Chapter 15 - Plots and Prophecies

For what felt like ages after Mistress Adelin ran out of tears, everyone in the chamber was completely silent. In the center of the room, the Mistress cradled the remains of her husband, with the rest of the group watching on. Eventually, she raised her head and stared directly at Nuha.

As the room remained in silence, the Mistress rose from the ground, hefting Master Sef's body in her wing-arms. With a quick flash of her halo, she summoned shadow claws to get a better hold of him, allowing her to approach her Servant much faster.

Nuha quivered as the Mistress approached her. The thoughts of what she would do next were quickly silenced as Mistress Adelin spoke.

"Servant Nuha," she said with a hoarse voice, "you had orders to stay with the base camp. Orders, that, because you ignored them, resulted in… What exactly compelled you to come down here, Servant?"

Nuha could barely find her own voice to answer her Mistress. A panicked glance to her side showed Veil giving her the same questioning look as Mistress Adelin was, but with a softer expression on her face.

"I… I was…" Nuha trailed off, recoiling in shock as one of the Mistress's shadow claws approached her neck. "I, I'm sorry, Mistress! I just… I needed to know…"

"You needed to know? What does that even… Did Sef really have to die because you needed to know something…?"

The shadow claw grasped Nuha by the neck, causing her to gasp.

"Answer me, Servant. What was so important that you needed to know? What was so important that my husband-"

"Hey, Addie, give her a break, will ya?"

Mistress Adelin turned her gaze to the speaker, dissipating the shadow claw around Nuha's neck as she did. "Walker Priya. You of all people have something to say about-"

House Mut's slave trainer stared the Mistress directly in the eyes as she responded. "Yeah, I do. Look, I get it. Sef's dead, you're pissed, and Servant girl here's the closest thing you've got to someone you can blame for it! But seeing her down here got me thinking. Ever since we came in here, I've been feeling… off. And it looks like my slaves have been pretty much the same. And it only got worse when we got close to that Kumarbi bastard."

"And what does that have to do with any of this, Walker?"

"Far as I can tell, none of the rest of you have had that problem, except for her. Took a bit of thinking, but I think I got it figured out! It's got to be powers!"

Mistress Adelin tilted her head. "Powers? Why would powers matter at all?"

"I don't have one, none of my slaves have one, and I'm betting Servant girl there doesn't either! So if we were the only ones who got that weird feeling in our heads…"

"I think I get what Priya's saying," Zahra said, walking up to the group, "It's the same reason Kumarbi was able to see past my power. Might be that he had some kind of psychic ability."

Veil blinked. "A psychic ability… One that's more intense for people without powers?"

"Seems that way. Nuha, you said you came down here because you needed to know something. Are you sure those were your own thoughts?"

Nuha paused as Zahra gave her a look. Her brow furrowed as she took a moment to reflect.

"I… I think I was starting to have some strange thoughts, actually. Something about Kumarbi being the only one who could answer my questions…"

Priya smirked. "And, there it is! I had something like that in my head too! Mine was more like wanting to beat Kumarbi down personally, but…"

"So something like that was happening this whole time…" Mistress Adelin muttered. "I apologize, Servant Nuha. Even considering what happened, I shouldn't have lost my temper, and for Walker Priya of all people to be the voice of reason… On that note, Walker? Why defend someone from House Tenebri? Given our history, I'd think you would've been happy to let me lash out at her."

"Yeah, you've got a point, Addie. In any other case, I'dve just let you tear into her. But the thing is, Sef… he got himself killed protecting her. Felt kinda wrong to let that go to waste, you know?"

"It felt… wrong to you? I thought you hated Sef."

"I did, that's the weird part! After he married you, I hated his guts for abandoning House Mut. But the way he started beating the shit outta Kumarbi to save that Servant of yours, weird to say it, but it felt familiar. Like the kind of thing he would've done even before he tied the knot. Made me think, even after all he did to cover it up, he was still a Son from our House, you know?"

