I went back to my car, thinking deeply about what Master had meant. Did he need to die before I would know the truth? No matter how many questions I asked, he remained composed and silent. He kept telling me that the time would come when I would know the truth. It was as if he was giving me a premonition of his own death.
I looked at the key Master had given me. I was dying to know the truth, but I needed to follow what he had told me.
I drove back to Seraphina's house. By the time I arrived, it was already evening. Dominic's car was parked outside.
"Lucca. Where have you been?" Dominic asked while wearing an apron. He was cooking in the kitchen.
"At Master's house," I answered.
He looked at me with concern. "Did something happen?"
Damian, who had been sitting in the living room, stood up and walked over to me.
"What did Master say to you?" Damian asked curiously.
I sighed. Since the house was small, the kitchen and living room were only a few steps apart.
I held up the key that Master had given me.
"What's that?" Dominic asked as he walked over to get a better look.
"A key, obviously," I replied.
"What about it?" Damian asked.
"He didn't tell me what this key was for. He only said that if he dies, we'll learn the truth by using this key to open one of his drawers."
"Whoa. Is Master predicting his own death now?" Dominic asked.
"He said he could feel that he wasn't going to live much longer. He said he felt himself growing weaker every day."
I could see the sadness in their eyes, and I felt the same way. Who would want to hear someone they cared about say they didn't have much time left? Master had been with us since we were children. He raised us, cared for us, and helped us become better versions of ourselves. Hearing those words from someone so dear to us was heartbreaking.
"We should prepare ourselves for the worst," I said. "I can help with dinner. Did Seraphina request anything?" I asked, trying to change the subject as the atmosphere grew heavier.
"She didn't tell me what she wanted to eat," Dominic replied. "She said she'd eat anything."
"Let me help."
He asked me to chop some of the ingredients, and I did as he instructed. Damian, on the other hand, returned to the living room and sat back down.
Seraphina's POV
"Lucca arrived," Mira said after looking out the window.
When Mira mentioned Lucca, I remembered our pillow fight earlier.
"Is Dominic still cooking? They don't have to. I'm really becoming a burden to them. They come home from work, and then they still have to take care of me?" I asked.
"But what can I do? I told him I'd prepare dinner, but he insisted on cooking something for you. That guy really likes you, Seraphina. No man would put in this much effort if he didn't like you."
"He's just a friend to me."
"But what if he courts you someday? Will you give him a chance?" Mira asked seriously.
Dominic as my boyfriend? I couldn't imagine it. I saw him as a friend or even a brother. Being romantically involved with him? No.
"He's just a friend to me, nothing more," I answered.
"What about Lucca?"
"What about him?" I asked.
"You two seem much closer now. What if Lucca likes you?" she asked again.
"That's impossible. Our personalities don't match," I said.
"Or maybe you only think you don't match, but you actually do?" Mira said with a teasing smile.
"Lower your voice. What if they hear us talking about them? I can already imagine Lucca saying I'm being too assuming," I said with a frown.
"But Lucca is really doing a lot for you, Sera," Mira said meaningfully.
"It's just an act of kindness. He's simply a human helping another human, after all," I said, emphasizing my words.
"I won't be against it if you choose either of them. I'd be happy for you," Mira said before giggling.
I rolled my eyes at the ideas that kept popping into her head.
"By the way, Sera. I have something to tell you."
"Hmm?"
"What would your reaction be if you saw your boyfriend's old posts with his ex-girlfriend?"
"Is this about Damian's posts?" I asked.
She nodded hesitantly.
"What else did you see?"
"Just the post where I saw his ex."
"What made you think she was his ex?"
"The caption said, 'My girl.'" She looked much sadder than she had while teasing me earlier.
"Did you tell him about it?" I asked.
"I won't. I don't want his past to become the reason for us to fight. It's already in the past."
"Exactly. So why worry about it now?" I asked.
"I can't help feeling jealous, even though they're not together anymore. But why didn't he delete those posts after they broke up? I also saw one of the girl's posts. It was a picture of Damian, half-naked, smiling at the camera."
When Mira said that, the uneasy feeling I had before returned. I couldn't shake the thought that Damian's intentions toward Mira weren't entirely genuine. I still didn't understand why he had suddenly decided to court her. They barely knew each other, yet they entered a relationship in what felt like the blink of an eye. Had Damian taken advantage of Mira's feelings?
