The blood-soaked streets of Havenmere were silent now, the clash of steel and cries of the fallen reduced to a heavy, suffocating stillness. The lingering scent of blood clung to the air, carried on the morning wind as the sun finally rose over the distant cliffs.
Tsukasa stood at the edge of the ruined square, his magenta coat torn, but his expression as unreadable as ever. He gazed up at the sun with a faint smirk.
"Oh look… it's day," he muttered, raising a hand as the golden light bathed the bloodstained stones. "If I was a vampire, this should've killed me. But I'm not."
Elara let out a small, tired laugh from beside him, wiping grime from her cheek with the back of her hand.
Lumi approached them slowly, her cloak streaked with ash and her face pale. She'd spent most of the battle pulling civilians from the wreckage and shielding the wounded with hastily cast barriers. Now, her hands trembled — not from fear, but from exhaustion.
"You always joke like that?" she asked Tsukasa softly.
He tilted his head. "Only when things start getting fun."
But there was something in Lumi's eyes — a shadow deeper than the horrors they'd just survived. Elara caught it too and stepped closer.
"Lumi," Elara said gently, "what's wrong?"
For a moment, Lumi hesitated. Then she looked at the rising sun, her voice quieter than before.
"I used to live in a city like this," Lumi began. "A long time ago… before the last demon purge. Before the Holy Orders started labeling every non-human with suspicion."
Elara's expression softened. She'd never heard Lumi speak of her past.
"My village was in the southern isles," Lumi continued. "We weren't fighters — we were healers. My mother… she was a priestess. Taught me how to use light magic, how to help people. But when the Holy Orders came, they claimed we were hiding demons, accused my mother of witchcraft. Burned our home to the ground."
Her voice wavered, but she forced herself to continue.
"I survived because my mother made me run. And I swore… I swore I'd never let anyone like them decide who deserves to live."
Elara touched Lumi's arm. "That's why you fought so hard to protect the people here."
Lumi gave a small, sad smile. "I guess I wanted to prove someone like me could still make a difference."
Tsukasa's gaze lingered on her, his face unreadable. Then, with a crooked grin, he said, "You're stronger than you think, Lumi. People like us… we're not here to be saved. We're here to break the rules."
A faint laugh escaped her lips. "Thanks, Tsukasa."
But the moment was shattered as a group of armored riders thundered into the ruined square — the Holy Orders, white cloaks fluttering behind them. Their captain, a hard-eyed man in silver-plated armor, dismounted and pointed his sword toward the group.
"By order of the Sanctum," he barked, "stand down! You'll answer for the destruction wrought here!"
Tsukasa turned toward them lazily, hands still in his pockets. "You're late," he said dryly. "Battle's over. Town's still standing. You're welcome."
The captain's scowl deepened. "Explain the unnatural forces unleashed in this city."
"Oh," Tsukasa smirked, glancing at the sun again. "You mean that vampire freak who went rabid under your watch? Or me? I'm not even from here."
Elara stepped protectively beside Lumi, her daggers at the ready.
Lumi, though, looked strangely calm now. The light of dawn caught the edge of her face, and for a moment, she looked just like the mother she spoke of.
Tsukasa glanced at her, something unspoken passing between them.
"Captain," the High Priest stepped forward, his voice firm, "if you're here to throw blame, take it to Lord Renar's ashes. He summoned the Blood Moon. Not them."
The captain's grip on his sword tightened — but he hesitated.
And Tsukasa, his eyes narrowing, spoke one last thing before turning his back on them.
"You can try hunting us if you want. But next time, you better bring a bigger sun."
Without waiting for a reply, Tsukasa motioned to his companions.
"Come on. We've got bigger monsters to deal with."
As they walked away, Lumi lingered for a second, staring at the Holy Orders with something between defiance and sorrow. Then she followed, the ghosts of her past walking with her into whatever storm waited next.
Excellent — let's narrow in on Lumi now, give her some space away from the others so we can start exploring her inner world and scars. I'll continue smoothly from the last scene, with the group moving on but focusing purely on Lumi's perspective:
The road out of Havenmere was long and quiet. The sun hung high now, though its warmth felt hollow against the lingering cold in Lumi's chest.
She walked a little behind the others, her hand brushing the hilt of her dagger as she watched Tsukasa joke with Elara up ahead. The world felt dimmer in the aftermath of it all — the crushed stone of the square, the screams still echoing behind her eyes, and the sight of that Blood Moon hanging above them like a curse.
It's always the same.
Wherever she went, death followed.
A flicker of memory rose unbidden — her mother's voice, soft and melodic, weaving a lullaby in the light of a single, flickering lantern. A prayer for safety. For light to guide her in the darkness.
"Lumi… you must live. Even if you have to leave me behind."
She hadn't thought about it in years. Not since she buried the last of her village beneath scorched earth.
A faint, sickly scent on the wind pulled her out of her thoughts. Smoke. Burnt wood. Blood.
She realized she'd slowed to a stop.
"Lumi?" Elara's voice called from ahead.
"I'm fine," Lumi answered quickly, forcing her feet to move again. She caught up to them, though her mind stayed trapped in the past.
As dusk began to fall, the group made camp by a stream threading through the hills. Tsukasa was off fiddling with a strange relic he'd pocketed from Renar's ashes, and Elara was tending a small fire.
Lumi sat apart, staring at the water. Its surface rippled with the wind — the reflection of her face distorted by each wave.
I look so much like her now.
The thought struck her harder than she expected. Same pale hair, same sharp, slender ears, same blue eyes clouded with things she couldn't say.
A twig snapped nearby.
It was Elara, crouching beside her with a small flask in hand. "Drink," the elf offered. "You've barely said a word since the fight."
Lumi took it, more out of habit than thirst, and the warm herbal liquor burned its way down her throat.
"You don't have to hold it together all the time, you know," Elara murmured. "Even he breaks sometimes." She tilted her head toward Tsukasa.
Lumi's lips twitched into a faint smile. "I doubt that."
"Trust me," Elara chuckled softly. "I've seen it."
The two sat in silence for a while, the fire crackling behind them.
"I promised myself no one would ever die because of me again," Lumi finally whispered, her voice brittle. "And still… so many people in that city."
Elara laid a hand on hers. "You saved more than you lost."
But it's never enough.
The thought remained unsaid.
"I saw the way you fought," Elara continued. "You've changed. Gotten stronger."
Lumi's eyes lingered on the water. "I don't know if it's enough."
"It'll have to be," Elara said gently. "Because whether you like it or not… you matter to us."
For the first time in a long while, Lumi let herself lean against Elara's shoulder, her eyes closing as the ache in her chest dulled.
The stars began to appear overhead.
And in the trees beyond the camp, something old watched. A faint shimmer, like a reflection of the Blood Moon even though it was gone.