Remy slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Caroline.
Her head rested on his chest. He didn't move at first—he simply stared up at the ceiling, realising he had returned to the mansion.
Gently, he lifted Caroline's head and placed it down beside him. Then he stood up, making the old bed creak beneath him. He picked her up and laid her carefully on his own mattress.
"What a silly girl," a voice murmured. "She's been watching over you all night."
Raven stepped out from one of the shadows. His wings brushed the air as he landed on Remy's shoulder.
"It seems you've solidified your stage," Raven said, eyes sharp and studying. "Your power isn't running rampant anymore."
"What about Chad? Is he alright?" Remy asked, pulling on a robe. He opened the door slowly so the creak wouldn't wake Caroline.
"Well, he was on the edge of dying," Raven replied.
"What—dead?" Remy snapped, turning sharply to him.
"I didn't say that, now did I? Learn to calm down." Raven fluttered off again.
RRRRRrrr—
A rattling echoed through the walls.
Upon hearing that sound, Raven fluttered about through the corridor.
"Mmm…" Raven muttered, examining a portrait hanging nearby. That's where the sound seemed to come from.
"Who did you say created this mansion?" he asked.
"I didn't." Remy turned the corner.
Raven flapped after him again."Curious… This was made by Vio—," he whispered.
"What's that?" Remy asked as they approached the main room door.
"Oh, nothing," Raven said lightly.Which was clearly a lie.
Remy opened the door and stepped through. Kat rushed to him, throwing her arms around him.
"You're okay!" she exclaimed, her eyes glossy; she was near tearing up.
"Huh…" he exhaled.
"How nice," he thought. "A person who actually cares for me."
He had missed this warmth.
"Yeah… I'm okay," he said softly, looking down. She was a little shorter than him, so her head rested against his chest.
"Thanks to you, I bet," he added, gently holding her shoulder and easing her away.
"Y—yeah," she murmured, her cheeks flushing pink.
"What about Chad? How is he?" Remy asked, scanning the room.
"He's… okay," she answered, not offering more.
"What about Charles? He didn't come back with you?" she asked, biting her lip. She already knew the answer but wanted him to say it.
"Yeah… h—"
Tear cut him off. "Yes, I'd like to know what happened as well. It's so great to see you up on your feet," he said, a small smile on his face.
"Come, let's sit," Tear continued, heading toward the couch.
"Kat, could you be a dear and make some tea for us?" He asked politely. Remy followed him shortly after.
"What's that on your shoulder?" Tear asked, looking up.
Raven, who had been suppressing his presence, finally revealed himself.
Tear reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck of cards, beginning to shuffle them.
"That won't be necessary," Raven said. "I am his contract. I bear no grudge. In fact, I will tell you everything—including what Remy cannot."
Raven fluttered onto the table, plucked one of his feathers, and handed it to Tear.
"You know what to do, right?" Raven asked as Tear took the feather.
"Yes," Tear replied, holding it carefully.
The feather glimmered blue and black as Tear turned to inspect it
The Mystic energy in his hand bubbled and intertwined with the aura emanating from the feather. Tear placed the feather atop his temple.
The moment it touched his skin, he felt himself being transported. His pupils reversed, and memories poured into his mind like a rushing river.
He jerked back against the sofa, gasping.
"Tear!" Remy pounced forward, alarmed.
"He's alright," Raven explained calmly. "If you disturb him now, you might interfere with the ritual."
Remy reluctantly returned to his seat, watching intently.
"Since he came out, it's just been one thing after another," Remy thought.
Through Tear's experience, he saw everything from the moment they stepped into August City to the Saintes, save for parts of what had occurred inside Rosalina's realm—though there were some memories only Raven and now Tear knew, moments that Remy had never witnessed before.
The feature caught fire and burnt out quickly, then.
Finally, Tear calmed down, his eyes returning to normal.
"Thank—" he said, taking a deep, shuddering breath.
"Things are far more complicated than I initially thought," he admitted, tapping the table thoughtfully.
He turned toward Remy. "Don't worry too much about Charles. There might still be a chance to get him back, even under that witch's control."
"You all worked incredibly hard," Tear continued. "The problem was on us. We severely underestimated the power of that witch. She isn't even human."
Raven shot him a sharp look.
"Oh, relax," Tear waved it off.
"As much as I want to say we should go back and take him now, we just… can't," he said, tossing his cards high into the air. They hovered and moved with precision, almost as if levitating.
"We've been receiving more and more reports of Nausab," Tear said gravely.
(Nausab are what happens to people who fail to awaken properly as Mystic users. The Mystic energy they try to control ends up controlling them instead, transforming them into monstrous beings. The longer they are left unchecked, the stronger they become. Like humans, Nausab have Tiers, with Tier Twelve being godlike in power.
Just then, Kat entered the room, carrying a tray with steaming tea.
"Wow, a bird!" Her eyes brightened as she carefully placed the tea on the table.
"Is it yours, Remy? Can I touch it?" she asked, her eyes glowing with curiosity. Her fingers wiggled in the air, ready to pounce at any moment.
"You won't be able to, love," Tear said with a small smile. "He's made of shadows. You'd just be touching the table."
"Ahhh," she pouted, sucking in her cheeks.
"Nice timing; since you're here, I can finish what I wanted to say," Tear interjected, already preparing his own cup. The motion seemed to soothe him, allowing his mind to think calmly.
"As you know, Clara went to the head office." He said, placing a cube of sugar in his cup. He then took a spoon and began swirling around the cup.
He took a sip and then continued.
"She is gathering the details of the mission." Another sip, then he continued. "If you hadn't returned, we would have been forced to send Kat along with people from other houses. But since you are here, you'll need to get together and investigate what happened."