I wanted to ask him myself, but I didn't have the courage. If I confronted him, he would probably get angry with me.
Instead of sharing my suspicions with Mira, I tried to cheer her up.
"You're the present now, Mira, aren't you?"
That question immediately brightened her expression. She smiled at me.
"You're right. I'm the present, so why should I worry about the past? Thank you, Sera."
I smiled and hugged her. At the same time, I couldn't help but pity her. I also felt as though I was betraying her. As much as I wanted to tell her about my doubts regarding Damian, I didn't want to ruin her happiness. For now, I'd keep my thoughts to myself since I hadn't seen Damian do anything suspicious.
"Hi, girls. Dinner's ready. Mira, come to the dining room now. Lucca and Damian are already there," Dominic said as he carried a tray into the room.
"Thanks, Dominic!" Mira said before leaving the room.
"Here, Sera."
Dominic placed the tray on my overbed table and slid it in front of me.
"Eat well, Sera," he said with a warm smile.
"You know, Dominic, you don't have to do all this. You're already tired from work, and then you still cook dinner for us. It makes me feel guilty."
"I love doing this. Just let me take care of you, Sera," he said, smiling.
I looked at the food on the tray. Rice, egg soup, sautéed vegetables, and steamed lean meat made my stomach growl with hunger.
"Thank you. You should eat your dinner too. I can manage eating by myself," I said.
"I'll leave you for a while."
I nodded and started eating my dinner.
As I ate, I couldn't help but praise Dominic's cooking skills. He could easily become a chef at a famous restaurant. Even though the meal was simple, its taste was anything but ordinary.
Lucca's POV
As we were eating, a strong sense of danger washed over me. I could feel hostile presences surrounding Seraphina's house.
I glanced at Dominic and Damian. They continued eating as if nothing was wrong. Mira, on the other hand, chatted nonstop, making Dominic laugh while Damian silently watched her.
So they couldn't sense it.
I slowly stood, catching everyone's attention.
"Are you done already? You haven't even finished the food on your plate," Dominic said.
"I'm full," I replied, though it was only an excuse. The overwhelming energy had completely taken away my appetite.
"You didn't like my cooking?" Dominic asked, sounding disappointed.
"It's not that. I'm just full."
Before anyone could say another word, a terrified scream echoed from Seraphina's room.
"Who are you?!"
I immediately ran toward her room.
As soon as I opened the door, I froze.
Five men had climbed in through the broken window. Their eyes glowed crimson, their skin was unnaturally pale, and twisted grins stretched across their faces. They looked like starving monsters waiting for the perfect moment to devour their prey.
"What happened?" Mira shouted from behind me.
Without answering, I slammed the bedroom door shut and locked it. I couldn't let Mira witness what was about to happen.
The jalousie windows were shattered, their broken glass scattered across the floor.
Seraphina stared at the intruders in shock, her untouched dinner still resting on the overbed table.
"Give us Seraphina," the man standing in the center ordered. Judging by his confidence, he was their leader.
I stepped in front of Seraphina, shielding her with my body.
"Come and take her."
A smirk appeared on my lips.
The five of them lunged at me at once.
Their fists came from every direction, but I dodged each attack with practiced precision. One swung at my face, another aimed for my ribs, while a third tried to grab me from behind. I spun around, drove my elbow into one man's jaw, then kicked another square in the chest, sending him crashing into the wall.
The room shook from the impact.
They recovered almost instantly.
They're stronger than I expected.
One of them drew a long blade. The others followed, revealing knives and short swords hidden beneath their coats.
I heard Seraphina gasp behind me.
"Seraphina! Lucca! What's happening in there?" Mira shouted from the other side of the locked door.
The five men charged again.
Their movements were far more coordinated than the assassins Damon usually sent after me. Every strike was calculated, forcing me to block instead of simply dodging.
Steel clashed against steel as I caught one sword with my own.
Another attacker rushed from my blind side.
I ducked just in time.
The blade sliced through the air above my head before burying itself into the wooden cabinet.
I drove my fist into the attacker's stomach and followed it with a kick powerful enough to send him flying straight through the broken window.
One down.
The remaining four surrounded me.
One suddenly vanished.
