(Gehan pov ) -----( ◜‿◝ )----
The dining hall was dim and golden, filled with the afternoon sun filtering through the stained glass. The large windows were a colorful mosaic of painted birds and rising suns, casting patches of colored light across the old wooden tables.
I sat at one of them, my tray of food untouched.
I sat near one of them, my tray full of foods untouched.
I wasn't really here.
I was somewhere else again. I was sitting at a table with someone, laughing.
A hand reached toward me, and blue fire danced on his fingertips. I couldn't see his face, but I knew that warmth.
Burn it with your blue fire, dragon boy.
The memory vanished the moment someone tapped on the table.
Hey, Lucien said softly. Don't zone out too hard, okay? I know this is… a lot. But I believe in you. You're not going to be taken over by Malekai.
He looked toward the others. Right?
Nikolai didn't hesitate. You're stronger than him.
Damon shrugged as if it was obvious. You're still here, aren't you?
I I blinked. A strange warmth crept into my chest.
Footsteps approached, and Lucien shifted over to give Eris some space beside him, grinning.
Surprised you didn't deck the Nephilim on sight.
I thought about it, Eris muttered.
Zuriel slid into the seat beside me, nudging my knee with his own. Move over, short stuff. I nearly died today.
I gave him a look but scooted. You always nearly die.
He grinned. Still, you looked like you hit your head when you fainted. Just checking for brain damage.
I arched a brow. That's what you're worried about? Not… I don't know, world-ending stuff?
Zuriel shrugged. You've got enough problems already. One more might fry the circuits.
Lucien smirked. She didn't even hit her head. You two did.
Zuriel blinked.
Lucien pointed. You and Nikolai both dived to catch her. You slammed heads. It was honestly kind of impressive.
Zuriel cleared his throat and looked away. Details.
Nikolai didn't say anything, but he reached over and quietly pushed a glass of water toward me. I took it and smiled, just a little. I appreciate them
Later that evening, long after the hall had emptied and the corridors fell into silence, I found myself walking alone. The small church on the academy grounds stood at the far end of the courtyard, quiet and untouched. It wasn't grand, just a simple stone chapel with blue glass mosaic birds etched into the panes.
It felt a little weird, honestly.
This whole place the monastery where we stay and learn used to be a holy site. Wouldn't that technically make every room and every hallway part of the church? But this chapel felt different. It felt like the only part of the monastery that hadn't been changed into something else.
But it was still.
I stepped inside. The scent of old wood and candle wax hung in the air, and the moonlight painted pale colors across the pews. I sat in the second row, my hands resting in my lap, and closed my eyes.
I know it's been a long time since I reached out, I whispered. But I need you now. I'm... lost. I wasn't a great person Maybe I still won't be. But if you're listening... help me find the truth behind my life mystery. And help me not become like him. Please don't let Malekai take me.
My breath shook, but I didn't cry. I just sat there, letting the silence settle around me. When I opened my eyes, I almost didn't notice it at first
A white feather. Floating.
It shimmered gently in the candlelight, as if lit from within. It drifted just above the altar soft, small, and weightless. My heart jumped. I stood up and stepped forward, reaching for it, but the feather vanished in a soft blink of light.
It was gone, as if it had never been there at all.
I smiled faintly and placed a hand over my heart. Thank you, I whispered. I took it as a sign a promise that Malekai wouldn't be able to take over my mind.
I turned to leave and nearly jumped out of my skin when a voice drawled from the doorway.
So you pray now?
Zuriel leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. The moonlight caught the gold in his hair, making that single streak of teal stand out. Didn't think you believed in the supernatural, he drawled.
I shrugged. I do. Or maybe... I did. My faith got a little broken along the way. Especially when being sick felt like a punishment.
I glanced back toward the altar. But I figured I had nothing to lose by praying again. Especially with Malekai, and that book, and everything else happening. Even if it's just a coping mechanism, I don't lose anything by trying.
I tilted my head, pausing for a second. Did you see that feather earlier? It was glowing.
Zuriel squinted toward the altar. A feather? He stepped inside, his brow furrowed. He walked straight up to me and reached for my head, inspecting it with exaggerated seriousness. Are you sure you didn't actually hit your head after all?
His face was close now too close and his hand stayed there a second longer than it needed to.
you're serious? I asked, a smirk tugging at my lips. Lucien said you and Nikolai were the ones who hit your heads. You rushed in like a hero. Again.
