Another morning. But somehow it feels brighter, shinier — and why wouldn't it be? It is finally autumn season.
The morning air hits like a sudden, cold splash of well water. The previous tempreture gone, replaced by a sharp, crisp chill that could slightly turn the breath to white mist the moment it leaves the lips.
Every leaf on the trees around the area seems to have changed overnight — what was green yesterday is now brushed with strokes of dull gold, rusty orange, and deep copper.
There is a new, quiet stillness to everything. The summer birds have stopped singing, and the only sound is the whistling wind shaking down the very first showers of dry leaves.
Inside Lortell's palace, in her personal giant bedroom, Lortell lies there completely bare, with a milky white blanket shaded with rosy red draped over her. The fabric pools around her waist, half slipping off in the night.
Esdeath lies beside her, her head nestled closer to Lortell's chest. Lortell's left hand rests over her, fingers curled lightly into the black hair, pulling her closer even in sleep.
The morning light crawls across the room slowly until it finds her face through the windows and wakes her immediately.
She doesn't rub her eyes. She doesn't yawn. She just blinks a few times, slow and measured, and turns her head toward Esdeath.
Her face doesn't show much — it rarely does — but something small and sharp shifts behind her eyes.
Surprise.
Esdeath always wakes up before her. Always. Either to wake her up herself, or to have tea and breakfast waiting by the time Lortell opens her eyes.
But not today.
"She really got quite exhausted on her journey, I guess," Lortell sighs.
"Esdeath... wake up, it's morning," she says gently, caressing her fingers over her forehead.
But Esdeath only curls up even further, pressing her face into the pillow, "Ten minutes more, please," she pleads, voice muffled and heavy with sleep.
Lortell watches her for a moment. There's a softness to Esdeath when she's like this.
"As you wish," she replies, getting out of the bed. .
She wears something decent, loose and simple, and decides to walk around the palace before her bath.
Lorraine is already in the kitchen — the smell of bread and something sweet drifts up the hallway — so there's no need for Lortell to do anything.
And without realizing it, not just ten minutes but three whole hours passes. The sun climbs, the shadows shift, and Esdeath is still clinging to the bed like it personally owes her something.
But not for long.
Because Selene enters the room with her usual over-the-top energy.
"Mother!" she announces, already halfway across the floor before the door finishes swinging shut. Her eyes land on Esdeath, still curled up and sleeping happily, and a grin spreads across her face.
"Mother, you are still not awake yet? Father sent me to wake you up," she adds, running toward the bed and launching herself onto it.
Yet there is not even a hitch in Esdeath's body. The mattress bounces. She doesn't.
So Selene goes on all fours, crawling slowly toward her, and leans her mouth closer to her ear.
"MOTHERR!"
It was enough to vibrate the whole room. The windowpane hums. A bird outside takes off in alarm.
Esdeath shoots awake, blinking several times, disoriented.
The shout literally drags her back — back to the first time she met kid Selene, when she woke her up just like this.
But unlike that time, Esdeath doesn't panic. She was still half asleep. Her body sags back into the mattress.
"Come back after ten minutes. Just ten minutes," she pleads again, voice cracking with sleep.
"No means no. Now come with me," Selene shakes her head firmly, arms crossed, every inch her father's daughter.
Yet Esdeath just closes her eyes. Sleeping again.
Selene pouts her cheeks, huffs, and — instead of waking her up any further — grabs Esdeath's leg and drags her out of the bed.
Esdeath still doesn't care. Her body slides along the sheets, limp and boneless, one arm trailing behind her like a ragdoll's. She lets herself be dragged without a single protest.
So Selene doesn't stop there. She drags her all the way to the bathroom and sits her down in front of the mirror.
Takes the toothbrush and brushes her teeth. Esdeath's head lolls, mouth half-open, eyes still closed. Then Selene puts her in the bathtub, applies soap, and massages her head. Her small hands work through the black hair with surprising care — the same way Esdeath used to do it for her.
Thankfully, Esdeath wears the clothes on her own — although lazily, one sleeve half-turned, buttons mismatched — but then she walks downstairs, drifts through the hallways, and lays down on the sofa once again.
Seeing all that, all Selene can do is slap her forehead out of disappointment.
"From what I read, most would get fresh after a bath. Why are you still sleeping?" Selene says, arms crossed, silver eyes narrowed down at her.
Esdeath doesn't reply. For a second it feels like she fell asleep again — her breathing evens out, her body sinks deeper into the cushions — but then she opens her eyes and says lazily, "Go and refine a high spirit essence stone. Lortell would have the recipe."
"Okay," Selene doesn't ask why. She just nods in agreement and leaves, her mismatched black and silver-white hair swaying behind her.