Before I could react, he reappeared behind Seraphina.
She screamed.
Without hesitation, I dashed toward him and grabbed his wrist just before his blade reached her. I twisted his arm until a sickening crack echoed through the room, then hurled him into another attacker.
Both of them crashed against the wall.
Three left.
The leader rushed forward, swinging his sword with frightening speed.
I blocked every strike, sparks flying with each collision. When he overextended, I drove my knee into his abdomen before striking the back of his neck with my elbow.
He collapsed instantly.
Two left.
The remaining attackers exchanged glances before attacking together.
One teleported behind me while the other attacked from the front.
I closed my eyes for a split second, relying on my senses instead of my sight.
The instant I felt movement behind me, I spun around and landed a spinning kick across the teleporter's face before catching the second attacker's wrist and throwing him through the shattered window.
The last man growled and lunged recklessly.
I caught him by the throat and slammed him onto the floor hard enough to crack the wooden boards beneath him.
He struggled for a few seconds before losing consciousness.
Silence filled the room.
I glanced over at Seraphina.
She was breathing heavily as she struggled to remove her dextrose. After pulling out the needle, she slowly backed away from the bed until she reached the corner of the room, her frightened eyes never leaving me.
After throwing the last attacker out the window, I stepped closer and looked outside.
None of them were there.
They had disappeared...
As if they had teleported away.
So they possessed supernatural abilities as well.
No wonder they had been far more difficult to fight than Damon's men.
"Seraphina..."
When I came back to my senses, I immediately rushed over to Seraphina. She was standing in the corner of the room, staring blankly into space.
"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.
She nodded.
"Were those Damon's men?" she asked.
I took a deep breath before nodding.
She gave a bitter smile.
"They wanted to kill me. One of them almost stabbed me with a knife." She lowered her gaze. "What would they gain by killing me?"
I wanted to tell her that I was the reason Damon was doing all of this. But if I told her the truth, what if she decided to stay away from me? Then retrieving the ring would become even more difficult.
"Damian, let go of me! Why did Lucca lock the door?"
Mira's voice echoed from outside the room.
Seraphina looked at me. The dextrose needle had already been removed from her hand. If Mira saw it, she would start asking questions.
I immediately cleaned up the mess on the floor. Meanwhile, Seraphina climbed back onto the bed and pulled the blanket over herself, hiding the spot where the dextrose had been removed.
After cleaning everything except the broken window, I unlocked and opened the door.
Mira was breathing heavily, her face filled with anger.
"What happened here? Sera?" she asked before looking at me.
"Nothing," Seraphina answered.
"Nothing?" Mira repeated before noticing the shattered window. "Then what happened to your window? I heard people fighting in here!"
"Someone threw a rock through the window," I explained. "The fighting you heard happened because I confronted the people responsible."
"I heard several voices," she insisted.
"They were a gang," I added.
Mira fell silent. After a few moments, her expression softened.
"Why didn't you let me in? Or at least ask for our help? We could've helped deal with them too."
"I told Lucca to lock the door and let us handle it ourselves," Seraphina said, backing up my story. "I didn't want to ruin your dinner."
"You always think about everyone else, Sera. Next time, tell us right away and let us help you," Mira said gently.
Seraphina nodded.
"I thought Lucca could handle it by himself, so I didn't want to bother you."
Mira was about to say something when Damian interrupted.
"Let's not make a big deal out of it, babe. Let's continue our dinner."
Damian took Mira's hand and led her out of the room.
Once they were gone, Dominic walked over to Seraphina's bed and carefully examined her.
"Did they hurt you? Are you feeling any pain?" he asked worriedly.
Seraphina showed him the hand where the dextrose had been removed. A small amount of blood had stained the bandage.
"What happened, Lucca?" Dominic asked.
"Damon's men broke into the room through the window," I answered. "They shattered the glass."
"So that's why you said you were already full even though you'd barely eaten," Dominic said. "You had already sensed that something was about to happen."
"They weren't ordinary, Dominic. They have powers... just like us."
"Super strength?" he asked.
"They can teleport. They disappeared without a trace after I defeated them. They're also highly trained fighters."
"Damon planned this carefully," Dominic muttered.
I listened to their conversation in silence. The worry in their voices was impossible to miss.
