"After my conversation with Alpha, I returned to training almost immediately. And, to be honest, at the time I still didn't fully understand just how much her words would affect my future attempts. One simple thought kept circling in my head: 'Mana is easier to control inside a mage.' How had I managed to ignore that fact for so long? How had it completely slipped my mind? This could actually help me get things moving again. Although, at that point, it was still too early to draw any conclusions. Hearing a good idea was one thing. Actually putting it into practice was something else entirely when the slightest mistake could tear you apart from the inside."
"For the first few days, I proceeded with the utmost caution. Though, calling it 'proceeding' is probably giving me too much credit. First, I had to figure out how to make blood and darkness come into contact inside my body, preferably without causing an explosion. And that turned out to be far more difficult than I had expected."
"Darkness mana moved through separate channels that extended from the core throughout the body. Blood, meanwhile, circulated naturally through vessels, veins, and capillaries. They were two completely different systems that were never meant to interact from birth. I literally had to learn how to 'guide' the blood toward the darkness channels without damaging them."
"At first, I only covered the outer surface of the channels with a thin layer of mana-infused blood. Slowly. Carefully. Constantly listening to my own body. The slightest improper fluctuation in the mana caused a sharp burst of pain, instantly destroying my concentration. Several times, I was literally thrown backward by internal micro-explosions of mana. Once, I even lost control of my right arm for several hours after damaging one of the darkness channels."
"But... there was progress. Minor. Almost imperceptible. But it was still progress."
"Blood and darkness were gradually beginning to 'get used to' each other. The mana friction that had previously appeared almost instantly upon contact now took longer to form and behaved far more stably. And that was when I realized that Alpha's idea really did work."
"After that, I began to act more boldly. Much more boldly."
"I no longer limited myself to the surface of the channels. Step by step, I began allowing blood to flow inside the darkness channels themselves. It was a strange sensation. As though I were trying to mix two completely incompatible substances that stubbornly pushed each other away. And yet, at the same time, something new was beginning to emerge between them."
"When the blood first passed fully through a darkness channel, I nearly vomited from the pain. It felt as though red-hot iron were being slowly dragged through my nerves from the inside. I lost control of the darkness then and nearly destroyed half the backyard. But even after that, I didn't stop. Quite the opposite. That was the first day I truly felt that I was moving in the right direction."
"Gradually, I learned to almost completely coat the darkness channels with blood. Later, I managed to partially circulate blood through them. And after some time, I took the risk of directing a small amount of blood straight toward the darkness core. To be honest, even now I don't know how insane that decision was. One mistake, and my core could have simply exploded. But by that point, I had already come too far to stop."
"And... it worked. The blood didn't destroy the darkness core. The darkness didn't reject the blood. They began to coexist."
"That was when I finally understood the main problem with my previous training. I had constantly been trying to forcibly weave the two types of mana together outside my body while keeping them separate. But in reality, I first needed to make them grow accustomed to each other inside me. I needed to make blood and darkness stop perceiving one another as something foreign."
"And once that happened, everything changed. Controlling both types of mana simultaneously became several times more stable. I no longer lost concentration after a few minutes. Now I could maintain blood and darkness simultaneously for hours, slowly and carefully weaving them together. I returned to my old training method—this time outside my body. And for the first time throughout all those months, the progress became obvious."
"The mana no longer destroyed itself at the slightest mistake. The threads of blood and darkness began intertwining far more willingly. Slowly. Very slowly. But at least now the process was actually moving forward."
"And then, one month and four days after that conversation with Alpha... I did it."
"I still remember that moment. I remember sitting beneath the oak tree, maintaining the two streams of mana for what felt like the hundredth time. I remember how the next instance of mana friction suddenly didn't dissipate. Instead, it began to stabilize. The threads of blood and darkness didn't repel each other. They didn't explode. They didn't lose their form."
"They intertwined. Completely. Into a single, unified mana. At that moment, I literally stopped breathing. Right before me, above my palms, a new magic circle slowly began to take shape. It was still dark, almost black, but now thin, dark-red veins appeared throughout the circle, pulsing in time with my heartbeat. Darkness and blood no longer existed separately. This magic circle used both of them simultaneously, as one."
