The road was quiet. Birds chirped lazily in the distance, and the early sunlight broke through the broken clouds above. Caelen leaned back in the driver's seat of the bus, his legs stretched out and his hand tapping against the steering wheel. Emma had curled up across two seats behind him, her golden hair tangled and her expression soft, peaceful… yet stubborn.
He turned and called again.
"Emma. Hey. Wake up."
She stirred, shifting a little but groaning as if she were being tortured.
"…Five more minutes."
"No. You've had four hours of minutes," he muttered, standing and nudging her shoulder.
She groaned louder and rolled over. "Why are you like this?"
Caelen sighed. "Because if I don't wake you now, you'll sleep through the apocalypse—again."
After two more stubborn grunts and a mumbled insult he couldn't quite catch, she finally sat up properly, her eyes barely open.
"What happened?" she asked groggily, rubbing her face and blinking toward the window. "Did we…?"
"You don't remember?" Caelen tilted his head slightly, watching her reaction.
Emma paused. Her eyes fluttered for a moment, and then something shifted in her expression. Her brows furrowed, her mouth parted slightly, and her cheeks slowly filled with color.
"Did we… have sex?" she asked in a small voice, almost hoping she was wrong.
Caelen gave a tired smile. "Yeah."
Emma covered her face, groaning softly again—but for a different reason now.
"You have to marry me," she muttered from behind her hands.
Caelen leaned against the seat. "After this whole mess is behind us… and we're somewhere safe."
Her eyes peeked out between her fingers, a soft, shy smile forming as she nodded once.
Then her smile faded into surprise as she leaned forward and looked at him more closely.
"…Your eyes. Your hair. They're normal again."
He reached up and tugged at his black hair. "Yeah. Happened while you were asleep."
She touched her cheek, then glanced at the reflection in the bus window. Her mouth opened slightly in awe.
"My eyes… they're blue again."
"Guess you're back to normal too," Caelen said. "Sort of. Come on. Let's move."
He stood up and offered his hand, which she took after a second's hesitation. Outside, the cool air met them. It smelled clean here, too clean for a world in ruin. Caelen reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, but the screen stayed black.
"Dead," he muttered, pocketing it again.
A little farther from the bus now, he turned to Emma.
"Can you use magic like before?"
She looked unsure but lifted her hand. A faint glow shimmered in her palm, and then a small light sphere began to form. It hovered gently, radiating warmth.
Caelen blinked. "You can still use light magic? But… you're—"
She grinned. "Guess the demon part didn't cancel it out."
"…Alright," Caelen exhaled, rubbing his neck. "Try something bigger. Pretend the bus is your target. Something that can blow it up."
Emma nodded, focused, and formed another orb—this one much larger. She tossed it casually toward the parked bus. The sphere whistled through the air before it struck—
BOOM.
The explosion rocked the ground, throwing heat and light in every direction. Caelen shielded his face and turned away, unfazed.
He walked a few steps before raising his voice.
By the time they reached Velden, the city was already in full bloom with life.
Unlike the abandoned outskirts and empty roads they'd crossed to get here, Velden felt like an entirely different world, bright, modern, and alive. Towering buildings stretched toward the sky, gleaming glass windows reflecting the sunlight like mirrors of a better world. People moved with purpose, dressed in clean clothes and speaking in a hundred overlapping voices. Cars passed nonstop on every street, and neon signs blinked from cafes, shops, and late-night diners.
It was overwhelming at first—especially after everything they had just been through—but it was also a strange kind of comfort. Normalcy. Something they hadn't seen in a long time.
Together, Caelen and Emma walked through the buzzing streets, drawing a few glances, though no one seemed to care enough to stare. Everyone was too busy with their own lives.
They asked around for a place to stay, but most of the hotels and apartment fronts they checked turned out to be far out of their price range. Well-dressed receptionists smiled politely before quoting prices that made Caelen blink twice. It wasn't going well.
It wasn't until they wandered closer to a small café that someone finally offered help. A boy, not much older than Caelen, overheard them asking another street vendor and decided to speak up. He looked like a student—hoodie, backpack, a tired but curious look in his eyes.
"There's a place," the boy said. "It's not in the main district. Kinda hidden, toward the outer corner of the city. But it's cheap, quiet, and the landlord doesn't ask questions."
That last part sold it.
They thanked him, and after getting the name and directions, flagged down a taxi. The ride was long enough to remind them how huge Velden really was—block after block of high-rises gave way to quieter streets and older buildings. Slowly, the city's polished shine faded into a more humble, lived-in vibe.
