"How do we unite?" Ophelia asked Kael, her gaze sharp and serious.
Kael answered in his usual teasing tone,
"Hmm... You're so impatient. But if you insist, I'll tell you..."
He stepped closer suddenly, his eyes gleaming with something mischievous. Then, without warning, he leaned in toward her face—closer, and closer—until his lips were mere inches from hers.
Ophelia's eyes widened in shock, and she jerked back.
"What… what are you doing?!"
Kael chuckled lightly, clearly enjoying her reaction.
"Didn't you say you wanted the union? This is how it works."
She stared at him, heart racing, completely thrown off. And yet, she didn't step further away. Slowly, hesitantly, she closed her eyes and parted her lips just slightly.
"Then… do it quickly," she whispered.
Suddenly, a burst of laughter erupted.
Ophelia's eyes snapped open to find Kael covering his face, laughing uncontrollably.
"You really believed that? Hah—this is priceless! Your expression—absolutely perfect!"
Ophelia furrowed her brows in anger and shouted,
"Can't you be serious for once in your life?!"
Kael tried to stifle his laughter, speaking in a teasing tone laced with warmth:
"But I am serious—in my own way. Just like you figured out who I am, you have to figure out how to summon a spirit."
He placed his hands in his pockets, looking down at her, the smile never leaving his face.
Ophelia lowered her eyes for a moment, her face burning—whether from embarrassment or frustration, she couldn't tell. Then she slowly raised her head again, staring at Kael, who still had traces of laughter trembling on his lips.
"You enjoy embarrassing me, don't you?" she said coldly, arms crossed.
Kael smiled—that same infuriating smile.
"I like seeing how you react when you lose your balance. Don't worry, we still have plenty of awkward moments ahead."
With a tight smile and a face still flushed from the moment, Ophelia muttered under her breath:
"I would've let you do it… you idiot."
Kael chuckled again—this time not with mockery, but something closer to relief.
"That alone tells me you're braver than I thought."
Ophelia lowered her gaze, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
"So… the summoning? Is it a spell? A ritual?"
Kael stepped a little closer, his tone softening:
"Not exactly. Spirits aren't summoned with words. It's about intent—a true, deep desire to connect. Spirits like me don't enter closed hearts or clouded minds. If you want my power… you have to open yourself to me."
Ophelia raised an eyebrow, eyeing him with a mix of curiosity and caution.
"And will there be… side effects? Will anything change in my body?"
He shrugged lightly.
"Sometimes, the form changes—eyes, markings… maybe more. But it won't happen right away… unless you're stronger than I think."
"And how will I know if I've really summoned you?" she asked.
Kael smiled, this time softer.
"You'll feel it. Like a new heartbeat inside you… echoing mine."
Ophelia shivered slightly, but didn't back away. A strange tingling ran through her limbs, as if her body was beginning to sense something unseen.
"Think carefully, Ophelia… because the first summoning—there's no undoing it."
This time, she looked at him steadily, her heart pounding—not from fear, but from the weight of an approaching choice that would split her life in two.
Kael turned as if to leave, but she suddenly reached out, her fingers gently clutching the edge of his sleeve, hesitant but firm.
"You haven't told me everything."
He looked over his shoulder, one brow arched.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
She met his eyes.
"Your name… Kael isn't your real name, is it?"
He paused for a moment, then exhaled softly.
"Ah… that. In the spirit realm, they called me 'Damien'. A curse, a bad omen—they shunned me with that name. So I chose 'Kael'. It's the name I want now. Is that enough for you?"
Ophelia lowered her head, her voice coming out calm and certain:
"I like it."
Kael blinked, visibly caught off guard.
"What?"
She raised her gaze and met his eyes directly, a faint smile curving her lips:
"I like the name Damien. I don't see a curse… I see something beautiful."
He stared at her in stunned silence for a few seconds before abruptly turning his face away, muttering under his breath:
"Ah… right. Well… I'm leaving."
And just like that, he vanished—as he always did.
But Ophelia didn't miss it. The slight red flush coloring his ears just before he disappeared.
She chuckled softly.
For the first time… she had managed to fluster him, not the other way around.
It was also the first time she felt like someone—no matter how strange—might actually understand her.
In a world where he was a curse to his family, she had always been the thorn in hers.
And maybe, just maybe… she wasn't alone anymore.
Ophelia sat down on the grass after Kael vanished. Alone again—but this time, the solitude wasn't suffocating.
It was warm.
As if his shadow still lingered by her side.
Her fingers brushed gently over the grass as she whispered to herself:
"Damian…"
The name echoed in her mind as if she were tasting it—wounded, but beautiful. Just like her, a name hidden from the world, unrecognized by anyone.
She let out a quiet laugh as she lay back, staring up at the gray sky. She didn't feel triumphant… but something softer, like a childish relief. For a moment, she wasn't the overlooked noble, or the hidden fighter, or even the girl chasing power… she was simply Ophelia, the one who had finally slipped into the heart of someone who was never allowed to have one.
"If you are a curse, then I am one too… So let's carry this curse together."
She closed her eyes and allowed herself a real moment of rest.
When she finally got up and returned to her room, Ophelia sat on the floor surrounded by scattered books. Her eyes scanned the old manuscript that had slipped out from between the pages of the book on spirits. Its paper was faded, edges worn, and the handwriting trembled in an ancient tongue known only to a few. Fortunately, Ophelia was among them.
Her fingertip traced the words gently, whispering the translation:
"Summoning, as defined by the laws of balance, is only achieved through a circle tied to the element, activated by stable mana, and directed with the true name of the summoned spirit. The circle is not merely a boundary, but a pact between two worlds. It opens only to those who carry an inner call, and mana woven from a soul that doesn't fully belong to any realm."
She paused for a moment, lifting her gaze to the empty space. There was something in the words that touched a deep part of her—as if she understood them without knowing why.
She resumed reading in a low voice:
"For a successful summoning, the following design must be drawn using a material infused with the elemental energy connected to the targeted spirit: water for a water spirit, light for a light spirit… and the summoner's blood if no other elements are available."
Her eyebrows raised in surprise. Blood? This was no game.
She looked at the intricate diagram: a large circle centered with a multi-pointed star, surrounded by overlapping symbols, each representing a different element. She noticed the water symbol faintly glowing on the page, despite it being just an old manuscript.
She whispered to herself,
"Kael… no, Damian… is this what you meant? That I'm to be the one who officially summons you?"
But the idea of mana confused her—she had never felt any ability to control it, or even its presence inside her.
She studied her hands for a moment, then closed her eyes… recalling what Damian said: "The mana surrounds you, even though you don't have a vessel for it."
Maybe she didn't need to understand everything now.