(Ereshgal's POV)
I looked at Ishtal.
Did this guy never have a bad day? Why was he always smiling?
We stood exactly the same as before—the same table between us, the same false warmth in his eyes. The only real change was that now I knew how I needed him… and maybe, just maybe, he needed me too.
Kisaya stood by my side, spear in hand, gaze fixed on him. She didn't sit. She hadn't yesterday either. It was a clear message.
"So?" Ishtal asked, leaning back slightly. "Have you made your decision?"
I stared at him, at his eyes. They held the same calm they always did, nothing in them ever felt honest.
"Yes" I said. "I'll help you."
His smile brightened instantly. "Excellent—"
"But" I interrupted, "under a few conditions."
He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Of course he was. Few things pleased him more than thinking he was still three moves ahead.
"Oh… I didn't expect that. What are they?" he asked, still smiling. "Tell me. As long as they're reasonable, I'll accept."
My throat felt dry, not from thirst, not yet, but from what I was about to say. I forced myself to speak calmly.
"First, as you already know, because I'm sure you've been watching me. I need blood. That's my food source."
Ishtal grinned like he'd been waiting for that line.
"Ha, don't worry… I'm not blind. Six sheep went in, six corpses came out, completely drained. It wasn't hard to connect the dots."
I didn't say anything. There was nothing to deny.
His gaze sharpened. "So, you were the creature that attacked the animals the other day?"
I nodded. "I'm sorry for that, but that's what I live on now. Instead of eating food, I drink blood."
Saying it out loud still felt wrong.
Ishtal exhaled softly "Well… that's one less mystery to worry about."
He probably already figured out that the creature Kisaya went to hunt was me, but he didn't seem to care. That, somehow, was worse.
Ishtal brought a hand to his chin, a thoughtful gesture he'd clearly used his entire life.
"No problem" he said. "I can provide animal blood. Every day animals are drained for meat sales anyway."
There it was. Like it was nothing.
"Go on" he added. "I assume there's more?"
"I'm taking Ennari with me" I said, watching him closely.
His smile didn't vanish, but it thinned.
"Hmmm… only if you prove that you're not a danger, and strong enough to protect her" he answered.
I frowned.
Who does he think he is now? Acting like he's worried about her?
"Fine" I replied. "But I want to see her. I need to know she's okay."
Ishtal nodded. "I can make that happen. Anything else?"
He didn't care about any of this? Or had he already anticipated every demand before I made it?
"I want to hold onto a request for the future, one you'll have to agree to" I said, watching his expression closely.
Ari and Darim's faces flickered through my mind. I pushed the image down. I couldn't let him know I cared about them. He'd use them against me.
Besides, I needed to look into things first, see how they were living, what they needed, and how much danger they might be in just by being anywhere near me.
"Haha, oh… interesting" he said. "I don't get to know what it is yet?"
His eyes lit up with curiosity. His smile widened.
"As long as it's possible and not too big, that's fine."
I nodded. "That's everything."
Ishtal clapped his hands once, softly. "Excellent! We'll be working together as brothers, don't you think that's nice?" he said, wearing an expression so fake I almost laughed.
I shook my head, resigned. "So, what now?"
"Now we catch up" he began. "But first, I want you to tell me everything that happened to you before you woke up like this."
I hesitated.
But if we were allies now, even temporarily, I should tell him what I could. Just not anything that would put me at risk.
So I started explaining.
I told him about the wendigo. Then about the journey that followed. I explained what happened with the Children of the Guardian, how we escaped, and how Azel ended up unconscious afterward. After that, I told him about Namur: his edict, the moment he killed Gamir.
And finally, how he went after me, intent on finishing what he had started…
"That son of a bitch!!" Kisaya exploded.
Her voice cracked through the room like a whip. "How dare he!! How dare he!!"
Honestly, I understood her. I was furious myself, and I wasn't planning to let it go.
"Calm down, Kisaya" said Ishtal "There's something much more important here."
"What did you just say?!" she snapped, turning toward him in an instant, spear already half-raised "More important?! That bastard almost killed him!"
Ishtal's face grew serious.
"Yes. But he didn't. Ereshgal is still here." He paused, letting that hang between us. "Think about it. What faction does Namur belong to?"
Kisaya froze.
Huh? Wait…
"Yes" Ishtal continued quietly. "Namur is one of the main chosen in our father's faction."
He let out a long breath and rubbed the side of his forehead. "This just got even more complicated" he muttered.
"Nadira" he called.
Out of nowhere, a woman appeared.
Black hair slipped from beneath a dark scarf that covered her mouth. Her eyes were cold.
Where did she come from? Had she always been there?
She stared at me like she had already decided she didn't like me.
"Got a problem?" Kisaya cut in, pointing her spear straight at Nadira's face.
Ishtal didn't flinch. "Nadira, don't look at my brother like that."
Nadira immediately responded "As you command, my lord. Though calling that thing your brother is far too kind."
The words hit harder than her gaze.
Kisaya didn't answer.
She summoned her spiritual energy so fast the air trembled. The floor almost buzzed under my feet. In a second she was at Nadira's side, spear driving toward her.
Nadira reacted, arms crossing, weapon flashing up. She blocked the strike, but the impact drove her backward, boots sliding hard across the floor. Clicking her tongue in frustration, she steadied herself and moved in to strike back.
"Nadira!" "Kisaya!"
Ishtal and I shouted at the same time.
Both women stopped, bodies still tense, eyes locked on each other. The spear's tip hovered close to Nadira's neck.
"Nadira, apologize to my brother" Ishtal said.
It wasn't a request.
Nadira looked at me. "I'm sorry."
It was clearly only because it was an order. She followed the command because she had to, nothing more. It was pure obedience.
Kisaya kept glaring, chest rising and falling quickly, spiritual energy still swirling faintly around her.
"Don't worry, Kisaya. It doesn't bother me" I said.
She opened her mouth "But—"
I looked at her and forced a smile.
"Really. It doesn't bother me."
Under the table, my fists were clenched so tightly my fingers ached.
She lowered her head. "Alright."
"Nadira" Ishtal spoke again.
"Yes, my lord" she replied.
"Go to Kelzar" Ishtal continued. "Tell him to increase surveillance on Namur. And listen carefully, there's a good chance Namur has infiltration runes, the kind that could let him slip past the loyalty tests. Make sure he knows that too."
"As you command" she answered.
And just like that, she disappeared again.
That wasn't speed. It wasn't someone moving too fast to follow. One moment she was in front of us. The next, she was simply gone.
Did she just teleport? Or what the hell was that?
Ishtal broke the silence with a quiet breath.
"Well, good thing we got this information now. It could've blown up in our faces. Anything else?"
I shook my head.
"Nothing important."
I fixed my eyes on him, was he really not going to say anything?
"Aren't you going to tell me who the woman was? And how she appeared out of nowhere?"
Ishtal's expression didn't change.
"Ah… her?" he said lightly. "Her name is Nadira. You could call her my bodyguard. Don't worry about her." He dismissed the topic with a lazy flick of his hand, as if it meant nothing.
He held my gaze for a moment before leaning back a little, his voice light… or pretending to be.
"Anyway, my brother…" he said, almost casually, though we both knew it wasn't casual at all.
"Tell me… aside from healing yourself, what else can you do?"