"...Ashura," Anjali spoke, her voice carrying a faint trace of nervousness. For the first time, her calm expression wavered slightly. "…They are Luminaris."
Ashura's brows furrowed as he repeated the word under his breath, as if trying to understand it. "Luminaris…?" His gaze sharpened as he looked straight at her. "…What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
Anjali hesitated. Her lips parted, but no words came out immediately. She lowered her head slightly, avoiding his eyes, her fingers tightening unconsciously. It was clear—even she was struggling to explain it.
"…You should know what they are…" she finally said, her voice softer now, almost uncertain, as if she wasn't sure how much to reveal.
Emilia stepped forward, her expression filled with anger.
"Hey—lower your gun!" she yelled sharply, her voice echoing through the room.
Before things could escalate further, a girl beside her quickly grabbed her shoulder. She leaned closer and whispered into her ear, her voice cold and low—almost threatening.
"…Let them handle this."
Emilia stiffened for a moment. A slight chill ran down her spine, and she gulped before reluctantly stepping back.
"…O-Okay."
In the next instant, Aaron moved.
He grabbed Ashura by the collar and slammed him lightly against the wall, his aura flaring with dominance. His eyes burned with pride as he looked down at him.
"We are supreme Luminaris," he said coldly, his voice dripping with arrogance. "You should be grateful… we didn't erase you already."
Ashura didn't react immediately.
His gaze slowly shifted—past Aaron—toward Anjali. His expression remained calm, almost indifferent, as if the situation didn't bother him at all.
"…What is a Luminaris?" he asked coldly.
Anjali spoke again, her voice trembling with nervousness.
"…Ashura…"
She paused for a moment, as if gathering the courage to continue. The room had already grown silent, but now it felt even heavier.
"…These beings… aren't from our world."
Ashura's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't interrupt.
Anjali lowered her head, her fingers tightening unconsciously.
"They are a species… just like us," she continued softly. "But they possess something humans don't… divine power."
Her voice shook faintly.
"In many languages… they are referred to as angels."
The word lingered in the air.
No one moved.
"Luminaris…" she whispered, correcting herself, her voice almost breaking. "They are special beings… created by God."
A faint tension spread across the room as all eyes turned toward her.
"…And humans… aren't meant to stand against them."
She swallowed hard before continuing.
"They are far stronger than us. Compared to a human…" she hesitated, "…a single Luminaris could easily defeat ten."
A suffocating silence followed her words.
Even the air felt heavier.
"But God…" she continued slowly, lifting her gaze just slightly, "…placed a veil between our worlds."
Her voice steadied a little as she spoke.
"A barrier… separating humans from the Luminaris."
"The Lumina Dimension…" she added quietly. "That is where they belong… where they all live."
Her eyes shifted toward the group standing in the room.
"…And Aaron… Emilia… all of them…"
"They are Luminaris."
The silence that followed felt almost terrifying.
Anjali lowered her gaze once again, her voice soft and distant.
"…I'm just a researcher… after all."
Ashura glanced around at all of them, his eyes calmly observing every detail.
"…So that's why," he said slowly, his voice steady, "your clothing… your eyes… everything feels different."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"…It almost looks like something out of an anime."
His gaze shifted back to Anjali.
"…Tell me more."
Anjali hesitated again, her nervousness returning.
"…Three of their comrades…" she began, her voice slightly shaking, "…have been kidnapped by an organization."
Her expression darkened as she spoke.
"They're trapped here… unable to return to their world."
Her voice broke slightly.
"…And if the Luminaris Queen finds out her children are in danger…"
She swallowed hard.
"…she won't hesitate to erase everything… including us."
A brief silence followed.
Ashura remained still, his expression unreadable—but for a moment, even he seemed slightly taken aback.
Aaron smirked faintly, noticing the pause.
"See?" he said arrogantly. "Even you feel fear."
Ashura slowly lowered his gun.
Aaron's smirk widened.
"That's a wise decision," he continued, pride filling his voice. "If our Queen learns about this, you're already dead, boy. You may be brave, but—"
BANG.
