Emily wiped the corner of her eye, still overwhelmed, still trembling with emotions she couldn't name.
She looked first at Kathy — the girl who had been her first friend in years, the girl who had laughed with her, walked with her, made her feel safe in a school full of strangers.
"Kathy…" Emily whispered, voice fragile. "I need to know. Are we… really friends? Or were you just—"
Her throat tightened.
"—doing what Zumi told you to?"
The rooftop went silent.
Kathy stepped forward immediately — not defensive, not offended — but with a softness that melted the air around her.
She knelt in front of Emily and took both her hands gently.
"Emily," Kathy said, her voice trembling with sincerity, "I swear on everything in my heart — our friendship is real. It started because Zumi asked me to look out for you, yes… but I stayed because I wanted to."
Emily blinked fast, more tears threatening.
Kathy squeezed her hands tighter.
"I meant every laugh. Every conversation. Every moment. I care about you — deeply. And not because someone told me to. But because you're sweet, you're brave, and you're the kind of girl people should protect."
Her voice cracked.
"I already feel like you're my little sister."
Emily's breath hitched — a soft, small sound that broke Kathy's heart in half.
She lunged forward and hugged Kathy, burying her face into her shoulder.
Kathy hugged her back, stroking her hair gently.
"You're family to me," Kathy whispered. "And I won't let anything hurt you."
The rooftop softened — even Bia and Carmella smiled warmly.
When Emily finally let go, Zumi stepped forward, kneeling beside the two girls.
He spoke gently — not powerful, not intimidating, just honest.
"Emily… since you deserve honesty, you deserve to know a little more about who I am."
Emily nodded nervously, cheeks flushed.
Zumi continued:
"I own two of the biggest establishments in New York City — the Hyatt Centric Hotel, and the new casino opening this morning across the street."
Emily's jaw dropped.
"The— the casino everyone has been talking about?! That one?!"
Zumi smirked softly. "Yes. That one."
Gia added proudly, "He owns the entire block around it too."
Emily nearly fainted.
Zumi continued gently:
"I told you last night that I want to become a tycoon. A philanthropist. Someone who changes this city. For that, a diploma is required. So… I'm here in school to get the foundation."
He looked toward Serafina, Bia, and Carmella — who each stood elegantly at the edge of the circle.
"And as for why they are teachers… it wasn't random."
Bia smirked.
Serafina pretended not to smile.
Carmella pushed her glasses up.
"I wanted people in the school who are on my side," Zumi said. "People who can watch my back… and yours."
Emily's breath caught.
"You arranged… all of that? Just to attend school?"
Zumi nodded calmly.
"Yes."
Emily almost swayed.
This was too much.
A man who owned major properties…
Had teachers loyal to him…
Had a group of wives who followed him willingly…
A man whose presence alone felt supernatural…
And yet he sat across from her, speaking kindly.
Patiently.
With no arrogance.
No expectation.
Emily's hands trembled against her lap.
"I… I don't know how to process all this…"
And then—
Every supernatural being on the rooftop felt it.
Serafina froze.
Bia lifted her head sharply.
Carmella narrowed her eyes.
Kasumi's sword instinct tingled.
Gia stopped breathing.
Zumi's golden eyes flickered with recognition.
Emily's aura—
shifted.
Not violently.
Not chaotically.
But like a calm wave rolling over a turbulent ocean.
A pulse.
A soft warmth.
A quiet, stabilizing force.
Her aura gathered itself like silk weaving perfectly into place, smoothing her emotions, quieting her nerves. Her trembling stopped. Her breathing steadied. Her eyes cleared.
She didn't even know she was doing it.
Emily blinked and whispered:
"…I feel better."
Bia stared.
"She did it again."
Serafina's voice was barely audible.
"That's not normal human behavior… no mortal stabilizes their spiritual aura unconsciously like that."
Carmella nodded slowly.
"She's awakening. Whether she realizes it or not."
Zumi watched Emily with a gentle seriousness.
Her aura wasn't just calming her.
It was comforting everyone near her — even subtly brushing against the group like a soft divine breeze.
He lowered his voice, sensing something ancient stirring beneath her consciousness.
"Emily," he said softly, "whoever you are now… is only the beginning."
Emily blinked in confusion.
"I… don't understand…"
Zumi reached out, brushing a thumb across her cheek to wipe a tear she hadn't noticed falling.
"You will," he whispered. "Soon."
The girls watched silently — not jealous, not hostile — but strangely protective.
As if they already knew:
Emily Hart's life had just shifted forever.
And her awakening had only begun.