"I stared at it and simply couldn't believe that after all those months of training, pain, failures, and hundreds of attempts... I had actually done it. Honestly, it was the first time in a very long while that I felt truly happy. So happy, in fact, that I think my cry of joy probably scared half the estate."
"However, even after that, my training was still far from over. Yes, I had finally managed to combine the two types of mana into something new. I had managed to form a new magic circle. I could use blood and darkness as one. But a new problem immediately appeared—I couldn't maintain the spell's form."
"The first sword I created from the new mana lasted for approximately five seconds. Then it simply crumbled apart right in my hands. And the more complicated the shape of the spell was, the faster it collapsed. The new mana was unstable. It was as though it were constantly trying to separate back into blood and darkness. Even after successfully weaving them together, I still had to literally force them to remain one."
"That was when the second stage of my training began — stabilizing the new mana. At first, I tried to approach it with brute force. I simply poured more mana into the spell, hoping that a greater volume of energy would make its form more stable. The result was the exact opposite. The more power I used, the faster the spell lost control and collapsed. The new mana was far too sensitive. Any excess flow of energy caused an internal imbalance. "
"Then I changed my approach. Completely. I started with the simplest thing possible — creating small spheres of mana. No weapons or complex constructs. For hours, I would sit beneath the oak tree and simply keep a small sphere of the new mana hovering above my palm. My task wasn't to strengthen it or even move it. I only had to keep it intact."
"The first results were pathetic. The sphere would collapse after a few seconds. Sometimes the mana would explode right next to my hand. Other times, it would simply separate back into blood and darkness. But gradually, I began to notice one important pattern."
"The problem wasn't the mana itself. The problem was me again. I was still trying to control this new power as though it were two separate types of mana. Subconsciously, I was still maintaining separate control over the blood and darkness, even though they had already become a single entity. And only when I realized that did things finally begin to move forward."
"I began changing the way I perceived the new mana. I stopped thinking of it as a combination of two forces. Instead, I started treating it as something entirely new. It was difficult. Incredibly difficult. My mind had literally spent months of training learning to perceive blood and darkness separately. And now I had to break that way of thinking."
"But that was exactly what produced results. Gradually, the spheres began to last longer. First ten seconds. Then thirty. A minute. Several minutes. And once I felt that their stability had improved enough, I moved on to the next stage."
"I began changing the mana's shape while maintaining it. The sphere would turn into a cube. The cube into a spear. The spear into a blade. Then into a chain, before finally returning to a sphere. I forced the mana to constantly reshape itself without losing stability. This allowed me to train my control while moving, rather than only in a static state."
"Later, I made things even more difficult for myself. I started moving as well. At first, I simply walked around the yard while maintaining the spell's form. Then I ran. Jumped. Eventually, I began training with a sword in my hands while simultaneously maintaining the new mana. And that was when I remembered just how much the stability of magic depended on the condition of the mage himself."
"Any sudden movement disrupted my concentration. Any strong emotion caused the mana to destabilize. One time, I even accidentally destroyed half of the training dummies when I lost control of the spear's form during a sudden lunge forward."
"But there was progress. Slow again. Even more exhausting. Sometimes frustrating enough to make me grind my teeth. But it was still progress."
"And after two and a half weeks, I finally achieved it. I remember that evening clearly. It was already beginning to grow dark. I stood in the middle of the backyard, a sword made of the new mana formed in my hand. A dark blade covered in thin, dark-red veins stretching across its entire surface. The magic circle on my palm pulsed calmly, sustaining the spell."
"And the sword didn't collapse. Not after five seconds. Not after a minute. I held it for ten minutes. Then twenty. Then almost an hour. And only then did I finally understand — I had truly managed to tame this power."
"However, even that wasn't the end. One final problem emerged — durability. The new spells were unstable not because of their shape, but because of their internal structure. What was the point of holding a sword like that in my hand if it simply broke in half from a single strike? And I wasn't even hitting at half strength. The situation with ranged attacks wasn't much better. Yes, they no longer fell apart in midair, but they lacked destructive power. The simplest magical barriers could withstand my attacks without much difficulty."
"That was when the third and final stage of my training began — reinforcement. If I had previously learned how to combine the mana and then stabilize it, now I had to learn how to properly compress it, making it denser. The problem was that the new mana was too 'soft.' It held its shape well, but remained unstable on the inside. Like a piece of metal that looks beautiful on the outside but breaks at the first strike."
