"Ooh, good morning, Kayda," Mom said with a smirk tugging at her lips, arms folded as if she'd been expecting the reveal.
Kayda didn't respond right away. Her crimson eyes stayed locked on me, wings stretched proudly behind her, shimmering with a faint glow. I could feel the heat of her glare like a physical weight pressing against my skin.
Dean leaned forward, confusion flickering over his face. "What happened to you, Kayda?" His tone was half bewildered, half cautious.
Kayda clicked her tongue. "Well, obviously, I received my wings, dumbass," she snapped, annoyed, though her gaze never wavered from me.
"I can see that." Dean raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, although his brows were furrowed in confusion. "But why now? Why suddenly?"
Kayda's expression shifted—still sharp, but something unreadable lingered beneath it. "Reasons I cannot say," she muttered, finally breaking her stare to glance at Mom instead.
Dean studied her for a moment longer, then sighed and let it drop. "I see," he said with a neutral tone, although suspicion lingered in his eyes.
Amari, sitting nearby, practically bounced in her seat, her face lighting up. "Wow, Kayda, you look so cool now!" she exclaimed, stars practically dancing in her eyes.
Kayda's tense demeanor softened slightly. She straightened her posture, the pride she usually carried settling more naturally into her smile. "I do, don't I, disciple?" she said, moving to sit beside Amari like a mentor pleased with her student's admiration.
I had been quiet the whole time, staring without realizing it. Something about the wings, the way they framed her figure and caught the light, had me caught off guard. It wasn't just power—it was beauty. My chest tightened, and I had to look away before anyone noticed.
"Hey, Kitsuna," Rachel's voice cut through my thoughts sharply. "Your nose is bleeding."
I blinked, startled, and lifted a hand to touch beneath my nose. Sure enough, crimson stained my fingertips.
"Hmm, it seems so," I said lightly, trying to brush it off. Standing up, I rubbed the blood away with my sleeve. "Weird. I think I didn't get enough sleep last night."
"You think," Mom said dryly, raising an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.
"Yeah, don't worry, Stacy," I replied, deliberately using her name instead of "Mom." Her eyebrow twitched at that. "I'll go catch some more shut-eye."
I started toward the door but paused at the frame. Without turning back, I said, "Oh, and Kayda… Your future spouse is one lucky person. I'm actually jealous."
The silence that followed was heavy, cut only by Kayda's sharp inhale. I didn't wait for her reaction.
"Wait for me!" Rachel shouted, scrambling to her feet and rushing after me.
[Hallway]
Walking down the corridor, I glanced at Rachel clinging to my arm. Her grip was firm, almost possessive, as if she was afraid I'd vanish without her.
"So why did you follow me?" I asked, confused, tilting my head down at her.
"Hmm, I don't know." She smiled up at me, but her smile seemed a bit too rehearsed. "I just felt like it."
"I see. But can you let go of my arm?" I asked, irritation creeping into my voice.
"Ooh—sorry," she said quickly, releasing me.
"It's fine," I muttered, rubbing at the spot she'd held.
Rachel tilted her head, her tone suddenly shifting to something firmer, almost demanding. "So… how will you make me a full angel?"
I hid the twitch in my eye. "Hmm, I'll be using a technique I made in my past life," I lied smoothly, not giving her time to doubt it.
"I see. And how long will it take?" she pressed, her tone carrying the same sharpness.
"I could do it in a day," I said, glancing sideways at her with a raised brow. "But if you want a one-hundred percent chance of success, it will take a month."
She nodded, expression serious. "That is excellent. You'll be helping me out a lot."
Her confidence in saying that, like she was the one granting me a favor, made me even more confused—and irritated.
"I'm sorry, Rachel," I said at last, masking my annoyance with a calm tone. "But I need to go back. I forgot to ask Dean something."
Before she could respond, I disappeared.
[Dining hall after Kitsuna left—Stacy POV]
Watching Kitsuna vanish, I glanced toward Kayda. Her wings had folded in, but her shoulders were slumped slightly, her gaze on the floor. I smirked faintly. "It kind of sounded like she was giving herself a compliment," I said aloud.
Kayda's head shot up, eyes wide.
Dean frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," I said casually, "she is Kayda's future wife."
Dean's jaw dropped. "What!?"
Amari blinked, tilting her head. "How do you know that, Mom?"
Kayda turned toward me, confused. "Wait, I thought I wasn't allowed to tell anyone about that?"
"I said you couldn't tell Kitsuna," I corrected, shrugging. "But her sister and Dean should be fine."
Kayda straightened, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Ooh, then… hello, future family-in-law. I'm Kayda, Kitsune's soulmate." She gave a polite bow, though her wings twitched with pride.
Amari giggled. "Hehe, welcome, future sister-in-law! Please take care of me."