"I… I believe I understand what you mean. Sef… Both of our Houses lost him today…"

"Yeah… at least he went out fighting though! You have my word, House Mut'll know that when this is all over. And Kumarbi… that fucker's gonna have our whole House to answer to for this!"

"Your House, and House Tenebri too," Kamal said, giving Priya a nod. "First theft, and now murder… He's got more than enough to answer for from both of our Houses."

Veil nodded. "You mean kidnapping, but besides that, you're right. What that monster did, taking my mother… and calling her and Nuha his… 'prizes' on top of that…"

Before Kamal had a chance to respond, Mistress Adelin spoke up. "Yes, indeed. Kumarbi owes all of us nothing less than his death. At the very least though, with the rest of the raid, I'm sure we managed to thwart his plans for the moment. But for now, we should regroup with the rest of the convoy and report what we found. And also…"

The Mistress trailed off as she gave the body of her husband a pained look. Chanda walked up to her and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Rest assured, Mistress Tenebri, he will get his due rites, as befitting a Son of Serapis. As we honor his memory and sanctify his body, She will surely welcome his soul into Her eternal glory."

"…Thank you, Hand Chanda. I suppose we should return to the camp, then. The sooner we can lay Sef's body to rest, the sooner he can find peace."

Mistress Adelin gave Sef's body one more look before turning to leave the room with it. As the rest of the group trailed behind her, Nuha looked down at the ground.

What was I thinking… Even if some of it was something that Kumarbi was doing to my head… I still had those terrible doubts…

My doubts about Serapis… He used them to get me to come down here…

All of these questions I have… they got Master Sef killed…

And even worse, even after everything that just happened… I still have those doubts…

I still need to know…

—

Embarrassment. Absolute embarrassment.

The nightmare known as Lord Kumarbi psychically flew through the mine, taking winding corridors down a path out that only he and his most trusted underlings knew about. All the while, he berated himself for his myriad failures.

Pride. Weakness. Indignation. Any of these concepts on their own were enough to make the legions of nightmares that ranked beneath him question his ability to lead them, and he had shown all of those faults and more in the fight he was now fleeing from.

I couldn't even secure the Servant girl… She would have been an excellent prize… But that desire for prizes is just another failure of mine, isn't it…? The Great Temptation… Long has it taunted me, and even now I fall victim to it in the worst of ways…

From within the core of his being, he could feel the three shards of aether that signified his rank as a Cacodemon in the nightmares' hierarchy rejecting the very existence around them. He had slaved for centuries to acquire those three shards of pure nothingness, rising from the dregs of demonhood by a mix of force and cunning strategy.

Once he had secured his position, he destroyed his former body, allowing his essence to return to Malangi and manifest a new physical form. His tremendous will allowed him to manifest as the nightmare he was today, with a specially-crafted physical form that was such a close parody of dominating might that it bordered on being a true and blasphemous creation all his own.

All that work to deny the Great Temptation, and yet it continues to torment me… A nightmare of my status is supposed to be above such disgusting failings… I can only take solace in the fact that none of my underlings will remain alive to tell of this failure… or of my true plans…

Kumarbi's grand plan to bring eventual ruin to the dreamkeepers of Serapeum had begun the moment he achieved his higher status among the nightmares. Over the past several years, he had been putting the rest of that plan into motion. The fact that so many nightmares that he had secured the loyalty of had been slain by the same dreamkeepers he sought to destroy was only a part of that plan.

The true nature of his plot was something that many of his fellow nightmares would decry as a blasphemy, the kind of succumbing to the Great Temptation befitting a Devil more than any true nightmare. Even his most faithful of underlings would never be able to accept such Devilry, even with the guarantee that it would produce results. As such, they had to be cast off and left to die.