"So I began working on the density of the mana. At first, I used the simplest methods. I created small spheres of the new mana and gradually began compressing them, without allowing their shape to collapse. And the harder I compressed the mana, the more aggressive it became. I would lose control in an instant. The first few days ended almost the same way every time — with explosions. Sometimes small ones. Sometimes large enough that Alpha would come out into the backyard and silently stare at the new crater in the ground for several minutes."
"However, little by little, I began to understand how the new mana behaved under pressure. Blood was responsible for stability and control. Darkness — for destructive power, aggression, and pressure. And the problem was that when compressed, the darkness would begin to dominate, literally trying to tear itself free from my control. So instead of simply forcing the mana to compress, I began doing it layer by layer. I created the core of the spell from darkness, then literally wrapped it in thin streams of blood, stabilizing its form. Then another layer. And another. It was like blacksmithing. Only instead of metal, I was working with mana."
"And it worked. Gradually, the density of my spells began to increase. The sword no longer cracked after the first strike. Then it began to withstand entire series of attacks. And after some time, I could put almost my full strength into each strike without worrying that the blade would crumble in my hands. At the same time, I began working on ranged attacks as well. And that was when I discovered one of the greatest advantages of combining blood and darkness."
"Before, when I used darkness alone, ranged spells would lose stability with distance. The farther the attack traveled, the weaker my control over it became. The darkness would begin to disperse. Blood didn't have that problem. I had far greater control over it. Even over long distances, my control remained stable. But blood lacked destructive power. Now, however, those problems were gone. The blood maintained the spell's shape and stability even over great distances, while the darkness provided destructive power and pressure. My new attacks no longer lost strength during flight. Quite the opposite — they had become genuinely dangerous."
"I still remember my first truly successful shot. A dark-red spear of mana flew across the entire training ground and pierced three reinforced barriers in a row before exploding far beyond the estate grounds. That was when I finally understood — something completely new was being born in my hands."
"And the further my training progressed, the more obvious it became. The new mana didn't just strengthen my spells. It affected my body as well. My speed increased. So did my physical strength. My reactions, bursts of movement, even the very sensation of controlling my own body had changed. Blood enhanced my physical attributes, while darkness added explosive power and speed."
"And when I finally felt that I had complete control over the new mana… I decided to put it into practice. I started with D-rank dungeons. Then I moved on to C-rank. After that — B-rank. And with every new raid, I became more convinced of one thing — the power of my new spells was several times greater than when I used blood or darkness separately. Monsters died far too quickly. Barriers were pierced without much difficulty. And the new blades could easily withstand direct clashes even with enhanced monsters."
"And finally, I returned to A-rank dungeons. Only there was I able to truly assess how far I had come. I was ecstatic. Ecstatic over the result I had spent three and a half months working toward. Though perhaps a little longer. I lost track of the days sometime after the second month, but what did it matter? The result was what mattered, and finally, it was exactly what I needed. Now I was ready to return to the Jester and begin training with him. But first, I needed a break. Literally just a few days when I wouldn't have to think about training at all. And it seemed fate had taken pity on me, because a little guest had appeared at the estate — one who 'stole' all of my free time."
The warm light of the magical lamps spread softly throughout the estate's living room, creating a cozy, homely atmosphere. It had grown dark outside the large windows long ago, and only occasional faint reflections of the night city slipped through the curtains. Inside the room, however, there was a peaceful silence, broken only by Alex's voice.
The young man sat on the couch, holding a small book of children's fairy tales in his hands. Mireya sat on his shoulders, her legs dangling down while her hands rested on top of his head. Her new white dress reached her knees and had become slightly wrinkled, while the black tights contrasted sharply with the light fabric. The little girl listened attentively to the story, occasionally swinging her legs lightly in the air.
"And so… that's the end of our fairy tale. And whoever listened was a good little one," Alex said with a faint smile before closing the book and placing it on the small table beside him.
Mireya immediately let out a dissatisfied huff.
"I want another one," she grumbled, then began turning Alex's head from side to side with her tiny hands. "Another story."
"Ow, ow, ow…" Alex drawled with exaggerated suffering, allowing her to continue tormenting him. "If you keep twisting my head around so mercilessly, you're going to pull it right off. And without a head, I definitely won't be able to read you anything."
