Chapter 131: Knowledge Is Power

No sooner had Fenrir stepped away than Blanche instinctively turned toward Kiyan.

She didn't even think.

Her body decided before her mind did.

She slipped into his arms, burying her face against his neck with a deep sigh, while the Shah's arms immediately closed around her.

Naturally.

As though they had repeated this gesture hundreds of times.

His hand slowly traveled up her back before gently stroking her hair with infinite tenderness. He didn't try to question her or distract her. He simply stayed there—still, solid—letting his woody, musky scent, his warmth, and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat accomplish what words never could.

Blanche closed her eyes.

She had been deeply moved by Fenrir's gesture.

The wolf god possessed an immense, almost protective tenderness that made her feel as though nothing could ever harm her as long as he stood by her side.

But Kiyan's arms...

They were different.

They had become her home.

The place where her breathing naturally found its rhythm again, where the tension finally left her shoulders, where every worry seemed just a little less important.

Fenrir protected her like a queen.

Kiyan simply loved her like a woman.

And at that moment...

That was exactly what she needed.

Damn...

With everything that had happened, Blanche realized she hadn't even noticed the color of Ra's shoes.

But the story was far from over.

"Derek was Pierre's prisoner for years before I managed to save him, thanks to the notes you left me," Kiyan continued. "You knew exactly where and when I needed to intervene so I wouldn't lose my freedom in the process. That vampire is a scourge upon humanity. And even if Sebastian changed his name, he's still Vlad the Impaler."

"The real Dracula."

"Never forget that."

Blanche nodded.

"I'll do everything I can to become stronger. I won't let him—"

"Yes, you will," Kiyan interrupted. "And all of us know it. He won't lay a finger on our son."

His words echoed like a solemn promise.

Once she had recovered, she left her teacher, who had to head home, and returned to her dormitory.

The moment the bedroom door clicked shut behind her, her mind began racing once more.

The idea of visiting the Ardachirs to uncover more secrets about her future adventures wasn't merely one of her better ideas.

It was the best one.

The more she thought about it, the more obvious it became.

That afternoon's revelations had shaken her enough.

Learning entire pieces of her own future in the middle of a conversation—while everyone else seemed to know them except her—was becoming genuinely irritating.

She hated always being the last person informed about her own life.

She wanted to understand.

Everything.

Without exception.

Above all, she refused to let another conversation like that happen again.

After all...

She had left behind an entire library.

A library.

Filled with notebooks, journals, notes, and probably hundreds of clues left behind by her future self.

Surely they weren't meant to gather dust while she continued stumbling through the dark.

Besides...

She had accomplished the most important thing.

Her Level Ten mission was complete.

She had earned a little rest.

Well...

Her own very personal version of rest.

For Blanche, relaxing now meant reading the writings of her future self, writing her own, taking a swim in the crystal-clear waters surrounding her manor, and ending the day on a terrace with a cocktail prepared by Cassian.

There were probably more conventional hobbies.

But certainly not more enjoyable ones.

Only one detail remained.

Kiyan.

She certainly wasn't going to show up at his house if her husband wasn't present in the Otherworld.

His alter ego was probably asleep.

So she discreetly summoned Phénix in the communal bathroom.

Fortunately, Eva had her headphones firmly planted over her ears. Otherwise, Blanche would have had to leave the water running just to cover the noise.

The demon appeared with the effortless elegance that seemed second nature to him, his hands tucked into his pockets and an amused smile already on his lips.

"You're about to ask me for another favor," he guessed.

"You know me too well."

"That's concerning."

Blanche immediately clasped her hands together, flashing him her sweetest innocent smile.

"Could you just make a quick trip to the Otherworld and check whether Aaron's home?"

"Just."

"Yes."

"So... crossing between two worlds just to satisfy your curiosity."

"Exactly."

He sighed with perfectly theatrical resignation.

"How are you bribing me this time?"

Blanche thought for a second.

"I'll give you half of my meals this week."

"Two weeks," he countered.

"Deal."

He disappeared before she could add another word.

A few minutes later, he returned wearing a satisfied smile.

"He's there."

Perfect.

Phase two of her plan could officially begin.

She spent the rest of the evening behaving with almost exemplary normalcy.

She had dinner with Eva.

Chatted about this and that.

Finished a few assignments.

Yawned at exactly the right moment.

Wished her best friend good night...

Then waited.

For a long time.

A very long time.

Eventually, silence settled over the dormitory.

Blanche waited a few more minutes, until she heard Eva's deep, steady breathing.

She smiled in the darkness.

First step.

Success.

With the stealth of a thief—which, technically speaking, was becoming an ability she seemed to be developing whether she wanted to or not—she slipped a warm coat over her pajamas, grabbed her bag and shoes, and left the room without making the slightest creak.

The hallway was deserted.

The dorm supervisors were making their rounds on the opposite side of the building.

Perfect.

She descended the stairs, crossed the academy courtyard bathed in the pale glow of the streetlamps, and slipped through the gates without attracting anyone's attention.

Sneaking out was becoming almost routine.

Which was probably a very bad sign.

A few minutes later, a taxi pulled up beside her.

"Where to?" the driver asked, clearly accustomed to all kinds of passengers.

Blanche gave him the Ardachirs' address.

Then she leaned against the window as the city's lights slowly drifted by beneath the winter sky.

Every mile brought her closer to one thing.

The truth.

Standing outside Kiyan's bedroom, however, her confidence faltered.

The man wasn't snoring.

There was no choice.

She had to open the door to make sure he was there.

As though she weren't already dying to see him one more time...

As though she didn't know he slept under a spell that made waking impossible.

She slipped inside, using her phone as a flashlight, and quietly watched him sleep.

Perfectly still.

He was naked.

Fortunately, the thick comforter reached all the way up to his chest, revealing little more than his bare torso. His dark curls rested against Blanche's pillow, which was just as pink as Eva's.

She smiled at the unexpected adorableness of it.

She quietly took a picture without his knowledge before leaving the room.

That one...

She intended to treasure.

Then she headed downstairs to the study, feeling unexpectedly lighthearted, and stepped through the mirror without a moment's hesitation.