"You're not safe here anymore, Seraphina," Dominic said.
"I can't just leave my grandmother's house. Besides, what does Damon even want from me? I can't think of any reason."
Lucca and Dominic exchanged glances.
They were hiding something.
"Tell me," I said. "I know it isn't because of money... and it certainly isn't because of my beauty, because I don't have any."
"Damon believes you're Lucca's weakness," Dominic finally admitted.
"Because he thinks I'm Lucca's girlfriend?" I asked.
"Yes," Dominic answered.
I let out a long sigh.
I had thought letting Damon believe that Lucca was my boyfriend would protect me from him.
Instead, it had only made things worse.
"We can't leave you alone anymore, Sera," Dominic said. "Whether you like it or not, we have to protect you."
"You can't stay here twenty-four hours a day," I replied. "You all have your own lives."
That was the truth.
I didn't want them sacrificing their time just to guard me.
Instinctively, I touched the ring on my finger. I hoped it would protect me again, just as it had when Damon tried to hurt me before.
"I'll just let Mira stay with me for a while," I added.
"Mira can't protect you," Dominic said.
"But I can."
I turned to look at Lucca.
He simply stared back at me, his expression unreadable.
"What I'm trying to say is... I can protect myself. You don't have to worry about me," I said, trying to keep my voice calm.
I wanted to tell them that I didn't want to be alone. I was scared of everything that had been happening around me. But I didn't want to burden them by asking them to protect me all the time. I needed to stand on my own and learn to protect myself.
"May I see your hand? It's bleeding."
Dominic gently took my hand.
"It's okay. It doesn't hurt."
That was a lie.
I glanced at Lucca. He was staring at me with a deep frown. I cleared my throat softly and pulled my hand away from Dominic's.
"I'm okay, Dominic. Don't worry about me," I said, trying to convince him that I was perfectly fine.
But deep inside, I was falling apart.
"Are you really?" Dominic asked, unconvinced.
I forced a smile.
"I am. Have you finished your dinner? You should go back and eat."
"I've already lost my appetite. I'll just stay here with you."
"My room is too small, Dominic. It won't be comfortable for you. Besides, Mira will sleep with me tonight, so don't worry," I explained.
"I'll stay with Seraphina tonight."
Lucca's sudden interruption made me look at him in surprise. I opened my mouth to protest, but he didn't give me the chance.
"No arguments. I'll sleep on the couch. Yes, it's small, but I'll manage."
Dominic smiled at Lucca and nodded.
"That puts my mind at ease. Thank you, Lucca. Don't worry. I'll come back tomorrow morning to check on Sera."
"Guys..." I tried to interrupt, but neither of them paid attention to me. It was as if they had already decided and didn't want to hear my objections.
"I'll come by tomorrow morning, Sera. I'll make breakfast for you," Dominic said before turning to Lucca.
"Don't leave her alone."
Lucca simply nodded.
Dominic waved goodbye and left the room without giving me another chance to speak.
I looked at Lucca, who was now standing with his arms crossed.
"If you're going to keep insisting that you can protect yourself, keep it to yourself because I'm not going to listen," he said firmly. "Didn't you see those men's eyes? They were starving... aggressive. They came here to kill you and deliver your body to Damon."
His words sent chills down my spine.
He was right.
The moment I saw those men's glowing red eyes, I was terrified. No matter how hard I tried to stay calm, my body had betrayed me.
"You can pretend to be calm in front of everyone else," Lucca continued, "but not in front of me. I can tell you're scared, even if you're trying not to make everyone worry."
Lucca seemed to understand me better than anyone else.
Was it because we were somehow connected?
Our conversation came to an abrupt stop when Mira and Damian entered the room.
"I'm done with dinner now. Can I stay with Seraphina?" Mira asked Lucca.
He simply nodded.
I quickly hid my injured hand beneath the blanket. I didn't want Mira asking more questions.
"Just leave us alone for a while, Lucca," Mira said.
Without a word, Lucca and Damian walked out of the room.
Lucca's POV
Damian and I sat on the sofa in the living room.
"What happened in there? Dominic didn't tell me what happened."
I let out a deep sigh.
"Damon's men. They're different. They can disappear in an instant, and they're incredibly aggressive. I've never fought opponents that strong or that fast," I explained.