Emily sat on the rooftop bench, hands folded tightly in her lap, surrounded by an entire circle of beautiful, powerful women and Zumi himself standing before her.
She looked small, gentle, a little lost… but no longer afraid.
Zumi crouched down to be eye-level with her, his golden eyes softened to a warm glow.
"Emily," he said gently, "there's something very important you need to understand."
She looked at him, nervous but listening.
"I… cannot explain everything to you yet. Not because I don't want to," he added quickly, "but because right now, there is something inside you — something about your nature — that hasn't fully revealed itself."
Emily blinked, instinctively touching her chest as if something was hidden there.
"My… nature?"
Serafina stepped forward, voice soft and reassuring, nothing like her usual cool elegance.
"We aren't trying to scare you. And we're not hiding things to manipulate you."
Bia folded her arms, her big, intimidating presence surprisingly gentle.
"When it shows itself more clearly, then we can explain everything."
Carmella nodded. "Until then, telling you too much may confuse or overwhelm you."
Emily looked at all of them — every woman present — and… she didn't feel fear.
Not an ounce of it.
Instead, she felt something else:
Warmth. Protection. Sincerity.
And underneath it all… that strange energy in her chest quietly tingled, responding to their presence.
She took a small breath, then said softly:
"Okay… I understand. You're trying to protect me. And… I can feel that you're not lying. So… when the time is right, please tell me. I'll listen."
Every single woman nodded.
"Of course," Gia said warmly.
"You have my word," Kathy added with a soft smile.
Zumi placed a hand gently on Emily's shoulder.
"I promise, Emily. When the truth reveals itself… you won't face it alone."
Emily's cheeks pinkened at his reassuring touch — not romantically, but with gratitude.
Zumi stood again, thoughtful for a moment before speaking.
"Emily… you said yesterday that you're working as a barista, right?"
Emily nodded shyly.
"Yes… I work part-time at a café. It helps pay rent. And Noah's school stuff."
Zumi smiled gently — not pitying, just warm.
"I want to offer you something better. Something safer."
Emily blinked.
All the girls leaned in, curious.
Zumi continued:
"How would you feel about working at my new casino? As a barista there."
Emily's eyes widened.
"A–at the casino?! But… I don't know anything about—"
"You'd learn," Zumi said calmly. "It's still just making drinks."
She swallowed.
"What about… hours? Pay?"
"The schedule will be yours," he said. "Completely flexible. You work only when you want to work."
Emily stared at him.
"The pay?" she whispered.
"Much higher than whatever they're giving you now," Gia added with a grin.
Zumi continued:
"And… I won't have you walking to work or taking the bus alone anymore. A driver will pick you up from home every day, take you to work, and bring you back safely."
Emily's eyes filled with tears — not sadness, but disbelief.
"N–no one's ever offered me something like that," she whispered.
Bia chuckled softly.
"Get used to it. Zumi treats people he cares about very well."
Emily looked around…
At Zumi.
At Kathy.
At Gia.
At the goddesses.
At all the faces looking at her with warmth and sincerity.
"…I don't know what to say."
Zumi placed a hand over his heart.
"Say yes."
Emily let out a shaky laugh — half nervous, half overwhelmed — and nodded.
"Yes," she whispered. "I'd… really like that."
Kathy hugged her from behind.
Gia clapped softly.
Carmella smiled with elegant approval.
Even Serafina's lips curled upward.
And Zumi?
He gave her a proud, gentle smile.
"Then welcome to the beginning of a better life, Emily."
Emily swallowed hard as something warm bloomed inside her chest…
Her aura pulsed once —
And every goddess felt it.
But they said nothing.
Not yet.
Because her awakening…
had only just begun.
Serafina checked the time on her phone and sighed softly.
"We need to get back," she said. "The next period starts in four minutes."
Bia stretched her arms with a grin.
"If anyone asks, we were supervising a 'special rooftop safety inspection.'"
Carmella smirked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"We'll talk later, Emily. Properly. You're not alone in this."
Emily nodded quickly, still overwhelmed, but grateful.
"Thank you… all of you."
Serafina's voice softened, warm in a way Emily had never heard in class.
"You handled this better than most adults would have. We're proud of you."
Bia gave her a playful salute.
Carmella gave a small elegant bow.
And with that, the three of them left the rooftop—two goddesses and a vampire queen walking down the stairs as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
The door clicked shut behind them.
A gentle silence fell over the rooftop once the teachers were gone.
Emily looked around the circle—Kathy, Gia, Hina, Sakura, Jasmine, Ana, Reina, Bethany, Kathy, Catherine…
So many beautiful, powerful women.
She swallowed nervously.