Mireya immediately stopped. A second later, however, she proudly lifted her chin.
"Big brother can say whatever he wants, but I'm not that easy to fool," she declared with the most serious expression she could manage. "Sister Eliria told me a long time ago that you're the strongest vampire in the whole world. Which means it can't be that easy to tear your head off. Especially for me."
Alex couldn't hold back a quiet, amused laugh.
"The strongest vampire in the whole world, huh…" he repeated with a hint of amusement in his voice before giving her a warm smile. "I'm afraid Eliria exaggerated a little with that one."
Mireya immediately frowned.
"But I believe her," the girl stubbornly declared. "And I believe that big brother is the strongest."
The warm smile on Alex's face softened even further.
"I'm very happy to hear that," he replied calmly. "Then I'll keep doing my best so I don't disappoint you."
Mireya smiled in satisfaction.
"See? You should've agreed right away."
After saying that, she took Alex's head between her little hands and gently tilted it backward toward herself until their eyes met.
"By the way…" the girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "It's already been two days since you promised to contact Sister Eliria. So where is she?"
"I contacted Eliria," Alex replied calmly. "She said she'd come visit us as soon as she finished everything she needed to do."
"And how much longer am I supposed to wait?" Mireya asked, clearly displeased.
"That, I don't know," the young man admitted honestly.
Mireya stared thoughtfully at him for a moment before suddenly perking up.
"Then maybe we could go visit her ourselves?"
"I'm afraid that wouldn't be the best idea," Alex replied with a faint smile. "Eliria might get angry if we showed up without an invitation."
"Even at us?" Mireya asked in surprise.
"Even at us."
The girl let out a disappointed groan.
"Fine…"
After that, she finally released Alex's head and settled more comfortably on his shoulders.
And at that very moment, Alpha's voice came from the direction of the kitchen.
"Alex, Mireya, dinner is ready!"
"See?" Alex said with a smile. "Hold on tight."
He wrapped his arms around the girl's legs before standing up from the couch. Mireya immediately giggled happily as her 'transport' began moving. Alex quietly laughed in response and slowly headed toward the kitchen with her perched on his shoulders, where Alpha and the others were already waiting for them.
The kitchen was filled with that special kind of homely atmosphere that only appeared when the whole family gathered around the same table at the end of a long day. The air was filled with the aromas of freshly prepared food, warm bread, spices, and herbal tea. The magical lamps hanging from the ceiling cast a soft golden glow over the table, the dishes, and the faces of everyone present, making the evening feel even cozier.
As usual, Gabriel was enthusiastically telling Beta and Epsilon some story, gesturing animatedly as he spoke. Beta listened with a faint smile, occasionally nodding, while Epsilon quietly laughed at certain parts of his tale. At the other end of the table, Emma was calmly talking with Zeta. Alpha and Theta were just placing the last dishes on the table, while the remaining girls either joined in other conversations or simply listened in silence, enjoying the evening.
When Alex entered the kitchen with Mireya on his shoulders, Gabriel immediately noticed them and waved with a smile without even interrupting his monologue.
Alex approached the table, carefully lifted Mireya from his shoulders, and placed her on the chair to his right. The girl settled comfortably into her seat, adjusting her white dress, after which Alex sat down beside her.
Tonight's dinner consisted of roasted meat seasoned with fragrant herbs, potatoes with rosemary, stewed vegetables in a creamy sauce, freshly baked crusty bread, several light salads, and a large pot of fragrant tea with thin wisps of steam rising from it. As always, the table looked generous without being overly formal — exactly what a family dinner should feel like.
Before long, everyone had settled around the table and began eating amid light conversation and laughter. No one was in any particular hurry, so dinner lasted longer than usual.
Once the dishes had been cleared and only cups of tea and several plates of dessert remained on the table, Gabriel suddenly turned his gaze toward Alex.
"I almost forgot to warn you," he said. "Elizabeth is coming to visit us tomorrow. And she specifically asked that you keep yourself free."
The moment those words left his mouth, Alex hadn't even had time to respond before Mireya suddenly fell silent beside him. The satisfied expression disappeared from her face. She seemed to sink even deeper into her chair, lowering her gaze.
Gabriel noticed almost immediately.
"Oh… did I say something wrong?" he asked awkwardly, looking at the girl. "Mireya, sweetheart, is everything all right?"
