Chapter 96: Shadows and Shelter
Theme: Safety and Stability
The gentle glow of the setting sun bathed the Gremory estate in golden light as Gasper Vladi stepped hesitantly onto its grounds for the first time.
Clad in a simple robe too large for his frail frame, his eyes darted between every shadow, every movement, his body flinching at the softest of sounds. The memories of his captivity were still raw—etched into his mind like scars too deep for magic to heal.
Rias Gremory knelt before him, her expression one of careful warmth. "You're safe now, Gasper. This is your home. No one will hurt you here."
Beside her, Sirzechs Lucifer offered a nod of reassurance. Protective enchantments shimmered faintly in the air, forming a net of powerful wards specifically tuned to his aura. "We'll take things slow," Rias added, guiding him inside.
The Gremory household, known for its openness and acceptance, moved delicately around Gasper. The maids avoided sudden movements, and the tutors assigned to him came with patient smiles and soft voices. For days, Gasper said little. He rarely ate and refused to sleep in the dark.
Volundr observed it all from afar, seated atop a high balcony overlooking the estate's courtyard. His arms were crossed, his expression unreadable. Gasper's condition stirred no joy in him—only cold calculations and silent concern.
"He still jumps at echoes," Seraphina remarked, joining Volundr with a steaming cup of herbal tea. "Are you worried?"
"I'm ensuring he becomes what he's meant to be," Volundr replied flatly.
"But if that past chains him, he'll break before he grows."
He flipped through his notes in the war journal, where a profile marked Gasper Vladi: Potential Bishop was accompanied by scribbled annotations—Time stop instincts,untapped spatial compression, and beneath it, Potential requires healing.
Later that night, Gasper found himself in a room filled with books. Rias had assigned it as a study, a place where he could lose himself in fiction and history alike. As he hesitantly reached for a dusty tome on Devil bloodlines, he paused, sensing someone watching him.
Through a crack in the doorway, Volundr's eyes met his. He said nothing, offered no greeting. Just a nod—and then vanished into the corridor's shadow.
Gasper didn't know what it meant. But for the first time, he felt the tiniest flicker of something he hadn't felt in years.
Stability.
And in that stability, a seed of strength was planted.