The next morning, the floating house groaned as its engines shifted. The floor trembled under Juliette's feet, and Leo's tail bristled as he poked his head out the nearest window.
"We're landing," he muttered, surprised.
Juliette rushed to the glass. The endless sky below was giving way to land, dense forests sprawling like oceans of green, but alive with movement. She squinted, catching flashes of beasts between the trees: horns, fangs, scaled hides. The kind of monsters she'd only heard about in stories.
Her stomach lurched. For days she'd been adrift above the world, trapped but safe in the sky. Now, for the first time, she was touching the earth again… and it was the most dangerous place she could imagine.
The house shuddered violently as its massive supports extended and struck soil. A hiss of steam filled the air, followed by the metallic grind of gears locking into place.
Ash's voice carried from the lower deck, calm as ever.
"Gear up. We're going hunting." The air outside was damp and heavy, thick with the scent of moss and something acrid that burned Juliette's nose. She hesitated on the porch of the floating house as the ground pulsed with distant tremors. Somewhere out in the shadows of the forest, something roared.
Ash stepped down first, movements unhurried, as if the forest itself had no power over him. His black eyes flicked across the treeline, unreadable. "Stay close," he said, voice flat, though whether it was an order or a courtesy Juliette couldn't tell.
Leo was already crouched on the dirt, tail swaying low. His nose wrinkled as he inhaled deeply, and his golden eyes lit with animal sharpness. "Three," he murmured. "Big ones. Closing in."
Juliette's throat went dry. "Big… what?"
The answer came in the form of a crash, trees splitting like matchsticks as a hulking beast tore through the foliage. Its body was plated in bone-like armor, tusks curving outward from a maw dripping with saliva. Two more followed, their massive forms shaking the earth with each step.
Juliette staggered back, clutching the porch railing. "What the —"
But Ash was already moving. He slid his buster sword from his back with a metallic rasp and planted himself between the monsters and the house. His grin was faint, detached, like a man welcoming routine.
"Perfect," he said. "Stretching time."
The lead beast roared and charged.
Leo shot forward before Juliette could blink, his body blurring as claws erupted where his hands had been. His yellow tail whipped like a banner behind him as he darted under the monster's legs, slashing deep into the softer joints. The beast howled and stumbled.
Juliette's breath hitched. Leo wasn't just quick—he was a predator unleashed.
Ash didn't move until the second monster lunged. Then he was a blur of steel, the massive buster sword cleaving upward in a brutal arc. The sheer force split through the creature's armored flank, ichor spraying across the dirt as its roar was cut short.
Juliette's instincts screamed at her to hide, to retreat back into the house, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. The fight was terrifying, yes, but there was something magnetic in the way they moved. Leo wild and feral, Ash cold and methodical. A predator and a reaper.
The third beast barreled toward the porch, eyes locking on Juliette. Her heart stopped.
Before she could scream, Ash's voice cut across the chaos.
"Stay behind the line, Princess. Unless you want to be eaten."
The words snapped her out of her daze, and she scrambled back, the necklace warm against her chest as if responding to the danger.
She clutched it tight, her breath ragged.
Why here? Why risk this?
And then Ash's earlier words returned to her, heavy and cryptic:
This just might work.
Was this hunt just for supplies… or was she part of the experiment?
The third beast's charge was like a landslide of muscle and bone, every step shaking the ground. Its tusks lowered, its maw gaping wide, aimed directly at Juliette.
She froze. Her hands clawed at the porch railing, legs too heavy to move. She wanted to scream, but nothing came out.
The world slowed. The monster's eyes glowed with hunger, its roar filling her skull—
And then her necklace blazed.
A surge of light burst outward, pure and searing. It wasn't heat, but force, a wave of luminous energy that slammed into the beast mid-charge. The monster reeled back with a shriek, smoke sizzling from its armored hide as if it had been struck by holy fire.
Juliette gasped, staggering back. Her hands had clamped around the pendant instinctively, and now it burned hot in her palms, pulsing with a rhythm almost like a heartbeat.