More than an hour passes by once again. The sun rises to its peak, hanging heavy and golden in the sky, indicating afternoon is here — but Esdeath is still asleep on the sofa, one arm hanging off the edge, black hair tangled across her face.
Few minutes later, Selene comes back with an essence stone in her palm. It was golden in colour but quite foggy, as if it might disappear into thin air any moment.
She wakes Esdeath again and hands the high spirit essence stone to her.
Esdeath yawns and takes the essence stone without saying anything, and closes her eyes, slowly absorbing it.
The fog starts to wrap around her whole body, illuminating it — soft gold seeping into the lines of her skin, and then it slowly starts to get absorbed into her.
As the whole fog fades, Esdeath opens her eyes, but this time it is the eyes of someone who is fully awake.
Sharp.
Focused.
Red as fresh blood.
"Hmm... now I feel quite good," she stands up. "This wouldn't have happened if I killed a few people and absorbed their souls along the way," she murmurs to herself.
During her journey, she had received quite the injuries — especially on her spirit and life span during those essence stone refinements. She had been pushing herself to get everything done as soon as possible, so she didn't care about it much then. But now that she is back, now that she has finally relaxed, her body and soul has slipped into recovery mode.
Especially the soul.
And what is the best method to recover a soul's vitality?
Sleep.
That is why she felt too sleepy.
Esdeath turns to look at Selene and pats her head, "You did good. I might be feeling sleepy for at least the next week if not for this essence stone," she says.
"Although it didn't completely erase my problem, I will at least need ten hours of sleep for the next few days, I guess," she says to herself.
"I got some work with Lortell. You can do whatever you want," Esdeath says, turning around to find Lortell.
"Okay," Selene nods with a smile and leaves as well.
*****
Esdeath walks around the palace. Having such a huge place, finding someone was equally hard.
Thankfully Esdeath meets Lorraine and asks where Lortell is.
Turns out, Lortell is actually just one room besides their bedroom. With a sigh, she goes back toward the direction of their bedroom — one room besides their bedroom, to be exact.
And successfully finds Lortell.
Lortell was sitting inside, with dozens of essence stone materials and ingredients, even remaining body parts of Year beast and a great serpent. Its bones. Scales. Some internal organs.
Of course not the whole thing — it would be too big to fit in the room. Just enough to try refining once or twice.
"Are you refining an essence stone?" Esdeath asks.
Lortell turns back, not surprised at all. "Yes. Last night you said you need to refine a Rank A Barrier Essence stone, right?" Lortell says, silver-white hair catching the light as she turns.
"No.. no.. no, why are you troubling yourself? Let me do it." Esdeath hurriedly enters the room.
"Stand right there!", Lortell commands in high pitch.
Esdeath legs stops on its own as if following lortell's command was an instinct of her body.
"You done enough, I'm a vampire, Refinement is one of my speciality, I got ocean of mana and I can deal with any kind of backlash of failure. There's no need to put you at risk", Lortell replies.
"B-but", Esdeath says but Lortell interrupts her again.
"No but, I gave you permission to go to demon realme, didn't i?, Now you are not in any position to say anything.", Lortell adds the final blow, leaving no room for argument.
"Also about maruti having a dragon heart. I got info from lilith, Thankfully she have it on herself not academy personnels", Lortell adds.
Right now, Academy is under control of vanara tribe. If they knew that there's a dragon heart in the academy, They would surely take such a valuable resource.
And with no choice, Esdeath would have to make some kind of deal with mourya to take that dragon heart.
Only if he's willing to sell it of course. But there's no need to think about all it, Since lilith has it not academy.
"You can go to academy and take it from her whenever you want", Lortell says.
Esdeath was silent for few seconds and then nods,"The sooner I get it the better, it's better to not take any risk. Well then, you refine the essence stone here and I'll go get",
Saying so, Esdeath comes forward, leaning closer, she gives a light kiss on lortell's cheek with a smile and leaves the room.
As she said earlier, She didn't wanted to waste any time, the sooner she gets it the better.
Thus, She descends through the stairs, Going towards the main door but before she could open it, the door opens itself.
Lorraine was standing outside with a boy besides her, holding several luggage. Lorraine didn't wait there, she turns around leaves for her other works.
As soon as he saw her, He puts down the luggages and salutes.
"I, Valen vandris is here as you commanded, Boss!", He says in high spirit.
"I'm impressed that you came so early, Although there was no need for a salute", Esdeath says casually, having no emotions in her tone.
"I was going to the academy but now that you are here, You are coming with me", Esdeath adds.
"Errrr....Okay?", Valen agrees although quite confused.
Esdeath nods once and steps back, giving space to him,"Come inside, You must be exhausted, Eat something before we'll go",