After all, Kumarbi thought, the last time a Devil did something like what I have in mind, it changed everything about our operations in this realm…

As he approached the end of the escape tunnel, the light of the stones around him began to blend in with the light of the day-moon from the outside. Slowing his momentum, Kumarbi mused on the day that everything changed.

Nabonidus… a traitor to most of our kind. Those who most staunchly oppose the Great Temptation follow his command only loosely, yearning for the day that Lord Void will return to us…

But Nabonidus had a most intoxicating idea, usurping Arazu and setting himself up as a god. To this day, I still wonder at how he managed to overpower no less than one of Lord Void's Archons, but whatever he did secured his godhood for a good seven hundred years. And not too long after he wreathed himself in divinity, Serapis followed his example, and to this day she reigns over the desert…

And when Nabonidus tried to end her threat to his rule, she cast him beneath the earth… At that point, Serapis was the only one who could stand against him… One god undermining another… It stands to reason that another god will be needed to end her reign…

Kumarbi emerged from the mine, and took a brief look up at the day-moon. As he did, he felt a hunger assailing his physical form. But first, that god requires sustenance… And there would be nothing better than a meal to recover from the injuries that accursed Son left me with…

A psychic pulse shot out from Kumarbi, one only he could truly sense. In time, he noticed the presence of an animal caught in the pulse. He moved through the rocky terrain of the mountains to find it, and eventually it crossed his path, just as he had expected.

The creature was a fairly large earth ryuu-neko, a breed well-adapted to the mountains. The nightmare briefly studied the lengthy animal whose simple mind had been caught in his psychic snare. The creature had likely lived for several decades to reach its current size, and a small part of Kumarbi's mind reveled in the idea of ending such a long life, even if it meant prolonging his own.

With little more than a thought, a pair of his crimson wings swiftly speared through the dazed ryuu-neko's skull, killing it in an instant. No sooner had the unfortunate creature's corpse hit the ground than Kumarbi set upon it, tearing into his freshly made feast with a ravenous appetite.

As his fangs tore into the lean muscle of the ryuu-neko and he took its warm flesh and blood into his body, Kumarbi felt a pleasure that he would ordinarily reject as another cursed element of the Great Temptation. As a force that strived towards nonexistence, any sort of feelings were anathema to the very nature of nightmares, but as he sated his physical form's hunger, Kumarbi felt absolutely ecstatic.

The Great Temptation continues to live up to its name… But I've wasted enough time here. There is a long road to take before I return to my true base of operations, and I will need to get there quickly to begin the next phase of my plan…

Lifting himself up from the ryuu-neko's carcass, Kumarbi enveloped what remained of it with one of his wings, holding it in a pocket of air as he began his journey far to the north. Far away from Serapeum, and more importantly far away from Bralgu, his plan would continue in earnest.

Despite today's setbacks, my plan will come to fruition, starting with a return to my base. And Great Temptation be damned, I must admit it will be wonderful to see my prizes again…

—

Following the group's return from the mine, House Ardeo's members were quick to consecrate Master Sef's remains and prepare his body for a proper burial back in Serapeum. A few other dreamkeepers had also met their ends in the mine, but for the most part, the convoy camp was in high spirits following the successful execution of nearly every nightmare that threatened their home.

The mood was darkened for some time once the news of House Tenebri's Son dying made its way through the camp, but as the convoy made its return to Serapeum, the feelings of grief eventually passed. Over the first week of the trip, both Houses Tenebri and Mut shed their share of tears for their lost Son, with the members of House Mut who still held him in high regard vowing to take revenge on Kumarbi for killing him.

Mistress Adelin put on a strong face in public, though for the duration of the return trip she would only make rare appearances to give necessary orders to the convoy. Veil and the Andurunans commiserated with each other, sharing stories of their training sessions with Master Sef to honor his memory. The Master's guards eventually joined in with them, with each one sharing fond memories of the man who trained them.

