《Moonflower》 Prologue The tears of the nine-year-old girl continued to flow down her cheeks. Her whole body was shaking from too much anger and fear. She kept on convincing herself that all of this was nothing but a nightmare. That tomorrow, she would wake up and find out that everything was just a dream. That all this bloodshed was not real. But the sea of blood surrounding her was telling her otherwise. That all of this was real, that it was not just created by her mind. That the monster with red eyes walking closer and closer to her was not just a product of her imagination. Blood stained his clothes. But she knew that those were not his own. He was a killer, a bloodthirsty monster. She wanted to scream, to ask for help. But she knew it was for naught, no one would come to help her. Because all of them were dead. And her tears once again fell uncontrollably. He was getting closer and closer. She wanted to run, but she felt like her feet were stuck on the ground. She couldn¡¯t move. Fear and dread filled her own body. When he got closer, his fingers closed on her neck. He slowly lifted her up in the air and she gasped because of the sudden lack of air. ¡°Hello there, little mouse,¡± he said with a hint of an accent that she couldn¡¯t place. ¡°According to your family¡¯s servants, the first-born child of Philippe Rosencrantz is a girl with golden hair. So you must be the younger one.¡± He smiled, showing a pair of sharp fangs. ¡°Tell you what, I will let you live. Then you can tell your sister that one day, I will come for her.¡± He threw her with no further notice. She wheezed in pain the moment her back hit the hard floor. She glanced back, just in time to see the monster. She looked at the area where she landed and saw the pool of blood. She closed her eyes tightly. But she knew she needed to know the source of all that blood. She opened her eyes and slowly raised her head. And once again, her tears flowed down like a flood. Lying in front of her was her father, surrounded by his own blood. The girl slowly got up and walked to him with shaking limbs. She knelt down beside him and held his hand. The warm touch surprised her. This ignited her hope. ¡°D-Dad¡­¡± Her father painstakingly opened his eyes and looked at her. He tried to smile, but that only made him cough up blood. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry that y-you have to witness e-everything.¡± She shook her head repeatedly. ¡°D-don¡¯t speak, Dad. You¡¯re going to be okay.¡± A sad smile crossed his lips before he gently shook his head. As if he was saying to her that this was the end. ¡°P-promise me¡­ that you will protect your sister. I-I know you can do it. Because you¡¯re s-strong.¡± She bit her lower lip and nodded. ¡°Y-yes, Dad.¡± ¡°T-then let me give you this last g-gift.¡± Even though it¡¯s hard, he slowly raised his hand and put it on the top of her chest. ¡°I love you so much, Henrietta. Remember, no matter what, I will always be with you.¡± And for the last time, he smiled at her. There was light. And then, there was only darkness. CH 1 Year 2125¡­ Rie woke up with a rushed breath. She quickly scanned her surroundings. She was still in the school''s library and not in that nightmarish dream she just had. Rie leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. She forced herself to erase that nightmare from her mind. She could feel the rustling of the wind outside and she clasped the bracelet on her wrist. Calm down, Henrietta. Calm down. She told herself that again and again until her breathing slowly came back to normal and she could no longer hear the rustling of the wind outside. Rie turned her gaze back to the book she¡¯s reading. It was the historic account of the war that happened a hundred years ago. Before the world, as everyone had known it, ended. In the year 2025, the third biggest war in the history of mankind happened. But it wasn¡¯t between two countries or group of countries. It was between vampires and werewolves. That¡¯s right, vampires and werewolves. When nobody believed in such beings, they suddenly appeared and changed the course of history. That was followed by the appearance of witches, wizards, even fairies and all types of demons. Every being from myths and legends suddenly became real. Rie couldn¡¯t imagine just what the humans living at that time period had felt. They must have been all frightened to death. Beings from their worst nightmare suddenly coming to life. Slaughtering and killing them. Nobody knew what really started it all. Why these beings made their existence known after millenniums of concealing themselves from humans. Some said that it was because the werewolves revolted against the vampires. Everyone knew how werewolves had been the vampires¡¯ slaves for the longest time. Maybe they got tired of being slaves, so they revolted. There had been many sightings of enormous wolves fighting against beings that has inhuman speed. Many had said back then that it was only a rumor made up by those die-hard supernatural fanatics. But when news of those sightings appeared again and again, from news to different social media sites, many people wondered if it was really true. What really sealed the deal, though, was the legendary fight at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. The humans who were there probably thought that it would only be an ordinary night for them, they couldn¡¯t be any more wrong. People started turning into enormous wolves attacking an army of immortal fanged beings. Many people witnessed it and there were also a lot of casualties. World leaders started talking with themselves, planning the best course of action. But nothing could really be done because they didn¡¯t know how to contact these beings. The