They descended into the depths of Mystica's underground lab—the place that hummed with the eerie thrum of power and old secrets. The atmosphere was just as Liam remembered: off-putting, like the room itself was watching. Still, he remained unfazed.
But Ariana? She was wide-eyed, her steps cautious. Her gaze darted from floating orbs of light pulsing softly in the air to strange vials filled with swirling, color-shifting mist. Every corner seemed like a mystery wrapped in madness. And yet, it wasn't until they reached the heart of the room that her breath caught.
There, in the center—encased in a tall, transparent tank—floated a body.
Half of it looked… human. Pale skin, delicate features, almost serene. But the rest? That's where the horror crept in. Twisted vines made of earthbound Myst coiled around limbs like hungry snakes. Jagged plates of rocky armor replaced the other half of her torso—less human, more monster. The hide looked like it belonged on a demon, not a duchess.
The figure was grotesque… yet strangely beautiful, like a corrupted sculpture crafted by the hands of obsession and despair. A fusion of human and Gaia demon—an abomination.
Ariana stepped forward, then stopped herself, heart pounding. "Who… who is this?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, caught between awe and horror.
Mystica smiled with wicked satisfaction, her voice rich with drama. "That, darling, is Duchess Aveline Voreaux. A very wealthy noblewoman from Veridn, Zone 9."
"She ended up on the night of her so-called assassination. But let's be real—it was more of an execution. The lady had a nasty history of... very bad things." Mystica twirled her fingers lazily in the air. "Anyway, the Queen asked me to investigate how this mess happened. And trust me, it was a dead-end nightmare for two whole weeks."
Liam stepped closer to the tank, eyeing the fusion with a calm stare.
"This place looks different, almost everything. This tank wasn't here the last time I visited."
Mystica grinned. "Oh yeah! Remember I said I got help? My friend did this. She's not just your average alchemist—she's a full-blown alchemy maniac and a certified genius."
She paused, glancing toward the far end of the lab. "Speaking of which, she was supposed to be—"
A voice cut through the air, crisp and confident.
"Well, well, if it isn't my elusive Night Empress finally blessing me with her divine presence," came a smooth, teasing voice from behind—cool, feminine, and soaked in dry sarcasm.
Ariana spun around, startled, only to find a tall woman leaning casually in the doorway. Her platinum-blonde hair was cropped into a sharp pixie cut, highlighting her icy blue eyes. She wore a sleek black shirt tucked into fitted coffee-brown pants, her lab coat pristine but clearly made for function. A half-burned cigar rested between her fingers, smoke curling lazily around her.
"And who are these tiny gremlins? Wait—don't tell me. You and Galen finally lost control and made these?" she quipped, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Shut it, Dove. You can't just throw that kind of filth around in front of children," Mystica replied dryly, arms crossed as Ariana and Liam shot her a shared judgmental side-eye.
"What? Just because I joked earlier about you bending her over the diner table doesn't mean I should be held accountable for this conversation," Mystica shrugged, waving them off like she wasn't totally at fault.
"Anyway, this is Dove Verlhare. Old friend. Wild genius. Chaos incarnate. We went to the same academy back in the day."
Dove gave a lazy little wave to Liam and Ariana, the cigar now held between her teeth like a pirate with a secret. "Sup."
"And this," Mystica continued, pointing, "is Ariana—my precious little apprentice. And over there is her boyfriend, Liam. The shadow boy I mentioned."
"He is not my boyfriend," Ariana said quickly, cheeks blooming red.
"I hope not," Dove smirked, striding up to Liam with bold curiosity. She stopped just short of bumping into him, looking him up and down. "So you're Liam Hunter? You're taller than I thought. Less brooding, more bro… okay, I see it."
Then she turned to Ariana with a wicked grin. "Honestly, he doesn't seem like boyfriend material to me. But hey, I can be your boyfriend instead. I'm stronger, more mature, and very, very available." She ran her fingers through Ariana's hair, slowly inhaling. "Mmm… your hair smells divine. Let me guess—fresh out the bath?"
Ariana froze, brain short-circuiting for a second. This was her first time getting flirted with by a woman—let alone an older, dangerously hot one—and the experience was... weirdly comforting. And slightly exhilarating.
