Center Mennork.
Skyler sat in the carriage, looking at the terraced buildings bathed in crimson.
To her right, was Sebastian Blackwood who was pulling the black horses. He had a calm expression, and Skyler couldn't help but stare at him as if she were enchanted by him.
Clop! Clop! Clop!
It was the second time she was alone with him. Her first meeting with Sebastian had left a strong impression on her, especially his last words before she returned home.
"Thank the Son that nothing happened to you, Madam Hall. We would look very bad if people found out that we involved an innocent person in this matter." Sebastian expressed sincerely.
Skyler nervously waved her hands. "Erm ah, you don't have to worry about me. It's simply my fault for going into the shed on my own."
Looking away, she could feel her heart pounding as an unidentified sense of dread was growing within her. She didn't know if she was nervous or not, but this was definitely the first time she felt that way.
Clop! Clop! Clop!
"At least, we managed to neutralize the zombie and purify it with the help of the Hermit Exorcist before it was too late." Sebastian said.
He was unaware of how grateful Skyler was to him. She didn't even dare imagine what would have happened to her if Sebastian and Cleo hadn't come to her rescue. Her outcome would have been much more tragic!
Skyler slowly turned his gaze towards Sebastian's who in the meantime was clutching the harness in his hands.
Sebastian frowned and muttered heavily. "People are really crazy. Why are they willing to take such a risk just to have powers? It's true that thanks to them we can protect ourselves from curses or paranormal entities, but it's not worth taking the risk for something like this."
"So, Mr. Blackwood, d-do you hate divinations and mysticism?" Skyler asked softly.
While the air around them grew tense, Sebastian turned his head towards Skyler, eyes narrowed and lips slightly pursed.
Skyler looked at him in amazement, mesmerized by his gaze. Her cheeks blushed and a light gust of wind made her hair sway. His gaze was sweet, soothing, as if he wanted to chase away tension. However, it also hid much else unknown to her.
Sebastian reached out with his right hand, gently lifting the necklace that was around Skyler's neck.
"I want you to do me a favor and not tell anyone about what happened today." Sebastian mumbled, voice soft.
"I-I-I'll take this secret to the grave!" Skyler exclaimed nervously.
After saying those words, she quickly looked away, gripping the fabric of her dress tightly. Sebastian then gently let the necklace slide, causing it to dangle a few times.
"I thank you for your cooperation, Madam Hall." Sebastian said.
"He's really a very charming and gallant person as they say. But... I don't know... there's something about him that I really find queer." Skyler eyed Sebastian curiously.
She had a hard time understanding what she was feeling. But to her, it was as if Sebastian Blackwood's smile was actually just a mask.
As the horses raced toward the Ancient Path Bridge, Skyler let her thoughts envelop her all the way.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
North Mennork, at 15 Angel Lane Street.
After returning home from West Mennork, Skyler sat at the desk in her bedroom. She lit the candle holder, illuminating the desk as the room was bathed in crimson.
With a frown she looked at the window, but there was something blocking her view of the moon.
"My master who wants to become a Daredevil, eh… this news is new to me." Klein muttered, his voice was growing deep.
He was leaning on the edge of the open window looking at Skyler, his cold gaze was heavy as if he wanted to crush her.
The air became stagnant, the moon cast eerie shadows in the room.
"Listen to me Klein, I have a question for you." Skyler broke the silence, placing her fingers on her chest. "Tell me about the world of Daredevil's and the requirements to be part of it."
Klein frowned. His clear gray eyes looked pitifully at Skyler, like someone who didn't care about the person in front of him.
The atmosphere was stagnant and tense, prickly like a needle. Silence continued to reign in the dim room, and the only sound that could be heard was the 9:00 pm bells of the North Mennork clock tower which sounded melodiously.
Despite his intimidating gaze, Skyler didn't look away, continuing to nervously stare at Klein, curiosity had taken over her fears.
