With our final preparations complete, we stepped out of the heavy front door of House 132, locking the iron deadbolt behind us. Elicia looked beautiful and bright, wearing a cute, flowing dress that matched her vibrant personality, completely contrasting the dark twilight we had been sitting in. I, on the other hand, made sure my heavy traveling cloak was pulled tightly around my face, the deep hood acting as an impenetrable shield. Because of my vampiric biology, the bright morning sunlight felt like an absolute allergen against my skin, stinging my eyes and threatening to irritate my newly reconstructed left arm.
We walked quickly down the cobblestone streets of the 3rd District until we reached a wide, bustling crosswalk. The morning traffic of Caria was picking up, with citizens and lower-ranking knights rushing to their daily duties.
Elias stopped at the edge of the curb, his dark eyes scanning the crowd with a sharp, tactical precision.
"Walking will take too long, and a public carriage will draw too many eyes to Eirene's cloak," he muttered.
Without a moment's hesitation, Elias tapped into his elite mana core. He extended his leather-gloved hand toward the ground, and a sudden, silent ripple of pitch-black static erupted from his feet. The shadows twisting along the cobblestones violently surged upward, coalescing and hardening under his absolute control. Within seconds, his advanced dark magic constructed a magnificent, towering shadow horse… its coat made of pure, shifting midnight matter, its eyes glowing with a faint, disciplined violet light, completely silent and loyal only to him.
"Up," Elias commanded softly.
He vaulted into the saddle first, taking the reins at the front as the anchor of our formation. Elicia climbed up next, settling gracefully into the middle of the shifting shadow construct. Finally, I mounted at the very back, wrapping my arms tightly around Elicia's waist. My massive crimson blood wings were folded completely flat against my spine beneath my dress and cloak, and my face was buried safely into the back of my big sister's shoulder to hide from the burning glare of the sun.
With a silent, powerful leap, the shadow horse bounded forward, tearing across the crosswalk and navigating the crowded streets of Caria at a breakneck pace. As the wind whipped past my hood, I held onto my family tightly. We were riding straight into the heart of the 8th District Bureau… the three siblings from Allure, united in the light for the very first time.
The shadow horse slowed its breakneck pace to a smooth, quiet glide as we approached the massive stone arches of the checkpoint.
Standing by the iron ironwork was Renny, the seasoned gatekeeper of the 3rd District. He leaned casually against his halberd, his eyes scanning our unusual, midnight-tinted mount before a wide, familiar grin broke across his weathered face.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Rynd siblings," Renny called out, his voice echoing over the clatter of the morning traffic. He looked at Elias's imposing Luminous Knight duster, then at Elicia's cute dress, and finally at my deeply hooded figure at the back.
"It's perfect to see you all whole and together for once. Usually, you lot are scattered to the four winds of the kingdom. Anyways, you know the drill… tolls and status cards."
Just like Evelyn used to handle the administrative logistics for our sisters back in the day, Elias didn't hesitate. He reached into his duster coat, pulling out a handful of silver coins and our official family registry tokens, tossing them down to Renny with a smooth, practiced flick of his wrist.
"All accounted for, Renny. Keep the change," Elias said, his voice carrying the firm authority of a high-ranking captain.
Renny caught the coins with a deft click of his palm, tipping his iron helmet to us.
"Perfect. Pass on through, Captain. Safe travels to the capital."
With the bureaucratic details handled entirely by our big brother, Elicia and I didn't have a single thing to worry about. I leaned closer into Elicia's back, pulling my heavy cloak tighter around my face as the shadow horse surged forward, passing cleanly through the threshold of the gates.
We tore through the districts of Caria like a phantom breeze. First, we passed the manicured parks and residential squares of the 4th District. Then, the scenery shifted into the sprawling, densely packed brick complexes of the 5th District tenements, where the working class was just beginning to flood the streets. We didn't stop, pushing right through into the bustling, noisy avenues of the 6th District merchant sector, where traders were shouting prices over crates of fresh produce and imported textiles.
The air grew sweeter and louder as we entered the 7th District entertainment district, passing the grand, closed curtains of theaters, taverns, and gambling dens that only truly woke up when the sun went down.