The gunshot echoed through the room.
Aaron's voice was cut off instantly as he dropped to the ground, clutching his jaw in agony.
"AAAHHHHH—!"
Before anyone could react, Ashura stepped forward calmly.
He placed his foot firmly on Aaron's chest, pressing him down against the ground. His expression was cold… completely unchanged.
"Even if you're Luminaris…" he said quietly, his voice carrying a chilling calm, "…I don't get scared."
He raised the gun again and pointed it directly at Aaron's forehead.
"…And if you disrespect me…"
His eyes locked onto Aaron's.
"…I'll tear you apart."
For the first time, fear appeared on Aaron's face.
His breathing grew uneven as his thoughts spiraled.
What's… Wrong With This guy…?
Anjali stepped forward slightly, her hands trembling.
"…Please, Ashura… forgive him," she said hesitantly, her voice filled with fear.
Before anything could settle, a girl from the group suddenly moved.
"Enough," she sighed, her tone cold and sharp.
She raised her hand casually—
—and in the next instant, a table was hurled across the room.
It slammed straight into Ashura.
CRASH.
Ashura was thrown back, collapsing onto the ground. The impact echoed as wood shattered around him.
For a second, everything went still.
He slowly pushed himself up, letting out a quiet breath.
"…Tch."
The girl stepped forward, her aura flaring violently. The air around her distorted, heavy—almost suffocating.
"Stay in your limit, human," she said coldly.
The room itself felt like it could collapse under the pressure.
Ashura wiped the blood that flowed down from his forehead.
Then… he licked it.
"…Wanna see?" he muttered under his breath, a faint, dangerous smile forming.
Without warning, his hand moved.
A knife flashed through the air.
The girl didn't react in time.
"Huh—?"
THUD.
The blade pierced straight into her throat.
"AAAHHH—!"
Blood burst from her mouth as she staggered back, her hands instinctively reaching for the wound.
Anjali froze.
Her entire body trembled as she watched the scene unfold.
How… how do I stop this…?
Her fingers shook uncontrollably.
"You bastard!"
In an instant, all of them surrounded Ashura.
The atmosphere turned deadly.
Aaron slowly cracked his knuckles, a dangerous grin forming on his face.
"Now… you've found your end, boy," he said, his voice filled with confidence.
Emilia raised her sword, her eyes burning with rage.
"I'll tear him apart," she muttered coldly.
Another boy stepped forward, shouting loudly—
"Ashura, you're dead meat!"
The atmosphere turned violent.
All of them moved, surrounding Ashura from every direction.
And then—
"ALL OF YOU—!"
Anjali's voice exploded through the room.
It wasn't the same voice anymore.
There was no hesitation. No fear.
Only authority.
The entire room froze.
Even Ashura stopped.
A strange silence fell.
Ashura's eyes shifted slightly toward her, a hint of curiosity appearing for the first time.
"…What happened to her…?" he whispered under his breath.
Anjali stepped forward, her expression dark and terrifying.
"If you continue fighting like this…" she said slowly, her voice dangerously calm—
"…I will mix Test Cube #192 into your breakfast."
Silence.
In an instant—
Everyone backed away.
"NO—!"
"Never!"
"Don't you dare!"
Their voices were no longer arrogant.
They were filled with pure fear.
Ashura blinked once.
Then frowned slightly.
"…What the hell is 192?"
All of them stepped back immediately.
The arrogance from before… completely vanished.
"P-Please… Mom…"
Emilia's voice trembled as she spoke, her confidence gone. She looked genuinely afraid now.
"…Don't do this to us."
Aaron lowered his head nervously, avoiding Anjali's gaze.
"…We'll behave," he muttered quickly. "We promise."
Anjali let out a slow sigh.
"…Then stay quiet."
The room fell silent again.
Ashura glanced at her, his curiosity clearly visible now.
"…What is Test Cube #192?" he asked calmly.
Anjali didn't hesitate this time.
"…Eclipse Fruit."
Her voice turned cold.
"A rare fruit… that only grows during an eclipse."
