A familiar figure stood at the terrace entrance.
"Sorry, sorry." Sebastian Valcor stepped forward into the moonlight, both hands raised. "Terrible timing, I know."
Behind him, another figure emerged.
Seraphina Vale, her violet eyes sweeping across the scene before her lips curved upward.
Damian’s hands dropped from Luna’s immediately as he stepped back, putting space between them, his spine straightening.
Luna’s cheeks flushed red. She didn’t move away completely, but her eyes darted between Sebastian and Seraphina, her jaw tightening.
’Uncle?! I haven’t heard from him in months! Of all the times, why would he appear now?!’
Sebastian’s hands stayed raised, his expression apologetic.
"Look, the door was open. Neither of you noticed us coming up." His mouth quirked. "Also, we wanted to surprise you for your birthday, Damy... Looks like it worked better than expected Hehe."
Seraphina moved forward, her face softening as she looked at Damian.
"It’s been a while. You look well, all things considered."
’Wasn’t she in a coma?’
Damian stared at her, confusion rippling through him. But something in his chest loosened seeing his former professor standing there, alive and whole.
"Professor Seraphina." His voice came out softer than intended. "I didn’t expect to see you here."
"Clearly." Seraphina’s eyes flicked toward Luna, then back. "Should we come back later, or...?"
"No." The word came out too fast. "Let’s go down to my room. We should talk properly."
’Thankfully they came... Being alone with Luna has become dangerous these days...’
He moved toward the door without waiting for a response.
****
A few minutes later, they sat in one of the headquarters’ meeting rooms.
Damian and Luna on one side of the table, Sebastian and Seraphina on the other.
The introductions had just finished, Luna meeting the S+ rank professor for the first time.
’She’s the same as before...’
Damian’s eyes tracked the way Seraphina sat, her posture casual and lazy, just like the times when he used to visit her in the academy.
"It’s good to see you’re doing well now, Professor." He paused. "Though I didn’t know you were acquainted with my uncle."
Seraphina’s lips curved slightly, her hand moved to her collar, adjusting it.
"Ah, yes." She glanced at Sebastian. "Actually, your uncle’s the reason I recovered so quickly. After that portal incident with that bitch exploding..."
Her hand dropped to touch her side where one of the injuries had been.
"Military doctors gave up and thought I’d be comatose for months, maybe longer." She looked at Sebastian, something genuine crossing her face. "But Sebastian here had me conscious within weeks. The man’s a genius, whether he admits it or not."
Sebastian smiled under Damian’s stare, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
Luna leaned forward suddenly, her fingers stopped their drumming on the armrest.
"Uncle, where have you been for the past few months?" Her voice carried an edge. "There was no word from you... Not a single message or call."
Sebastian’s smile didn’t fade, but his shoulders shifted slightly.
"Well, I stayed in the Capitol to help my friends at the hospital with some patients who needed specific expertise." His hand gestured vaguely. "That’s where I found out about Seraphina being in a coma and started helping with her treatment, trying different approaches the military doctors hadn’t considered."
He paused, glancing at Seraphina.
"Things just... clicked. We got to talking once she woke up, realized we had more in common than either of us expected."
His expression became more serious.
"Then the red sky happened. That phenomenon that affected every awakener in the Federation." Sebastian’s voice dropped. "I’d been stuck at A+ rank for decades and couldn’t push past the limits no matter what I tried. But that event..." He looked directly at Damian. "Created an opportunity I couldn’t waste."
"So I took it and used the phenomenon to force my breakthrough to S- rank." He gestured toward Seraphina. "She’d just recovered and insisted on guarding me during the ascension... Even kept me alive when things got dangerous."
Sebastian gave Seraphina a warm look, she returned it as well, her expression shifting in ways that seemed foreign on her stern face.
Damian stared at them, his eyes narrowed fractionally.
’Are they... together?’
Sebastian continued, apparently oblivious.
"I finished the breakthrough a few days ago. That’s when I found out about everything that happened here in Tranquil city... The Shadow Council attack, the demons, all of it."
Seraphina’s smile died as her hands clenched on her knees.
"Who would’ve thought?" Her voice hardened, carrying edges that came from seeing too much combat. "That little Shadow Council turned out to be something like this... Demon contracts, rulers of the seven tribes, an entire organization filled with human traitors..."
Sebastian nodded, his face became serious.
"If you’d been here during the attack, you could’ve killed some of those Shadow Kings. Your experience, your rank..."
Seraphina shook her head, cutting him off.
"I’ve killed demons before, yes. Fought almost all kinds of them." Her hands clenched tighter. "But from the reports that I read, the Fourth Shadow King was contracted to the Envy tribe’s ruler."
Her violet eyes found Damian’s.
"I’ve only heard legends about those rulers... All seven of them are beings that transcend normal classifications. Even the strongest humans don’t want to meet one of them alone." She exhaled slowly. "I don’t think I could’ve killed him... At least not alone or without significant preparation and support."
She leaned forward.
"What shocks me is the Unnamed Four, especially Phantom." Her gaze intensified. "How did he even manage to kill the Fourth Shadow King? What kind of power does he have?"
Damian’s voice came out quiet.
"He burned his life force and pushed past every limit until his body was destroyed." He paused. "Almost died in the end. If it weren’t for Yara’s sacrifice, her new skill binding their life forces together..."
He didn’t finish, everyone already knew what had happened.
Seraphina studied his face for a long moment.
"You’ve come far, Damian." Her tone shifted, carrying something like pride. "I never thought you’d become this powerful so quickly. Last time I saw you at the tournament, you were C rank? Maybe C+?"
She shook her head slowly.
"Now you’re B+ rank with insane physical prowess and willpower. And that raven of yours..."
"It’s also incredibly talented. You’re almost like people from the beast world, the way you bond with it. Though they have actual beast features, you’ve managed something similar without any of that."
Damian’s expression remained calm, but his thoughts churned.
’Kuro hasn’t woken up since the attack...’
The realization settled uncomfortably.
’Is it because he’s severely injured? Or is he trying to break through after absorbing so much death energy during the battle?’
Sebastian nodded, his expression contemplative.
"Indeed. He’s grown in ways that defy normal progression." He stood suddenly. "Actually, Damy, come to the balcony with me for a second... Need to ask you something privately."
His eyes found Luna.
"Luna, you should get to know Seraphina better... She’ll be returning to teach at the academy."
Damian stood up without comment as he followed his uncle toward the balcony door.
Behind them, Luna’s voice started a conversation with Seraphina, the words fading as distance grew.
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