Ada sat on the bathroom floor, the cold, wet tiles pressing against her skin. Water cascaded from the overhead faucet, pouring over her and flowing steadily towards the drain, creating a rhythmic sound that echoed in the small space.

Her hair, soaked and heavy, clung to her face in tangled strands. Her wet clothes stuck to her body, accentuating the chill that seemed to seep into her very bones.

Salty tears mixed with the cold water, tracing paths down her cheeks as she sat there, enveloped in a cocoon of hopelessness. She had no idea how long she had been there.

The recent events had unfolded like a nightmare, leaving her grappling with the aftermath. Despite him claiming to be a protector the amber eyed intruder had brought more destruction than solace–the wreckage around her mirrored the turmoil within Ada's heart.

Seated in the midst of the disarray, Ada couldn't hold back the tears that welled in her eyes–caught in a storm of emotions—perplexity, terror, guilt.

Her brother, Auden , taken by a demon, and now this unexpected visitor claiming to be a saviour. Ada's instincts screamed at her, warning against trust. Demons were cunning, manipulative beings, and her past experiences had taught her not to take anything at face value.

The moment the stranger with amber eyes disappeared, she had broken down, her sobs echoing through the debris until she passed out.

When she woke to the sun's rays the next morning, at an hour she couldn't discern, she had staggered to the bathroom with a dry throat. Instead of drinking from the tap, she had simply sat under the shower, letting the water pour over her and wash away all her sorrows.

Her thoughts spiralled into a whirlwind of confusion. Auden , her own brother, had unwittingly become a pawn in a perilous game. He had lured her, perhaps unintentionally, into a deadly trap. The memory of teetering on the edge of death, both she and Auden facing the abyss, lingered vividly in her mind.

Despite the betrayal, despite the nearness of their shared demise, a resilient flame of determination burned within her. Ada refused to surrender Auden to the clutches of darkness. She would not abandon him even if it meant she would do that one thing she held herself from committing in the name of the purity and truthfulness of her feelings.

The bond of blood propelled her beyond the realms of bitterness. She was almost drowning in her own agony when a loud bang came from her front door. Someone was ringing her bell frantically, as if they were about to lose their mind. She didn't bother to respond.

Then she heard a snap and a bang, followed by loud footsteps running through her apartment—door to door, room to room, calling her name until they finally came to a halt by the bathroom door.

"Oh, Ada, what's this?" a masculine voice sighed, sympathy dripping from his words as the faucet stopped.

Lifting her head, Ada recognized those hazel eyes even through her hazy gaze and fogged-up mind. "Kaya," she whispered.

"Let's get you out of here first," he said gently. His arms went under her shoulders, carefully wrapping around her as he lifted her up and balanced her on the solid ground.

A new round of sobs broke through Ada. "Kaya, Gan–"

"I know. I heard. That's why I came," he said, his voice steady as he helped her out of the bathroom.

Kaya guided her back to her bedroom with a sense of urgency, his arm around her shoulders, trying to offer her some stability. As soon as they reached her room, he gently lowered her to the floor, propping her up against her bed. Ada's breath came in rapid, shallow gasps, her sobs uncontrollable. Her entire body trembled violently, shivering from the unrelenting cold.

"Shh...shh, it's okay," Kaya whispered, trying to soothe her. "Shh...shh, I've got you."

Kaya's eyes darted around the room, and he stumbled to her closet. He flung the doors open, grabbing the heaviest wool blankets he could find. He rushed back to her side, wrapping her tightly in the blankets, trying to ease her shivering. His movements were frantic but determined. A flick of his finger set the timber in the fireplace ablaze as if it was mid winter.

He placed a hand on her temple, feeling the heat radiating from her skin. "Dammit, your energy is messed up," he muttered, his worry deepening.

He then checked her pulse, his fingers gentle but firm against her wrist. "And who the fuck sedated you?!"

He stumbled back to his satchel, rummaging through it and pulling out a glass vial filled with shimmering blue liquid. Without hesitation, he uncapped it with his teeth and returned to Ada's side. His hand steadied her chin as he gently forced her mouth open.