"Um… s-so that's everyone, right?" she asked quietly.
"All the girls you're… with?"
Everyone's eyes immediately shifted to Zumi.
He rubbed the back of his neck with a slightly awkward smile.
"Actually… no. Not everyone."
Emily blinked.
"…there are more?"
Kathy laughed softly and leaned in, whispering:
"Oh, sweet girl… there are always more."
Emily's eyes widened in shock.
Gia added with a gentle smile:
"Some of them don't attend school with us. They're at home. Or handling other parts of the Kogane Empire."
Catherine nodded proudly.
"We're a large family. A very large one."
Emily's head spun a little.
Her teachers… Kathy… Gia… and now even more women she hadn't met yet…
All of them loved Zumi.
And the way they spoke — it wasn't jealous, or competitive, or insecure. It was… unified. Supportive. Almost sacred.
Emily whispered:
"And… all of you… you're okay with that?"
A warm laugh rippled through the group.
Jasmine spoke first:
"We're more than okay with it. We chose this life."
Hina smiled shyly.
"It's not normal, but it's ours."
Ana rested her cheek on her palm.
"Love isn't limited when the person at the center deserves all of it."
Bethany chimed in:
"And Zumi does."
Emily looked at Zumi again — really looked — and saw tenderness in his expression she hadn't noticed before.
Not flirtation.
Not arrogance.
Just… sincerity.
He spoke softly:
"I don't force anyone to be with me. Everyone here chose to stand by my side. Just as you're choosing to trust us now."
Emily's chest tightened.
She nodded slowly.
"…I understand."
Gia placed a gentle hand on Emily's shoulder.
"You'll meet the others soon. They're wonderful. Strong. Kind. Just like everyone here."
Kathy grinned mischievously.
"And don't worry—no one expects you to join anything."
She winked.
"Unless you want to, later."
Emily turned bright red.
Zumi's warm chuckle filled the rooftop.
"Let's take things one step at a time."
Emily exhaled shakily.
"Yeah… one step at a time."
But deep in her chest—
Her aura pulsed again.
Quiet.
Warm.
Growing.
And every girl felt it.
Another step… closer.
Zumi glanced toward Reina, who had been standing quietly near the edge of the rooftop, arms folded, posture relaxed but alert—like someone who never truly let her guard down.
He turned back to Emily, his voice gentle.
"Remember how I told you last night," he said, "about the girl who saved me when I tried to leave the slums? The gang commander who let me walk away when she didn't have to?"
Emily's eyes widened slightly as memory clicked into place.
She nodded. "Yeah… you said you wouldn't be here without her."
Zumi stepped half a pace aside and gestured openly.
"Well," he said simply, "this is her."
For a heartbeat, the rooftop went completely silent.
Emily's gaze snapped to Reina.
Reina straightened just a little, rolling her shoulders back. Her expression was calm, but there was something raw and honest in her eyes—no pride, no shame, just truth.
"…Hi," Reina said, voice low. "I'm Reina."
Emily stared at her.
This was not what she had expected.
She had imagined someone terrifying. Scarred. Cruel-looking. Someone who fit the word "gang commander."
Instead, she saw a strong, striking woman with steady eyes and an aura that felt… grounded. Heavy with experience, but not dark.
"You… you saved him?" Emily asked softly.
Reina nodded once.
"He was just a kid," she said. "Too stubborn to stay where he was. Too honest for that place."
Her lips curved faintly. "I figured the world didn't need another body in the alley."
Emily swallowed.
Something tight formed in her chest as she looked between them.
"You never told me it was… you," Emily said to Zumi.
He smiled, a little sheepish.
"I wanted you to meet her properly."
Emily turned fully toward Reina now.
"Thank you," she said—no hesitation, no awkwardness. Just sincerity.
"If you hadn't… I wouldn't have met him."
Reina blinked, clearly not used to being thanked like that. She looked away for half a second, then back.
"…He did the rest on his own," she replied. "I just opened a door."
Zumi shook his head gently.
"You gave me the chance to walk through it."
Emily felt it then—clear as day.
This wasn't a story about crime.
Or gangs.
Or power.
It was a story about someone choosing kindness in a place that didn't reward it.
Emily smiled, small but genuine.
"I'm really glad you did," she said.
Reina exhaled slowly, something in her shoulders easing.
"Yeah," she said quietly. "Me too."
Around them, the other girls exchanged knowing looks.
Emily Hart—without fear, without judgment—had just accepted a truth that most people never could.
And Zumi knew, with absolute certainty:
Introducing her to Reina hadn't pushed her away.
It had pulled her closer.