Kamal had little to say about Master Sef, and focused on making a list of everything he would need to get back in order once he returned to his farm. His grumbling and note taking was only interrupted by Priya approaching him to spend time together. As for Nuha, she seemed to shy away from any sort of interaction, keeping to herself as the convoy eventually returned to Serapeum.

Zahra didn't have very much history with the Master besides the few times she fought alongside him, but she paid close attention to everything someone had to say about him during the return trip. With all of the accounts she could remember fresh in her mind, once the convoy made its way back to the city, she headed to the capitol temple to report back to Mitra.

When Zahra arrived in her Mistress's chambers, Mitra was sitting at her desk, scrawling in one of her many scrolls as if nothing was wrong. As she looked up from her work, the High Daughter spoke with a serenity that betrayed no sense of guilt.

"Ah, Zahra. I'm glad to see you have returned. You seem upset. Tell me, what seems to be troubling you?"

Zahra resisted the urge to glare, instead giving Mitra a lengthy bow. "I think you already know, Mistress."

"This is regarding the death of one of House Tenebri's members, isn't it? It wasn't Tenebri Veil, was it? I know you were quite close to her."

"No, it wasn't- Wait. I figured you already knew about it, but you don't even know who it was?"

"My predictions have always involved some measure of guesswork, my child. You should know that well enough. I am unfamiliar with House Tenebri, so I had little to work with besides 'one from the Obscure House will breathe their last, in a tomb of earth from the ancient past.'"

"One from the…" Zahra raised her head and stared at Mitra. "How long did you know about it, Mistress?"

"Long enough that I had come to the conclusion that you would serve Serapis's will better if you didn't know. Although, given your current irreverence, it seems I was in error."

"You thi- I, I mean, I think I understand, Mistress."

Mitra smiled. "I will forgive your outburst, Zahra. After all, death is often a catalyst for such strong emotions. But we've strayed from my original question. Who was it that met their end, if not our potential Obscured Star?"

"It was Tenebri Sef, the House's Son. I was going to tell you about everyone his death impacted, in both Houses Tenebri and Mut, but…"

"There will be no need for that, my child. The death of a Son of Serapis is a dire thing indeed, especially one who married into a new House. But in the grand scheme of things, it is a lesser concern, and we need not linger on it any longer. I also predicted you would learn more of the nightmares' plans during the contract. Tell me what you have learned regarding that."

Zahra felt a sinking feeling in her gut as Mitra spoke. Resisting every urge to keep talking about Master Sef's death, she began explaining everything she knew about the nightmares' plans. Her Mistress kept a calm demeanor throughout the explanation, up until the moment Zahra finished explaining what she learned about the plans in Bralgu.

"S-Serapis… I had my suspicions, but if the Nightmare God's coming truly means the return of Void…"

Mitra swiftly rose from her seat, startling Zahra. With a quick motion, she turned around and pulled an ornate scroll out from among the top shelves of her personal library.

"The prophecy. We'll need to devote even more attention to it. More Obscured Stars will be needed, as well as more Eastern Winds. If Serapeum is to have any hope of weathering the coming of something like Void…"

Zahra stared as Mitra frantically looked through her prophecy scroll. "Um, Mistress? Even if Void really is going to return, shouldn't we worry about the more immediate threats to Serapeum? I'm pretty sure whatever Kumarbi-"

"That nightmare is of no concern to us now, Zahra! With the return of Void on the horizon, even hypothetically, everything else is secondary! Hope must endure. And on that note, you still need an Eastern Wind to see you through the final part of the prophecy, and as for Tenebri Veil…" Mitra paused, and a smile slowly appeared on her face. "Yes… that will be the perfect way to get her Thrice Marked!"

"Mistress? What do you mean by that?"

"A few months from now. The coming feast day. If Tenebri Veil takes place in the tournament and performs well, she will earn a promotion to the Walker caste for sure! And even if she doesn't, Serapis will be there; She will surely see her and take a personal interest in seeing her promoted…"

Zahra stared at Mitra as she continued to pore through the scroll. The longer the High Daughter spoke, the feeling in Zahra's stomach only continued to worsen. In the midst of Mitra's ranting and planning, she was barely able to get a single word in.