Dean finally snapped out of his daze, pointing at Kayda in disbelief. "Wait—wait a minute. You're saying Kitsuna has already found her wife!?"
"In a way, yes," I said calmly. "But she's not allowed to know yet. Kayda made mistakes and needs to pay for them."
Dean scowled, his voice rising. "I'm not giving you my second daughter! I already lost one!"
Kayda shot to her feet, eyes blazing. "HUH!? You've only known her for two days! And why would I need your permission to take my soulmate!?"
"Shut up!" I barked, slamming my hand on the table.
The air thickened. At that exact moment, a familiar presence surged at the edge of the hall. A second later, Kitsuna appeared, her eyes like sharpened blades as they locked on me.
"We need to talk. Now," she said, before vanishing again.
Dean swallowed. "You… don't think she heard us, right?"
"No," I said, though my chest tightened. "This is about something else. And if I'm right, it's about her. Honestly… it scares me how much she's like me."
"Her?" Dean asked, bewildered.
"You'll understand," I muttered, before disappearing after Kitsuna.
Dean stood there, blinking. "Okay…" Then he disappeared as well.
Left behind, Amari stared at the empty space. "Did they just leave us hanging?"
Kayda exhaled and patted her head softly. "Don't worry. They'll tell you eventually."
[Kitsuna POV]
I reappeared in the dining hall just long enough to glare at Mom and Dean. "We need to talk. Now."
Then I vanished again, appearing on the roof, the cold wind tugging at my hair.
"What is with this world and its problems?" I muttered. My fists clenched.
A heartbeat later, Mom and Dean appeared behind me.
"Tell me why Rachel is in this mansion," I said, voice flat, stripped of all emotion.
Mom's lips pressed together, but she wasn't surprised. "Well… I guess you figured it out already."
"Yeah," I said, eyes narrowing. "She was demanding when we were alone just now. At first, I thought it was desperation, but thinking back—how she acts around Amari versus with me—it's like she's two different people. She only acts touchy when others are around. Alone? Cold, sharp, calculating. It's annoying. And it reeks of an agenda. So why is she still here? Is it the church? Or do you two want to teach Amari some kind of lesson?"
Dean opened his mouth. "Yes, in a way, both. It's more complicated than you think. Even if she's a half-breed, the church would still try to kidnap her. They'd use her as their angel idol."
I barked a laugh, sharp and bitter. "Yeah, nah. I'm not buying that bullshit."
Mom shot Dean a look. "Really, Dean? Couldn't you come up with a better lie?"
Dean lowered his head. "I'm sorry."
Mom turned back to me. "Okay, it's like this. The king hates the church."
"Then why are they in the capital?" I asked, brain was already piecing things together. "The reason she is here is that the king wants to use her for his own purposes." He wants to use her to get rid of them, doesn't he? But how? If the church knew about her, they would've already taken her. No… the church is more of a cult. You're planning to let them attack the capital, use her as a scapegoat, and then rally the people against them. That's the plan, isn't it?"
Dean let out a low whistle. "She really is like you, Stacy."
Mom smirked faintly. "Umu. You got most of it right. Initially, we considered using you to provoke them. But with Rachel becoming a full angel, it'll be easier."
"Using me?" I asked, my tone hard. "And when were you planning on telling me about that?"
"When we started proper planning," Mom replied evenly. "Once we had a date."
I let out a humorless laugh. "I see. Makes sense. I'm only thirteen, after all."
Dean tilted his head. "So you don't mind being bait?"
I shrugged. "Yeah, it's fine. But I want to know everything."
"Fair enough," Dean said with a nod.
"But this isn't your final goal," I added quietly. "Is it?"
Mom's eyes sharpened.
"You want to kill the God of Light," I said. "Don't you?"
Silence. Then Mom smiled faintly. "You really are like me. Thank you." She pulled me into a hug.
"Don't worry, Stacy," I said with a grin, leaning back.
Her brows furrowed. "What is with 'Stacy' again?"
"You lost the privilege to be called Mom last night when you let the commander stab me in the chest."
Dean's head whipped toward her. "What!? Stacy, how could you let that happen!?"
"But—" Mom started.
I smirked and pulled a set of restrainers from storage. The heavy cuffs are designed to block mana and skills, causing the body to feel as heavy as lead. I'd intended them for training, but revenge would do.
She was distracted, arguing with Dean—just like always. And I knew her weakness. When it came to him, her guard always dropped.
Sliding the cuffs onto her wrists and ankles, I whispered under my breath, "Hasta la vista, baby."
The moment they activated, Mom stumbled, her limbs weighed down.
"What!? Kitsuna, come back here now!" She shouted, fury burning in her eyes.
"Haha! Come and catch me, S-T-A-C-Y!" I yelled over my shoulder as I bolted.
Her enraged scream followed me as the chase began.