The beast shook itself, snarling, but the light hadn't faded, it was clinging to the monster's hide, eating away at the shadows in its flesh. With one last howl, the creature collapsed, its body crumbling into black ash that scattered into the dirt.
Silence followed, heavy and absolute.
Juliette stood trembling, chest heaving, staring at her glowing necklace. "I… I didn't…"
Ash's sword lowered slowly, his dark eyes narrowing. The faintest smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but there was no humor in it—only recognition.
"Well," he said flatly, "so it chooses to wake."
Leo bounded back to Juliette's side, claws retracting into trembling hands. He gripped her arm, eyes wide with both fear and awe. "Juliette… what was that?"
Juliette shook her head, still clutching the pendant as it dimmed back to normal. "I don't know," she whispered. But deep down, she remembered Ash's words in the sky, cryptic and sharp:
Your necklace rejects the darkness.
For the first time since she'd been taken, Juliette felt both powerful… and terrifyingly vulnerable. The clearing smelled of scorched earth and ash. Juliette's knees threatened to buckle, her fingers still locked around the cooling pendant. The monster was gone, disintegrated into nothing.
Leo stared, wide-eyed, his fur bristling along his neck. "You just—Juliette, you obliterated it!"
Her breath came shaky, her mind racing. "I… I didn't do anything. It just reacted. On its own."
Ash lowered his blade, the tension in his stance barely easing. His eyes lingered on the pendant, dark and thoughtful. "That wasn't you."
Juliette looked up sharply. "Then what was it?"
His brow furrowed, the faintest crease betraying thought. For once, the Witch Boy didn't sound like he had an answer ready. "…I don't know."
Her mouth parted slightly in shock. "You—don't know?"
Ash's gaze stayed fixed on the necklace, his expression unreadable. "That kind of light… I've never seen it before. Whatever it is, it isn't ordinary. Even for an artifact."
Juliette's chest tightened. Somehow, his admission was more frightening than if he'd spouted some cryptic riddle. Ash not knowing meant she was walking into something even he couldn't control.
Leo let out a nervous chuckle, trying to cut through the tension. "Well, uh… at least it saved us, right?"
Juliette nodded slowly, though her grip didn't loosen on the pendant. She glanced at Ash again, hoping for some reassurance, but he only turned away, blade sliding back into its sheath.
"If the monsters can sense that power," he muttered, "then this place will only get worse. We move. Now."
Juliette's unease deepened. She had questions, so many questions, but for the first time she realized Ash had just as few answers as she did. The group pressed forward, feet crunching against broken branches and scorched dirt. The forest felt heavier now, like every shadow carried eyes.
Ash walked ahead, silent as ever, his sword drawn but lowered, scanning for threats. Juliette followed a step behind, her fingers never straying far from the necklace. Each sway of the pendant reminded her of the blinding light that had erupted against the monster.
Leo padded closer to her side, his tail flicking nervously. "You alright?"
Juliette glanced at him, trying to keep her voice steady. "I don't know. That… that wasn't me. It was the necklace."
"Doesn't matter," Leo whispered, his ears twitching toward Ash's back. "It saved us. That's what counts."
She frowned, lowering her voice further. "But he doesn't know what it is either. That's what scares me, Leo. If even he doesn't know…" Her words trailed off.
Leo sighed, his usual cheer subdued. "Yeah, well, he's not as all-knowing as he pretends. Half the time, I think he's just winging it."
Juliette almost smiled at that. Almost. "And the other half?"
"The other half," Leo muttered, "he's dangerous enough that it doesn't matter."
They walked in silence for a moment, Juliette's mind spinning. She could feel the pendant's faint warmth against her skin, as though it had a heartbeat of its own. Her unease wasn't just about Ash anymore, it was about what the necklace might be trying to make her into.
Up ahead, Ash suddenly raised a hand, halting them. "Quiet."
Juliette froze, her breath catching. From the trees, a guttural howl split the silence, followed by the sound of many feet scraping against earth.
Ash tilted his head slightly, voice low and calm. "They've already found us. Stay close. Don't stray."