"…know that there are plenty of promoted…"

"Mistress?"

"…take all of the Reaper Houses into account…"

"Mistress?"

"…Thrice Marked may not even mean castes…"

"Mistress Mitra…?"

"…perhaps an Obscured Star could even be her own Eastern Wind…"

"Mistress Mitra!"

Even shouting the Mistress's name seemed to have no effect. With no other recourse, Zahra activated her power and turned to leave Mitra's chambers. Her Mistress's voice calling her stopped her moments before she reached the door.

"Oh, Zahra? I know you're still here. When you get the chance, make sure to drop hints to House Tenebri that they should take part in the feast day tournament. Feel free to leave, I don't need your answer, there are so many other plans I must attend to…"

"…Yes, Mistress." Zahra muttered, certain it would have fallen on deaf ears even if she wasn't using her power. With nothing left to say, Zahra left Mitra to her plotting and stormed out of the temple.

Serapis, the Mistress can be the worst when it comes to things like this… Trying to pull all of these strings to handle imagined threats, ignoring the real ones… all because of that prophecy…

Wait… That might be it… Mistress Mitra's been clinging to the Obscured Star prophecy, like it's the most important thing she's ever written. But she just admitted that she doesn't have all the details…

If I could get my hands on that scroll, maybe I could give her a different interpretation…

But to do that, I'll need some help… And there's only a few people I'd trust with something like that…

Zahra nodded to herself as she left the temple. Turning a glance in the direction of the far-off Tenebri Estate, she headed down the steps of the pyramid, prepared to fulfill her Mistress's orders in her own way.

—

The Tenebri estate was a lot different now that the contract was over, Veil noticed. The funeral service for Master Sef was brief at Mistress Adelin's insistence, but a lingering atmosphere of gloom remained among the members of the House who didn't take part in the contract.

In the few days after the funeral, the Mistress returned to managing House Tenebri with few changes, though she was noticeably more somber during the House's prayer sessions. In the meantime, Master Mahir had wasted little time on his own grieving, taking his late Master's place overseeing the House's training exercises, in his own words "as Master Sef would have expected me to."

The Hand was a capable replacement for Master Sef in most cases of training, though his lack of a power made a huge amount of difference in the kinds of combat he could engage Veil in. On the other hand, Arc and Asma's inclusion in powered sparring matches kept her busy dealing with their higher mobility and defense respectively.

As it turned out, the two of them weren't the only Andurunans who had changed since the contract. Dom, who Veil had almost forgotten about, had managed to fulfill his Binding Offer to manage the farm in Kamal's absence. Kamal was completely incredulous at first, but Dom's explanation of the methods he used seemed to put him in the Walker's good graces, and as a result, Kamal even ended up referring to Dom as his most accomplished new Servant.

Naturally, the other Andurunans celebrated Dom's promotion, with Evan in particular asserting that he would be the next one to accomplish a Binding Offer for the House. Asma was eager to take him up on that bet, and the two of them pushed each other even harder in training as a result. Arc, still wary about having to get another tattoo, was content enough to spar with his friends without any plans for promotion.

Kamal remained the same brutal taskmaster that he always was, but now that he could delegate duties to Dom, he remained on his farm more often than not. Thankfully for Veil, this also meant his newfound romantic life consisting of occasional meetings with Priya never threatened to make its way to the estate.

Meanwhile, Dom made more regular appearances at the Tenebri Estate due to his new responsibilities as Kamal's Servant. A few days after the contract had been completed, as Veil was returning to the estate from a round of sparring, he approached her with a troubled look on his face.

"Hey, Veil? You're still getting lessons from Nuha, right?"

Veil tilted her head as she responded. "Y-yeah, why?"