I poked him in the chest with my finger, my smile turning mocking. I know you care about me. .
Zuriel looked like someone had smacked him with a nephilim book . I could see the tips of his ears turning a bright, pinkish red.
I- I That's not He looked away, clearing his throat sharply. It's not that I care. I just… pity you. If you really hit your head that hard, who knows what else you'll forget? You already forget a lot of things
Right, I said, my smile not fading for a second
He crossed his arms and changed the subject. You should get to bed. Early day tomorrow. Clean-up duty again. The rifts are bleeding into the edges of town now, and the government still wants to pretend it's all natural disasters. He shook his head. I don't get why they're so afraid of people knowing the truth. You'd think they'd be used to change by now.
I nodded quietly. Together we walked into the dark corridor. No more words. Just the soft echo of two sets of footsteps side by side in a world slowly unraveling.
The room was silent. A soft glow from the warding runes pulsed in the corners of the walls, humming faintly like insects trapped against glass. But it wasn't the world outside that haunted me. It was what waited behind my eyes.
I sat on the edge of my bed, knees drawn to my chest. The Book of Nephilim rested on my desk across the room closed, still. But never truly asleep. I hadn't dared open it since we returned. Not since Skyrneth. Not since him.
I pressed my hand against my chest as if I could steady the rhythm there.
I'm not like him. I won't be.
But every time I closed my eyes… Blood. It flowed through my fingers like ink.
Faces I didn't know flashed past. Some were twisted aswang. Others were just broken people falling one after another around me. In the visions, my hands never shook. I stood tall, clutching the Nephilim Book in one hand. In the other, a glowing card burned with power.
No mercy. No fear. Only fire. Only judgment.
My breath caught in my throat. No… I can't be like that. I can't become Malekai.
Then another voice slipped through my thoughts. Gentle. Cold.
(You're not like Malekai). The thought wasn't mine. It felt like mine, echoing in my own voice, but it came from deeper.
(He killed to control. )
To dominate. A pause.
(But I… I did what I had to. To protect. For someone I loved.)
My chest tightened suddenly.
(Nikolai)
The name had slipped into my thoughts too easily. No wait… I didn't mean but the voice was already gone.
I slowly lay back against the mattress, staring up at the dark ceiling. What if it's not corruption? What if it's memory?
The Book of Nephilim pulsed once across the room. It was faint, like a heartbeat. It felt like it had heard me. I pulled the blanket over my face, but I couldn't sleep. I just felt something quiet waking up inside of me.
-------ಠಗಠ---+
I woke up before the sun, before my roster alarm in my phone. I stayed still for a second, feeling heavy.
Then I remembered the meeting. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. The room was dim and the monastery academy was still quiet. My body ached as I stretched and pulled on my jacket.
When I stepped into the hallway, I spotted Zuriel already moving toward the main corridor. Of course he was awake. He look back at me briefly but said nothing.
By the time I reached the main corridor, the others were already gathering. Sir Nathaniel stood at the center of the hall. Good, he said simply. We leave now.
Not long after, we stood at the edge of a forest beyond the academy grounds. The air here felt thicker somehow.
We had traveled deep into the lowlands, to a quiet province where farmers had begun disappearing. The Council had flagged it as Gabunan activity.
Notes ; ( Gabunan is a variant of an aswang )
Sir Nathaniel had chosen to lead this mission personally. He stood before us, his voice calm but firm.
These are not like the aswang you've faced before, he said. This variant is older. Stronger. Gabunan can shift even in daylight. Salt does nothing. Calamansi useless.
The group exchanged brief looks.
They carry the old blood, Nathaniel continued. You'll need spells. Precision. No hesitation.
I stood between Zuriel and Nikolai, silent but alert. Zuriel leaned slightly toward me, lowering his voice.
You better stick close, he murmured. Some of them like hunting the weak especially the sick. Sweet weak lungs like yours? That's a five-star meal.
I shot him a hard glare. Zuriel chuckled and nudged my shoulder. I'm joking.
I didn't respond. Sir Nathaniel was still speaking.
The convergence has made them bolder, he said. They're not hiding from us anymore. They're preparing to prove they've always been real.
Beside him, Eris roll up her long sleeve. Damon cracked his knuckles.
Lucien checked his journal.
Then Sir Nathaniel stepped forward. Without hesitation, we followed him into the woods.