Juliette clutched the necklace tighter, her heart racing, not just from fear of the monsters, but from the realization that she might have to rely on its strange, unknown power again. The air on the ground was heavier than Juliette expected—thick with damp earth, buzzing with unseen insects, and laced with a metallic tang she couldn't quite place. Massive trees arched overhead, their bark veined with faintly glowing moss. The world felt alive here, almost watching.
Leo darted ahead a few paces, crouched low, tail swishing as he scanned for movement. His bright hoodie made him a beacon against the green, but his eyes were sharp, his hands curled into half-claws, ready.
Juliette lagged behind, the weight of the gold necklace with its blue crystal pressing like a chain against her throat. Her frustration had been building ever since Ash had led them down to this place without a single explanation.
Finally, she snapped. "Enough."
Ash, walking just a step ahead, turned slightly, black eyes unreadable. His sword glinted against his back, heavy and silent. "Enough what?"
She clenched her fists. "You dragged me from my home. You almost got Leo killed. And now you're marching us into some monster-infested forest like it's nothing. For what? What are we even looking for?"
Ash tilted his head, calm as stone. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," Juliette shot back, her voice low but fierce. "Either you tell me, or I swear I'll protect Leo myself, even if that means letting him get killed rather than follow you blind."
Leo froze mid-step, his ears twitching, eyes darting between them, but Ash didn't even flinch. For a long, tense moment, the forest seemed to hold its breath.
Then Ash exhaled, slow, like conceding a battle he hadn't meant to fight.
"The necklace," he said quietly. "It reacts to darkness. But it isn't complete. I believe there are fragments—essences—that can awaken its true power."
Juliette's breath caught. "Fragments?"
Ash's gaze lingered on the crystal at her throat, almost reverent. "And I need that power to kill something far worse than me."
His words hung in the air like a blade. The forest creaked, a distant roar echoing between the trees, reminding them all of where they stood.
Juliette felt torn down the middle, part of her relieved at hearing even a piece of the truth, another part chilled by the way he said it. He wasn't just dragging her into danger. He was dragging her into a war. Juliette's hand instinctively brushed the crystal, the gold chain warm against her skin. "Kill something worse than you?" she echoed, her tone sharp. "That's not much of a comfort."
Ash's lips curved faintly, not into a smile but something colder, almost self-aware. "I didn't intend it as comfort."
Juliette swallowed, her chest tight. "You mean a demon, don't you?"
For the first time, something flickered in his expression. A shadow, gone as quickly as it came. "It wouldn't matter to you. Only that it exists. And that if I don't stop it… nothing will."
Her heart skipped, a mix of fear and reluctant curiosity tugging at her. "So you need me. Or just the necklace?"
That question hung like a knife.
Ash's black eyes met hers, steady, unwavering. "Both."
The word landed heavier than she expected. Both? Did that mean she was just a vessel for the artifact… or something more?
Juliette opened her mouth, but before she could demand an answer, Leo hissed a warning. "Shh. Listen."
The forest went quiet. Too quiet. The insect-chatter had stopped, and even the wind seemed to pause. Then came the crunch, low, deliberate, crushing footsteps in the undergrowth.
Something massive was moving between the trees.
Ash's hand slid toward the hilt of his sword, his expression unreadable again, his earlier words still echoing between them.
"Stay close," he said, voice calm, almost casual, as if they hadn't just been discussing demons and darkness. "The monsters here don't wait for introductions."
Juliette's fingers tightened on her necklace, the blue crystal glowing faintly in response, as though it sensed the danger drawing near. Branches snapped. Bark splintered.
The first thing Juliette saw was the glow, sickly green eyes peering through the trees like lanterns in the fog. Then came the bulk: a hulking beast with hide like stone, its back ridged with jagged spines. Each step shook the earth, its claws sinking into the soil as though it were soft clay.
Leo crouched low, his yellow tail bristling, teeth bared. "Tuskbreaker," he muttered. "Big one."
Juliette's breath caught. The creature's tusks were massive slabs of bone, serrated like saws, dripping with thick black saliva. It let out a roar that rattled the air, sending flocks of birds spiraling from the treetops.
Ash only sighed, drawing the buster sword from his back in one smooth, effortless motion. The blade hummed faintly, its blackened steel catching what little moonlight broke through the trees.
