Chapter 69: Epilogue - A bolt out of the blue
«So, Luke, how does it feel to have become a monster against your will? Funny, isn’t it?» I tease him.
It’s morning, and the usual gang — me, Ginevra, Luke, Gerard, and Roxy — has gathered in my room. As always, the goal is to plan the day’s training, decide who partners with whom, and so on. But ever since our last fight, every chance is a good one to throw Luke’s mutation in his face. I’m just paying him back — with interest — for all the crap he gave me since I first stepped into the kingdom of Mildelar, four months ago.
Keeping such a massive secret was tough—almost impossible—and in fact, it only took a few days for the news to spread through the dormitory. Even Luke, once my most loyal hater, became just as much of an outcast as me... maybe even more. The familiars of Lunae Novae still have fresh memories of that night when the lycans and other monstrous creatures from the continent of Khavvsk slaughtered humans in a true massacre. The stares of hatred and disgust they throw at him now are even colder and harsher than the ones they give me.
The reason behind that sudden and mysterious mutation? Ginevra explained it to me — obviously, since Luke won’t talk about his condition even under torture. Basically, I remember that night too: Luke got bitten by a lycan, and I also recall the strange fever he mentioned after we woke up at the Valakys’ medical center. Turns out, it wasn’t just some fever caused by an infected wound — it was the mutation already starting inside his body, the one that eventually turned him into a lycan.
It’s an event as rare as it is unique. There are very few recorded cases of humans or vampires who can take on that form after being bitten by a lycan. And — no matter how much Luke tries to deny it — that mutation gave him a massive boost in physical strength, letting him beat familiars who were normally way stronger than him and climb the rankings fast.
This whole situation helped me learn something else: the monstrous appearance the lycans had that night isn’t their true form. Their natural features are actually almost identical to those of humans and vampires, but they can transform at will — just like Luke. The silver-coated lycans — the ones that are twice as big and way stronger than the black-coated ones — are actually the form taken by the females.
Female lycans are incredibly powerful — and just as rare — which is why they sit at the top of lycan society. Daphne told me all this right after watching my fight against Luke in his lycan form. It’s nothing secret or confidential, of course — it’s the kind of info you can find in any school biology book.
Luke snaps at my latest provocation — he’s about to throw one of his usual tantrums when...
—FLASH!
...a red flash explodes into the room. A teleportation spell. Has one of our masters come to fetch us? No. It’s not a master — it’s a soldier from the Scarlet Army. I recognize the uniform right away. We all go dead silent, exchanging quick glances — all of us just as shocked as we are scared.
«You two, out!» the soldier commands, looking straight at Luke and Roxy. Without needing to be told twice, they both leave the room.
Now it’s just me, Gerard, and Ginevra, sitting side by side on my bed. I have no clue what’s going on, or why he made only the three of us stay. And to make things worse, the soldier’s tense, jittery expression only makes us more uneasy by the second.
The soldier clears his throat, then delivers a single, simple sentence in a serious, formal tone.
«Princess Levreshka has been killed. Her body was found this morning in the royal palace garden.»
After that, the room falls into total silence — the kind of silence that feels heavy and uncomfortable.
How are you even supposed to react to something like that? It’s the death of a thirteen-year-old girl — Ayra and Daphne’s little sister. I’m sure they’re hurting, at least a little.
But me? No matter how hard I try to look devastated — and yeah, it’d be bad to show indifference in front of a royal army soldier, especially since people here are weird enough to execute you for "disrespecting the crown" or whatever — the best I can pull off is a pretty lame and totally unconvincing sulky face.
I’ve always hated her, to be honest — mostly because of her annoyingly childish attitude and the way she treated Gerard.
I won’t lie, though — her death did shock me. But only because someone managed to get that far... right into the garden of the Valakys’ castle. That’s a clear sign — there’s no safe place left in Mildelar.
I think Ginevra feels the same way — she only knew Levreshka by reputation, and that reputation definitely didn’t make her feel any sympathy.
Still, her sad expression looks way more believable than mine, even making her eyes a little misty.
But Gerard’s acting was on a whole different level. I mean, he was her familiar — there’s no way he could look indifferent in front of that guy.
He doesn’t say a word. His head is down, fists clenched on his knees, and a heavy sob escapes his chest.
Then... huge, messy tears roll down his cheeks and hit the floor. In a past life, he must’ve been an actor — there’s no other way to explain a performance so real it feels completely genuine.
«As members of the Valakys family, you are required to attend her funeral. Your masters will inform you once the date is set.»
His eyes then shift to Gerard.
«Obviously, after the funeral, you will no longer be part of the Valakys family. None of the princesses has shown interest in keeping you — not as a familiar, not even as a servant. You’ll be reassigned to a new master. Given your recent performance in the Blood Game, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding someone willing to forge a Binding Ritual with you.»
Gerard just nods, and the soldier disappears in a red flash — the same way he arrived.
Ginevra and I both let out a long sigh of relief, while Gerard keeps up the act. He probably hasn’t even noticed the soldier is gone.
I place a hand on his shoulder and give him a shake, but when he lifts his head... I realize this isn’t some Hollywood-level acting.
Gerard is actually hurting.
«After all she did to you... Seriously...?» I mutter. No need to say anything else — my thoughts are clear.
I remember it like it was yesterday: the way he spoke about Levreshka, about vampires in general, on my first day here.
And now... how is this even possible?
«I-I don’t know what to say to you...» he sobs, wiping his tears with the palm of his hand.
«...Back when I was her familiar, I would’ve given anything to end up with a different vampire. But now that she’s gone, I’d give anything to have her back... I know, it sounds stupid — some of her whippings left scars so deep they’re still on my skin — but still... I think deep down, she was just a little girl who needed love and affection. That’s all...»
«I think Roxy and all her love speeches have scrambled your brain...» I say, looking a bit puzzled.
«Maybe they have...»
END OF VOLUME 2