The girl remained silent for a moment before answering quietly, her voice filled with sadness without lifting her head.
"Big brother Alex promised to take me for a walk around the city center tomorrow… and then to the park…"
Alpha, who was sitting on Mireya's other side, immediately placed a gentle hand on the girl's head and began softly stroking her hair.
"We're actually going into the city center tomorrow," she said gently. "We can take you with us if you want. And you and Alex can go for your walk another time."
Mireya slowly raised her head and looked at Alex.
"Really?"
Alex smiled warmly.
"Really. And the park isn't going anywhere."
The sadness disappeared from the girl's face just as quickly as it had appeared. A satisfied smile returned in its place. She immediately turned back toward Alpha, who was still stroking her hair, climbed down from her chair, and without saying a word, climbed onto Alpha's lap.
Alpha simply smiled softly and continued stroking the girl's hair, while Mireya settled herself comfortably in her lap with the expression of someone who had already solved every problem she might have had that evening.
Alex watched them for a few seconds before turning his gaze toward his father.
"She didn't say why she was coming?"
Gabriel shook his head.
"No. But I assume she wants to see how your training is progressing. After all, the last time she was here was two months ago. Back then, you were only just learning how to combine blood and darkness."
"I thought the same," Alex said with a nod.
He hadn't even finished speaking when he quietly yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. Emma immediately noticed.
"Tired?"
"Just a little," Alex replied with a gentle smile.
"Then perhaps you should go get some rest?" she suggested with concern.
The moment those words were spoken, Mireya immediately turned around on Alpha's lap and looked at Alex with the most serious childish expression she could manage.
"Another story first."
Alpha didn't even give Alex a chance to respond.
"I can read you a bedtime story too," she said calmly, then added with exaggerated sadness, "Or perhaps… you don't want me to be the one who reads to you?"
That worked instantly.
"I do!" Mireya exclaimed, immediately wrapping her arms tightly around Alpha. "Alpha can read to me tonight too."
"Good," Alpha said with satisfaction, continuing to stroke her hair.
Alex quietly laughed.
"Then perhaps I can at least help clear the table?"
"No need," Beta immediately replied, waving her hand. "We can handle it ourselves." She then narrowed her eyes mischievously and glanced at Gabriel. "Besides, Gabriel is the one washing the dishes tonight."
Gabriel immediately gave an awkward smile.
"Yes… I'm on dish duty tonight," he admitted with a faintly resigned sigh. "So you can go get some rest with a clear conscience."
Alex rose from the table.
"Then good night, everyone."
Several warm good-night wishes echoed through the room in response.
After that, Alex left the kitchen and headed upstairs to his room. He quickly changed, lay down on his bed — and almost immediately drifted into sleep.
The next morning arrived.
After breakfast together at the estate, everyone gradually went their separate ways. Downstairs, some of the girls were already getting ready to head into the city center, chatting animatedly among themselves and discussing what they wanted to buy. Gabriel, Emma, Beta, and Theta were preparing for a short raid into an E-rank dungeon. The house was filled with a pleasant morning bustle, calm and homely.
Meanwhile, Alex and Elizabeth were in his room. The young man sat in his chair beside the desk, resting one elbow lightly against the wooden surface. Elizabeth, meanwhile, had made herself comfortable on his bed with one leg crossed over the other.
Suddenly, the woman opened her inventory and pulled out a bottle of her favorite red wine along with two crystal-clear glasses. She placed everything on the desk before beginning to uncork the bottle.
Alex said nothing. He simply watched her with a faint smile on his lips.
Elizabeth noticed his gaze and, without looking away from the bottle, spoke with mild indignation.
"Please, don't look at me like I'm some kind of drunk. I've been working almost without a break for the past few months. So right now, I'm enjoying a well-deserved rest that I've been waiting far too long for."
Alex smiled calmly.
"I didn't even think that."
Elizabeth glanced at him briefly.
"Then what's making you smile like that?"
"I'm just happy to see you."
The woman froze.
The look she turned toward her nephew was filled with genuine surprise, as though she had never expected to hear those particular words from him. A moment later, she placed the bottle back on the desk, abruptly stood up, and quickly walked over to Alex.
Without saying another word, Elizabeth wrapped her arms tightly around him.
