"Tasha, this is the first time I witnessed the stone from his possession. It looks pretty similar to the one you have all along." Michael eyed sideways only to see her posture stoned in place.
"Why do you have that?" Her voice dropped near inaudible.
"What do you mean, Ana?" Liam, who stood beside Lucy, crossed his arms as he lowered his head, facing her.
"It's another pristine gemstone!" she cried out loud with her lips parted, convulsing.
'That stone—Wallace!' Anasthasia jolted up from her seat as she took a sharp breath. She couldn't believe what bore to her sight, but the reflections on her eyes gleamed from its bright white gemstone.
"Why'd you have that?!"
Soon as Anasthasia cried out loud, they all tensed and looked agape at her. They turned with incredible wariness in their heart when her eyes turned glossy, heaving quick breaths.
Blake leaned forward with his elbow propped on his knees as he mumbled, "This is our family heirloom."
"A family heirloom—? Wait! You're—telling me…" Her shrieking voice turned into a ragged whisper as she thought of the possibility.
He closed his eyes, bobbing his head while he asserted her speculations, "Indeed, I'm a direct descendant of Wallace Raguel, the fallen archangel."
'Did I miss something? Was the history of the Prismatic Empire gone or—?!'
Blake's confession struck her hard as though a series of sparks surged all over her body. Her hands couldn't contain the tremors. "How...can this be—" She was breathless, unable to convey amidst her chaotic thoughts.
'No! This is impossible! He can't sway me with mere words!' Eyes all ablaze with curiosity. She kneaded her forehead and then sank deep to her seat. 'I need to calm down, or things won't go well for me again.'
"I apologize for losing my composure all of a sudden."
"I understand, Miss Ana. Perhaps this meant more to you than what it is to me." His hands now clasped as she stared right into her eyes.
She crossed her legs as she tapped her fingers on her lap. "No offense, but just because you showed—"
"Do you require further evidence for this—?"
"Can you?"
"That—Well, for that matter." Blake averted his gaze, scratching his nape as he became unresponsive.
"If you can show me at least two more concrete pieces of evidence that you are his descendant, then I will reconsider!"
Seeing how Anasthasia looked contempt in her eyes, Blake hissed through his clenched teeth, "Do I have to remove it here?"
'Oh? He knows about that?'
Blake noticed the subtle glint from Anasthasia's eyes, which had him twitch his lips. "I never have shown it to anyone else."
"Do you think you find it horrible because it is deemed a sign of humiliation?"
His eyes widen from her queries, and she can only see how his hands tighten to a fist. That said, she could only smile wryly from his reaction.
"If you have the guts to show it, go ahead."
Blake continued to stare for who knew how long before he relaxed his stature. He stood up and reached for the knot, which tucked his avant-garde robe altogether, and rustled. However, this didn't take well with the twins. Hence, Liam moved Lucy closer as his palms covered her gleaming eyes.
"Brother Liam! What do you mean by this?" Lucy squired, but Liam's sheer strength kept her in place.
"This isn't something for little girls like you to see." He narrowed his eyes, which sent cold stares at Blake.
Blake mouthed an apology and eyed Anasthasia, who sipped green tea in peace, as he waited for her signal. Afterwhich, her nods were his cue to continue. His white robe cascaded down and hung by the arms. In turn, this exposed the plain dark sleeves and trouser underneath as he took his time to unbutton them.
His sultry fingers reached every button therein. Every time he unbuttoned, his sculpted chest, with a touch of light and warm skin tone, revealed. Like his robe, his sleeves fluttered against lean arms and turned around.
Blake's calloused hand reached his toned back and slinked down his skin, hovering over his shoulder blades' deep scars. He gulped wordlessly, and he could feel his heart thump against his chest, waiting for her response.
Anasthasia pressed her lips so thin as she uttered, "Did you completely remove them?"
Blake turned his head to the side while holding up a hand, scoffing under his breath. "I could never do that, even if I wanted to. It will just grow back, and I have to cut it from time to time."
"It must have been hard for you. I'm sorry you had to go through with that."
"It's alright. Now I got used to it, and it's not much of a problem." He put on both his sleeves and robe in one fluid motion and then started button the rest. It didn't take long for him to wear them back and sat down.
Liam, on the other hand, let go of his hold. Lucy scrunched her nose, leering at his brother.
'I know those scars, and just like Wallace, he did that to prove his allegiance. I wonder why he made a fuss about it. I never knew, and like it passed generations to generations.'
"One more, anything else?" Anasthasia's eyes flashed with enthusiasm.
"I still have more, but I didn't bring them with me."
"That's too bad then. Well, I'm not sure if this will help." She placed the teacup on the table and asked Levi a favor, "May you get 'Seraphine' from the room, Levi?"
"I shall get it in a jiffy." Levi sprinted his way out and went upstairs.
Anasthasia's gaze locked at his moving silhouette, thanking him in advance. She turned back and saw how Blake's jaws dropped. She could only take a sight at his expression.
"What is it, Blake?"
She knew what was on his mind. Hence she tried to test him, and there he went so nerve-wracking to the point he would start to stammer from his utterance, "Did—Did you say 'Seraphine'?"
"Sure enough."
"How could you have that?" he voiced out in a faltering manner.
"You'll see…" She beckoned Lucy to brew her tea and sipped it with grace.
It didn't take long for Levi to come back with the lackluster ceramic rod in his grasp. He gave it to Anasthasia, and her fingertips caressed the surface of the shaft. She then arced 'Seraphine' midair.
"If you can activate this, then you'll pass from my judgement." Her smug grin sent his body tensed, beads of sweat forming in his forehead.
Without further ado, she leaned closer and moved the tea back to its place.
Just as she shifted closer, the pristine white gemstone gleamed and resonated with 'Seraphine'. The warmth continued to pulse; not only she could feel the surging nostalgic surge in her body but also to the rest of the people in the room.
'Wait! What is going on?!" Panic swelled in her heart as she tried to resist the recurring urge.
She mustered all her strength and pulled back. Alas, the light shone on both sides turned dim, which calmed themselves.
Unbeknownst to them, Anasthasia did her best to reorganize her thoughts but came up with more questions than left unanswered.
'The 'Seraphine's Embrace' amplified with this stone? Just what are these stones? Why—' Her train of thoughts interrupted from his dry voice.
"The Seraphine's Embrace…"
Her eyes flashed once more. "Oh, so you knew! That should make our conversation easier."
"Of course, that alone confirmed and washed away all my fears and doubts." His hands latched unto his chest and shut his eyes. "The 'Seraphine' was a lost treasure that we all sought for so many decades."
"I'm glad it went back to my hands. Now, do you know how to do this?"
"I can unseal it."
A slight chill washed her spine as she gaped at him. "Pray tell, Blake."
"I remembered it clearly. It was in the tapestry, the various imagery of 'Seraphine' with a quote underneath it."
Seeing how determined he was, Anasthasia smiled and tossed 'Seraphine' with him, catching it in his hands. His eyes shut, and sighed.
Blake stood upright, he drew the shaft close to his chest with his hand gripped, uttering the words.
Soon after, the light of 'Seraphine' bathed with immense warmth and transformed—the shaft grew longer than the previous, the stone fragments coalesced into a thin and formed a sharp blade with a glimmering tip.
'So here comes the beautiful spear, another form of 'Seraphine'.
What surprised her more was the pairs of wings present from 'Seraphine,' which turned out to be four pairs of wings with a rhythmic beat, and they were located below the spearhead. A blast of light appeared afore them as his eyes snapped open.
Anasthasia gave him a slow round of applause as the lips' corners curled up.
"Without a doubt, you are Wallace's descendant."