Finally, the cobblestones gave way to immaculate, sweeping white marble as we crossed the threshold into the 8th District. The towering, pristine spires of the capital loomed overhead, and right in the center stood the colossal, fortress-like architecture of the Capital Knights Bureau Association. The grand banners of the realm snapped in the wind, and guards in gleaming gold armor flanked the massive iron-reinforced doors. This was the place where my bounty sheets had been printed, where the Crimson Phantom was feared, and where my brother was going to wipe my ledger clean forever.
The shadow horse slowed its breakneck pace to a silent, sweeping halt as its midnight-tinted hooves touched the polished white stone of the 8th District's inner sanctum. The atmosphere here was entirely different from the lower sectors; the air was thick with the scent of refined incense, pristine marble, and the overwhelming, oppressive aura of high-tier divine and physical mana emanating from the capital's elite guards.
Standing before the grand archway was Gatekeeper Damien. Unlike the laid-back, conversational Renny from the 3rd District, Damien was a veteran of the royal guard, clad in full, gleaming plate armor adorned with the crest of the High Knights. His sharp, clinical gaze instantly locked onto our approaching group, his hand resting instinctively on the pommel of his ceremonial greatsword.
The reaction from the three of us was instantaneous and perfectly mirrored our current realities.
Elias didn't flinch, his spine straightening into the rigid, unyielding posture of an elite Luminous Knight captain, his face hardening into a stoic mask that commanded immediate respect. Beside him, Elicia shifted slightly, her cute dress swaying as she subtly released a microscopic pulse of her god-tier healing mana… a silent, aristocratic display of power meant to subtly remind Damien of her own high status within the academy ledgers. At the very back, I instinctively shrank deeper into the heavy folds of my traveling cloak. My mismatched jade-green and crimson eyes narrowed behind the shadow of my hood, my fingers tightening against Elicia's waist as my predatory core silently locked onto Damien's vitals, calculation paths of execution out of sheer, deep-seated survival instinct.
"State your business, Captain Rynd," Damien spoke, his voice echoing with a cold, metallic resonance through his visor.
Elias didn't waste words. With a smooth, authoritative motion, he reached into the breast pocket of his leather duster and produced our official status cards, alongside a heavy gold-plated toll coin reserved exclusively for high-ranking military personnel. He handed them directly to the gatekeeper.
"Captain Elias Rynd, returning from the 5th District dunes for an emergency debriefing with Chief Roman, Accompanied by my sisters, Elicia and Eirene Rynd. The civilian registers are attached."
Damien took the status cards, running a glowing blue appraisal stone over the metallic surfaces. The stone hummed, flashing a bright, approving green as it verified Elias's active clearance and cleared our identities. The name Eirene Rynd registered only as a low-tier common appraiser from Allure… the official Bureau archives completely unaware that the fragile girl on the ledger was the very same entity that had terrorized the underworld as the Crimson Phantom.
"Clearance verified. Welcome back to the 8th District, Captain," Damien said, stepping aside and gesturing for the heavy, iron-reinforced gates to grind open.
As we crossed the threshold into the pristine courtyard of the Capital Knights Bureau Association, the shadow horse came to a structured stop. Elias dismounted first, his heavy combat boots clicking sharply against the immaculate marble floor. He extended his leather-gloved hand, casting a brief, concentrated glance at the dark construct beneath us.
With a subtle flick of his fingers, Elias channeled his advanced dark magic. The towering shadow horse let out a silent, smoky exhale before its form violently dissolved into a swirling vortex of pitch-black static. The dark matter spilled across the white marble like spilled ink before snapping back into Elias's own shadow, vanishing entirely as if it had never existed.
Elicia and I lowered ourselves to the ground, our feet touching the cold stone. Elicia smoothed down the fabric of her dress, while I adjusted the heavy hem of my cloak, ensuring the bright, unforgiving midday sun couldn't catch the edges of my pale face or the hidden, tightly folded structures of my crimson blood wings.
"From here on, we walk on foot,"
Elias muttered softly, turning his head just enough for his dark eyes to meet mine beneath my hood. The commanding aura of the Luminous Knight faded for a fraction of a second, replaced by the protective warmth of a big brother.
"Stay close to me, Eirene. The Bureau hallways are full of high-tier paladins today, but as long as you're walking in my shadow, not a single soul is going to touch you."
With Elias leading the way, his heavy duster swaying rhythmically with every step, and Elicia walking gracefully by my side, we began our march toward the massive, towering doors of the Association headquarters. The final battle for my freedom wasn't going to be fought with the Death Chant Shotgun or blood manipulation; it was going to be won in the quiet, bureaucratic offices of the high command.