She paused slightly before continuing.
"…And it happens to be the weakness of Luminaris."
Everyone stiffened.
"When consumed…" she added, her tone sharp, "…their divine power collapses."
"They become no different than humans."
Her eyes narrowed faintly.
"…And their bodies begin to break down… taking hours to recover."
The weight of her words settled heavily in the room.
Then, her gaze shifted toward Ashura.
Cold. Direct.
"And you…" she said quietly, a warning hidden beneath her calm tone.
"…don't start anything now."
Ashura instinctively swallowed.
"…Tch."
Why does she remind me of Avni…?
His inner voice muttered quietly.
Ashura nodded lightly.
"…Okay, didi—"
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, quickly covering his lips as if he had said something he shouldn't.
Anjali blinked for a moment.
Then… she chuckled softly.
"You can call me didi," she said with a gentle smile.
Ashura looked at her, slightly surprised.
"It's okay, little brother," she added warmly.
The tension in the room faded… just a little.
Anjali extended her hand toward him.
"Now promise me," she said softly, her tone calm but firm, "you won't cause any more trouble."
Ashura lowered his head slightly.
"…Promise."
For a moment, he stayed still.
Something about this… felt strange.
Familiar.
His mind drifted.
Fragments of memories flashed—small moments with Avni… her scolding, her care, the way she spoke to him.
"…Why does this feel the same…?" he muttered quietly in his thoughts.
He lifted his head again and looked at Anjali.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"…Okay, Anjali," he said calmly.
"…I promise."
Anjali suddenly clapped her hands once, breaking the silence.
"Alright, everyone—sit properly," she said cheerfully, as if nothing had happened just moments ago. "I'll make something to eat for all of you… my kids."
She smiled brightly.
Her earlier anger… had completely vanished.
As if it had never existed.
Ashura blinked.
What…? Her anger just disappeared like that…?
He looked at her with slight surprise.
She's really something…
One by one, the others nodded quickly.
"…Okay, Mom," they replied—this time, much more carefully.
Almost nervously.
Ashura raised an eyebrow.
"They call you 'Mom'?" he asked calmly. "You don't even look that old."
Anjali let out a soft laugh.
"Yeah," she said with a warm smile. "They're all my children… after all."
She paused for a second before adding—
"…And you…"
Her eyes softened slightly.
"…you're my little brother now."
Ashura froze for a moment.
"…Ah."
He hesitated.
Then scratched the back of his head lightly.
"…One more sister, huh…" he muttered under his breath, letting out a small chuckle.
"…Alright."
After a while, the atmosphere settled into a calm, peaceful rhythm.
Ashura sat among them, the earlier tension now replaced with a strange sense of ease.
"…So," he began casually, glancing around, "how about you all share your names?"
Almost instantly, all of them puffed their cheeks in irritation.
"We don't share anything with humans," Emilia said coldly, crossing her arms.
Before things could escalate again, Anjali reached out and pinched her cheek.
"Don't start something," she said with a gentle smile.
Emilia winced slightly.
"…Okay, Mom, just leave—" she mumbled, trying to pull her face away.
Ashura let out a small chuckle.
"Come on… just tell me," he said, trying to sound friendly. "I'm curious."
There was a brief pause.
Then—
"My name is Aaron… Zaltharion."
Ashura blinked.
"…Whoa," he muttered, clearly impressed. "That sounds straight out of a fantasy story."
Aaron smirked slightly.
"Of course," he replied proudly. "My family belongs to the warrior lineage."
"Really?" Ashura leaned forward a little, genuinely curious now. "Then how do warriors look?"
From the side, Anjali quietly watched the interaction.
He's… getting comfortable, she thought, letting out a small sigh. At first, he was ready to kill them…
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
That's good.
"My name is Emilia Azrath," Emilia said calmly this time.
Ashura turned toward her, eyes lighting up slightly.
"Whoa—another cool name," he said. "Sounds cute too."
Emilia looked away, pretending not to care.
"…Ronan Malakar," another boy spoke.
Ashura grinned.
"This one's cute too."