"I want to be frank, your question is just stupid." Klein looked at the red moon, turning his back on Skyler.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Whilst a breeze blew, Skyler clenched her fists, looking at her feet helplessly. Her body trembled as she could feel the heat of the candle on her neck.
"I just want to understand more, also because…"
The image of her friend appeared in Skyler's mind.
She bit her lower lip, feeling a little pain in her temples. She felt helpless for not having perceived Evelyn's suffering much earlier.
"Because what? Because ya find out your precious friend almost risked her life? How stupid, too saccharine for my taste buds." Klein couldn't help but laugh.
Skyler rose abruptly from her chair. "I don't allow you to frolic about something serious, especially if it concerns her!"
Clenching her fist tightly, feeling her palms pricking her palms, she frowned at Klein who was sitting on the edge of the window. Her chest tightened in a mixture of wrath and helplessness.
Her pointed gaze conveyed anger as if rejecting his statement, while Klein was looking at her, playing a smile on his lips.
He was making fun of Evelyn's suffering, taking pleasure in it. Even if she considers herself inferior, even if she allows Klein to tease her, she would never allow neither Klein nor anyone else to make fun of someone she cares about very much.
"What, ya want to punch me for expressin' my opinion? Even if ya are good at boxing, ya have no chance against me." Klein stood up, placing his arms behind him as he looked at Skyler. "Besides, ya can't fight here. Your uncle is downstairs, and your attempts to hide my presence would go up in smoke."
"Sometimes when you do that I just can't understand you." Skyler grinned her teeth.
After all, Klein was an enigmatic person who she couldn't understand. Although they coexisted for a long time without Benson's knowledge, she still struggled to fully understand his behavior.
"Your altruism disgusts me, my master." Klein sat on the bed and whispered. "I'll tell ya what ya want to know, but on one condition."
Hearing his words, inside herself, Skyler rejoiced while still keeping her frown on her face and her fists clenched.
She still didn't know what Klein's condition was, but if it was in her power, she would do anything to get information.
Skyler looked straight into Klein's eyes, her tone turning serious. "Let's see, what's the condition?"
"I want us to go to that palace with the blue roses. That place intrigues me a lot, and who knows… maybe we can discover somethin'." Klein twisted a smile.
Skyler's heart skipped a beat. Her mind was adrift, like a ship at sea in a strong storm. A shiver ran down her spine as she heard those words.
Turning her head over the desk, she saw the emerald gem necklace illuminated by the candle holder.
The mysterious palace with blue roses, the green-colored fountain, and the intricate carving her were still vivid in her mind. Even though a few days had passed since she entered that mysterious place, for her it was as if it had happened just now.
"Why do… we have to go to that… place?" Skyler murmured, pursing her lips together as her body trembled.
The bells stopped ringing, and the only sound that could be heard was the whistling of the wind. The wind blew the white window curtains, obscuring the view between Skyler and Klein with a whoosh.
"If ya don't want to go, go ahead, but know that ya won't receive any information from me." Klein narrowed his eyes.
Skyler looked at Klein's figure sitting on her bed, his face was half covered by the sheer white curtain.
"But… do I really have to go back there? Do I have to?" Skyler placed her hand on her chest, clutching the fabric of her yellowish-brown pajamas. "I don't even… know… if it'll work like last time."
The image of her hand being sucked into the mirror adorned with intricate silverwork, along with her face and the rest of her body arose in her mind. The wind stopped blowing, causing the curtains to stop fluttering in mid-air, Skyler couldn't help but shudder at the idea of having to relive that experience.
Klein got up from the bed, and walking towards Skyler, he touched the braided part of her black hair.
He brought his lips close to Skyler's ear. "Of course ya owe me, since thanks to ya, I'm bound to your soul for eternity. What's the matter, are ya afraid?"
"Ah, I'm not afraid, it's just that… that place has, how can I say… something odd, and then I don't even know how to go back…" Skyler's lips trembled as she smelled perfume coming from Klein's black coat.
She felt like the place had something sinister hiding. Although she knew that the necklace came from the Kingdom of Aetheria, she didn't know who gave it to her father, nor the meaning behind the majestic palace.
