(Art by Chao this was an art fight attack he did last year and I'll be in it this year as well.)

Sitting at a table Kur waited for Velacera to return. Moments ago Velacera had patted the table and told Kur to wait there for him to return. Looking at their surroundings Kur admired the massive amount of books within the room. Seconds later Velacera came back carrying some books. But unfortunately for the candle hellspawn, there was a cracked title upturned within his path. Keeping at a steady pace Velacera walked directly towards the trip waiting to happen as Kur saw, within split seconds Velacera's boot caught the upturned tile as Velacera gasped out of instinct closing his eyes waiting for the impact.

When nothing happened Velacera opened his eyes to see in front of him the books were held in the air by chains. Looking around he saw Kur to the side of him as he moved his arms and felt that Kur had securely caught him in his embrace. "Are you alright, Velacera?" Kur asked seeing that Velacera was reacting to his surroundings.

"Y–yeah, wait did you catch me?" Velacera asked sort of confused.

"Yes," Kur said with no hesitation, "I saw seconds before the loose tile and act in mere instinct to catch you before hitting the ground." Kur smiled lightly before effortlessly standing to help Velacera to his feet as the chains clicked and set the books onto the table. "Sorry that I disobeyed you by leaving the table, Velacera," Kur spoke in a saddened tone.

"N–no! It's alright Kur you were okay to leave the table I meant not to wander off as this library can trap others in and make you feel lost and overwhelming. I should've made that clear and not vague," Velacera sweatdropped.

Kur tilted their head before nodding their head, "what might be in the books that you happened to pick out?" Kur asked looking at the books as Velacera sat down in the opposite facing chair. Velacera grabbed the top and opened it to a page before setting it down as Kur sat down facing Velacera. Turning the book around facing Kur's direction and pointed at a title.

"This book will help you understand more about us, hellspawns and Eldritch abominations. How we came about and why I'm being a little overprotective of you... As I stated before not all hellspawns will be like me, Lokomoor, Dadaki, and Fundicarne. As for the other books I'm thinking of teaching you simple spells just in case anything Intimidate happens you will have other things to rely on instead of your purification magic. But for now, it's best to educate with records I do not personally own but are accessible in the castle library," Velacera spoke in a firm voice as he grabbed the next book and began reading through its content trying to look for easy and simple replacement spells that could benefit both of them.

Kur looked from Velacera to the book then to Velacera before shrugging and began reading what Velacera had mentioned before. Further within the shelves of books, two other hellspawns were watching from afar. "There's your proof," one whispered, "no harm if it willingly caught a hellspawns with no disgust. Besides if it was truly harmful King Enma wouldn't have let it stay here."

"True ones purest heart has good deeds," the other rhymed speaking more, "thy's heart consumes of purity no other has that are rumored to be cold and heartless." The one rhyming took a step further from the bookshelf.

"Encre what are you doing?! We should leave them alone," the other spoke in a hushed hard tone.

"Only wishes to greet thy guest of the only burning candle in the dark," the accent could be heavily heard as they raised their voice. Towards the table, Kur picked up the voices before looking away from the book and turning towards the voices.

"What's wrong Kur?" Velacera noticed Kur's movements and looked towards where Kur's field of vision laid. "Hello!" Velacera called out since Kur only tends to be distracted by unknown uneasiness, Velacera noted several times when other hellspawns were drawing near his home or fighting in the distance. "Who's there? Show yourself!" Velacera was starting to become impatient as he worried about fending anyone off due to Kur's presence.

Not even a few seconds later two figures came into view. Encre and Pinpale came into view.

"Oh, it's you two," Velacera stood as to stop anything from truly happening, "you two are rarely here what brings you here today?" Velacera stood partially in front of Kur as Kur gave a curious look at the two new hellspawns.

"I got bored at my home and met Encre along the way before the acid rain. But more importantly," Pinpale tilted her head looking at Kur and leaning forward, "who's that celestial you're standing in front of?" Encre tilted her head as well to get a better look at Kur who was partially being blocked by Velacera. "I thought all books pointed towards hellspawns and celestials being mortal enemies?"

"They're my friend," Velacera began to sweat, "I saved their life and so they owe me," Velacera tried to make it sound like it was a summoning deal. Gulping down his doubts as he heard the ruffling of clothes behind him. Kur shifted in their chair to try to gain a better look at the newer hellspawns.

"No bounds bound them to you," Encre pointed out in clean words, "thy follow other by example, darkness engulfed them as thy try to find the light once more. The spark flickered their hopes in only bringing them peace once more." Kur raised an eyebrow as they felt the pinch of pain.