"She's not into girls, Dove. Chill and let her be," Mystica said, leaning lazily against a desk.
Dove rolled her eyes with a grin. "Pfft. That's what I thought too—until I ended up lip-locked with my roommate during finals week. Life's full of surprises, babe," she said casually, strutting off with that unbothered boss energy.
"But seriously," she added, turning back and flicking ash from her cigar, "why are they here? I thought Queen Lucy made it crystal clear that this project was on total lockdown."
Mystica gave a nonchalant shrug. "Yeah, well, I don't like keeping secrets from my apprentice. She deserves to know what she's walking into."
Dove narrowed her eyes. "Okay, fair. But what about the brat?" She motioned lazily at Liam, who met her stare with equal boredom.
Mystica smirked. "Still salty, huh? I told you already—he's not just some brat."
Dove scoffed. "Whatever."
"Anyway, show's over, darlings. Time for the real work to begin. And we like our stage... private."
"I don't mind if Ari stays," Dove added with a shrug. "The boy toy can bounce."
"Nice try," Mystica snapped her fingers, summoning a swirl of air that lifted both Liam and Ariana off their feet like weightless feathers. "Ariana's got something to teach him. Mystsense, remember? He wants the basics. Go play tutor in my chamber—but break one thing and I'll turn you both into decorative frogs."
She waved them out with the wind, the doors creaking shut behind them. But just before the final click—
Dove locked eyes with Liam... and dragged a finger across her throat with a wicked smirk.
The door slammed shut.
"Yup," Liam muttered, brushing off his clothes. "I think she really likes you, Ariana."
Back inside the lab, Mystica leaned back on the desk, casually flipping through a half-charred notebook like she was waiting for gossip and not a scientific revelation. "So, Dove," she said with a sly grin, "you find anything this time, or are we still playing mad alchemist in the dark?"
Dove flicked her cigar again, the cherry tip glowing. "Oh, I found something," she said smoothly, her voice low. "Ran a demon blood test. Compared the freak in the tank to your average Gaia demon."
Mystica hummed, unimpressed. "Already did that, sweety. The blood doesn't match. They're not meant to."
But Dove held up a finger, shushing her like she was scolding a nosy kitten. "No, no, listen again, Night Empress—I'm not talking about the hybrid blend. I mean the demon blood inside her? It ain't Gaia. Not exactly."
Mystica's playful smirk dipped just a degree, curiosity flickering behind her eyes.
Dove stepped closer. "At first, we thought Duchess Aveline was going full mad scientist—injecting herself with demon blood, or chugging it like wine at a noble party. And maybe, just maybe, by some miracle, it fused perfectly with her own."
She took another drag of her cigar and exhaled. "But that theory? Trash. Would've taken a hundred unstable trials, mutations, maybe even death. To force a fusion like that would be a suicide mission. And to keep it stable? Practically impossible without... help."
Mystica raised a brow, her tone still chill. "You're rambling, Dove. Get to the sparkle."
Dove smirked. "Five days ago, I got lucky. A fresh batch of Gaia demon corpses came through the border. Don't ask how." She winked. "Anyway, that sparked an idea. I went back to the tank and did a deeper extraction of the abomination's blood. Almost tore my hair out doing it—it clung like it had a will of its own—but I got it."
She paused for drama, loving the moment.
"And when I ran the tests?" Her smile turned sharp. "It wasn't just any Gaia demon's blood swimming in her veins. It was higher-level. Refined. Primal. A signature way above the average rank."
Mystica's gaze sharpened slightly. Just slightly. "You're saying...?"
Dove leaned in, eyes gleaming. "I'm saying the Duchess didn't get that blood from some Sync-class demon wandering in the woods. She had a sample of Demon Lord blood. Gaia-class. That's not something you find at the local black market."
Mystica let out a low, amused whistle, still lounging was tea time. "So our dear Aveline might've had a chat with the big green bastard himself… and made a deal."
Dove chuckled darkly. "A bloody expensive one, too."
Mystica tilted her head, her voice dipped in mirth and menace. "Now this, my dear Dove, is something Queen Lucy would love to hear."