As the silence lingered, Charlotte lightly clapped her hands.
"Theo, back to the study hall. Cartoons. Don't skip. Let the grown ups talk," she said, smiling. "And Aurora, continue your practice."
Theodore nodded immediately, dragging Lilith along as he left, while Aurora simply waved and walked back toward the fields, Iskaryon floating beside her as it continued to complain about its form.
With them gone, the atmosphere shifted. Persephone stepped forward.
"I can see it now," she said, taking a slow breath.
Her gaze lingered on the space around them.
The impossible sky, the living constructs that could think for itself, the structure they were in.
None of it followed the rules she had spent centuries refining.
And yet… it worked. Flawlessly.
"All of it. Your spells. Your research. Your proposals… I can see it now."
Charlotte tilted her head.
"Hm? I don't really get what you're saying," she replied, scratching her cheek with a small laugh.
Persephone continued. "I don't know how old you are… but to reach this level of understanding—this level of execution…" She paused. "You may have already surpassed the limits of witches. Perhaps even the supernaturals."
Charlotte only smiled, not because they were right, but because they were wrong. Of course, they don't know this.
"What I'm saying…" Persephone lowered her gaze, something unfamiliar creeping into her voice.
Persephone fell silent for a moment longer than expected. Not because she lacked the words but because too many existed.
Centuries of study.
Countless theories dismissed.
Proposals buried before they could take shape.
She had stood at the peak of the Witching Hour, believing she had seen the limits of magic. And yet, everything in this place—this girl, this coven, this impossible space—proved otherwise. What she had accepted as truth… had simply been the edge of her understanding.
"…is that I agree with you."
"…Huh?" Charlotte blinked.
"I still don't understand, hehe."
Persephone exhaled, then gave up on phrasing it properly. "I want your spells."
A beat.
Then Charlotte raised a hand.
"Elowen, tea please."
Moments later, tea and snacks were prepared.
The tension didn't disappear but it settled, just enough for everyone to sit properly.
Charlotte picked up a cookie. "You will," she said casually, taking a bite.
Persephone raised an eyebrow.
Charlotte chuckled.
"What I mean is—I plan to share everything I know just like before when I proposed to your circle. This time, however, I plan to spread my coven for anyone to join." She leaned back slightly. "Why do you think I came back? I was bored. Now… I've decided to end your traditions."
The room froze.
For a split second, no one moved.
Then—
"The hell are you saying?!" Aurora's voice echoed from the distance as she rushed back in, dragging Theodore along from the study hall, as if asking for help to steer their coven mother away from this absurdness.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Aurora added, grabbing Charlotte by the collar and shaking her.
Charlotte laughed softly and pried her hands off. "I said what I said."
Persephone stared at her.
Lucien and Marielle moved almost at the same time. A thin blood needle formed at Lucien's fingertips. Marielle prepared her Birthright technique, Osteomancy. Her arm hardened, bone layering over itself into a white exoskeletal armor.
Instinct.
Preparation.
Just in case.
"I agree," Persephone said.
The tension shattered. Lucien blinked. Marielle paused. Even Elena exhaled quietly.
Charlotte smiled wider.
"I can help with the foundation," Persephone continued.
"But…" "We'll have to deal with the old ones?" Charlotte cut in.
Persephone nodded slowly. "…Yes. But I do not condone unnecessary killing. A formal resolution. Just like the old tradition of the Barebloods. A duel, if needed."
Charlotte sipped her tea. "I like that."
For the first time, Persephone smiled.
It was faint.
too controlled,
too precise.
Behind them, Lucien, Marielle, and Elena could only watch in disbelief. This wasn't negotiation. This was the beginning of something else entirely.
Persephone's gaze shifted slightly—to Theodore, who had already returned to eating cookies like nothing happened and is about to head towards the study hall.
"…If I were to guess," she said calmly, "you're supporting Theodore for the succession ceremony."
"Yep!"
Marielle shot Lucien a glance.
Lucien ignored it.
"I support Marielle's children as well," Persephone added.
Lucien met her gaze this time—smirking.
"I see." Persephone stood. "I look forward to the results, then," she said, watching Theodore. "I'll observe how much you've changed him."
Elowen refilled her tea one last time before stepping back.