They have written it off as part of the newer hellspawns abilities. "See even Encre can see past your words so what's really going on here?" Pinpale hummed as they came closer, "is it that the Celestial cannot remember anything, or is it using you?"

Velacera's reasonable explanation diminished after hearing the accusation coming from the voodoo doll hellspawn. But before a word could escape his lips Kur had warped from behind Velacera to in front of him in a hot second.

"I seek nothing but solace as the young maiden spoke of," Kur remembered simple poetry from reading fantasy books back on their star, "wishing only for comfort and companionship is all I desire as thy witnessed hardships that left scars forever in my core. Cannot thy see that one accusation may lead to one's doubts and betrayals that never happened be punished wrongfully?" The three of them just stood and stared at them. However, Encre broke the silence.

"Thy have a seasoned tongue? To seek solace is to seek the purpose of moving forward?" Encre questioned as Kur nodded their head. Encre gave a slight smile. "Seeking companionship is greater than seeking betrayal as thy has a journey ahead set for greater goals to the heart!"

Encre seemed content and gave a nod of approval to Kur as Kur gave a slight bow, "I thank thy for encouragement as thy wish to only gain knowledge to use for other encounters later in the journey," Kur responded only using purification to a bare minimum as they felt Encre's rhymes begin to play with their mind. "As though wish not to be hurt by words? May thy lessen thy's phrasing?" Kur asked looking up as Encre nodded her head.

"H–how did you?" Velacera asked in confusion as Encre smiled holding her long sleeve to Kur as Kur let the inky substance lay on their hand.

"I read a few things before I met an unfortunate end so I was able to remember some literature that proved to be handy in this case," Kur smiled as a little blob of ink was left on their hand as Encre receded her sleeve.

"Thy wishes great fortune to the answers thy seek," Encre gave a nod before looking at Velacera, "companionship as you two hold is greatly sought but many can only find lies, I pray you to keep this companionship as it may prove greatly needed shortly." She smiled before walking away leaving Pinpale stranded standing there.

"Hey," Pinpale groaned sighing, "Encre what about seeking out that one poetry section like you promised!" Pinpale gave Kur one final glance before shrugging and hurrying up after Encre.

"That went better than I thought," Velacera slumped slightly as if he was exhausted, "at least you didn't take much damage to her poetry like normal mortals..... Usually, after the fifth verse, she speaks a typical mortal loses all sanity." Velacera moved slightly to sit back down as Kur looked at the ink blob Encre left for them.

"I laced my purification powers into my poetry to counter react to her poetry to create a stable atmosphere as I did start to feel a pinch of pain at her tenth verse," Kur held the blob of ink to Velacera, "I assume you know what this might mean as she gave it to me?"

Velacera shrugged his shoulders, "I have never seen her give one before I'm only going to assume she trusts you for now as she normally attacks and carves poetry into the skin to the people she does not like." Velacera sighed picking up the book once more, "so any questions or concerns you might have for the book I gave you?"

"Nai," Kur shook their head, "I understand that many things are at stake and many may not hold the best hospitality while I am here, however, in the first sentences of the next sections of chapters it mentions how every hellspawns and eldritch abomination has a relic or item they are formed after and a monstrous form that affects other beings sanity....... Does that mean you have one as well, Velacera?"

Velacera tensed as he bites his lower lip, "I don't use mine......" He spoke harshly and kept his gaze low.

Kur noticed the sudden change in Velacera, "so you do have one....... Is there something wrong with having one to use such hatred towards a form you were created with?" Kur knew there were wounds they couldn't see but they knew it would be like rubbing salt in the wounds to discuss it.

"It's a long story Kur," Velacera kept his gaze to the book, "but I will never use it even if my life is in danger..... Never again......." Kur sighed knowing it was like rubbing salt in the wounds.

"May I heard this story back home?" Kur was curious and really wish to know their friend from good times to the worst of times.

"Would you be mad at me? Be disgusted with me if I told you?" Velacera sounded like he was tearing up. Kur knew something was scaring Velacera and they understood the whole ordeal of trying to hide the pain they felt.

"My morals are to never judge based on pasts but to observe and care to those who hurt the most," Kur could never lie as they knew many were ugly before meeting them even on their star. But it was a learning experience they wish to never give up as it opened up more wonders and even gave them the chance to know more.

Velacera gave a weak smile and seemed to loosen, "you and your funny manners of addressing things..... Very well tonight I will tell you my story." Kur gave a smile before looking at the blob of ink and thought before smiling. Picking up the blob Kur focused their powers as it swirled around the blob. Encasing it before fading away revealing a silver metal rose cloth pin.