Ronan blinked in confusion, a faint blush creeping onto his face.
"…H-How is that cute?"
Another voice followed—
"My name is Riven Kaldrith."
Ashura nodded, amused.
"Nice. Almost sounds like mine," he said with a small laugh. "Ashura Rivaan."
He chuckled softly.
"…Heh."
Then, a girl spoke softly.
"My name is Asha… Asha Aeloris."
She glanced at Ashura for a moment, her expression slightly frustrated—before letting out a quiet sigh.
"…I'm sorry… for earlier."
Ashura nodded calmly.
"It's fine."
His gaze shifted to the last girl.
The one who had thrown the table at him.
He looked at her for a moment before speaking.
"…And you?" he asked, a faint smile forming. "Your name?"
She didn't even look at him.
"Don't disturb me," she replied coldly, her head turned away.
Aaron sighed from the side.
"Don't be like that," he said. "You hurt him too, you know."
The girl clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed.
"…And why should I share my name with a human?" she shot back, her voice sharp.
Anjali smiled.
Not warmly this time.
But mysteriously.
"…Do you want Test Cube #192?" she asked casually.
The girl froze instantly.
"…No."
She shook her head quickly, her earlier attitude disappearing.
"…My name is Zara," she muttered reluctantly.
"…Zara Alceria."
Zara suddenly stood up, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"But Ashura… do you even realize what you've done?" she said, her eyes glaring at him with anger.
Before he could respond—
"They kidnapped my sisters!" she shouted.
Her voice echoed through the room, filled with raw frustration.
"We are of royal blood," she continued, clenching her fists tightly. "We are the daughters of the Queen."
Her gaze hardened.
"…If our mother finds out what happened to them…"
She paused for a moment.
"…she won't hesitate to erase this entire humanity."
The room fell silent again.
Zara dropped back into her seat, puffing her cheeks in irritation, clearly upset.
From the side, Emilia glanced at Ashura.
"…It's true," she said calmly. "This isn't something small."
She looked at him directly.
"…So tell me… how exactly are you going to save your humanity?"
Ashura remained quiet for a moment.
Then he looked at her, his expression steady.
"…What's wrong?" he said calmly. "…Just tell me. I'll fix it."
The confidence in his voice didn't waver.
Not even a little.
Anjali watched him for a second.
Then… she smiled softly.
"…Let me explain."
After a minute of silence, Ashura finally spoke, his expression slightly tense.
"So… you're saying," he began slowly, trying to process everything, "an organization called Dark Owls kidnapped three Luminaris…"
He exhaled.
"…and they're holding them hostage… trying to extract their powers and transfer them into humans… to rule the world."
He leaned back slightly, letting out a tired sigh.
"…The world really is small."
Then his eyes narrowed.
"…And they want me too."
Anjali nodded quietly.
"Yes."
"They've identified six subjects," she continued. "And you… are one of them, Ashura."
She reached out and gently held his hand.
"You're in danger."
Ashura looked at her for a second.
Then—he chuckled.
"I'm not in danger…" he said, a faint smirk forming on his lips.
"…I am the danger."
His eyes sharpened.
"Don't worry," he added calmly. "I'm not weak."
"But…" he paused, his tone turning serious, "…why me?"
His gaze shifted between them.
"And who exactly is behind all this?"
Ronan stepped forward slightly, his eyes locked onto Ashura.
"…Because your blood is different," he said quietly.
The room fell silent.
"You're the only human…" Ronan continued, "…who can handle Luminaris power."
Ashura raised an eyebrow slightly.
"…Oh? Really?"
Asha nodded softly from the side.
"…Yes."
Another silence followed.
Heavy.
"…So," Asha added, her voice calm, "…we only had two choices."
Ashura looked at her, waiting.
"…Kill you…" she said plainly.
"…or ask for your help."
Ashura didn't react much.
He simply nodded once.
"…The first option sounds useless," he replied casually.
"…Let's go with the second."
A faint smirk appeared on Zara's face.
"…So confident," she muttered.
Ashura slowly stood up.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
He lowered his head slightly, his voice calm—but heavy.