The apartment complex they arrived at wasn't glamorous. But it was tucked away, clean, and surrounded by enough trees and fences to offer some privacy. For what they needed—it was perfect.
And as the taxi pulled away, Caelen and Emma stood at the gate, taking a slow breath.
They had made it.
For now, at least… they were safe.
As the taxi pulled away, the faint hum of its engine fading into the distance, Caelen and Emma stood in front of the apartment complex.
It wasn't impressive by any city standard—paint chipped in places, a few crooked tiles on the roof, and a mailbox that looked like it hadn't been emptied in a while—but it had character. A small courtyard stretched out in front, overgrown with grass and a few stubborn wildflowers poking through the cracks in the stone.
Emma tilted her head and folded her arms as she examined the place.
"This is the place? It looks strange, though."
Caelen exhaled through his nose and gave a slight shrug.
"It's fine. It's not that bad. We'll stay for a month if we can… then move on."
His tone was calm but deliberate. His eyes never stopped scanning—part habit, part paranoia. He wasn't taking any chances.
Emma, standing beside him with a thoughtful look, glanced up at him.
"Maybe we could talk to the Church… I mean, I was a saint. Maybe they'll listen if I explain everything—"
Caelen stopped her with a sharp look. The softness in his eyes faded, replaced by something colder.
"No. They won't listen. Not after what I did to you."
His voice wasn't angry. It was resolute.
"They see me as a violator of the divine order. You're a former saint turned demon. They'll execute both of us to make an example. Don't bring it up again."
He turned without another word and walked toward the door of the apartment complex, his boots crunching on the gravel.
Emma stared at his back for a moment, lips slightly parted, then followed silently.
Caelen knocked.
A few seconds passed, and then the door creaked open to reveal a woman in her late twenties with short brown hair, a freckled nose, and tired eyes. She looked at them with the kind of gaze only people in a cheap rental business had—curious but guarded.
"Yeah?" she asked, wiping her hands on a dish towel.
Caelen blinked once, remembering too late that he probably could've made things easier at the front desk earlier if he'd used his new skills. He shrugged it off. He wasn't in the mood to play games, but he wouldn't waste the opportunity this time either.
He mentally called the name of his [Charm] skill.
A pulse flickered within him.
Then he spoke.
"Good evening," he said, his voice smooth, dripping warmth like honey in the cold air. "We're looking for a place to stay. Just for a while."
The woman blinked once, then smiled, her expression softening noticeably.
"Oh… well, we do have one available." She glanced at them both, lingering slightly on Caelen. "Normally it's 400 silver a month, but… for you two? Let's say… 200."
Caelen nodded without blinking, pulling out his gold-inlay half-card, the kind issued to travelers or those without accounts. He tapped the pad next to the door, and a floating screen appeared, digits at zero.
He pressed 250, just to be safe.
The woman pulled out her own card and tapped it against his, the payment processing with a faint sound and golden shimmer.
"There we go. All set," she said, handing them a worn metal key.
Caelen flashed her a faint, suggestive smile.
"Thank you. You're very kind."
The woman's smile widened.
"Come in. I'll show you the room."
Caelen nodded, and Emma followed quietly behind him. As the door closed behind them, the city noise dimmed into a distant hum, and they both stepped into the quiet, worn halls of their temporary new home.
A sanctuary—for now.
Rebecca led them through a narrow but clean hallway. The scent of lavender lingered faintly in the air, likely from incense or one of those cheap charm sachets sold at every corner stand. The walls were plain but freshly painted, and the wooden floor creaked only slightly with each step.
"It's not luxury," she said, glancing back at them with a light chuckle, "but it's better on the inside, isn't it?"
She wasn't wrong. The space was modest, but well-kept. A small common area with a patched couch and a wooden table sat near a narrow kitchen that looked surprisingly organized. There was even a little window overlooking the back alley, where laundry hung from a rusted clothesline.
Caelen nodded.
"Not bad at all."
He glanced around, then asked,
"How many people live here?"
Rebecca walked a few paces ahead before answering.
"Just two." She paused, then muttered more to herself than to them,
"…Strange how I keep attracting young folks lately."
They reached the last door at the end of the hall. She unlocked it and pushed it open, revealing a simple but cozy room. One bed, a small desk, a dresser, and soft yellow curtains fluttering from a breeze through the open window.
Emma walked in first, eyes scanning the space.
Caelen followed, setting their small bag down in the corner. They exchanged a look, forming an unspoken agreement. They'd share the room. For now, it was all they needed.
Rebecca raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.
"Well then. If you need anything, I'm usually around."
She gave them a short wave, then walked off down the hall.
Caelen closed the door behind her, the soft click echoing like a seal to their new beginning.