"Ugly," he said flatly. "Not much else."
The beast charged.
The ground split beneath its weight, dirt spraying as it thundered toward them. Juliette instinctively stumbled back, but Ash stepped forward, calm as if he were strolling into a dance.
The tusks came first, aiming to impale him outright—
—and Ash vanished.
One heartbeat he was in front of the monster, the next he was above it, his sword cutting a dark arc through the night. The strike landed on the beast's shoulder with an ear-splitting crack, forcing it down onto one knee. Black sparks scattered from the blade, tendrils of shadow hissing like fire.
The monster roared and swung a massive claw, catching Ash midair. He twisted, landing light as a feather, but the claw still grazed his arm, blood welled for a moment before vanishing into the hollow darkness flickering in his chest.
Juliette's eyes widened. She could see it again, that empty cavity, that burning void where his heart should have been, drinking in the pain.
Ash smirked. "My turn."
He raised his free hand, fingers curling as black runes shimmered into existence around him. The air warped, twisting into jagged spirals of shadow. With a flick, the runes shot forward, lancing into the beast's chest. The creature staggered, shrieking as darkness exploded through its veins, the corruption spreading like wildfire.
Leo leapt in, claws extended, raking across the monster's exposed throat while Ash pinned it down with his magic. Between them, the beast toppled, crashing into the dirt with a final, shuddering groan.
The forest went silent again.
Ash planted his sword into the ground, brushing imaginary dust from his shoulder. His eyes flicked to Juliette, who stood frozen, heart pounding.
"See?" he said, voice infuriatingly casual. "Nothing to be afraid of."
But Juliette wasn't sure if he was reassuring or mocking her for trembling.
And worse, she couldn't stop thinking about the way his darkness had spread through the beast, suffocating it from the inside out. Juliette's knees felt weak. She hadn't even realized she was gripping the necklace until her knuckles turned white, the blue crystals digging into her palm.
Ash wiped the last traces of shadow from his blade with a flick, then slid it across his back as though the fight had been nothing. The monster's corpse still steamed in the cold night air, the acrid stench of its death lingering.
Juliette swallowed hard. "You..." Her voice cracked, forcing her to start again. "You killed it like it was… nothing."
Ash tilted his head, unreadable. "It was nothing."
That answer chilled her more than the beast's roar ever had.
Leo padded up beside her, his tail brushing her leg as if to anchor her. "You'll get used to it," he said softly, though his tone wasn't entirely steady. His golden eyes stayed fixed on Ash's back, as if even he wasn't fully comfortable with what he'd just seen.
Juliette's gaze lingered on the hollow glow she'd glimpsed in Ash's chest, that gaping absence where a heartbeat should be. "No," she whispered before she could stop herself. "No one should get used to that."
Ash glanced over his shoulder, catching the words. His expression shifted, just slightly, like the shadow of a smile, or maybe just a twitch in the dark. "Careful, princess," he murmured. "If you look at monsters long enough, you start to see them everywhere."
Her breath hitched. Was that a warning… or a confession?
Leo frowned and tugged her wrist gently. "Come on. Don't let him get in your head. That's just how he talks."
But Juliette wasn't so sure. The way Ash's darkness had bled into the beast… the way he looked at her necklace with that sharp, greedy interest…
For the first time, she wondered if she was standing closer to the real monster than the one lying dead in the dirt. Ash crouched beside the steaming corpse, shadows still curling faintly from his blade. His eyes weren't on the monster but on the ground where its thrashing had shattered the earth. Beneath the churned dirt, something glimmered faintly, pale against the dark soil.
Juliette noticed it at the same time. "Wait… is that?"
Ash's hand twitched toward it, then stopped short, fingers curling. The hesitation was subtle but unmistakable.
Leo tilted his head. "What, you're scared of shiny rocks now?"
Ash shot him a sharp glance but said nothing. Instead, he looked to Juliette. "Pick it up."
Juliette blinked. "What? Why me?"
"Because I can't," Ash said, his tone flat, final. "That light rejects me. Your necklace proves it."