"I will inform the others," Persephone continued. "A formal duel. Like the old Bareblood customs." She turned.
Elena and Marielle followed.
At the edge of the portal, Persephone stopped.
"…Space Magic," she said without looking back. "Is that your main attribute? Focusing on the element of Space?"
"Nope."
"…Then you should decide soon," Persephone replied. "Or you'll forever be remembered as the Heretical Witch."
Charlotte only smiled.
They stepped out of the Lunarium without ever looking back.
Silence returned.
Lucien collapsed onto the couch with a long sigh.
"…Sorry about that."
Charlotte waved it off. Then Lucien turned to Theodore.
"…Has he been doing well?" he asked.
Theodore stiffened slightly. Charlotte tapped his back.
"He's doing great."
Lucien looked at him carefully. Same boy. Same face. Same quiet presence. But something was different. Floating beside him, Lilith happily nibbled on cookies from its own plate.
Lucien swallowed.
"…Are you sure?"
Charlotte didn't answer.
Instead—
"Come on," she said, standing up. "Let's go outside."
The Lunarium's fields stretched endlessly beneath a sky that didn't belong to any world.
Aurora had already gone farther out, continuing her practice.
Charlotte raised her hand. She had cast the spell Earth Golem. It formed in front of them. Simple, rough, its structure primitive compared to Elowen's.
The Earth Golem's commands were simple,
[Attack the boy in front of you without killing him]
The golem moved instantly. It swung. Theodore dodged. Barely. Just enough.
Lucien narrowed his eyes.
He expected panic. A stumble. At the very least, hesitation born from inexperience. But it never came. The boy moved when needed and only when needed.
That wasn't luck. He waited.
Theodore shifted again, using only minimal movement, slipping just outside the golem's reach.
A thin strand of blood formed in his hand.
He flicked it.
The golem's punch slid off-course.
A parry.
Lucien's breath hitched slightly.
…He's learning. And fast.
The fight continued.
Theodore didn't rush. Didn't panic.
He chipped away, scratching the golem's mana lines, disrupting its flow.
Precise.
Careful.
Calculated.
And above him— Lilith moved.
Circling.
Giving him blood when needed.
Lucien watched closely.
"…That blood. It's his, isn't it?"
Charlotte nodded.
"I made him store it ahead of time. Fixes the regeneration issue."
"…So that's what you meant by blood storage," Lucien muttered.
"I prefer 'backup resource,'" Charlotte smiled.
The golem slowed.
Its arms faltered.
Its structure weakened.
Theodore stepped back. Then steadied himself.
His hands trembled. Not from fear. But excitement.
Blood gathered. A sphere. Compressed between his palms.
Tighter.
Denser.
Until it began to spiral.
Violently.
Charlotte's eyes widened slightly.
…He made it his own. The very spell that Charlotte demonstrated to Theodore before.
Lucien watched in silence.
For a moment, something surfaced— A memory. A woman. A smile. Gone too soon. He had lost her the day Theodore was born.
And with her— He had lost himself.
But now—
"…Blood Spiral!" Theodore shouted.
The attack fired.
A violent, spiraling blood mass tore through the air.
Struck.
The golem didn't crack. It split.
Clean.
A hole tore through its center as its entire body collapsed around it.
Charlotte covered her mouth, giggling.
He really became a chuunibyou in just a few days…
The dust settled.
The golem didn't move again. Its form crumbled slowly, breaking apart where the attack had passed through it.
Lilith fluttered across the field, collecting scattered blood.
Theodore ran back.
Smiling.
Charlotte ruffled his hair.
"Good job."
Lucien stared. Ten months. That was all that remained before the succession ceremony.
"…Is that everything?" he asked, awkwardly.
Theodore shook his head. "No. I still have more. That was just the first one Ms. Charlotte approved."
Lucien looked at Charlotte.
Then back at Theodore.
…What kind of monster are you raising?
He walked forward.
Theodore instinctively lowered his head.
Lucien paused— Then reached out.
And ruffled his hair. "…You did well."
Theodore froze. Then slowly nodded.
Lucien turned away. "…I'll leave him to you."
He meant it.
Behind him, Theodore clenched his fists. Not out of fear. But determination.
As his father left, he went straight back to practicing and learning new ways to use his blood.