"Well, I need her help. Master Kamal didn't really explain how she kept his notes organized, and if I have to ask him…"

"I think I get it. It's not that easy being his favorite Servant, is it?"

"Serapis, no. I thought it'd be easier now that I'm a Servant, but I still feel like I'm walking on eggshells just talking to the guy! Caste be damned, every time I see him pull that whip out…"

The moment her former master's whip was mentioned, Veil instinctively moved a hand to feel the scales on her back. "Yeah, I know how that feels. I can talk to Nuha for you, and see if I can get her to help you out some time!"

Dom smiled and raised a hand out to Veil. "You will? Thanks, Veil! I swear, you'll be saving my life!"

"Don't mention it," Veil said, taking Dom's hand. "I had to live with Kamal abusing me for my failures most of my life. The least I can do is keep him from having an excuse to do it to you."

"I appreciate it. I'd try to find her myself, but there's still so much to take care of… Shit, speaking of, I need to get back to the farm! Thanks again, Veil!"

Dom gave Veil another smile before rushing off in the direction of the farm. Veil smiled as she watched him leave, then frowned as she considered his request.

If he hadn't been so busy, Dom wouldn't have had to look very hard to find Nuha, but that was the least of the problem. Ever since the contract, Nuha had been distant from the rest of the House. In the days that followed their return, she had been hiding away in her hut and refusing to see anyone outside of her scheduled lessons. Even Mistress Adelin had been unable to have a proper conversation with her.

But the idea of Kamal punishing Dom just because he didn't know about Nuha's organization methods left a bad taste in Veil's mouth. Feeling her back again and remembering the many times the Walker had flayed it for lesser mistakes, Veil started heading in the direction of Nuha's hut.

As the day-moon was just beginning to lower and the evening began, Veil arrived at Nuha's hut. Making her way in, she noticed it was completely dark on the inside. Veil activated her power and summoned a plasma ball to illuminate the room, gasping as she saw what was inside.

"Nuha!?"

Nuha was slumped against the rear wall of the hut, staring at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes. A lone, unlit oil lamp sat by her side. All over the ground, a number of scrolls had been unfurled. A quick glance revealed that they contained lists of various interpretations of the Precepts of Serapis.

Veil quickly rushed over to Nuha's side, giving her a hug. "Nuha, are you okay? What have you been doing in here?"

"V-Veil?" Nuha said, straining against Veil's hug. "Y-you can't, Veil. I don't deserve…"

"What you don't deserve is to beat yourself up like this! This is about Master Sef, isn't it?"

"I… I got him killed, Veil… All because I went into the mine… All for these questions that won't go away…"

"You went down there because Kumarbi made you do it! He got into your head and made you-"

"Veil," Nuha said, pushing her away. "Kumarbi didn't make me do anything! I had… I had these doubts… If he did anything, he made it easier for me to act on them…"

"Doubts?" Veil looked around at the scrolls littering the ground. "You mean, about the Precepts?"

"About Serapis. Back when the metal nightmare called Her a traitor, I couldn't stop thinking about it…"

"You couldn't… Nuha, it was lying! It was trying to upset us by saying that!"

Nuha gave Veil a stern look. "Was it, Veil? Was it? That nightmare had so many layers of compulsion on it, I don't think it could've lied if it wanted to!"

"It… That… It must've been something that…"

"Don't try to think of some reason around it, I already tried. I just can't shake this… this doubt. I've been looking through the Precepts for some sort of explanation, but I can't find anything! And the worst part is, I think I know why…"

Veil paled. "Y-you… you can't mean…"

"Serapis wrote the Precepts. She chooses what we can and can't learn. Who can read, who can write, it's all according to Her will. What if… What if She really did betray the nightmares somehow, and we never knew about it because She-"

Veil's hand struck Nuha's face before she could even realize what she was doing. As Nuha recovered from the slap and turned her eyes up to her, Veil felt her own eyes filling with tears.

