When the trio entered Alex’s room, Eliria immediately settled into a soft armchair, and the little girl, like a bouncing ball, instantly hopped onto her lap. Alex sat across from them, leaning slightly forward, and gently ran his hand through the girl’s light hair. She responded at once with a warm, sincere smile.

  "How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

  "Everything’s fine!" the girl replied cheerfully. "While brother was asleep, everyone was very kind to me. They fed me, took care of me... But I spent the most time with my sister!" She nestled closer to Eliria, hugging her gently around the waist.

  "Brother?.. Sister?.." Alex muttered in surprise, shifting his gaze from the girl to Eliria, hoping for some kind of explanation. But before she could say anything, Mireya eagerly answered herself:

  "Yes! Brother Alex and sister Eliria!" she declared with unwavering confidence, smiling again.

  Alex turned his confused gaze to Eliria. She simply gave a sly smile in return, then gently turned the girl’s face toward her.

  "That’s right. It’s just that brother hasn’t fully woken up yet. That’s why he’s surprised."

  The little one leaned forward slightly and looked at Alex with a sad expression.

  "You don’t want to be my brother?.."

  Alex’s pupils widened. His jaw almost dropped, and he threw an almost pleading look at Eliria. But this time she looked serious, as if to say, “Don’t even think about upsetting her.” Alex took a deep breath, gently placed his hand on the girl’s head, and, gathering himself, said:

  "Forgive me if I was rude. Of course I’m your brother. And I’m very glad to be."

  The girl smiled and hugged him tightly around the neck. Eliria, watching this, smiled tenderly and gave a barely noticeable nod.

  "What’s your name?" Alex asked quietly when the girl loosened her embrace a little.

  "Mireya!" she answered proudly. "That’s the name mother gave me."

  "A beautiful name," Alex said sincerely. "And who is your mother?"

  "She’s... a kind lady. Everyone at ‘Ray of Hope’ calls her mother. She takes care of all the children. We’re her family."

  "I see," Alex nodded, exchanging a brief look with Eliria. "You mentioned that you wanted to help them. Now that I’ve come to my senses, my sister and I are ready too."

  "Yes!" Eliria quickly supported him. "So tell us—how can we help?"

  Mireya lowered her gaze and folded her hands in her lap.

  "I don’t know... Mother didn’t have time to explain anything. She just told me to run—as far as I could. She gave me a ring that makes me invisible and said not to look back..."

  The girl’s eyes began to glisten again. Alex picked her up into his arms and softly comforted her.

  "Everything’s going to be all right, Mireya. We’ll find your mother and help her."

  She gave a quiet sob, but didn’t cry anymore—only clung tighter to Alex.

  "One more thing," he added gently. "Can you tell us anything about the men you were running from the day we met?"

  "They were mean uncles..." the girl whispered. "They often made Mother cry. But one time... I heard them arguing. They were saying something about some Duke Lorenzo de Carvalho... They said they didn’t understand why he needed those orphans..."

  "Duke Lorenzo de Carvalho..." Alex repeated quietly, committing the name to memory. "Thank you, Mireya. That was very helpful."

  "I’m glad I could help!" the girl smiled, though already a bit sleepily.

  "You probably need some rest."

  "Mmm..." she yawned, nodded, and leaned her head on Alex’s shoulder.

  He carefully carried her to the bed, tucked her in with a blanket, and whispered:

  "Sweet dreams, little one."

  She was already asleep.

  Alex straightened up and met Eliria’s gaze. She was silently watching him. He nodded toward the balcony.

  "Come on. Let’s talk out there. We shouldn’t disturb her."

  She stood up carefully, gave the sleeping girl one last glance, and, without saying a word, followed him.

  Alex and Eliria stepped out onto the balcony. The air was filled with a scent of freshness, and a cool breeze gently stirred their hair. The girl leaned her elbows on the railing, looking out over the cozy courtyard, and was the first to break the silence.

  "Don’t tell me you really don’t know how to deal with children?"

  Alex smiled sheepishly, running a hand over the back of his head.

  "Apparently not. When Mireya called me her brother, I just... froze. I didn’t even know what to say."

  Eliria laughed, glancing at him.