Alex let out a slightly surprised breath. For a moment, the thought crossed his mind to jokingly tell her that she was going to squeeze the life out of him… but he immediately dismissed it.
Instead, he simply rested his head against her shoulder in silence. His arms were trapped between them, so he couldn't properly return the embrace, but he didn't mind.
"I missed you too," Elizabeth said quietly. Her voice was soft and sincere. "I've gotten used to our conversations at the Academy… Sometimes, during them, I even forgot about all my responsibilities and simply enjoyed the moment. And now that you've come home… my office feels strangely quiet."
They remained like that for several more seconds. Then Elizabeth slowly released him and returned to the bed.
"Sorry… if that made you uncomfortable."
Alex smiled warmly.
"It's all right."
After that, he picked up the already-opened bottle of wine and poured the dark-red liquid into both glasses. He handed one to Elizabeth and kept the other for himself.
Raising his glass, Alex gave her a faint smile.
"To seeing each other again."
Elizabeth nodded lightly. Their glasses clinked softly, and they each took a few sips.
Elizabeth placed her glass on the table and turned her gaze toward the window. For a while, she silently watched the morning light falling over the garden in front of the estate, as though gathering her thoughts. Only then did she speak — calmly and quietly, without taking her eyes off the view.
"Lately, I can't shake one thought… Tell me, Alex, do you know how the Bledhart family fell apart?"
She didn't wait for an answer and continued, as though she had been carrying these words inside her for years and was finally allowing them to come out.
"When Gabriel failed to master blood magic, it was a devastating blow to our entire family. To the Bledharts, blood magic wasn't simply a source of power — it was the foundation of our name, our pride, the embodiment of everything it meant to belong to this family. My parents were convinced that their heir would become one of the strongest mages of his generation… but the blood never answered him. No matter how much he trained, how much time he spent practicing, no matter how hard he tried — nothing worked. At first, everyone said it was temporary, that his abilities would simply awaken later. But time passed… and nothing changed."
She fell silent for a moment, lightly tracing a finger along the rim of her glass.
"It didn't take long for whispers about his lack of talent to spread throughout the estate. At first, it was servants whispering behind closed doors. Then relatives, guests… and eventually, the entire aristocracy was talking about it. But that wasn't even the most painful part for Gabriel. The worst part was that I… turned out to be his complete opposite. My blood magic manifested at a very young age, and I mastered it quickly — too quickly. My parents immediately shifted all of their attention toward me. Every word of praise, every hope, every expectation — all of it was transferred to me. And my brother… was left somewhere on the sidelines. Alone. As if he were slowly being erased from our family long before it actually happened."
Elizabeth slowly exhaled.
"The worst part was that my parents forbade me from being around him. Outside the estate, we were never supposed to be seen together. At home — only when it couldn't be avoided. Even back then, it felt unfair to me. Cruel. But I was a child… and I didn't know what to do about it. So I obeyed. And I convinced myself that perhaps it was for the best. That as long as all the attention was focused on me, at least he would be bullied less. That one day he would still awaken his blood magic… and then everything would fall back into place. I lived with that hope for four years."
Her voice grew quieter.
"And then came the day that finally destroyed our family. Over the years, my parents' disappointment turned into something much worse. At first, it was cold words and cold looks… but eventually, they stopped hiding their contempt altogether. They humiliated him openly. Took their anger out on him. And he… he kept fighting anyway. He trained. He tried. He stubbornly wanted to prove that he was a true Bledhart. But one day, my parents' patience finally ran out… and they simply threw him out of the house."
Elizabeth lowered her eyes.
"Without money. Without food. Without the right to carry their family name. As if he were no longer their son."
Her fingers tightened around the stem of her glass.
"I still remember that day. I remember the look in my parents' eyes… and I remember the look on Gabriel's face. But the worst part is that he wasn't looking at them. He was looking at me. He was waiting… for me to say something. To stop them. To at least try. At that moment, I was his last hope… and I did nothing. I simply stood there and remained silent. I didn't even say a word. I was afraid. And I still can't forgive myself for it."
She fell silent for a moment before continuing, her voice even quieter.
"When he realized there was no way back anymore… he simply turned around and walked away. And it was at that moment, in my eyes, that the Bledhart family ceased to exist. We didn't see each other for decades. Even so, I never stopped remembering him. Even after I left the estate and became a director of the Academy… I wanted to find him. I wanted to talk to him. But every time, I stopped myself with the same questions. How would I look him in the eyes? What would I say? Would he even want to see me after everything?"