war between werewolves and vampires continued. And every time they fought, they left hundreds of human bodies in their wake. The humans tried to interfere with this war, the US government was very enthusiastic in stopping the war between the two beings. But every time they tried to interfere, they all ended up dead or worst, turned into vampires. What could an army of humans do against those huge werewolves and powerful vampires? Despite their advanced weapons, in the eyes of these beings, they only considered them as ¡®prey¡¯. When humans realized that what they were doing had no effect, the world leaders reached out to the vampires. Their wish was granted, and seven purebloods from the seven noble vampire clans talked to them. And they reached a decision. If the humans helped in eradicating the werewolves, the vampires promised they would once again attain peace. So, the humans allied with them. An idiotic decision, in Rie¡¯s opinion. But things didn¡¯t end there. Because witches and wizards also joined in with the ¡®fun¡¯. Many of them helped the werewolves. And just like how it started, no one also knew how it ended. The fighting suddenly stopped. All werewolves suddenly disappeared. But despite the end of war, the lives of those humans couldn¡¯t possibly go back to normal. How could they, when they already knew of the existence of these supernatural beings? It must have been really hard to live in that era. Rie stood up and picked up the book. She read it for her assignment in her history class. Rie must have read too much. That¡¯s why she had that nightmare. She returned the book to the bookshelf where she took it. While walking outside the library, she couldn¡¯t help but think back to the things she just read. After that war, some vampires killed humans. It was no longer enough to just take blood from them. They started killing people indiscriminately. That¡¯s why Rie thought it was such a stupid idea to ally with those bastards. The world leaders voiced their complaints, but the purebloods turned a blind eye to everything. So, in retaliation for that, the word leaders created the Hunters Guild. It was a group of humans highly trained to kill supernatural beings. It took years and years before they achieved peace. And that was only because of the current head of the Vampire Council ¡ª Regulus Maximillian. He agreed with the humans, saying that they could kill any vampire they found to be killing humans. They wouldn¡¯t retaliate as long as they will let them feed from humans who would willingly give them blood. There were so many things that were fixed, so many things that were agreed upon, until they reached a balance of power. Or at least a semblance of it. Every faction has some sort of government. The vampires have their Vampire Council, the witches and wizards have the House of Hecate, the fairies have their Courts, even the demons have their own sort of hierarchy. Each country also had their own Ministry of Supernaturals which dealt with these beings. Oh, what the world had become. Rie was sure that people who lived before the 21st century would think so. They would probably wouldn¡¯t have thought that the world would become like this. Then good for them. Because they didn¡¯t have the chance to live in this kind of world. *** ¡°Dobre odpoledne, Rie,¡± the two students greeted her in Czech. ¡°Good afternoon as well,¡± Rie greeted back in the same language. Both of the girls squealed. She continued on walking, not affected by it. It¡¯s not something that¡¯s really new to her. Whenever she talked to some students, they would blush for no reason. They would even squeal just like those two girls earlier. Czech was the major language in Prague, where St. Mark¨¦ta Academy was located. It¡¯s a boarding school for girls. Most of the students there were mostly from rich families all over Europe. They would send their daughters here mostly for protection. Because St. Mark¨¦ta has the most advance defense against supernaturals, particularly vampires and demons. It¡¯s because the headmistress of the school was a high-ranking member of House of Hecate. That¡¯s why a magical barrier surrounded the entire school. For some reason, humans trusted witches and wizards more than other supernatural beings. Maybe because, aside from being immortal and having magical powers, they looked a lot like humans. It also helped that humans weren¡¯t part of their diet. St. Mark¨¦ta Academy was divided into three main parts. The elementary department, where girls from ages 7 to 12 studied. The high school department where girls from ages 13 to 18 belonged, Rie was also part of this department. And the dormitories, where the cafeteria and other school amenities were. This showed just how large the whole academy was. Rie went straight to the school garden. She hadn¡¯t arrived there yet, but she could already hear the soft sound of the violin. It was Pachelbel¡¯s Canon in D major. She smiled and continued walking. At the center of the garden was a gazebo and inside it was a girl with long golden hair and golden-brown eyes. She was the source of the wonderful violin music that Rie had just heard. Rie closed her eyes and savored the music she¡¯s hearing. Then the music paused. She opened her eyes and saw that the girl was looking back at her. The girl then smiled as if she had just saw the most wonderful thing in the world. ¡°Rie!