Her stomach twisted. Slowly, she knelt and brushed the dirt aside. Nestled in the earth was a shard of crystal, no bigger than her thumb, faintly glowing with the same blue hue as her necklace. When her fingers touched it, the shard pulsed gently, like a heartbeat.
She gasped. "It's warm…"
Ash leaned in, eyes intent. "Good. That means it's real."
Juliette glanced up at him, unease prickling down her spine. "Real what?"
"One of the fragments," Ash said quietly. "The artifact I'm looking for was shattered. Pieces are scattered, hidden in places like this. The monsters are drawn to them, maybe even influenced by them."
Leo's ears twitched. "So we're wandering monster nests just to pick up rocks for you?"
Ash ignored him, gaze still fixed on Juliette and the shard in her palm. "Keep it safe. Every piece matters. Together… they'll be enough."
"Enough for what?" Juliette pressed, her voice firmer this time.
Ash's eyes flickered, shadows dancing in the hollow glow of his chest. "To kill the one who owns my heart."
Her breath caught. The words hit harder now that she held the crystal, the weight of it felt tied to his fate. She wanted to ask more, to demand he explain what any of this had to do with her, but something in the way he turned from her, the way he hid in silence left her with more questions than answers.
And yet, as the shard pulsed softly against her skin, she couldn't shake the thought: whatever path she was on, she was already too far in to turn back. Juliette turned the shard over in her hand, its glow reflecting in her wide eyes. "Kill the one who owns your heart…" She shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. Who? Why? And what does my necklace have to do with it?"
Ash straightened, his cloak catching faint traces of shadow as he adjusted the sword on his back. His expression didn't change, but his voice dropped, quiet and clipped. "You ask too many questions."
Juliette frowned, clutching the shard tighter. "Of course I do. You drag me into monster territory, use me to grab things you can't touch, and then tell me it's to kill some-some thing that has your heart? You don't get to be cryptic forever."
Leo let out a low whistle, stepping between them before Ash could reply. "Easy there, princess. He doesn't bite." He flicked his tail toward Ash. "Well, not unless you ask nicely."
Ash's gaze slid past them both, fixed on the dark tree line. "Stay close. The shard's pulse will attract more."
"That's not an answer," Juliette pressed, taking a step toward him. "If you won't explain, how do you expect me to trust you?"
For the briefest moment, Ash looked at her, not with anger, not even annoyance, but with something emptier. Like a shadow of something that might've been feeling once. "Trust isn't required," he said simply. "Survival is."
Then he turned, moving deeper into the woods as if the conversation was over.
Juliette stood frozen, torn between frustration and unease. Her fingers brushed the necklace at her throat, then the shard in her palm. Both pulsed softly, in rhythm with each other, like they were connected.
Leo leaned closer, voice low. "You'll drive yourself mad trying to get straight answers from him."
Juliette's voice trembled, but she kept her chin high. "Then I'll keep asking until he breaks."
Leo's smile was faint, almost sad. "Careful. He's not the only one who can break." Ash slid the shard into a small pouch at his side, careful not to touch it directly. "We're done here. Back to the house."
Juliette's hand shot up to the necklace at her throat, her grip tight. "No."
Ash paused mid-step, head turning just slightly, like a predator catching movement. "What did you say?"
She swallowed, voice trembling but firm. "I said no. I'm not going back up there. I've spent my whole life locked away, first in a castle, now in your floating cage. I'm not a bird to be kept behind glass. There's a village nearby, I want to see it."
Leo blinked, ears perking. "Oh, boy…" he muttered under his breath, tail twitching.
Ash's shadow rippled faintly at his feet. "You think this is a game?" His voice was low, dangerous. "Out here, you barely survived ten minutes. Down there..." He jabbed a finger toward the distant lantern glow of the village. "You'll get yourself killed."
Juliette lifted the necklace, the blue crystals catching faint moonlight. "Then maybe I'll take my chances. Or maybe I'll test how much you really want to risk touching this again."
For a long, suffocating moment, Ash stood frozen, his black eyes locked on the glow. A muscle in his jaw twitched. For a heartbeat, Juliette thought he might actually strike her down.
