Kael was beginning to understand something fundamental about the Black Bulls—chaos often led to discovery.
After a long day of training, missions, and Charmy's very public attempt to claim him as her "emotional support sword-wielder," Kael found himself alone in the Bulls' underground archive. It wasn't meant for him—technically, it wasn't meant for anyone—but curiosity had its hooks in him tonight.
He had followed faint magical signatures he hadn't noticed before, and behind a barely visible illusion rune near the kitchen pantry, Kael had found a sealed door. A pulse of anti-magic disrupted the seal, and what lay beyond was a chamber layered with ancient books, faded scrolls, and magical relics that practically vibrated with forgotten power.
But the real surprise wasn't the room.
It was who he found in it.
---
The Silent Archivist
"You're not supposed to be down here," came a cool, even voice.
Kael turned—and found Secre Swallowtail sitting atop a pile of books, her legs folded, a lantern glowing beside her.
"I could say the same," he replied.
Secre gave him a flat look, her tone unimpressed. "I live here."
He blinked. "...Right. I forgot you sometimes sleep as a bird."
She rolled her eyes but said nothing more. For a moment, there was only silence—thick and oddly comfortable.
Kael stepped farther in, brushing his hand along a sealed tome. "There's so much hidden here. Why doesn't the rest of the squad use it?"
"They wouldn't understand it," Secre replied. "Or worse, they'd blow it up. This is a place of memory. Preservation."
He looked at her, eyes softening. "Like you."
That surprised her.
For the first time, her expression shifted—just a flicker, like a breeze passing over a still pond.
"You don't talk much," she said, changing the subject.
"I think a lot," he said, smiling slightly. "You do too, right?"
She tilted her head. "You're... not like the others."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
"I didn't say it was." She stood, dusting her skirt off and walking slowly toward a crystal orb resting atop a pedestal. "You're hiding something. Not just power. History."
Kael's smile faltered.
His crimson eyes glinted faintly in the lantern light. "Maybe. But I'm not the only one carrying ghosts."
Secre didn't deny it.
Instead, she placed a hand on the orb. "Come here."
He obeyed.
The moment his hand joined hers, the orb shimmered—and flashed.
Kael was no longer in the archive.
---
The Memory Field
He stood in a field of white flowers beneath a vast, endless sky.
Next to him, Secre stood in her human form—hair fluttering, eyes wide.
"This is…" Kael whispered.
"One of the old sealing realms," she said softly. "A dimension created to hold magical echoes—feelings, bonds, regrets."
"Why bring me here?"
"Because…" She hesitated. "I think you can handle it."
A swirl of magic gathered ahead, forming the shape of a young girl, cloaked in white feathers.
"Is that... you?" Kael asked.
Secre nodded slowly. "It's the me I sealed away when the kingdom fell."
The vision of young Secre wandered the field, smiling, then fading with the wind.
"I spent five hundred years as a bird, Kael. Watching, waiting. I've seen kings rise and die. Heroes forgotten. Magic corrupted. And when I finally came back... I didn't know how to feel anymore."
Kael turned to her.
"But now?" he asked.
She met his gaze. "Now... I feel something when I'm around you."
> [System Notification: Emotional Bond Detected – Secre Swallowtail: Affection Level 2/5]
[Hidden Trait Acquired: Eternal Witness – Able to recall and interpret ancient magical memory fields when accompanied by Secre]
Kael stepped closer, brushing his fingers over a spectral flower.
"Is it strange that I feel like I've always known you, somehow?" he asked.
"Not strange," Secre whispered. "Maybe... destiny."
---
Back to Reality
When the vision faded, they stood again in the archive.
Kael exhaled, slowly. "That was... powerful."
Secre avoided his gaze. "Don't tell the others. Especially not Yami. He thinks this room is just for napping."
Kael laughed.
"Your secret's safe," he said. "But... thank you. For trusting me."
She paused, then reached up and did something unexpected.
She gently placed her hand on his chest. Right over his heart.
"I can hear it," she murmured. "It's different. Not just human."
Kael's breath caught.
Then her hand fell away, and she turned back to the shadows. "Good night, Kael."
> [System Alert: Checkpoint Synced – "First Shared Memory"]
[Path Unlocked: Secre's Legacy – Optional Side Quest: "The Forgotten Wings"]
Kael stood there for several more minutes, alone again but not lonely.
He had come searching for knowledge.
Instead, he found a connection.