Instead of heading to his first class, Caelus treaded the halls of the administration building. Through the windows, the morning glow settled in, revealing the dust motes near the ground like fog upon an ethereal plane.
All the while, his mind drifted, yet he could not tell if it was his own thoughts... or something else. Yesterday, when he had finally broken loose, he felt it — the urge to kill. Somewhere deep within, a voice reached out to him, pulling him down with it into the abyss.
What was that?
He didn't know, and he feared he might never know until it was too late.
For now, however, he decided to push it aside, for there were more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. Caelus stood before a set of double doors. A plaque next to it read, "Seren Valeblume, Headmistress of Rhodeia College."
With a deep breath, he knocked. From within, a gentle yet authoritative voice spoke.
"Come in."
Caelus clicked the door open. Standing by a massive window at the other end of the office was she. A woman with such a perfect complexion that one can easily mistake her for an angel. Instead of her usual ponytail, her wavy hair was left to fall on her back.
The moment she turned just a little bit, Caelus's vision flickered, and a sudden burst of pain surged through his head.
He saw himself surrounded by a sea of bodies, both humans and demons. And standing before him was that same woman, her gaze cold and merciless. A splatter of red marked her cheek, and so too was the gilded sword in her hand. She looked down on him with pity, though it was somehow laced with just as much bloodlust.
The moment he blinked, he was back in the office. Seren was looking at him once again, but not with the same look she gave back then. Instead, it was a gentle smile that was obviously a façade.
"Hello, child," she said. "It's been a while."
"Hah. Not even gonna try and pretend, Gilded Maiden?" Caelus scoffed.
"What would be the point? I'm sure you remember me just as much as I remember you, O' dearest child of Strife."
As her smile stretched wider, Caelus's scowl grew harsher.
"Do not call me that."
"Why?" she scoffed. "Does it bother you? Does it irk you, being called what you truly are behind that mask? After all, it was your choice, wasn't it? To follow him. The Ego of Strife. Unless, of course, I'm misremembering. Please, do correct me if I am wrong."
He said nothing, for despite the mockery in her voice, none of her questions or claims were invalid. There was only truth behind that dainty smile, yet the smile itself was a lie.
"I have nothing to say to Commander Ophelia's murderer," Caelus muttered.
"Ah... I do recall that moment," she said. "Such an achievement was what cemented my status as a Grand Master and led me to this position as Rhodeia's headmistress."
"Do you truly have no remorse?"
"You tell me, child. Why should that be the case? The seventh seat of the Malevolence, wasn't she? A fair lady of the banshee tribe who chose strife over peace. But, much like you, she surrendered to her fate far too soon."
"You call her a fair lady, yet what did you do?"
"She was a demon."
"She was a person," he snapped. "A living, breathing person. And you..."
He clenched his fist, he gritted his teeth, and within that piercing lavender gaze, Seren saw a glimpse of Strife.
She recalled that day very clearly. Three years ago, Seren joined a platoon of crusaders from the Holy Empire, aiming to reclaim a land that had been overtaken by the Archdemon. At the time, she was a professor at Rhodeia and was accompanied by a small group of second-year students.
It was supposed to be clean and easy — a simple subjugation mission meant to give the students some real combat experience. After all, the crusaders were with them, so victory was more than guaranteed. At least, that was her impression.
Only half an hour later, the sky above had darkened, and the soil below was painted red. There lay the corpses of not only the crusaders, but the students she had sworn to protect. As she held the lifeless body of one, a presence loomed over her.
It was a woman whose long hair shimmered like the stars on a quiet night. She wore a blindfold and a thorned black dress. Her hands were clasped together as if she were praying, but to what god, no one could ever tell.
"A pitiful sight," she said, her voice gentle yet trickling with displeasure. "Never is it a pleasure to witness such bloodshed. May these poor souls find peace in whatever awaits them in the next life."
"...You say that, yet you are the one who caused such bloodshed, Commander Ophelia," Seren growled, the hatred in her eyes burning brighter.
"It wouldn't have been necessary if you had heeded my words, Lady Seren. Under Lord Arkus's orders, we should not seek conflict with your kind. Yet, it is your kind that seems to force our hands time and time again."
"Do you mean to claim that this was my fault?"
For a moment, Ophelia hesitated.
"To take your innocent students and leave, or to stay with the crusaders and die. I gave you that choice... and you made your decision."
"Hah..." Seren scoffed with a frustrated smile. "Then, shall I make another bold decision?"
She pushed herself off the ground, and from a burst of light, a gilded sword formed itself into her grasp. Her arm reached out, pointing the tip of the blade at Ophelia's neck.
"Today, the seventh seat of the Malevolence shall be made vacant," she declared.
Yet, Ophelia merely sighed.
"That would not be wise, Lady Seren. You should know that Lord Arkus is much more merciful than the previous Ego of Strife. He defends his land and his people. Should you overstep the boundaries... a much worse fate shall befall your kind."
"Honestly, I couldn't care less about that right now. My students lie dead upon this soil, and the one who killed them is standing right before me. Answer me this, Commander: would you not do as I do if you were in my position right now?"
Ophelia's lips pursed as if she wanted to answer, but nothing came out. She lowered her head and lifted her hands, pondering that question.
"I cannot deny that," she finally said.
"Of course, not," Seren scoffed. "Demons understand emotions just as much as humans do, don't they? You can laugh and love, feel pain and suffering, and you would know better than anyone the true meaning of Strife. This is just another part of that cycle. You take the heads of my students, I take yours. One day, someone else will come for mine, and the same will happen to the one who does."
"Even knowing that, you would still commit to this?"
"I am far past the point of hesitation, for hesitation... is what made the current Archdemon."
"...Then, Lady Seren... shall we perpetuate this endless cycle of Strife?"
In the end, Seren's blade pierced through Ophelia's heart. Suddenly, a boy came rushing out from an underpass while screaming her name.
"Ophelia!"
He darted past Seren and fell to his knees next to the dying banshee. His hands raised above her, though he did no more than hover them as if careful not to touch her. By then, she had already let go of her final breath.
The boy cried out in sorrow and agony, his tears conjoining the blood-soaked soil. He looked up and glared at Seren, his face carrying a burning desire for vengeance — much like the young man who stood before her now.
"You haven't changed, child," Seren scoffed.
"Neither have you," he retorted instantly. "Still blind and arrogant, still clinging onto the belief that your kind must reign over all others."
"Hah. My kind? You speak as though your blood isn't the same as mine."
"Who knows? Why don't we find out?"
He took a step forward, completely unprepared for what came next. Two, four... seven rune circles hovering in perfect symmetry around him, each one holding a different elemental base.
Seren chuckled menacingly, brushing her hand through the top of her hair. The smooth gradient of her iris shimmered, not a pupil in sight. It would be easy to assume that she was blind, but no eyes could ever see more than hers.
"A mere child stands no chance against a Sixth-Circle Grand Master," she said with a mocking lilt. "I know you're not stupid enough to think you can challenge me, so stay quiet, child. I don't know why you're here, and as much as I would like to find out, I won't. A promise is a promise. Do what you must to finish your business quickly, and leave without any issues."
"You'd be wrong to think I'd ever listen to a single word uttered from that mouth of yours," Caelus growled.
As Seren's smile stretched just slightly wider, she walked over and towered over him.
"You must, for you have no choice. Stay in your lane, Caelus de Luvelaine. Right now, you are a ticking time bomb, and the only reason why you're still alive at this very moment is because I made a deal with your sister. Cross the line, and the bargaining table can easily change. We wouldn't want to disappoint her, would we?"