"This will be easier to travel with," Kur smiled as they pinned it to their trench coat and looking at Velacera's shocked expression-filled face. "Is there something the matter?"

"N–no it's amazing how your powers work in wondrous ways outside of Makai," Velacera chuckled nervously.

Kur gave a tilt to their head before smiling, "very well. Has there been anything that might need to be added towards my concerns since you were in-depth with the book you are reading?" Kur inquired as Velacera shook his head.

"No, and besides Kur, I'm sure that you have better chances with the spell books at home than some of these as this calls forth a lot of summoning magic which I'm not quite sure you can do...... King Enma is the master at summoning magic......" Velacera sighed before closing the book with a muffled 'slam', "I think its best to recede home since by now the acid rain has stopped." Velacera stood and gathered the books before looking down at one book, "let's check this one out so you can still learn what hellspawns are and how this pocket dimension came to be...... I'll be right back I need to put these back on their respectful shelves..... Less work for Pinpale and the other librarian hellspawn." Velacera grabbed the other books before shuffling away from the table leaving Kur to sit there.

Kur raised an eyebrow before picking up the book and tucking it underneath their arm. Standing by the edge of the table Kur waited for Velacera to return. "I wonder what made Velacera so angry?" Kur wondered out loud, "was it due to my question of his monstrous form?" Kur frowned as they knew they had running salt unexpectedly into deep wounds to their friend but how were they suppose to know about that buried wound. It just made Kur more curious about their friend. Granted that there was a chance that Velacera had no means of bringing it up or wished to not show a side of him that could sway Kur's opinion, but Kur accepted everyone with open arms. It confused them to no end to why Velacera asked a weird question of if they left if Velacera told them his story. 

Velacera came back giving a sad smile, "all done!" Velacera frowned again, "shall we get heading back before another acid rainstorm?" Kur nodded their head as they followed Velacera towards the exit. "So, Kur....." Velacera trailed off, "what happened to everyone where you ruled for you to end up in the state you are in now?" 

Kur knew that they had offered once before to share stories with Velacera as it was an exchange to know each other better. Kur thought of ways to introduce the concept but this was the perfect opportunity as they were sharing something that rubbed salt in each other's wounds. "I suppose I can explain to everything," Kur smiled as they tucked the book further into their under the arm, "As I spoke to with King Enma my star was one of the Dreams. Many far and wide came to seek shelter from war and disputes that were between the demons and Lumerians, I am unaware if they are still happening but I do know they have nowhere to go now that my star has vanished..."

Kur sighed as they continued, "but I was the wonderland for those who wished to avoid the conflicts. I would listen to their stories and welcome them with open arms to my Star as they sought shelter so I have always kept an open heart..... but my naiveness wasn't the thing that had undone me... However, what did cause my downfall was someone wishing to destroy everything in their path... Unfortunately, I was merely a stepping stool in their path. While a group of demons was away that's when they attacked and destroyed homes and killed many. By the time I got to where the destruction was within the whole town that was built everyone was brutally murdered... It struck me as painful as I never experienced bloodshed... the citizens that I came to adore were laying bloodied, and merely on some body parts and limbs were missing..."

Kur closed their eyes gritting their teeth. "That's... horrible," Velacera's voice was small as he knows the results of bloodshed but he didn't really think such extent of destruction was possible to a Celestial. 

"I merely asked the corrupted Celestial," Kur sighed out heavily, "Why they were doing this to my home? my people? They only gave a menacing glare as I could hear their voice grow darker, spoke 'Cause you stand in my way of total control over the vast galaxies'... and also stating how there are not many masculines featured Celestial Stars. I felt something snap. Rage. An emotion that I now know is very dangerous... Everything crumbled around me... then I ended up here in Makai." Kur seethed through their teeth. 

Velacera's eyes widened behind his glasses. Something in common. "Rage. That's something in common we share for trauma responses..." Velacera trailed off.

"Does this involve your story, Velacera?" Kur asked as Velacera nodded his head. By then they have already started walking down the path towards Velacera's home. "Trauma? Is that what it is called when haunting memories are formed around a series of events that seemingly are forced on repeat within your mind and never let you go and try to heal from those experiences?" Velacera nodded, shivering slightly. Kur saw the response and took the hint as to why it may be. 

Kur frowned and sighed deciding to keep silent for the rest of the walk. They did not wish to accidentally rub any more salt in their friend's wounds. The rest of the walk was quiet as they walked. The swish of leaves was the only other sound than the steady footfalls of them walking. Very quiet. Too quiet for Kur's likings as they were used to the chattering of citizens back on their star.