"Nuha, listen to yourself! Serapis is our Goddess! She loves us! She would never do something like that!"

"V…Veil…"

Veil turned towards the hut's door. "I just wanted to tell you that Dom was looking for you. But now… I think you were right to stop talking to everyone."

"Veil… I thought… Why couldn't you…"

A whirring sound made Veil pause for only a second before reaching for the cover over the hut's door. With tears trailing down her face, she began to push it aside-

~ Veil! Please, just listen to me! ~

The voice was clearly Nuha's, but Veil heard it as if it was one of her own thoughts. She turned her head slowly to face her, and nearly canceled her power out at what she saw.

Over Nuha's head, a brilliant yellow halo was glowing. While Veil could only gape at the sight, Nuha could hardly contain her surprise.

"I… Did Serapis really…"

~ She gave me a power? Why? How? After everything, all my doubts, She still gave me one? What does this mean? I don't deserve something like this! After getting Master Sef killed, how could I- ~

"N-Nuha?" Veil said, rubbing her head. "Is this your power? I… I think I'm hearing everything you're thinking…"

Nuha looked up at Veil and gasped. "Veil! I, I'm sorry, this is just too much! I can't even begin to imagine why Serapis would bless me like this!"

"I think I have a few ideas," a familiar voice said just to Veil's side. "And if Serapis is willing to give a power to someone with that much doubt in Her, I think She has bigger plans for us than I thought."

Moments later, Veil's mind caught up with her, and she spoke up. "Zahra? How long were you- Wait, what do you mean, bigger plans for us? And what are you doing here, anyway?"

~ Not just Zahra… Arc's with her too… ~

As Nuha's thoughts continued to crawl into her mind, Veil noticed Arc standing just behind Zahra.

"Arc?"

Arc waved to Veil weakly as she stared at him. "Zahra said we needed to talk. It's something important that involves both of us, and I think I know at least some of what she needs to tell you."

"Arc… Zahra… You've been keeping some kind of secret from me?"

Zahra nodded, then looked down. "Yeah. I'm sorry, but I couldn't let anyone know about it. Arc's the only other person I've ever told. I had to tell him because… we made a deal. Nuha, I promised Arc I'd keep your writing lessons a secret, and told him my secret so the deal would be fair."

Nuha looked down. "You… you mean you knew I've been violating the Precepts this whole time?"

"To be fair, with her power, it's kind of hard to hide anything from her. As for why she used it to find that out, it's… it would be better if Zahra explained it." Arc turned to Zahra and looked her in the eyes. "You did promise me that you would, after all."

"Arc's right, I promised him I'd let you know when you needed to know. And right now, before I tell you what I'm really here for, you need to know."

Veil gave Zahra and Arc a long stare before speaking again. "Alright. If you had to hide something from me, I trust that you had a good reason to hide it. Both of you."

Zahra smiled. "Thanks, Veil. And I… I'm sorry. I really should have told you about this sooner…"

Nuha turned her gaze towards Zahra. "And what about me? Even with the writing lessons wrapped up in this, isn't your secret something only Veil needs to know about?"

"Honestly, Nuha? I think it might be a little late for that. And besides, you getting a power from Serapis, now of all times? If anything, I think it's a sign that you need to know about this too."

"I… I guess that makes sense…"

"So, what's the secret? What have you been hiding from us this whole time?"

Zahra sighed and vanished for a brief moment, only to appear once again in the middle of the room with her power active after the moment had passed.

"I'll be honest, even though you deserve to know, it's hard just coming out and saying it. Goes against almost everything I've been trained to do. But at least with my power, we don't have to worry about anyone else listening in."

Veil stared at Zahra. Nuha's halo faded away as she did the same. Arc gave Zahra a nod. Zahra let out a deep breath, taking a few more excruciatingly long seconds before she spoke again.

"Veil, Nuha, I'm an Eye of Serapis."