Chapter 11 – New Paths
The bustling noise echoed through the entrances and exits of Brunne. The young students of Sainte-Coline University cheerfully obeyed the ringing of the bell that signaled their break. The day was sunny, the cold had subsided, and the pleasant weather invited them to relax on the grass.
A restless man with golden hair approached Adrianna and Anna, who were sitting under the shade of a tree, enjoying their lunch.
"Excuse me, do you know anything about Nasai?" the young man asked.
"Who are you, and why are you looking for her?" Adrianna countered suspiciously.
"Ah, of course! I'm sorry. My name is Nick. I'm an acquaintance of her family. I know she's been feeling unwell recently, and I haven't seen her for a while, so I was worried…"
"She hasn't shown up for several days," replied the cheerful Anna, blushing as she noticed the handsome man standing before them.
Nick's heart skipped a beat, a dreadful certainty gripping him. He was sure something had happened to her. For days now, he had been unable to sense her as before, as if she were fading into the distance, slipping away from this world. But what could he do?
━━━━━━???━━━━━━
Simultaneously, on the outskirts of the city, within the office dimmed by heavy curtains that blocked the sunlight from entering, Devon and his company gathered.
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"Why can’t we just go straight for them?" Ben growled through clenched teeth at his boss.
"Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother keeping you alive," Devon retorted, questioning his subordinate’s impulsive behavior.
"What do you want us to do from now on?" Virus asked calmly.
"We must get Kassandra at any cost. Get in touch with him," Devon ordered.
"But how? He’s… a bit…" Venus interjected nervously.
"Did you say something?" Devon snapped, displeased.
"We’ll do as you wish," Virus confirmed, silencing his sister with a firm look.
━━━━━━???━━━━━━
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Sorine, the two young people remained embraced, silently sharing the profound feelings they were struggling to keep hidden. Yuna shielded herself with the excuse of weakness, convincing herself it was just a difficult moment and she needed someone to console her. Vincent, on the other hand, knew he had a mission: to protect her from any harm.
"As my mistress and guide, I swear I won’t let anything happen to you or your sister," he said, easing away from the embrace, though still remaining just a few inches from her face.
That intoxicating scent, those strong hands holding her waist firmly, transported Yuna to forgotten places, to moments unknown yet filled with warmth and tenderness. Her body froze, overwhelmed by a whirlwind of indescribable emotions. For a fleeting moment, she felt as though she were no longer herself.
"Vincent…" Yuna, the elder of the Nakama sisters, whispered his name softly, her eyes briefly glowing a vivid scarlet.
"Kassandra?"
"Kassandra?" Yuna echoed, snapping back to reality. "What are you doing so close? You pervert!"
Yuna Nakama was unaware that, for a fraction of a moment, her dominant consciousness had vanished, her body taken over by someone else. She only saw the man inches from her face, startled by her abrupt shift in demeanor. She pushed him away, accusing him of something he hadn’t done.
"Pervert? I can’t with you," Vincent replied irritably, straightening his clothes. "I still don’t understand why Kassandra chose you as her host. You’re nothing alike."
The young man sighed in frustration, flashing a wry smile as he walked toward the door. Just steps from the exit, he paused.
"You need to prepare yourself," he said, his eyes fixed on the door. "From now on, your life won’t be the same. But I’ll be here to protect you… I swear it."