Instead, he exhaled slowly and turned away, shadows curling back into him. "Do what you want," he muttered, voice edged with something unreadable. "But don't expect me to save you if it goes wrong."
Juliette let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her knees still felt weak, echoes of the monster's roar lingering in her chest, but a small ember of pride burned beneath the fear. For once, she had forced his hand.
Back at the house, she pulled a cloak from one of the spare rooms, its hood wide enough to shadow her face. She tied her hair back tightly with a blue ribbon, fingers fumbling at first, then steadier with determination.
Leo leaned in the doorway, arms crossed. "You sure about this, princess? You're still shaking."
Juliette tugged the hood over her head, hiding the shine of her necklace beneath layers of cloth. "I've always been shaking," she admitted softly. "At the castle, I shook every time I looked past the gates, wishing I could see what was beyond. And now? It's the same cage, just higher in the sky. I'm done with that."
Leo's gaze softened, his smirk not quite hiding the concern in his eyes. "Alright. Just… don't expect me to let you wander off alone."
Juliette's lips curved faintly as she adjusted the cloak one last time. "Good. I wouldn't want to."
Outside, the faint lights of the village flickered against the night, calling her forward. For the first time in her life, Juliette wasn't looking out from behind walls, she was about to step into the world she had only ever dreamed of.
The village lanterns cast a warm, golden glow over cobblestone streets. Vendors called out from wooden stalls still open late into the night, their wares glittering under strands of glowing crystal-lamps strung overhead. The air smelled of spiced bread, roasted meat, and faint smoke from smithies at work.
Juliette walked at Leo's side, hood drawn low. Every sound, every color, every face seemed brighter than she'd imagined from the safety of her castle walls. Her heart thudded not with fear, but with awe.
Children darted between the legs of bustling adults, laughing as they chased each other. A woman with a long, swishing fox tail bartered with a human shopkeeper, the two arguing good-naturedly over prices. A towering man with curling ram horns and a heavy ram's tail lifted crates like they weighed nothing, nodding politely as he passed.
Juliette slowed, drinking it all in. "It's… beautiful," she whispered, her eyes wide. "I used to imagine villages like this when I stared out of the castle windows, but I never thought I'd see it. Humans and beastkin, living together like this…"
Leo grinned, his own yellow tail swishing with pride. "Not all villages are this nice. Some are rougher. But here? People just want to live their lives. Helps when you've got monster wards and a decent militia."
Juliette hesitated, then tugged on his sleeve, her voice dropping low. "Leo… what if we didn't go back?"
He blinked, caught off guard. "Didn't go back?"
She nodded quickly, eyes flicking to the glowing streets. "Not here. Ash would find us here in a heartbeat. But another village, further away, maybe even across the mountains. We could disappear. Start over. You wouldn't have to follow him anymore, and I… I wouldn't have to feel like a bird in a cage."
Leo's expression softened, but instead of fear, his smile turned almost amused. He shook his head. "Juliette… you don't get it. I want to follow him. Ash isn't some prison guard, I wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for him. He gave me a place when I had nothing. A family when mine was gone." His tail flicked once, almost proudly. "If he told me to walk into fire, I'd do it without blinking."
Juliette's chest tightened. "So you… adore him."
"Yeah," Leo said simply, golden eyes steady. "I do. He's the only one who ever looked at me and didn't see a freak. The only one who gave me a choice."
Her lips pressed together. She wanted to argue, to scream that Ash wasn't salvation but captivity, but the conviction in Leo's tone stole her words.
Instead, she let her eyes wander the crowd again. A beastman child with a striped tiger tail perched on his father's shoulders, waving a carved wooden toy sword in the air. A baker shouted at a stubborn customer in three different languages. A musician plucked a lute, sending cheerful notes into the night.
It was life. Real life, beyond palaces and cages and shadows. And she wanted it more than anything.
But for now, Leo's loyalty, and Ash's looming presence even in his absence, kept her from stepping any closer to freedom. "Leo," she said softly, "can I ask you something?"
He turned to her, curious. "Of course."