"Killing me won't solve anything."
All eyes turned toward him.
"There are eight billion people in this world," he continued. "Even if my blood is one percent rare…"
He paused for a second.
"…that still leaves around eighty million people."
Silence.
He lifted his gaze.
"…Would you consider killing all those eighty million humans?"
The question hit hard.
Zara clenched her teeth.
"…No," she muttered. "That would take centuries…"
Ashura's eyes sharpened.
"…Exactly."
He took a small step forward.
"Before killing me alone…"
His voice dropped.
"…you'd have to kill all of them first."
The room fell silent again.
Aaron looked down at his palm, his expression conflicted.
"…I don't like this guy," he said quietly.
Then his voice softened.
"…but he's right."
A faint sadness crossed his face.
"…I miss home…"
His voice trembled slightly.
"…What are my parents doing right now…?"
Emilia gently placed a hand on his back.
"Don't worry," she said softly. "We'll find a way."
Asha smiled faintly.
"Don't cry, Aaron…"
Ronan let out a small chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.
"Relax, buddy. We'll figure something out."
Ashura watched them quietly.
Then spoke again.
"…Tell me who the real danger is."
His voice turned cold.
"I'll dismantle them."
Anjali's expression changed.
Her gaze turned serious… almost sharp.
"…Someone you know, Ashura."
The words hung in the air.
"We don't have full information…" she continued, her voice slightly breaking. "But our research suggests…"
She hesitated.
"…it's someone connected to your blood."
Ashura froze.
His mind flashed.
A memory—
A face—
Ishaan.
Ashura's eyes darkened slightly.
"…Maybe," he muttered quietly.
"…I know who it is."
Scene Shift
John sat calmly, holding a cup of tea in his hand.
His posture was straight—composed, almost royal. Even in silence, his presence carried authority.
"I've already told you, Aryan," he said calmly, taking a slow sip. "I'm not giving you anything."
Across the table, a young man sat with a relaxed posture.
His fingers tapped lightly against the table, an irritated rhythm.
"…You're too stubborn, Dad," Aryan replied, his tone slightly mocking.
A guard stood beside him, watching everything silently.
John slowly placed the cup down.
Then, without warning—
CRASH.
The glass shattered against the table.
John stood up, his calm demeanor completely gone.
"Get out," he said, his voice sharp with anger. "Before something bad happens."
Aryan didn't move.
"I'm giving my entire wealth to my daughter," John continued, his eyes filled with cold fury.
"…You are nothing to me."
Aryan slowly stood up, letting out a cold sigh.
"Dad… my dear dad…" he muttered, his tone mocking now.
"…why are you making this difficult?"
His expression changed.
The warmth in his voice vanished completely.
"…Don't you want to live?"
John's eyes widened in anger.
"You brat!" he shouted. "Is this how you speak to your father?!"
Aryan didn't react.
He simply looked at him—cold, emotionless.
"…What's the name of Shina's fiancé?" he asked suddenly.
John straightened slightly.
"Ashura Rivaan," he replied firmly. "And he's ten times better than you, you useless brat."
For a brief second—
Silence.
Then Aryan walked past him.
Calmly.
And placed a gun against the side of John's head.
John froze.
"…W-What are you doing…?" His voice trembled.
Aryan smiled faintly.
"Goodbye."
"…Sleep forever."
BANG.
The gunshot echoed.
"AAAHHH—!"
John's body collapsed to the ground.
Blood spread rapidly as the bullet pierced through his head.
"…Aryan…" his voice faded, barely audible.
Then—
Silence.
Aryan stared down at the body for a moment.
Then… he giggled.
"Clean this trash," he said casually.
The guard nodded immediately.
"Understood, Aryan ji."
He stepped forward without hesitation.
Aryan turned away, his expression unreadable.
"…Shina…"
He paused.
"…Ashura…"
A faint smile crept onto his lips.
"…both of you are going to die."
Another gunshot echoed in the distance.
Thump.
A heartbeat.
Darkness.
Chapter 12 Ended.