We walked briskly across the immaculate white marble tiles of the courtyard. Because of Elias's classic, slightly edgy but deeply respected "street captain" attitude, his stride was full of confidence. He didn't treat the guarding knights with the stiff, arrogant formality of the other noble commanders; instead, he nodded casually to the men on patrol, throwing out a rough fist-bump or a low greeting as if they were his literal brothers in arms. The guards immediately relaxed, grinning and saluting him with genuine loyalty. Walking right in his wake, the path to the main hall opened up for us without a single interruption.
We pushed through the heavy, gold-trimmed double doors and stepped into the grand lobby of the Capital Knights Bureau Association. The air inside was cool and smelled of expensive paper and sealing wax.
But the moment we approached the main reception desk, I froze.
Sitting behind the high oak counter wasn't the usual white-clad administrative receptionist. Instead, it was a towering, sharply dressed older man with a strict but deeply knowledgeable aura. It was Nautilus Cotton… the legendary former Secretary of the CKBA who had famously resigned from the military sectors to take over the prestigious mantle of Principal at the Caria Mastery Academy.
My deadpan composure cracked for a fraction of a second. I stepped slightly ahead of Elicia, my mismatched jade-green and crimson eyes staring from beneath the deep shadow of my traveling cloak.
"Nautilus... what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice dropping into a soft, deadpan whisper that barely carried over the polished tiles.
Nautilus looked up from his massive ledger, his sharp eyes blinking in surprise before a warm, familiar smile creased his face. He adjusted his reading glasses, looking at our trio… the imposing Luminous Captain, the academy's top healer, and the heavily cloaked bounty hunter.
"Well, if it isn't the Rynd family, White Flower is taking a day off, so I'm taking her place at the desk for the afternoon. Even a retired Secretary has to help out the old association when the high-tier registries get overloaded."
Elias stepped forward, his heavy combat boots clicking firmly against the marble floor as he leaned one leather-gloved hand casually against the high oak counter. He gave Nautilus a sharp, respectful nod, his edgy demeanor shifting instantly into a focused, no-nonsense captain ready to handle business.
"Well, Nautilus, In that case, take me to Chief Roman. He's here somewhere, and I have an urgent, high-priority report regarding the 5th District dunes that needs his eyes immediately." Elias said, his voice dropping into a low, confidential register that didn't carry across the busy lobby.
Nautilus looked at Elias, then his sharp gaze drifted to Elicia's serious expression, and finally to my heavily cloaked, silent form. As the former Secretary, he possessed an uncanny intuition for when the internal gears of the kingdom were shifting. He didn't ask a single probing question; he simply closed his massive ledger with a solid, heavy thud and stood up from his chair, straightening his immaculate waistcoat.
"Sure, Follow me. The Chief just finished his morning briefings, so you've timed this perfectly." Nautilus replied smoothly, stepping out from behind the high reception counter.
We followed closely in his wake, walking past the grand pillars and moving deep into the restricted upper wings of the Association headquarters. The grand administrative halls were lined with the portraits of past heroes, the air growing quieter and more oppressive with high-tier mana the closer we got to the core of command. I kept my head down, my hand tightly clutching the fabric of my cloak to ensure my biology and the subtle, rapid pulse of my stomach stayed entirely hidden from the passing paladins.
Eventually, Nautilus stopped in front of a pair of towering, dark mahogany double doors emblazoned with the golden crest of the High Bureau.
Without knocking, Nautilus turned the polished brass handle and opened the door wide, gesturing for us to enter.
"Chief Roman. You have visitors."
Stepping inside the grand, sunlit office, my eyes adjusted to the brightness. Sitting behind a massive desk cluttered with high-level bounty logs, strategic maps, and official royal decrees was Chief Roman, the absolute authority of the Capital Knights Bureau Association. He looked up from his paperwork, his sharp, weathered eyes instantly taking in our arrival.
"Chief Roman, Captain Elias Rynd, reporting in." Elias said, stepping into the room first and giving a crisp, flawless military salute, his voice echoing with absolute authority
Beside him, Elicia offered a graceful, polite bow, while I remained a step behind them in the shadows, my mismatched jade-green and crimson eyes locking onto the man who held the power to wipe my slate clean forever.