The stars above the Academy pulsed in crimson tones, as if the sky itself were holding its breath.
Lady Asvalira stood before Ligia, arms crossed, the wine glass replaced by something more dangerous — expectation.
"You've done well so far" she said flatly
"Too well in fact"
Ligia arched a brow, suspicious
"You're... punishing me for getting things right?"
"I'm testing whether what you got right came from instinct or understanding"
She snapped her fingers
The arcane circle beneath Ligia's feet pulsed, expanding into a new formation. Lines of silver and red snaked across the floor like veins from an ancient heart.
"Before we move on to the deeper Orders of the Vampiric Domain you'll undergo a Conclusion Trial. A practical test of what you've absorbed so far"
Ligia sighed
"Can I at least get a mystical snack first? Something enchanted and emotionally comforting?"
"No. You get silence and pressure" Asvalira replied without blinking
"Which frankly feeds more than most noble banquets"
Another snap
The floating platform shifted
Pillars of translucent obsidian emerged from the edges, each inscribed with sigils of forgotten bloodlines. Between them, shadows moved — illusions maybe, or echoes of memories that still knew how to bite.
"Your task is simple" said Asvalira, walking slowly
"You will cross the Hall of Echoes. Each figure you encounter will carry a trace — a lie an emotion a hidden truth. Your job is to identify all three. For each one"
Ligia blinked
"That's... a lot"
"That's why it's a trial"
Asvalira stopped, staring into her eyes
"And no help from the system. I've blocked it temporarily"
A beep echoed faintly across the astral plane
"That's educational cruelty" complained the system from afar
"Silence cat" Asvalira shot back
Ligia smiled at the edge of her mouth despite everything
"So I walk through a corridor of magical emotional landmines and guess what each hides. How many are there?"
"Seven" said Asvalira calmly
"One for each blood moon the d'Argêntea House has witnessed since its founding"
"That's excessive symbolism"
"I'm a vampire professor. Excessive symbolism is in the contract"
The first portal shimmered open
A figure appeared — tall masked draped in imperial robes. Its presence radiated arrogance and serenity in equal measure.
"Begin" said Lady Asvalira disappearing into the shadows like silk slipping away
Ligia took a deep breath
She moved forward slowly
Closed her eyes
And searched for what could not be seen
Searched with blood
And then it came
The scent of old gold and burned silk
Emotion: Pride
Lie: Forgiveness
Truth: Envy
She exhaled
"Next"
The figure dissolved like smoke. Another stepped in
Younger. Quicker. Smiling
But the heartbeat behind the smile... hesitated
Ligia didn't wait
Emotion: Fascination
Lie: Loyalty
Truth: Fear
So she continued
One by one
Through shadows and pulses
Scents and layers of intent
Crimson light pulsed under Ligia's feet as the final sequence of the trial formed. Lady Asvalira watched from the edge, arms crossed, the wine glass forgotten in midair
Her voice rang out — clear and measured like a verdict
"Seventh figure. Final projection. Prepare yourself"
Ligia stood at the center, eyes half-closed, breathing controlled. She had deciphered six illusory presences — each more complex than the last. Blood intent truth and lie… all of it spoke to her
But when the seventh figure emerged from the circle of arcane mist… something inside her stopped
The air shifted
Not like power
But like memory
The scent came before the form. Warm coffee. Cheap jasmine shampoo. Clothes washed by hand and dried on a crooked line. A scent that would never exist in Solarys. Never
And then... she saw her
The woman
Dark hair in a messy bun. Years in her under-eyes. Fragile hands holding a grocery bag. A smile that wasn't happy — just habit
Her mother
Not the mother of the Carmesim lineage
But the one from the other life
The first life
The old Ligia froze
"No..." she whispered without realizing
Lady Asvalira narrowed her eyes. The system materialized soundlessly above the scene, alarmed
"She's losing focus" the system warned quietly
But Ligia no longer heard
The woman's scent was exact. The subtle pulse. Even the weary sigh when she bent her arm... perfect
It wasn't a magical illusion
It was pure memory, revived through blood
"Mom...?"
The figure didn't respond. Just looked at her — that same tired gaze from bus stops at 6 a.m. as the world passed by
Ligia took a step forward
The mist shifted
"You... shouldn't be here" she whispered voice trembling
The domain faltered
The crimson light beneath her feet flickered
Her senses collapsed for a moment. Too many scents. Too many voices. Wetness in her eyes. Something... breaking
The system said nothing. Just watched
Lady Asvalira tensed. She was about to intervene
But Ligia... knelt
Her hands touched the warm floor of the circle. Her shoulders shook. Her breath caught in her throat
And from within the ache she whispered
"This... is still part of the trial right?"
Silence
The woman's figure began to unravel. First the eyes then the scent the sound the warmth. As if the world refused to hold her longer than a moment
Ligia raised her head
The tears didn't fall
But they were there
Tight behind her eyes
She stood slowly
Her gaze steadied
Lady Asvalira breathed in slowly
The trial was complete
"Seven figures. Seven manifestations of blood" she murmured
"And you finished. Still standing"
Ligia glanced around. The circle was beginning to fade
"That one..." she said hoarsely
"Was the last figure right?"
Lady Asvalira walked toward her
Stopped just a few steps away
"It was"
Ligia nodded with a faint melancholic smile. Her eyes still red. But firm
Asvalira studied her for a long second
Then spoke with no irony
"Go rest. You conquered something... older than this lesson"
Ligia didn't reply
But as she walked out of the circle, slowly, she thought to herself
"I shouldn't have felt that much. But... maybe I need to remember that I still feel"
The system hovered beside Asvalira
The professor whispered to it
"That... was beyond the domain. She collided with a piece of herself. And didn't break"
The cat-system yawned softly, but his voice was low and respectful
"She's an emotional anomaly with strategic elegance. A bomb gift-wrapped"
Asvalira folded her arms
"A genius. Who doesn't know she is"