Skyler wanted to refuse Klein's proposal, but was unable to argue, since, years earlier, she saved him against his will. A sense of helplessness grew within her, making her throat lump.
"I know one way. Don't make excuses and let's go, my master."
"D-do you know a way to get b-back?"
"Yes, and I was sure of it when your necklace shined. The sooner we hurry, the better for us."
Skyler nodded as she swallowed hard. She didn't want to go to the mysterious place with blue roses, she wanted to close the problem about it, she wanted to not get involved, however, all her hopes went in vain.
Hence, she took the necklace from the desk and put it on, approaching the mirror that was behind the desk.
Even though she trembled, even though she was afraid, Skyler touched the mirror, squeezing Klein's hand.
Her hand, her arm, her face, her whole body was sucked into the mirror, she felt as if a dark and unseen force was dragging her inside, denying her any way out. The sensation was both disturbing and beyond her imagination, like when she ended up in that infinite void while she was sleeping.
"I hope everything goes well." Skyler closed her eyes, holding Klein's hand, she hoped nothing had happened to her.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Skyler slowly opened her eyes, finding herself in the endless space with blue roses.
The golden butterflies fluttered in the sky illuminated by the blue moon, similar to a dreamlike painting, while the remaining ones landed gently on the petals of the roses.
"It really worked. So I can only enter this place if I have the necklace on." Skyler walked into the intricate pale-white stone archway.
Her bare feet touched the cold hard ground with each step, holding Klein's hand. His rough, warm hand was the only warmth that warmed her cold body.
Klein looked intrigued at the stone archway, a smile forming on his lips, but it wasn't a soft, genuine smile. It was like a sinister smile, as if he had come here for a specific purpose.
Skyler stared at Klein silently, like a spectator. She wondered why he, a person who wanted nothing to do with her, brought her here in the middle of the night. Could it be out of curiosity? Could it be because he really wanted to see the palace?
As she was in a turmoil of thoughts, Klein looked straight over the end of the archway. Their footsteps echoed majestically.
"Who knows what the building is like. No, I must correct myself. Who knows what the 'inside of the place' will be like, surrounded even with carvings of my master. Don't be afraid, let's go." Klein exclaimed.
He took the first steps of the stairs, looking at the entrance of the majestic palace covered by green vines.
"You're not funny at all when you're being sarcastic." Skyler looked nervously at Klein as she climbed the august stairs.
While they climbed higher with their hands together, the ethereal vision behind them transformed into an eerie and surreal landscape. The blue roses scattered endlessly, their thin and delicate petals blooming in the blue moon as they floated as if by magic.
The golden butterflies danced elegantly among the roses, releasing shimmering golden flakes that blended with the blue petals.
"I was hoping I would never have to come here…" Skyler sighed deeply, entering the palace along with Klein.
The place hadn't changed much since she last came. In front of her was the fountain adorned with intricate patterns of rose, the rush of the green water could be heard from the entrance.
At the end of the hall, behind the fountain, there was a colossal statue of her with a sword and a crown standing proudly behind the torch-lit golden throne. The scent of burning incense brimmed in the air with the earthy aroma of the vines.
Walking towards the throne, they could see that the walls were covered in wild vines and blue roses.
Reaching the hermetic statue, Skyler looked behind the statue and was shocked.
"What's happening now?" Her eyes shot open, she instinctively embraced Klein.
"So it finally appeared in the place, eh…" Klein murmured softly.
In the innocuous terracotta wall, half covered by vines and roses, wooden double-doors formed before them.
The doors were about twice as high as both Skyler and Klein, on the woody part there was an embroidery of a woman very familiar to Skyler, an embroidery that made her blood run cold.
Skyler gawked at that thing in disbelief. Her teeth trembling, she glared at Klein who was looking contentedly at the door. She then stared again at the door, swallowing hard like she wanted to swallow her fears.
The embroidery of her completely naked holding a cross with both hands were engraved on the double-doors with seven jewels set between them!
