Night fell over Avalon like a soft yet heavy veil. The sacred walls of the academy shimmered under the moonlight, their seals quietly vibrating. Everything looked peaceful.
But Lancelot was awake.
He stood at the highest point of the tower, his eyes closed. His sword was not at his side. He did not need it. He could sense even the slightest intent brushing against the academy's borders.
And he felt it.
One… two… three separate contacts.
Crude. Impatient. Forcing their way in.
"Wrong place," he murmured.
The next instant, the night split apart.
At the outer boundary of the sacred courtyard, three figures were attempting to breach the seals when the light suddenly vanished. The shadows had no time to react before they were slammed to the ground. No screams. No explosions. Only absolute power.
Lancelot appeared before them.
"No one enters Avalon without permission," he said calmly.
The figures' knees hit the ground. They could not resist. They understood they could not resist before they even tried.
"Take them," he ordered the guards emerging from the shadows. "And deliver this message to the Church:
Do not reach for this place again."
The academy returned to silence.
No student woke.
No panic spread.
Avalon had preserved its sanctity.
Asmodeus saw none of this.
But he felt it.
Something tightened in his chest. The darkness would not stay still, as if a hand were pushing from inside. He sat up in bed, his breathing uneven.
"Calm down…" he whispered to himself.
At that moment, the door slowly opened.
It was Aeris.
She stepped inside quietly, wearing a light robe, her hair slightly undone. In the dim light, her pink eyes looked softer than usual.
"You felt it too," she said in a low voice.
Asmodeus nodded. He stood up but could not keep his distance. One step… then another. He should have stopped, but his chest felt too full.
"Something happened here," he said. "And I—"
He could not finish the sentence.
Aeris looked at him for a long moment. Then, with a small movement, she reached out and took his wrist.
She just held it.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
But that touch was enough to turn everything inside Asmodeus upside down.
His heart raced. The darkness retreated, replaced by a strange warmth. Something unfamiliar. Something he could not control.
Aeris withdrew her hand at once.
"Be careful," she said. "This is a sacred place. Emotions… are more dangerous than power."
Asmodeus swallowed, looking away.
"I know," he said. "But for the first time… I don't want to overflow."
Aeris smiled faintly. Very brief. Very real.
"Then you will learn."
As the door closed behind her, Asmodeus remained where he stood.
The sensation of her touch still lingered in his chest.
And for the first time, he realized something:
The darkness was not pushing him.
His heart was.