"There...there...it's alright. You're gonna be okay," he whispered, his voice a lifeline in her chaos. He poured the potion into her mouth, making sure she swallowed it all.

Slowly, Ada's breathing began to steady. The potion worked its magic, calming her frantic heart and soothing her trembling body. The shivering subsided, and her breaths became more even. She opened her eyes, looking up at Kaya through tears.

"I fucked up–" she whispered, her voice filled with anguish and regret.

Kaya held her gaze, his eyes softening with compassion. "We'll figure it out, Ada. Don't worry. I'm here."

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

"I thought they locked him up. How come he—'' Ada trailed off, feeling perplexed. Her eyes trailed to the window, her mind grappling with the impossibility of Gagagore's escape.

Kaya took a sip of his beer, his expression grim. "Beats me to it. Looks like Gagagore has grown in power."

Kaya had made Ada change out of her soaking wet clothes into dry ones and insisted on her being cocooned in the blankets for the time being. Then he retrieved two beer cans out of his 'Magic Pocket' satchel. She had always assumed Kaya's satchel would carry an extinct woolly mammoth, well and alive but not something as ordinary as a can of beer.

"He was in a nullification chamber," Ada said, pulling the blanket tighter around her as she shivered slightly. "It locks away their dormant powers as long as they're in, making them unable to perform any sort of magic."

Kaya's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "Makes me wonder how a remnant of Dragonfire Ember was found inside the chamber—alongside broken chains and a shed skin of a serpent of course."

"That can't be," Ada whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"The chances are slim but not impossible. Someone who can sprinkle sand in the guards' eyes and slip in to save a serpent as vicious as him must be brave—or rather, desperate."

"You're not pointing your finger at Auden right now, are you?" Ada's voice wavered, her eyes searching Kaya's for any hint of confirmation.

"I'm not, but be honest—would you?" Kaya asked taking another sip, his gaze unwavering.

Ada took a deep breath, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. Silence fell between the two, only broken by the soft crackling of the fireplace.

Kaya set his beer down on the floor, his eyes softening as he looked at her. "I know Gan's fractions in you have messed up your dormant powers. But how did you even get into that situation? You've been avoiding him pretty well."

"I didn't know he was on the loose until Auden revealed him. It was so sudden. He lured me, they attacked. I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for that amber-eyed stranger." Her voice broke slightly, and she looked away, biting her lip.

Kaya's eyes took a quick trip around the debris-strewn room beyond the doors. "The one who caused all the havoc?"

Ada nodded. "I don't know who he is. He wore all black. A veil covered his face. I only saw the eyes," Ada said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Sounds familiar," he murmured to himself, so quietly that Ada almost didn't catch it. She totally missed the flicker of recognition in his eyes.

"What?" She crossed her arms, giving him a pointed look.

"Nah, black is trending among a lot of Mages these days," he said with a dismissive wave, earning an eye-roll from Ada.

He casually leaned back against the bed, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I have everything you asked me to bring by the way. Phylactery of Osiris, Celestial Crystal, Grimoire of Erebus – I had to put a lot of effort into stealing it from the National Museum. They had named it as some 'Medieval Miscellany,' so I'll have to charge a little extra there." He smirked, clearly proud of his achievement.

"Aetheric Dagger was easy to get – I might as well just gift it to you." He went on, "I know someone around the Sambili forest who owns a Moon Amulet we can borrow—"

"I own one—" Ada interrupted, her voice a bit steadier now.

"You do?" Kaya's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Someone gifted it to me," she mentioned, her fingers absentmindedly tracing a stitch down the grey blanket.  "Did you get the Phoenix Feather though? A soul extraction ritual needs one but I haven't heard of a lively Phoenix anywhere around," she asked, her voice tinged with hope.

Kaya leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips. "I travel. I get my hands on things. So, yes, with much difficulty, I did find a Phoenix Feather. Guess where I found one?"

Ada raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite herself. "Some wizard's lair?"

"Oh no," Kaya chuckled, taking another sip of his beer. "The toy box of a six-year-old little girl back in China. I don't know how she got one but she had it mixed up with her beloved stuffed chicken Pontee's feathers. I had to do a lot of lullaby singing, story reading, and damn, I spent a fortune on candy to make her stop crying."