Her eyes flicked toward the cobblestone beneath their feet. "What is it you actually like about him? About Ash."
Leo blinked, caught off guard. His golden tail flicked behind him as he searched for words. "That's… a big question."
"I'm serious." She met his gaze now, her blue eyes sharp beneath the hood. "He's cold. Secretive. Dangerous. He looks at people like they're nothing. So why do you trust him? Why do you stay?"
Leo's grin softened into something steadier, more thoughtful. "Because that's not the whole picture. Ash might act harsh, and yeah, he does things in ways that seem wrong. But he's not cruel. He doesn't hurt people for fun. When he fights, it's always because he has to."
Juliette shook her head. "He threatened me."
"And yet he didn't follow through, did he?" Leo countered gently. "If Ash really wanted to keep you locked up, or worse, you wouldn't be walking free in this village right now. You'd be chained up in his house."
Her lips parted, but she had no quick reply.
Leo continued, his voice carrying an undercurrent of warmth. "I know him better than anyone. When I was younger, I was nothing, just a stray kid with no future. Ash could've ignored me, left me to rot. Instead, he gave me a chance. He didn't care how broken I was, only what I could become. That's why I trust him. Because even if he doesn't say it, he cares. In his own way."
Juliette slowed her pace, staring at him. "Cares? About you?"
"About people," Leo corrected softly. "He notices things. Remembers things. He carries burdens he never talks about. You think he's heartless, but…" He trailed off, eyes narrowing slightly, as though remembering something painful. Then he shook it off with a small smile. "Just don't judge him too quickly. Try to know him for who he really is, not just what he shows on the surface."
Her grip on the cloak tightened. The village lights reflected in her eyes, flickering like doubts she couldn't put out.
A silence fell between them, filled only by the chatter of townsfolk and the clatter of wooden carts. But Juliette couldn't shake the question echoing inside her:
If Leo was right… then who was Ash, really?
Juliette and Leo moved through the village streets, the crowd thinning as the night deepened. Lanternlight shimmered against cobblestone, warm but fleeting, casting their cloaked figures in shifting shadows.
Juliette's voice was quieter now, thoughtful. "You make him sound… different. Not just the cold stranger who kidnapped me."
Leo nodded, his tail flicking lazily behind him. "That's because he is different. He's not a hero, and he's not a villain either. He's… Ash. He saves people, but not for glory. He fights monsters, but not for vengeance. He just… does what has to be done."
Her brow furrowed. "But why? If he doesn't care about people like he says, then why go out of his way at all?"
"Because caring isn't always about feelings," Leo said gently. "Sometimes it's about choices. Even when it looks like he doesn't feel anything, Ash still chooses to act. And to me, that means more than words."
Juliette slowed, chewing on his words. She thought of the way Ash had fought, the precision of his blade, the shadows answering his call. He had been merciless to the monsters, yet… he hadn't hurt her. Even when he had the chance.
Her hand brushed against the necklace beneath her cloak, the crystals still cool from earlier. Rejects the darkness, Ash had said. And if that was true… maybe her path was tied to his, whether she liked it or not.
She finally spoke, her voice steady. "Then maybe I'll stop running. Maybe I'll help him. But not because he dragged me into this. Because I chose it."
Leo's golden eyes lit up with quiet approval. "That's more like it."
---
By the time they returned to where the floating house had descended, the clearing was quiet. The massive structure sat grounded among the trees, its lanterns glowing softly against the night, as though it had been waiting for them all along.
They exchanged a glance, then stepped inside. The warm interior lights washed over shelves of old books, polished wood, and worn furniture, so different from the harsh world outside.
Ash was sprawled on the couch, a heavy tome balanced in one hand, his other arm draped lazily over the backrest. The sight of them walking in together made him raise an eyebrow, though his expression barely shifted.
"Well, look at that," he drawled, snapping the book shut with one hand. "You didn't run away, princess. I almost had money riding on it."
Juliette stepped forward, lowering her hood. Her chin was high, her eyes sharp. "I could have," she said firmly. "But I didn't. Not because of you. Because I decided on my own."
Ash's gaze sharpened slightly, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Oh?"