  "For kids, that’s perfectly normal. They often do that—call older people their brothers or sisters when they start to trust them. Isn’t it sweet?"

  "I’ll keep that in mind..." Alex replied, briefly lowering his gaze. But the girl was already smiling again.

  "All the time we spent together in the dungeons..." she said with a warm touch of humor, "and I’ve never seen that expression on your face before. That was confusion… and a little panic. Are children scarier to you than monsters?"

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "Very funny," Alex replied with sarcasm. "I would’ve expected a jab like that more from Lianel than from you."

  "Oh, sorry," she said, unable to hold back a laugh. "You just looked so adorably lost in the moment, I could barely keep from laughing right then. Now I understand why Lianel enjoys teasing everyone so much. It’s... actually kind of nice."

  She waved one hand in front of her and covered her mouth with the other, trying to suppress a genuine laugh. Alex just shook his head, watching her with barely concealed amusement.

  "I promise I won’t do it again… at least not in front of others," she added more seriously.

  Alex gave a theatrical bow.

  "Thank you for your mercy, noble lady."

  And inwardly, he couldn’t help but smile. This was the real Eliria—sincere, vibrant, alive. Just the way he remembered her.

  When he straightened up again, Eliria was already watching him intently.

  "You know," she began softly, "I won’t tell anyone what I saw in the dungeon. I promise. And like your family, I won’t pry if you don’t want to talk. But..."

  She paused, smiling slightly and turning her gaze to the side.

  "But it’s hard to contain my curiosity. I’ve seen your strength more than once, and I noticed that with every new raid, you were gradually growing stronger. That was normal—we were all getting stronger. But what you showed in that cave… it wasn’t even close to anything I’ve ever seen you do before. I won’t question you about it, but you should know—I still really want to understand what’s going on."

  Alex nodded calmly and stepped closer. His voice was warm.

  "I get it. If I were in your place, I’d be dying of curiosity too."

  He glanced out at the distant treetops, then looked back at her.

  "I can’t tell you everything. It’s not just my story… But some things—I can share. And it won’t make anything worse."

  Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she nearly bounced on the spot.

  "Then I’m ready to listen. Whatever you’re willing to tell me—I’ll hear it."

  Alex sighed lightly and leaned back against the cold balcony railing. His gaze drifted across the sky, where the first hints of evening were starting to show.

  "I think the thing you’re most curious about is this: where did my dark magic come from," he began in an even tone. "The truth is pretty simple. I was trained by Miss Krul."

  Eliria’s eyes widened immediately, but she said nothing, letting him continue.

  "I became her student during my first month at the Academy. From then on, we would meet from time to time for lessons. At first, she helped me form a core of pure darkness. Then—she guided me in creating new mana channels throughout my body. That part was the hardest. And the least fun."

  Alex smiled faintly, as if remembering something unpleasant, but important.

  "After that... things got a little easier. We moved on to controlling darkness. At first, of course, it was tough—just like it had been with blood. Darkness is similar to blood magic on a basic level, but it has a huge number of its own quirks. Once I figured out the fundamentals, the rest was just practice. I watched Lilith in the dungeons, picked up techniques, analyzed them. Then trained on my own. And little by little... I learned to cast real spells."

  Eliria listened carefully, a trace of admiration in her eyes.

  "Nine months…" Alex continued. "That’s how long I trained. And while I’m still far from perfect, according to Krul herself, the results are—phenomenal."

  "Wait," Eliria interrupted. "But Krul doesn’t take students unless they’re demons. How did you, a vampire, become her first pupil?"

  Alex rubbed his cheek guiltily, flashing a sly grin.

  "That wasn’t me. It was all Elizabeth. She arranged the meeting with Krul. They’re friends, and I guess Krul just… took pity on me. Or maybe she gave in to a request. I don’t know. But from the very first lesson, I had to prove I was worth her time. Otherwise… I don’t think she would’ve continued."

  "So," Eliria summed up with a smile, "besides incredible determination, you also got lucky. If it weren’t for Elizabeth, none of this would’ve happened?"

  "Exactly," Alex nodded. "Without her, I wouldn’t have had the chance."

  Eliria let out a soft laugh and placed her hands on the railing.