"You should've called us," Damian said.
"So Mira could see everything? We'd have a lot of explaining to do if she witnessed what we're capable of."
Damian sighed as well.
"Then we can say that Seraphina isn't only your problem anymore. She's Damon's target now too. You already have a lot to deal with before your time on Earth runs out," Damian said, reminding me that my days were numbered.
"Damon is our biggest problem right now, especially now that he's targeting Seraphina. We can't let him get to her. If that happens, it'll be the end of me."
"So what's your plan?" Damian asked.
"I'll stick to my original plan. I'll keep her close by making her my personal assistant."
I leaned back against the couch.
"Don't we have any wine? I could really use a drink."
"I'll go to the convenience store."
Damian stood up and left the house.
Honestly, I was overwhelmed by everything that had happened recently.
Most of my stress came from Damon.
Simply because of his assumptions, he believed hurting Seraphina would weaken me. In a way, he wasn't entirely wrong. The ring she wore was the only thing keeping me alive.
I just hoped he would never discover the real reason.
If he did...
That would truly be the end of me.
As long as he remained unaware of the ring's true purpose, it would stay safe.
A few minutes later, Damian returned.
Almost at the same time, the doctor arrived.
"I'm sorry, Lucca. I'm late. I had to perform an emergency surgery earlier."
"Good evening, Doctor. It's alright. Seraphina has been getting better because of the medication."
I accompanied the doctor to Seraphina's room.
As soon as I entered, Seraphina looked at me, silently signaling that Mira mustn't notice her removed dextrose.
"Mira, could you please prepare a few snacks for the doctor?" I asked.
"Oh, there's no need," the doctor replied. "I already had dinner at the hospital."
"Then at least have some snacks, Doctor. I won't take no for an answer."
The doctor chuckled.
"Alright."
Mira left the room to prepare the snacks.
The moment she was gone, Seraphina immediately spoke.
"I accidentally removed my dextrose earlier because I moved around too much, Doctor."
"That's alright. I'll put it back."
He carefully inserted a new IV line before checking her pulse and heart rate.
"I've received your laboratory results. You're anemic, so I'll prescribe another medicine for that."
The diagnosis wasn't new to me. I had been anemic since high school. Back then, I simply couldn't afford to buy the prescribed medicine.
"When can I go back to work?" Seraphina asked.
"Is your boss pressuring you to return already?"
She glanced at me.
Don't even think about blaming me. I hadn't forced her to come back to work.
"No," she answered.
"Finish one more bag of dextrose first, then I'll discharge you."
"Really? So I can go home tomorrow?"
Her face brightened.
"Assuming your remaining laboratory results don't show anything concerning. I'm still waiting for the rest."
She nodded happily.
"Thank you, Doctor."
"Don't forget the prescriptions. Lucca can buy the medicines at the pharmacy."
I nodded.
The doctor said goodbye to Seraphina, and I escorted him outside.
"I can't stay any longer. I have another appointment."
"You've been busy lately," I commented.
"Yeah," he replied with a proud grin. "I'm in demand."
I laughed.
"Are you sure you don't want to wait for your snacks?"
"I'm sure. If I stay any longer, I'll be late."
"Alright. Thank you again, Doctor."
He smiled before leaving the house.
"The doctor already left?" Mira asked as she walked over, carrying a tray of snacks.
"Yeah. He said he had another appointment and was already running late."
She looked slightly disappointed but simply shrugged.
"Then Sera and I will just eat these snacks."
I nodded as she returned to Seraphina's room.
"What made you ask Mira to prepare snacks? The doctor already said he wasn't hungry. I heard your conversation," Damian said as he poured wine into two glasses.
"Seraphina's dextrose came out while I was fighting Damon's men earlier."
He nodded in understanding.
I picked up my glass and emptied it in one gulp.
The wine eased the dryness in my throat and helped me relax, if only a little.
"Too bad Dominic already left. If he found out we were drinking wine without inviting him, he'd definitely nag us."
"I'll stay here tonight and guard them. I can't let them sleep here unprotected, knowing they're still in danger."
Damian smirked as he swirled the wine in his glass.
"That's very unlike you, Lucca. I don't think this is just about the ring anymore."
He looked at me knowingly.
"I think it's starting to become about Seraphina, too."