"I'll help you," she continued, her voice unwavering. "Not as your prisoner. Not as your burden. But because I chose to. And if you don't like it..." her hand hovered over the necklace "...then maybe you'll have to accept that even you don't control everything."
For the first time, Ash didn't have a ready comeback. He studied her, silent, like she'd just spoken a language he hadn't heard in years.
Juliette's heartbeat pounded in her chest, but she held his stare, refusing to look away.
And Ash, the witch boy who had no heart, found himself unsettled in a way no monster ever managed to make him feel.
The silence stretched for a moment too long. Juliette wondered if he would dismiss her, mock her, or worse, punish her for daring to stand up to him.
Instead, Ash leaned back into the couch and let out a sharp laugh. Not mocking, not cruel, just… surprised. Almost human.
"I gotta say," he said, a faint grin tugging at his lips, "you've got some guts, princess."
Juliette blinked, taken aback. She hadn't expected laughter. Not from him.
Ash set the book down on the table beside him, the sound of its heavy cover hitting wood echoing faintly in the room. His black eyes studied her with a kind of amused interest, the way one might examine a puzzle piece that didn't fit the way it should.
"You think you can play on my level just because you chose to stay?" His tone was teasing now, but there was steel underneath. "You're in my world now, and my world doesn't forgive mistakes."
Juliette swallowed hard, but she didn't back down. "Then I won't make any."
Leo, standing just behind her, let out a low whistle, tail swishing nervously. "Careful, Juliette," he muttered, though there was a note of pride in his voice.
Ash chuckled again, shaking his head. "Brave words. Let's see how long they last." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "If you're serious, then fine. You're not my prisoner anymore. But that means you're my ally now. And allies don't get to walk away when things get ugly."
Juliette tightened her grip on the cloak around her shoulders, her chest rising with a deep breath. "Good. Because I'm done being a bird in a cage."
For a brief, flickering instant, something shifted in Ash's expression, just enough for her to notice. It wasn't admiration, or even acceptance. It was something stranger. A recognition, perhaps, of the fire in her eyes.
And though he would never admit it, that fire unsettled him more than any monster ever had.
The house had long since quieted, its engines settling into a steady, low hum as the night deepened. The lanterns along the walls glowed dimly, painting everything in muted gold.
Juliette sat on the edge of her bed, fingers absently tracing the crystals on her necklace. She replayed the earlier scene over and over, her defiance, Ash's strange half-smile, the way he had looked at her like she was both an obstacle and… something else.
A soft knock came at her door. Then it creaked open, and Leo slipped inside, tail swishing lazily behind him.
"You're not asleep," he said simply.
"Couldn't, even if I tried," Juliette admitted, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders.
Leo padded over and sat cross-legged on the floor near her bed, golden eyes glinting in the dim light. "You surprised him, you know. People don't usually talk to him like that. Most are… too scared."
Juliette hesitated. "And you? You're not afraid of him at all?"
"Nope." Leo shook his head firmly. "He saved me. He gave me a place when I had nothing. Ash is… weird, yeah. And scary sometimes. But he's not a bad person."
She raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "He kidnapped me, Leo."
"True," Leo admitted, scratching his cheek. "But… he didn't hurt you. And he could've. He doesn't always do things the right way, but…" His gaze softened. "I think you should try to know him better. There's more to him than you think."
Juliette looked down, chewing her lip. "Know him better? He barely lets me breathe without reminding me I'm his prisoner."
"Then show him you're not," Leo countered quietly. "You're strong, Princess. You proved that tonight. Maybe that's what he needs."
For a long moment, the only sound was the faint tick of a gear somewhere in the walls. Then Juliette gave a small, reluctant smile. "You sound wiser than your age, Leo."
He grinned, baring sharp teeth. "Maybe I am. Or maybe I just pay attention."
Juliette lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling as his words sank in. She didn't trust Ash, not yet. But Leo's unwavering faith made her wonder if, just maybe, she was missing something.
And as the house drifted through the night sky, carrying them all toward an uncertain dawn, Juliette's heart beat restless with questions she wasn't sure she wanted answered.