"Wha-what is a door with my embroidery doing here??" Skyler asked Klein.
In the endless space with blue roses, not only were there carvings and a statue representing her, but now a door, which had been non-existent since the last time she came, appeared like magic on the terracotta wall with her embroidery.
"Don't ask me, it's the first time I've entered here. It's ya who should know, my master." Klein backed away, reaching for the golden throne. "Now the time has come when ya ask me your foolish questions that I don't care about."
"What were those words you said earlier?" Skyler frowned, her gaze a mix of caution and insecurity.
Just now she heard Klein mutter something she hadn't expected to hear, something that made her completely doubt him.
She stared at him intently, her gaze growing serious with each passing second as Klein leaned against one of the stone pillars of the ancient palace with both hands in his pockets, looking at Skyler with a smile.
"Ya shouldn't look at me like that. My desire to come here satisfies yours too. Now that ya are here, ya can study its functions and origins, and also, ya can use it to your advantage in some way." Klein tilted his head down. "Startin' with that door with the jewels."
"You're not wrong, I can't leave this thing unnoticed after I'm in it, but… how can I use it to my advantage, and why did you bring me here?" Skyler asked, constantly wondering what it all meant.
What Klein said made sense. If she understood all the functions of the place, she could use it to her advantage in the future. The problem was, she didn't know how.
First of all, she didn't know the origins of the necklace, nor the purpose of the palace. Why was her image depicted in the place? What did the door behind the statue mean? Why is the endless space surrounded by blue roses?
Her mind was reeling with questions that had no answers.
"I don't know that yet, but luckily for me ya are not a daft, I'm sure ya'll understand." Klein walked towards Skyler, looking around him.
"When he does that I really can't stand it." Skyler bit her lip, irritated by Klein's statement.
If she dared, she wanted to slap his face hard until she got tired.
"Just to clarify, I'm very lazy, so I won't waste my energy monologuin' ya about it. I'll just tell ya the essentials, maybe." Klein closed the gap with Skyler, raising the index finger of his right hand. "So let's get to us. As you well know, the Daredevils are individuals with powers and abilities that even go so far as to challenge reality and nature."
"Reality… so that eye I saw at that time wasn't a fruit of my imagination, but it was someone who was watching me…" Skyler shivered, hugging her shoulders.
She thought back of the giant eye with the golden iris that appeared in the red sky last week night.
The experience was intense and eerie for her. She felt that what she saw was just her imagination, but the theory became tenuous after what Klein said. If that eye she saw was real, whose eye was it? Why was it staring at her? What did it want from her?
Skyler shook her head, trying to momentarily forget about that, and said cautiously. "Since you have the ability to create potions and drugs, you must be like an alchemist if I'm not mistaken."
"Aries Class, remember this, my master." Klein nodded, the smile still on his face. "I'm Core 3, therefore, I'm an Angel."
"Eh, An A-angel? S-so your powers are t-the same as a real Angel? Really?" Skyler muttered in shock at Klein's statement, her blue eyes sparkled.
Despite her initial suspicion of him, she couldn't hide her excitement at hearing those words.
Her heart pounded as she thought back to the stories about the twelve Ancient Angels during the Old Testament Century. These sacred deities, who represented wisdom and miracles for all humanity, had always intrigued her.
Skyler was amazed to know that she had someone close to her who had the same strength as these deities.
"It's incredible, I can hardly believe it. So Evelyn aspired to have Angel-like powers. What kind of powers she want to have?" Skyler took a breath, and asked. "Besides alchemy, do you have any other powers?"
"Who knows, maybe I can turn into a fox or maybe not. I don't have to tell ya things about myself, especially after what ya did to me." Klein placed both hands behind his back, denying Skyler's question.
"Since we've been together, Klein has never told me anything about himself. He's been passive for many years, and all of a sudden he's talking to me…" Skyler was very taken aback by Klein's behavior.
Klein had maintained silence for a long time, ignoring her like he was repudiating her, but a few days ago, after she returned from the palace, he suddenly spoke to her. She hoped to establish a good relationship with him, but Klein denied her hopes once again.