  "Well, that’s one question down," she said with relief. "And I’m glad you trusted me."

  Alex nodded, his gaze warming.

  "And what’s your second question?"

  He smiled gently as Eliria, frowning slightly, looked at him from under her brows.

  "Alright," she said, crossing her arms. "Now tell me the truth. What’s your actual level?"

  "I already told you—sixty-six," Alex replied with a grin.

  "I’m serious," she said, not joking. "You heard what Gabriel said. What you did in the dungeon—no one else at level sixty-six could’ve pulled that off. I think the same. I’ve never heard of any artifact or spell that could hide someone’s real level. So either you found a way to conceal it, or…" she paused, looking him straight in the eyes, "or there’s something different about you."

  Alex sighed and looked out at the horizon, then back at Eliria.

  "I might disappoint you here. I’m not masking anything. My level really is sixty-six."

  "But…" she hesitated, searching for words.

  "There is a ‘but,’" he confirmed. "For… certain reasons I can’t explain, I’ve been stronger than others from the very beginning. Literally—from level one."

  "How much stronger?" she asked softly but seriously.

  "By sixty-seven levels."

  Eliria touched her lips, thinking for a few seconds. Then, stunned, she said:

  "So… if you started at an effective level of sixty-seven, and now you’ve added sixty-six more… that makes your actual level one hundred thirty-three?"

  "Exactly," Alex confirmed briefly.

  Eliria fell silent for a moment. Her gaze grew focused, almost tense. Then she said:

  "If you ever reach level one hundred… your true level would be one sixty-seven. That…" she swallowed, "that would automatically make you the strongest person on the entire continent. Though honestly, you already are—the rest is just a matter of time."

  Alex didn’t answer. He just sighed quietly.

  "Why do you need such power?" she whispered, as if afraid to disturb something sacred.

  "It’s better if you don’t know," Alex replied gently but firmly. "And I ask you not to push. It’s… for your own good. Someday, I’ll tell you everything. But not now."

  Eliria was silent for a few seconds, just looking at him. Then she nodded and said in her usual tone:

  "Alright. Thanks for at least answering those two questions. That’s enough for now. There’s already so much to take in… I need time to process it."

  "I appreciate your understanding," Alex said softly.

  Eliria stepped closer to him and, unexpectedly, leaned into him, resting her face against his chest.

  "I don’t know what happened to you," she said quietly. "But whatever it is… please remember, you can count on me. I won’t ask you awkward questions anymore. But I’ll always be here. So just promise me you’ll remember that."

  Alex wrapped his arms around her and whispered:

  "I promise."

  "And one more thing," she added, pressing herself even closer to him. "Promise me that you’ll always be careful. And that you’ll come back from the dungeons in one piece. Without serious injuries."

  "You mean without a scratch?" he asked with a smile. "Can you imagine how hard that’s going to be?"

  "Promise me," she repeated sternly, giving him no room to wriggle out of it.

  Alex simply exhaled heavily, giving in.

  "Alright. I promise."

  Another promise flashed through his mind. "I’ve said words like that before. But back then, I couldn’t keep them. This time—it will be different. This time, I can protect us both."

  A moment later, Eliria slowly stepped back from Alex and looked him in the eyes with a gentle smile.

  "I should head home," she said quietly. "You know—your party’s starting soon, and I still need to get ready."

  Alex nodded, not hiding his warm smile.

  "Will you be alright here with Mireya?" she asked, nodding toward the bedroom.

  "Don’t worry," he replied, "I’ll manage. I’ll try to behave like the model brother."

  Eliria laughed and, already halfway to the door, joked:

  "When I get back, I’ll definitely check if the brother was well-behaved while his sister was away."

  Alex just shook his head in mock despair.

  "If you’re leaving," he said, "you’d better go downstairs and say goodbye to everyone. Otherwise, they’ll definitely take it personally."

  Eliria puffed out her cheeks, crossing her arms theatrically.

  "I wasn’t going to sneak out without saying goodbye!" she exclaimed with mock indignation.

  That made Alex burst into genuine laughter. His laugh, warm and full of life, instantly lifted the mood. Smiling, they left the balcony together and descended the stairs to the first floor, heading for the kitchen.