¡± she called with a bright smile on her beautiful face while waving enthusiastically at Rie. The girl¡¯s name was Federica, and she was Rie¡¯s twin sister. The one connected to her since birth, the most important person in her life, and the only reason she continued on living. ¡°Eri,¡± she called the other¡¯s nickname. Despite them being twins, they couldn¡¯t be any more different. Just in their appearance alone, one could clearly see how different they were. Her hair was black like that of a raven¡¯s feather and, unlike her sister¡¯s golden-brown eyes, hers was violet. Eri was full of love and compassion for others. That¡¯s why it¡¯s easy for other people to love and care for her. While it¡¯s hard for Rie to even trust other people. She always has her guard up, constantly being careful. Because it¡¯s the only way she knew how to protect her sister. ¡°Are you done with your research?¡± her sister asked when Rie sat down inside the gazebo where Eri was. ¡°Yeah, sorry if it took a while. I kind of feel asleep.¡± The other sat beside her. ¡°Are you having trouble sleeping at night again?¡± Eri asked worriedly. ¡°No,¡± Rie quickly denied. ¡°I just stayed up late last night because of some student council work,¡± she lied, without changing her expression. She couldn¡¯t just tell Eri that she was once again being haunted by the nightmares of the past. There¡¯s no reason for her to make her sister worry. ¡°Is Canon the piece you¡¯re going to play at the music concours?¡± she asked, changing the topic. Eri would join a music competition next week. It was an annual competition where students from different schools in Czech Republic would compete. They would hold it at Klementinum¡ªone of the largest and most historic complexes of buildings in Prague. It was only this year that Eri had the courage to take part in the said competition. This was their last year at St. Mark¨¦ta. Eri said that it would be such a waste if she didn¡¯t even try. Eri stared at Rie, as if reading every micro-expression she had on her face. Then she suddenly smiled. ¡°Yes. Do you think I could win?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t think it. I know you would.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not just saying that because we¡¯re twins, right?¡± ¡°Of course not. You are very talented, Eri.¡± Eri leaned on her sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I wish I can have your confidence, Rie.¡± I¡¯m not confident. In fact, I¡¯m always scared, a part of Rie said. But she chose not to voice it out. ¡°Hey, I will be there to support you. If you ever feel nervous, just look for me in the crowd and I¡¯ll make funny faces just to make you smile and relax.¡± The other suddenly laughed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t! The perfect Henrietta Snow doing funny faces? No way! Your fans might leave your fan club if you do.¡± Rie pinched her sister¡¯s cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t have fans. And I¡¯m not perfect.¡± ¡°Tell that to the younger students who always put love letters in your locker.¡± ¡°They¡¯re hormone-crazed teenagers, Eri. They¡¯re just looking for someone they could direct their affection to because we¡¯re all girls here. And for some unknown reason, they chose me.¡± Of course, there might be some who really swing that way. And there¡¯s absolutely no problem with that. They¡¯re all young and it¡¯s normal to explore their own sexuality. It¡¯s just that Rie wasn¡¯t interested. But that didn¡¯t mean that she would disrespect them and mock them for it. ¡°The reason is not totally unknown, you know. They think of you as their prince. If you haven¡¯t noticed yet, you have this princely vibe that most teenage girls like.¡± When Rie frowned at that, Eri just laughed again. ¡°I really love how you¡¯re so dense sometimes.¡± Rie stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s just go back to the dorms. I think you¡¯re just hungry. That¡¯s why you¡¯re saying a lot of nonsense.¡± She was about to walk out of the gazebo when Eri held her hand. She looked back, wondering why her sister stopped her. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Rie, you know you can tell me anything, right? That¡¯s why if there¡¯s something bothering you, talk to me. I¡¯ll always be here to listen.¡± Rie was slightly surprised by what the other said. Eri was still worried about her not sleeping properly during the night. She just forced herself to smile. ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t have anyone I could confide in besides you,¡± she joked. But despite saying that, she knew she couldn¡¯t tell Eri the contents of her nightmares. She could never put Eri in that kind of sadness. In that kind of pain. ~o~o~o~o~ In the middle of the dark night, four shadows walked through the streets of Prague. They were doing everything they could to not attract the attention of others. But the chances of that happening were probably lower than seeing a crow with white feathers. That¡¯s how strong their presence was. It¡¯s like if they entered a room, people would focus all their attention on them. The four looked around, sniffing the air as if they were looking for something. ¡°Are you certain about this place?¡± the one with long gray hair asked in an annoyed tone. ¡°If this is another wild goose chase, I swear I will leave the lot of you.¡± ¡°How many times have you said that? And yet, you always come back to us,¡± said by the one with blue hair in a lazy tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Because according to the information I found, we¡¯re in the right place.¡± The gray-haired guy tsked. ¡°And how many times have we encountered trouble because of that information of yours?¡± ¡°We¡¯re definitely in the right place,¡± said by another, the one with chestnut brown hair. ¡°Can¡¯t you smell the air? It¡¯s filled with the scent of night-blooming flowers,¡± he said excitedly to the others. The one with black hair closed his eyes, covering the irises that were the same color as the night sky. ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± he said in a whisper. He turned to the other three, a grin on his face, and continued, ¡°The Moonflower.¡± Translator''s Note: Rie''s name is pronounced as ''Ri-Ye'', not ''Rey'' or ''Rai''. Eri''s name is pronounced as ''E-Ri'', like Erin without an ''n''. :) CH 2 Rie washed her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She could clearly see the dark shadows under her eyes. She hardly had any sleep last night, or the last three nights. The nightmare kept on coming back to her. It just became even worse these past few days. It¡¯s like she returned to that moment. That faithful moment that changed her and her sister¡¯s life forever. Rie dried her face using the towel hanging on her shoulder and then walked out of the bathroom. She weakly sat down on the bed. She no longer knew what was happening. Rie was still drinking tea made of flax seeds every night. Flax seed was one of the major ingredients for a sleeping potion. That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t understand why she was still struggling to sleep. It had been hard for her to sleep since she was young. The solution her aunt thought of was to make her drink tea made from flax seeds. It was effective since she slept much more comfortably. So, what exactly changed? She needed to contact their aunt. The other would definitely know what to do. Maybe Rie should ask for a dose of sleeping potion instead, since drinking tea made from flax seeds seemed to not work anymore. The only problem was, Rie couldn¡¯t contact her using normal ways. The other rarely brought modern communication device with her. According to her, why would she need those devices when she could use other methods to contact people she wanted to contact? Why could she do that, you ask? Because she¡¯s a witch. And Rie didn¡¯t mean that to call her aunt names. She meant it as it was. Her aunt was not human, but a witch. Rie couldn¡¯t contact her using the paper charm she left for her and Eri. Because the barrier surrounding the academy couldn¡¯t only protect them from outside harm, it could also detect any kind of magic that was used inside the school grounds. And that¡¯s one thing she couldn¡¯t let happen. No matter how simple the magic was, Rie could never let it be traced back to her or to her aunt. It¡¯s because her aunt was no ordinary witch. She¡¯s a rogue witch. Which meant that she didn¡¯t belong to any coven that was under the jurisdiction of House of Hecate. And coven witches didn¡¯t have any good opinions regarding rogue witches. Aside from that, Rie also couldn¡¯t let anyone to know the real family she and Eri belonged to. It wouldn¡¯t be safe for them. Especially for her sister. But she really needed to speak to her aunt. Rie felt like she would go insane if another night passed, and that nightmare continued to bombard her. She could only think of one way. She would contact her outside the academy. With that in mind, she stood up and changed clothes. She took a small box from one drawer. Rie opened it and took a piece of paper charm. She folded it and put it inside the pocket of her pants. Before Rie could go out of the academy, she needed to talk to the head of the dormitory first. It¡¯s a good thing that today was Sunday. It would be easier for her to get permission to leave. She looked at her wristwatch. It¡¯s only eight in the morning but she was sure that the dormitory head was already awake. She walked out of her room. But before she went to the dormitory head, she opened the door of the room opposite hers. It was Eri¡¯s room. Their two rooms in the dormitory were inside a suite, sharing a common room. While each of their rooms had their own bathroom. When Rie saw her sister was sleeping deeply, she closed the door gently. Rie walked down the ground floor and went straight to the dormitory head¡¯s office. When she was standing in front of the door, she took a deep breath before knocking. ¡°Pojd¡¯!¡± said a voice from inside the room, telling her to come in. She smiled a bit. Her guess was correct. The head was indeed already awake. Rie opened the door and walked inside. She saw a middle-aged woman arranging the books on the shelf. ¡°Miss Snow,¡± the other said when she saw Rie. ¡°Do you need something?¡± ¡°Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢, may I ask for permission to go out?¡± The other put down the book she was holding. ¡°May I ask why you wanted to go out?¡± It did not surprise Rie that the dormitory head had asked that. The academy had a strict policy regarding going outside the school premises. It¡¯s for the safety of every student here. The only immediate way to go out of the academy during a non-school day was to get permission from the dormitory head. ¡°I needed to go to the hospital. I kind of injured my left wrist and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s sprained or fractured. I want a doctor to have a look at it as soon as possible. ¡°That¡¯s terrible!¡± the woman exclaimed in a worried tone before walking up to her, as if ready to hold Rie¡¯s wrist. ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate it if you don¡¯t touch it, Ma¡¯am. It¡¯s kind of painful,¡± Rie said, tactically pulling back the hand that was supposed to be ¡®injured¡¯. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± the other said, no longer trying to hold her hand. ¡°But I think it¡¯s better if we just request for a healing potion from the Headmistress instead of going to the hospital. Your injury will definitely heal faster.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, although my aunt enrolled my sister and I here for safety reasons, our parents didn¡¯t really trust supernatural beings. They didn¡¯t want us to be reliant on potions and stuff. They said it¡¯s still better to have faith in modern medicine. I just want to honor their memory. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t really want to use any potions. No offense meant to the Headmistress, of course.¡± Rie almost cringed while saying that. She was getting better and better at lying as times passed by. The school thought that her parents died in a car accident. Which, of course, was not true. It was much bloodier than that. ¡°I understand. Then, I¡¯ll just go with you to the hospital,¡± the dormitory head said in an understanding tone. ¡°No need!¡± Rie quickly said. Then, she noticed that the way she said that was forceful. So she quickly calmed herself. ¡°I mean, I couldn¡¯t possibly impose on you.¡± ¡°Nonsense. How could I let our academy¡¯s top student to go to the hospital on her own? I know that this is your last year here, but until you graduate, you¡¯re still one of my charges,¡± Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢ said with a smile. ¡°Now, wait outside. I will just get my coat.¡± Rie could only force herself to smile. ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am.¡± Now, this was a complication she did not expect. *** RIE silently looked outside the car window. She was watching other vehicles passing by. The old town of Prague still favored cars on land. In today¡¯s time, people usually used flying cars that were being powered by electricity. Even with the appearance of supernatural beings in the world, the rapid development of technology still didn¡¯t stop. In fact, because of the presence of these supernatural beings, humans just became more determined in inventing new things or making the existing technology even more advanced. Their inventions ranged from everyday items and appliances to industrial weapons. Maybe they thought that it¡¯s the only way they could fight against these supernatural beings. But if there¡¯s something these humans could be proud of, then those were their intelligence, ingenuity, and their uncanny ability to survive. In just a few moments, they would soon arrive at the hospital. But Rie still couldn¡¯t think of how she should get away from Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢. Now she¡¯s kind of regretting why she gave this ¡®hospital¡¯ excuse. She could have thought of something that wouldn¡¯t let the dormitory head worry, but also allow her to go out of the school grounds without a hitch. She could only blame her lack of sleep for this. But things had already happened. She could only live with the stupid she made. Rie would just make some excuse along the way. It seemed like the other would believe her whatever she said, anyway. Of course, this was not because she was looking down at Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢. It¡¯s mostly because, just like the other said, she¡¯s the top student of her year. And since she and Eri enrolled here in St. Marketa at the age of nine, she had nine years of being responsible and trustworthy to back up whatever excuse she might come up with. ¡°Your aunt hadn¡¯t visited for months now, is she very busy?¡± the dormitory head suddenly asked. Rie turned to her and tried to smile. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s travelling around the world right now.¡± Rie couldn¡¯t possibly tell the other that the woman visiting her and Eri wasn¡¯t actually their aunt. It was her aunt¡¯s friend who was living in Prague. Their aunt only asked the other a favor to pose as their guardian. But recently, the other got married and moved to Canada. That¡¯s why she hadn¡¯t visited Rie and Eri as of late. It¡¯s a good thing that the both of them would soon graduate. Or it would definitely look suspicious. The reason their aunt asked someone to pose as their guardian instead of going with them herself was because she couldn¡¯t be seen by the Headmistress of St. Mark¨¦ta. If that were to happen, the Headmistress would definitely find out her and Eri¡¯s real identities. And the House of Hecate would surely take the both of them into custody. Rie once asked her aunt if that was the case, then why did she have to enroll her and Eri at St. Mark¨¦ta? Wouldn¡¯t it be much better if the three of them were together? The answer she gave Rie was they wouldn¡¯t be much safer with her. She also said that it¡¯s good for them to have anonymity and live a normal life. That¡¯s why she enrolled them at St. Mark¨¦ta despite some things. Because the pros definitely outweighed the cons. It was the safest place for her and Eri. No one would dare trifle against the Heamistress, Svetlana Kramarov¨¢¡ªone of the four Grand Mages. They were the four strongest witches and wizards and they could act independently from the Grand Meister of the House of Hecate. ¡°But she will come for you and your sister¡¯s graduation, ?e jo?¡± the dormitory head asked again. It¡¯s because they would graduate from high school soon. ¡°Yes, she wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world,¡± she said, blatantly lying. Their aunt became their legal guardian nine years ago when their father died. The other was their mother¡¯s only sister. Their mother died of childbirth and their father had no other living relative. That¡¯s why their aunt was their only living relative. It was really hard at first because she was still traumatized by what happened to their father. And then, suddenly, they had to live with a woman they barely knew. After a month, their aunt immediately brought them to Prague, straight to St. Mark¨¦ta. It was really hard for her and Eri to adjust. They were barely nine back then, and she suddenly put them in a place they knew nothing about. They didn¡¯t even know the language being used. The language they knew was English because they grew up in London¡¯s countryside. It took years before they fully learned Czech. It was hard, but they endured it all. Because they knew that¡¯s the only way they could be safe. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Rie heard Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢ said. Rie glanced out of the window of the passenger¡¯s seat and saw that they were indeed at the hospital. They both got out of the car after the dormitory head parked it. When they entered the hospital, a hologram of a woman welcomed them. It was saying the things that one should and shouldn¡¯t do inside a hospital. Now, Rie¡¯s only problem was how she could get away from Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢ without the other being alerted that she was up to something. As she was thinking of excuses, someone suddenly called the dormitory head¡¯s name. Both of them looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man probably in his 50s sitting in a liftchair. It¡¯s something similar to a wheelchair, except this one was levitating from the ground. It¡¯s the one used by those who had problems walking. ¡°Martin, jak se m¨¢??¡± Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢ asked in an excited tone. ¡°I¡¯m doing good, Tereza. How about you? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I just accompanied one of our academy¡¯s students.¡± Then, as if realizing what she really came there to do, Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢ turned to Rie. ¡°Shall we go now to the E.R.?¡± Because of the sudden appearance of this man, Rie immediately thought of a viable excuse to give the other. ¡°I¡¯ll just go there on my own, Ma¡¯am. It looks like you have a lot of catching up to do with your friend here,¡± she said with a smile that¡¯s almost telling the other ¡®I¡¯m a good girl, so please believe in me¡¯. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that I haven¡¯t seen Martin for a long time now. But are you sure you¡¯ll be alright on your own?¡± Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢ asked, she looked like she was still hesitating. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Ma¡¯am. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Rie assured the other. Finally convinced, the other just said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Rie quickly turned back and started walking before the other changed her mind. Thank you, Mr. Martin! When she was finally out of the two people¡¯s line of sight, Rie quickly rode into the elevator. It just so happened that there was no one inside. ¡°Which floor, please?¡± asked by a machine-like voice in Czech. ¡°Top floor,¡± Rie answered. And the elevator moved upwards. When she reached her destination, she got out and walked straight to the rooftop of the hospital. Once Rie made sure that there was no one around, she took out a paper charm and stuck it on the door. She then put her hand in front of it and whispered, ¡°Casandra Pontiff.¡± CH 3 The wind blew, and a huge pentagram appeared in front of the paper charm. That pentagram then turned into a screen-like circle. Inside it, one could see a woman sleeping in a messy room. She was snoring and only wearing a loose T-shirt. ¡°Casa,¡± Rie called. But the other didn¡¯t budge. So, she had to try again in a much louder voice. ¡°Casa!¡± This time, her aunt¡¯s body jerked, a common movement when someone suddenly woke up. Casa sat up too quickly, causing her to fall from the bed. ¡°Fuck,¡± Casa groaned. She looked around, and the moment she saw Rie, she quickly frowned. ¡°Henrietta?¡± She stood up and sat on the bed. Seeing her completely woke the other. ¡°Where are you?¡± With her short brown hair and hazel eyes, Casa looked like she was only in her mid-20s. But that¡¯s far from truth. The other was more than a hundred years old. Another perk of being a witch. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m outside the academy.¡± Casa nodded. But her expression was still grim. ¡°This should be very important for you to go out of the academy on your own. So, what is it? Did something happen at the academy?¡± ¡°First, sorry for disturbing your sleep,¡± Rie started. Based on the letter the other last sent, Casa was now somewhere in Asia. With the time difference between the two, it¡¯s probably around midnight where she was. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I may not be very reliable at time. But I¡¯m still your aunt. If you have a problem that you can¡¯t solve on your own, I¡¯ll always be here to lend a hand. So, what happened?¡± Rie looked at her aunt. Yes, Casa could really be unreliable, but when it involved her and Eri¡¯s safety, she would go above and beyond to make sure they wouldn¡¯t be in danger. Rie took a deep breath and told Casa the problem. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep. It¡¯s been days now. The tea made from flax seeds doesn¡¯t work anymore. I need something stronger. I¡ª¡± She clenched her fists. ¡°I don¡¯t want to relieve that night over and over again. I might go crazy if this continues.¡± Casa was silent for a few seconds, as if in deep thought. ¡°It¡¯s likely because you¡¯re turning 18 next month. You know what that means, right?¡± Rie bit her bottom lip and nodded. ¡°Soon, even that bracelet won¡¯t have any effect,¡± Casa added. Rie automatically clasped the bracelet she was wearing. This was also one thing she feared. Casa stood up and picked a bag from the pile of messy things on the floor. Then she took out a satchel from it. Casa opened the satchel and took out a small vial. ¡°Put a drop of this on your tea before you sleep.¡± Casa mumbled some spell and in just a few seconds, the vial appeared on Rie¡¯s palm. ¡°It¡¯s only a temporary solution, Rie. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time for you to face your fears?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m still too weak, Casa,¡± Rie said, gazing down at the vial with a bitter smile on her lips. Casa looked at her with understanding. ¡°You were never weak, Rie. Just when did having fears equate to being weak? You¡¯re strong. Believe more in yourself. If you only know the extent of your power, the extent of your magic.¡± Rie only grasped the vial she was holding tighter. Because of the last thing Casa said, she was again reminded that she wasn¡¯t a human. That she, too, was a witch. ¡°Magic that I couldn¡¯t control,¡± she said in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will go back before you and Eri¡¯s 18th birthday. It¡¯s already time to leave that academy.¡± Hearing that surprised Rie. But she could ask what the other meant. Casa seemed to have remembered something and quickly said; ¡°Tell Eri that I miss her, and of course, I miss you too, Rie. Ciao!¡± Casa flicked her fingers, and the screen vanished. The paper charm also turned into dust. Rie stared unbelievingly in front of her before putting the vial in the pocket of her pants, feeling a bit annoyed. ¡°That Casa, always doing whatever she wanted.¡± She remembered what the other said, about it being the right time to leave the academy. Did that mean Casa would finally take them? But how about the House of Hecate? Had the other finally thought of a way so they wouldn¡¯t take her and Eri? She still had a lot of questions. But there¡¯s really only one thing that Rie was worried about right now. But that¡¯s not all. Once a witch or a wizard became 18, their magic would also reach its full potential. And that¡¯s what scared Rie more. Because just like what she said to Casa earlier, she couldn¡¯t control her magic. It¡¯s the reason she was wearing this bracelet, to stop the uncontrollable flow of magic in her body. And just like what Casa said, it would soon not be enough. It¡¯s one of things that remained a mystery to her. Because when she was younger, she could control her magic perfectly. But after her father died, she also lost the ability to control it. The only answer she could think of was because she was so traumatized by what had happened. Most people would lose their mind if the same thing happened to them. Rie took a deep breath. She needed to go back to Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢. The other might wonder why she still hadn¡¯t returned. But before that, she needed to look for a gauze to bandage her wrist. She still needed to sell her lie, after all. Rie was about to open the door when she heard a sudden thud. As if there was something heavy that tumbled from the sky. She quickly turned and almost gasped when she saw a man standing in the middle of the rooftop. The man was tall, almost six feet, if Rie was not mistaken. His muscles were very prominent in the simple white shirt that he¡¯s wearing. His black hair was messy, as if a strong wind had blown on it. A few of its strands were covering the upper half of his face. But she could still see a straight nose and a set of sharp jaws with a night worth of stubbles. Rie might not be familiar with males because she grew up in a place filled with females. But she would say with confidence that this guy was probably someone that others would consider ¡®handsome¡¯. She shook her head. This was not the time to observe this guy¡¯s appearance. What she should have been thinking right now was where the heck did this person come from? She was certain that she was alone on the rooftop. She examined the place before contacting Casa. The only way to go here was through the door behind her. And since she attached the paper charm on the door, she¡¯s sure than no one had entered it. So, again, where did this man come from? She immediately racked her brain for an answer, but the only thing that came to mind was that the other jumped from the ground to this rooftop. Then that would make this guy a supernatural being. The other guess was that he was a vampire. Those bastards could teleport. But then again, the sun was pretty high in the sky. No vampire would dare teleport to a place this high up. The sun could burn those bastards alive, turning them into ashes. So, no vampire usually went out during the day. Rie¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when the guy started walking. If it could even be called that. He walked as if stalking a prey. And from the current situation, she was the ¡®prey¡¯. It¡¯s because even though she couldn¡¯t see the other¡¯s eyes clearly, she could still feel that he was staring at her. His gaze felt like it¡¯s piercing her soul. She suddenly felt nervous. What if this guy was here because of her? Rie no longer thought of those things and just got the hell out of there. But before she could even turn around to open the door, someone suddenly pulled her arm from behind. Because of the sudden pull, she had no choice but to turn around. The moment she did, she came face to face with a pair of startling eyes. Eyes as dark as the night sky. The man was even bigger up close, his biceps and muscular chest rippling. Rie pushed down whatever nervousness she was feeling. No matter who or what this man was, she wouldn¡¯t let him scare her. ¡°Pustit za me,¡± she said in Czech, telling the man to let go of her. Her voice was low but full of threat. As if she was ready to beat the crap out of the other at any second. But it¡¯s like the other didn¡¯t hear her because instead of letting her go, he pulled her closer. He stared at her face as if searching for something. Rie didn¡¯t want to, but she felt her cheeks heating. Could anyone blame her? This was the closest she got to a man. She didn¡¯t like it one bit. The sudden skipping of her heart was even more unbearable. ¡°I said¡ª¡± Rie hadn¡¯t continued what she was saying because the man suddenly leaned down. It startled Rie. Her whole body froze up. But the most annoying part was, her heart started beating faster for no reason. As if she was running in a race. Then Rie felt the other¡¯s breath on her neck. Wait- was this bastard sniffing her? That finally woke her up from her stupor. ¡°Let go of me!