Skyler sighed and asked without any hesitation. "Klein, do you know if there are any abilities to communicate with the dead?"
"I think so, but who knows if I'm certain or not…" Klein looked around, avoiding eye contact with Skyler.
"Damn him..." As her mind was filled with thoughts, Skyler gritted her teeth, annoyed by the answer.
She hoped to understand what abilities allowed a person to communicate with the dead and its functions, she wanted not to talk to Evelyn about the matter as she didn't want to hurt her after the funeral, but everything was shattered like glass, leaving her disappointed. The frustration became so strong that she bit her lip.
Klein's sarcasm broke through her thoughts, his voice became hoarse. "What? Are ya considerin' me useless because I couldn't answer your snotty question? I can very well stay quiet if ya want."
The stagnant tension between them became palpable, a hidden knowledge of barriers rising in her way hindering her.
"I-I didn't mean that, though… can you tell me what are the requirements to become a Daredevil?" Skyler muttered, giving in to the fact that Klein would not tell her anything about the dead.
Although she was still frustrated, she couldn't afford to make Klein angry. Even though she didn't get the answers she wanted, she wanted to know what are the requirements to enter in the world of Daredevil at any cost.
She frowned, looking at Klein seriously as the tension between them grew increasingly tense.
"Sometimes ya really piss me off with your selfishness… hah, there are two requirements." Klein raised the index finger of his right hand. "The first, which is the most important, is to read the grimoire containing an ability, and fulfill its requirements."
Klein raised his middle finger, looking into Skyler's eyes. "The second is to get baptized by the Churches before readin' the grimoire. Ya can even not perform it, but by doin' so your chances of gettin' possessed by evil entities are much higher."
"The grimoire… now that I think about it this afternoon, when I saw the corpse, I remembered that there was a book on the ground. Mr. Blackwood said that the man shot himself for reading the grimoire without being baptized. So that means that books of that color are actually grimoires!" Skyler's mind was flooded with thoughts as she tilted her head downwards.
"If ya want to get a grimoire easily ya can join the Wraithcrow, Hermit Exorcist, and MIB. Or ya can join the Marauder Association." Klein ignored Skyler who was thinking deeply, waving his hand, he continued. "Ya can also use your luck and explore the various continents of the world to look for them, participate in auctions, or go to clandestine and secret meetings. In short, there are many ways to obtain grimoires."
"There's no need, thanks." Skyler raised her left arm toward Klein.
"Look at how much my master she's already gettin' an advantage." A dark expression formed on Klein's face.
"If that's what you say, then I have a chance to become a Daredevil too." Skyler massaged her temples. "But tell me… what requirements do I have to fulfill if I want to gain powers?"
"Don't ya think ya are exaggeratin' with all these questions? Ya are too repetitive for my tastes." Klein huffed, annoyed by Skyler's questions as he closed his eyes. "Alas! Just to clarify once and for all, the requirement is to complete the trials!"
"Trials?..." Skyler was aghast by the information.
For her, the world of Daredevil was an unexplored world that was beginning to fascinate but at the same time fear her.
She wondered what kind of challenges she would face to gain such powers, and whether or not she would emerge victorious.
"Enough with the questions, I've already wasted too much energy on ya." Klein raised his hand to Skyler's face, blowing on it.
The magenta powder entered Skyler's nostrils as she breathed it in, blurring her vision. Her mind was collapsing, her body was stopping moving and becoming heavier, the view was gradually fading away.
She felt someone carrying her in his arms. Eyelids growing heavy, she struggled to see Klein's face with an eerie smile as he walked towards the fountain.
"What was written in the quire was true, eh… I really want to see if my master will be able to defeat the trials written in the grimoire." Klein said, reaching the ornate fountain.
"Klein…" Skyler murmured in a small voice.
Her mind completely lost clarity, and after failed attempts to stay awake.
Skyler's consciousness sank into the river of unconsciousness.