A barely noticeable smile appeared on her face.
"I knew that he had gotten married. I knew he had a son. And one day, I even met Emma… to introduce myself to her… and to see you for the first time. You were very young back then. I remember looking at you and thinking that this would probably be our first and last meeting. I asked Emma not to tell Gabriel about that meeting, briefly explaining why. And I'm still grateful to her for agreeing… without asking almost any questions. She was the one who told me where you lived. And she told me that I would always be welcome there."
Elizabeth gently shook her head.
"But the years passed… and I still couldn't bring myself to come. It was only later… that I received a letter from Gabriel. The first one in decades. It was short. There were only a few lines — saying that you would be taking the entrance exam for the Academy… and asking me to keep an eye on you."
Only then did she finally turn her gaze toward Alex.
There was something soft in her eyes now. Almost warm.
"I was incredibly happy when I received that letter. But I became even happier the moment I saw you at the entrance exam. And then, when you passed it in a way that forced every Director to acknowledge your strength."
A sincere smile appeared on her lips.
"And if I'm being completely honest… I was extremely nervous before our second meeting. I never even expected you to recognize me. And although I understand perfectly well that you only recognized me because you had returned from the future… it still meant an incredible amount to me."
After saying that, Elizabeth raised her glass to her lips again and took several slow sips of wine. She remained silent for a while, looking at Alex, before turning her gaze back toward the window. The wine in her glass swayed gently as she held it, and when she spoke again, her voice was calmer — as though she had finally reached the reason she had started this difficult conversation in the first place.
"You're probably wondering where I'm going with this…" she said quietly. "As I said at the beginning, there's been one thought stuck in my mind lately. And the longer I think about it… the more convinced I become that it might actually be possible."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"I think… you might be able to bring the Bledhart family back to the way it was. To make it a family again."
Elizabeth slowly turned her gaze toward Alex.
"My parents must be thrilled that their grandson has mastered blood magic. And not only mastered it… but become one of the strongest and most well-known students at the Academy. On top of that, your story as an adventurer… everything you've been through… none of it could fail to impress them. If they learn what kind of son Gabriel raised… what he has become… they might reconsider their attitude. They might even consider bringing him back into the family."
She lightly tightened her fingers around the glass.
"Especially now that you're no longer simply living apart from the family. After what happened with the Montamers, you're part of the aristocracy again. And although Gabriel never reclaimed the Bledhart name or taken a new one, he already has a reputation among vampire nobility. He's known. He's respected. And that could work in his favor as well."
A look of determination crossed Elizabeth's face.
"And this time, I won't stand by and do nothing. I'll put in a good word for both my brother… and you. I'll do everything in my power to make them see things differently. They have to reconsider their position… they have to."
She fell silent, and then her voice softened.
"But first and foremost, I need to know the most important thing… Is this something you actually want? Do you want to meet your grandparents? After all, you've never seen them. And I can completely understand if you're against the idea after what they did to Gabriel. I won't pressure you… but I ask you to at least think about it."
Alex answered immediately, as though he had known his answer for a long time.
"There's nothing to think about."
Elizabeth froze.
"I'm ready to meet them even today," he said calmly. "My father stopped holding a grudge against them a long time ago. Which means I have no reason to be angry with them either. If I can become the catalyst for their reconciliation… I'm more than willing."
Elizabeth remained silent for several seconds. She clearly hadn't expected such a quick answer. And certainly not one so direct.
Eventually, the woman placed her glass on the table, leaned forward, and gently took Alex's hands in hers.
"Thank you…"
Her voice was sincere. Almost vulnerable.
"You have no idea how much this means to me."
Alex said nothing in response. He simply smiled warmly at her. They remained like that in silence for several more minutes.
Then Elizabeth slowly released his hands, took another sip of wine, and let out a heavy breath — but this time, there was a noticeable sense of relief in it. With it, her usual expression seemed to return as well — the lively look in her eyes, the faint smile, and that inner energy Alex had long grown accustomed to.
She leaned back slightly.
"I think you're much more interested in what's happening at the Academy right now… and how the members of your raid group are doing."
Alex smiled faintly.