¡± she shouted, pushing the other with all her might. But it was like pushing a stone wall. The man didn¡¯t even budge. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± the man said in English. It lacked the usual accent that people who grew up in the Czech Republic had whenever they talked in that language. But Rie wasn¡¯t able to focus on that because the other¡¯s voice caught all her attention. It was such a deep baritone. With how close the two of them were, it almost felt like it was reverberating through her. Rie secretly scolded herself. What¡¯s her problem? This- this bastard was sniffing her, and she was more concerned by the other¡¯s voice. She clenched her fists. Rie forced herself to calm down. Because that¡¯s the only way to control whatever she was planning. Then, she did the last thing she never thought she would do in this situation. She used her magic. In the blink of an eye, her magic pushed away the other from her. Rie shockingly stared at her hands. She willed herself to stop the flow of magic and it stopped. It seemed like this was one of her lucky days because her magic obeyed her. She lifted her head to see where the man was and was surprised to see that the other actually flew a few feet away from her. There was a hint of utter surprise on his face. ¡°What are you?¡± he asked. It didn¡¯t get past Rie¡¯s notice that the man used ¡®what¡¯ instead of ¡®who¡¯. She almost shouted that shouldn¡¯t she be the one asking that question? But she took that chance to run out of the rooftop instead. Then, she rushed towards the elevator at her fastest speed. She probably had never run as fast as she did at this moment. Until the elevator reached the ground floor, Rie¡¯s heartbeat still hadn¡¯t calmed down. The moment she walked out of the elevator, she quickly stopped the nurse passing by and asked for a bandage. ¡°Can I ask what do you need it for?¡± the nurse asked. Rie almost groaned in frustration. But she still asked in a pleading tone, ¡°I just really need it, please?¡± It seemed like her pleading worked because the other said, ¡°Follow me.¡± Before following the nurse, Rie looked from left to right, making sure that the man from the rooftop was not there. She only let out a sigh of relief when she didn¡¯t see him. But she couldn¡¯t help but feel that the other was still watching her somewhere. I really need to get out of this hospital. RIE only felt reassured once she and Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢ returned to St. Marketa. When the nurse gave her the bandage, she carefully wrapped it around her wrist. The two of them would have returned faster if that man hadn¡¯t appeared. ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am, for accompanying me,¡± she said to the director with a slight smile once they returned to the dormitory. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I told you, it¡¯s only part of my job,¡± the other said, walking straight back to her office. Rie was about to climb up the stairs when she saw Eri rushing down. When the other saw her, she hurried towards her with a worried frown on her beautiful face. ¡°Rie, where have you been?¡± Eri asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been so worried. If no one had told me they¡¯d seen you leave with Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢, I might have thought that something bad happened to you.¡± ¡°Sorry, I forgot to send you a message,¡± Rie apologized. ¡°I went to the hospital with Miss Nov¨¢kov¨¢.¡± ¡°Hospital?¡± That¡¯s when Eri noticed the bandaged on Rie¡¯s wrist. ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± she asked, full of worry. ¡°You should have woken me up so I could accompany you!¡± Rie sighed. She leaned towards her sister and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s not real.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eri asked in confusion. Rie raised her bandaged hand and moved it around, waving it back and forth. Eri¡¯s eyes widened when she saw it. ¡°Then why did you¡ª¡± ¡°I need a reason to go out of the academy. I had to contact Casa.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Rie suddenly didn¡¯t know how to answer that. But in the end, she still was honest. ¡°I asked for a sleeping potion.¡± Eri¡¯s expression softened. Her amber-colored eyes showed worry and helplessness. ¡°Oh Rie, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m you twin sister. I have every right to worry.¡± Eri reached out and held Rie¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t always take every problem by yourself. Aren¡¯t I here to share it with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± Rie said, feeling guilty. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go this time because I love you, but try not to do it again.¡± Rie smiled at the other¡¯s adorable admonition. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Eri hugged her arm. ¡°So, was there anything else that happened besides your talk with Casa?¡± Rie cringed a bit, remembering what happened at the hospital. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ something.¡± She started telling her sister what had happened. And once again, she couldn¡¯t help but remember that man¡¯s face, his ruffled black hair, and his dark, dark eyes.