard, a man standing a few feet in front of him, Elise on the other side of the area. The man bows politely, and Kallen bows back, confused.

“Kallen, defeat your instructor in this match.” Elise says. Kallen nods in silent affirmation.

The man flies forward, and Kallen ducks between the blows, shooting out to attack but never getting close enough to do damage. Barely a minute has passed and Kallen is exhausted, his dodges slowing until his instructor finally hits and knocks him across the yard.

Kallen struggles to catch his breath and looks up to find Elise right above him. “You have failed, Kallen.”

The image swirls and then Kallen is looking out a gaping hole in the wall of the main hallway of the estate, the Vermillion Pillar in the distance, crumbling to the ground. Pools of blood and lifeless bodies litter the ground, the smell of death overwhelming all of Kallen’s sense, screams and Elise’s cold voice sounding in his ear. “You have failed, Kallen.”

“Kallen?” Ambre her own hands felt ice-cold in contrast to Kallen’s sweaty palms. She clenched her brother’s hand tight, but could not tear her eyes from the scenes Kallen was showing her.

Like a picture from a horror film, Elise’s body distorts grossly into abstract shapes and lines until it is no longer Elise’s face looking at him, but Ambre’s, mouth scrunched up into a signature scowl as she glares down at her smaller brother- symbolic of how small he feels despite his gigantic height. As Ambre’s gaze bores down on Kallen, he tries to move but can’t, transfixed by her stare.

Ambre looks away with a click of her tongue, glancing back at her brother with a look of disappointment in her eyes, leaving without so much as a word. Kallen reaches out for her but finds her image disappearing-

Kallen’s eyes fluttered open, then shut reflexively against the light. When he opened them again, Kallen was met with a silent, red-eyed gaze. The pale figure of his sister hunched over him, her pupils flickering and tracking even his slightest moves. Her hands, though meagre and cold, squeezed his as if they were stuck in a trash compactor. Ambre’s lip quivered for a moment, before she toppled over her brother and hugged him tight. Kallen could feel Ambre’s chest heave as she pressed him against it with all her might.

Kallen opened his mouth to speak, but the only thing that came out was a pathetic squeak, followed by a coughing fit that made his throat sore and eyes water. He settled for moving his heavy arms to rest over Ambre, savoring the warmth of her back and the knowledge that she is alive and well, and not disappointed in him, if the bone-crushing hug was any indication.

“I saw your dream.” Ambre’s hoarse voice mumbled. Behind her, Kallen could see familiar watery images, blurring back into the estate’s walls. “You’re my only family. You better not think I’m ever leaving you. Because I won’t. Ever. I don’t care what Elise says or what the world thinks.” Ambre’s fingers cling to the back of his shirt, her chin weighing down on his shoulder. “You’re my brother.”

“But you better not lock me up again, Kallen.” Ambre’s grip loosened as she spoke his name. Kallen’s sister raised her head to face him, brushing away the tangled hair that dangled in front of her eyes. Though red and teary, they were stern and unrelenting. “That thing. It could have killed you.” Her voice shook, worming itself through the chokehold of emotion. “What if it had, Kallen? What if it had?”

Kallen coughed a couple of times, fingers curled into Ambre’s hair. His voice was soft and every word made his eyes tear up, but he spoke anyway. “If it had, then you would go on to kill it and protect everyone in my stead.” He said, honest despite the dark undertone of the phrase. “You’re stronger without me than you are when I’m here, holding you back with rules and propriety.”

“Liar.” Ambre balled her fists. “You are demonstrably wrong.” She snorted, let go of Kallen and stood up. “One-” She counted the reasons on her hand. “You were faster to deduce its ability to absorb and replicate magic. Two, you know I’m no good at conventional magic, so you raised a barrier to protect me. Three, you....” Ambre scraped her throat. “You put a dent in it’s armour, in that way you told me it could be manipulated. That’s how I killed it.”

Ambre turned away, hiding her expression from Kallen. “I didn’t go and erase the circle like you said I should. I didn’t go and protect everyone in your stead. I ran to you. I wanted to save you, I just wanted to save you…” There was a break in her voice, as she swallowed a fraction of her emotion. “But I couldn’t escape your stupid cell - and when I did, I couldn’t even make it in time.” Even in her draping clothes, it was clear how Ambre’s entire figure shivered at the memory.

“One of the guards did. She fought the monster too, she was the one protecting everyone. She sacrificed an eye, you know?” Ambre’s voice shook despite the iron grip she tried to maintain on her throat. “You know what I did? You know what I felt?” She asked her brother, for just a second looking him in the eye.

“I put the estate in shambles. I wanted… I wanted that piece of shit to feel powerless before I killed it. I wanted it to suffer. I wanted it to fear me before it died.” Ambre’s feelings ran down her cheeks - shaken to a point Kallen had never seen his sister before. “And it’s not just some stupid monster, Kallen. Ask Elise. Ask her servants. Ask any fancy-pants stuck-up little mage. Ask any of them how much of a protector I am, how much of a Vermillion I am.”

Her chest heaved. Her pupils had grown small - and so did her voice; “I don’t care, you know? I don’t care what they think. It’s fine.” Ambre whispered, sitting down to once more clamp Kallen’s hand. “But if you really believe I’m any kind of strong, it’s only because of you. You were the first person to ever be proud of anything I ever did, Kallen. Maybe you’re the only one who ever was.”

She sat up, wrapped her arms around Kallen’s head and pulled it against her chest. Contrasting her voice, Ambre’s heartbeat was fast and heavy. “So don’t leave me, Kallen, and don’t you lie to me. You’re my brother and worth more to me than anyone else in the world.”

Kallen listened to every word Ambre said with rapt attention. Having bottled up everything he felt for so long, he couldn’t help but let out his tears into his sister’s shirt, weak arms wrapping around her middle and holding as tight as he could. “I promise.” He whispered. “I promise never to lie to you again.”