"Yes. Actually… I was just about to ask you about that."
"Then listen," Elizabeth said, taking another sip of wine. "I'll start with Adam. He has officially finished his training under Professor Light, and Astarion has now taken over his training. His days all look the same right now — classes at the Academy, followed by exhausting training sessions with his father. I've asked Astarion several times, very insistently, to tell me how their training is going… but he stubbornly refuses. He only says one thing: 'You'll see for yourself at the end.'"
Alex chuckled quietly.
"That's very Astarion of him."
"Exactly," Elizabeth said with a smile. "Aria is doing wonderfully as well. You've already taught her so many things, and I'm simply helping polish the details you might have overlooked. I think that when you return to the Academy and spar with her… you're going to be pleasantly surprised."
"I hope so," Alex said with a nod.
"And honestly, Damian has shown the greatest progress," she continued. "He's practically started catching up to his sister. And I still don't know exactly what caused such a change in him… but he's training day and night now. Almost with the same obsession you had back then. Give him a few more months, and he might very well reach Aria's level."
Alex smiled.
"Expected. He has the best teacher, after all."
A smug smile appeared on Elizabeth's lips.
"Thank you for the compliment."
She set her glass aside.
"As for your raid group… there's less information there. Each of the Directors stubbornly keeps their student's progress hidden from the others. But I do know one thing for certain — they're all training every day, giving it everything they have. And the most obsessed, as you might expect, is Lianel. Raphael was just complaining to me recently that the boy has practically moved into his estate and won't give him a single second of free time."
Alex laughed more loudly this time.
"Yeah… that's about what I expected from him."
He paused thoughtfully.
"Honestly… I can't wait to see how much they've all grown during this time."
Elizabeth looked at him attentively.
"And what about you? How much progress have you made?"
Alex didn't answer. Instead, he extended one hand in front of him. A new magic circle appeared on his palm — dark, almost black, with deep dark-red veins slowly pulsing throughout it. Darkness rose from the circle, tightly intertwined with blood, and within a few seconds, a sword took shape in the air.
Alex silently held it out to Elizabeth.
The woman took the weapon in her hands. Her expression changed immediately. Unconcealed astonishment appeared on her face as she carefully examined the blade, sensing the power radiating from it.
"My training is complete," Alex said calmly. "In four days, I'll go see the Jester. After that, I'll continue training with him."
Elizabeth remained silent for several more seconds, staring at the sword before placing it beside her on the bed.
"I'm glad you managed to do it, Alex."
A sincere smile appeared on her face.
"And I think… you absolutely have to show this achievement to Krul. I'd love to see the look on her face when she sees it."
Alex smiled.
"As soon as I return to the Academy, I'll definitely go see her."
For a while, silence settled between them. And that was when Alex noticed Elizabeth nervously fidgeting with the edge of her dress. She looked calm on the outside, but he immediately understood what was troubling her. And what she still hadn't been able to bring herself to talk about.
So Alex broke the silence himself.
"You don't need to worry so much about the Jester."
Elizabeth turned her gaze toward him.
Alex spoke calmly.
"Yes… at first, I really did consider him our main enemy. That's why I described him to you that way. But now… I don't think of him like that anymore. We're standing on opposite sides of the barricade — that's true. But perhaps… our alliance with him is exactly what will prevent a war from ever starting."
He paused briefly.
"And even if it doesn't… training with him will make me stronger. And that strength should be enough if the day ever comes when we have to fight each other. If you can't trust him… then trust me."
Elizabeth stared into his eyes for a long time, seeing nothing but certainty there.
Eventually, she let out a heavy sigh.
"And here I was, preparing an entire speech about the Jester… and I had no idea how to even bring it up."
A tired smile flickered across her lips.
"But it seems… I won't be needing it anymore. If you're so determined to do things your own way. Well… I won't try to talk you out of it. But on one condition."
"And what would that be?"
Elizabeth smiled.
"I want to fight you."
Alex stared at her in silence.
"I want to personally see how well you've mastered your new power. The outcome of the fight won't really decide anything… but I'll feel much more at ease if I can test you myself."
Alex didn't hesitate for even a moment.
"Deal."
He tilted his head slightly.
"And when do you want to have this fight?"
Elizabeth slowly rose from the bed. A familiar spark of excitement appeared in her eyes.
"Immediately."