Ada's eyes widened in shock. "You didn't kidnap that kid, did you?"

Kaya shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "I may or may not have. Her dormant powers were strong—her ignorant Normy parents would never have known. I had to hand her over to some trusted company. For her betterment, of course."

"Kaya, that's illegal!" Ada exclaimed, a mixture of disbelief and concern in her voice.

"They need to start from a young age, Ada" Kaya replied, unphased, his eyes sparkling with delight at his accomplishment. He seemed almost proud of the lengths he had gone to.

Ada shook her head, still wrapping her mind around his antics. She took a deep breath, trying to focus on the matter at hand. She'd definitely scold him later.

"I'll have to charge two extra coins, one for that and one for the Grimoire of Erebus. And the last is Elysian Elixir. We can make it at home; I brought the ingredients."

Kaya reached into his bag, pulling out various vials and herbs, laying them out carefully on the floor. The soft morning light cast a warm glow over the array of items, making the scene feel almost serene.

"But Kaya," Ada said, suddenly thoughtful and her tone cautious. Kaya looked up from arranging his collection of rare items, his eyebrows raised in curiosity, noticing the worry etched on her face.

"Gan's in Auden 's body now. Will it be safe to perform the ritual on me with him strong and walking around?"

"Excuse me, what?" It was Kaya's turn to have bulging eyes of surprise, his expression a mix of shock and anger.

"He's possessed. Gan is using him as a vessel," Ada said in a small voice, startled by his reaction.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? It could have gone all wrong! You, Auden , even me—who'd have been the shaman!" Kaya's voice rose, frustration seeping into every word.

"I thought you knew—" Ada tried to reason, her voice going an octave lower, her eyes welling up with unshed tears.

"No, I didn't!" Kaya snapped, his eyes flashing with irritation. "How would I know?"

A soul extraction ritual was there to remove a soul from a body, an unwanted, clingy piece of energy that somehow had torn out of its whole and jumped into another. Without a vessel, souls caused havoc. 

"You knew enough to say they found a Dragonfire Ember in the nullification chamber—" Ada Countered.

"Of course! I know about artefacts! I know they found a Dragonfire Ember because they called me to verify it. I know Auden Romersai had fled with the Luna Pearl—not with a nasty serpent spirit possessing him! I don't bother about people!"

A strong soul in a decaying body like Gagagore would chase after bearers, depositing fractions of his soul in living, breathing people until they found a proper vessel. One wouldn't get to destroy him unless they took down others. Unless a few sacrificed their lives in order to bring down one evil.

"Have you ever thought why they kept Gan alive?" Kaya's expression hardened. "If you didn't, just know Ada, it's because of you!"

"I know." Ada's voice was barely audible, her body trembling slightly as she hugged herself, feeling the weight of her failure. She felt so exhausted, mentally and physically drained, and now even Kaya, her only temporary solace, was slowly losing his cool.

"Then be more careful! We are playing with lives. We don't know how many of those are out there with his pieces buried in them. I know Crepusculum doesn't give a shit, but I agreed with you only because you promised me to free them one by one before you defeat Gan."

"I am. I'm sorry. I thought you already knew," Ada mumbled, tears threatening to spill over. 

 Kaya's eyes darted back to the door of the room and the havoc beyond. "The stranger you fought—was he by any chance wearing many rings?" he asked, urgency evident in his voice.

"I—I don't remember—" Ada stammered, her mind clouded with confusion and panic.

Kaya's jaw tightened, and he shook his head, his frustration palpable. "He has to be what I think he is. Ada, you should warn the Romersais. NOW!"

"I wanted to. But how?" Ada's voice cracked, her body shaking with the effort to hold back her tears. The urgency of the situation was overwhelming, and she felt herself spiralling back into despair. "It's not like I can go there. Not like I can send you over. We are not welcomed there you know that."

Kaya paused, his mind racing. He clenched his fists, trying to think clearly despite the chaos around them. Ada's panicked breathing filled the silence, her eyes wide with fear.

"Amulet—Moon Amulet," Kaya said suddenly, his eyes locking onto hers. "Use it to talk to someone—anyone—who can track down Gan before he gets too far to reach."