Eternal Undying Chronicles

Carrisa and Amena stood silently by the pavilion as Alicarde left with Elizalina for campus. Argint had gone to train, leaving the two of them alone.

"Mistress, if I may be so bold as to inquire, why do we not offer our assistance to Alicarde in his quest to eliminate Zagarath?"

Carrisa turned her gaze towards Amena, her expression calm.

"That is rather presumptuous of you, Amena. Alicarde most likely does not wish to rely upon us in his confrontation with Zagarath. Moreover, we are currently preoccupied with our own affairs. Even if we were to obtain the Nexus, our resources remain limited. In addition, we must prepare to contend with the Three Powers."

"Hmmm, acquiring the magic core and unraveling the secrets of Academy Island will indeed prove challenging. We would need to engage them directly, and even then, unless we eliminate them entirely, such a goal remains unattainable."

"We cannot afford such a loss," Carrisa sighed. "The rewards of a mere White Magic Core do not justify the risks. If only we had a means to infiltrate their ranks."

"That would be exceedingly difficult. Academy Island is governed by the Three Powers and only admits the elite among their youth—the very best or the exceptionally fortunate."

"We can forego the magic core if necessary," Carrisa stated.

"Zagarath has been discreet, avoiding significant movements. He likely does not wish to provoke the Order into dispatching their knights here. Moreover, they are observing this city closely, waiting for any pretext to intervene. We must not provide them that opportunity," Carrisa continued.

"Do you believe that is the reason Zagarath has been more restrained, manipulating the mafia and the government for his own ends? Although we are still uncertain as to what he hopes to accomplish," Amena mused.

"Indeed. We must also locate the final missing core, the other Nexus fragments, and, most importantly, the Nexus Key."

Amena nodded thoughtfully. "We can only offer Alicarde minimal assistance while we prepare for the events to come."

"Precisely. We must ensure that all is in order. Our role is to observe, strategize, and intervene only when absolutely necessary. We can proceed with our primary plan as soon as Alicarde grants us access to the government databank," Carrisa replied, her tone measured.

Amena agreed, "Then we shall continue to monitor and support him from the shadows, ensuring that his path aligns with our objectives."

A luxurious vehicle glided along the urban streets of the city. The car's sleek design and polished exterior exuded wealth, with tinted windows shielding its occupants from prying eyes.

Inside the vehicle, Alicarde sat in the driver's seat with Elizalina beside him. The interior was a blend of leather and polished designs, the seats plush and comfortable. A state-of-the-art dashboard displayed various controls, and the ambient lighting gave the space a serene atmosphere. Alicarde's guitar case, which concealed his sword, lay in the back seat.

For the past month, Elizalina had been entrusted with keeping an eye on Alicarde. She would arrive at the mansion and accompany him to their college classes. As they drove, Elizalina kept sneaking glances at him, her cheeks lightly blushing.

"I wonder if you would permit it... may I..." she began tentatively.

"No, don't even think about it," Alicarde cut her off, knowing exactly what she wanted.

"It is merely a small amount of blood, you would hardly notice it," Elizalina assured him, attempting to sound persuasive despite her shy tone.

"I would, and the answer is still no. Keep your fangs to yourself," Alicarde retorted.

"I assure you, I would only take a small amount," Elizalina persisted.

Alicarde shook his head firmly. "I said no. We've been through this already. Focus on your task, Elly."

Elizalina sighed but relented, turning her gaze back to the road ahead, though her thoughts remained on Alicarde.

Alicarde was still a little bummed about earlier. The saddle Carrisa had given him was called the [Saddle of Deceit], a utility-type enchanted gear. Its purpose was to deceive the instincts of the bicorn, allowing the pure Alicarde to ride it without issue. This alleviated his embarrassment, but he still felt awkward about the whole situation.

He gave Elizalina a sidelong glance, noticing she seemed to be in deep thought. He knew she was just being sour.

"Ahhh, goodness, Elly, you are such a baby sometimes... fine, I'll let you suck my blood... eventually," he said, his voice carrying a note of uncertainty.

Alicarde wasn't actually opposed to giving her his blood, he just didn't want to do it without a good reason. To him, it was a reward, and if a reward became too common, it would lose its value.

Elizalina smiled. "Truly? When might that be? I promise to take only a small amount."

"Eventually," he replied calmly. He turned the steering wheel, keeping his eyes on the road as Elizalina asked a variety of questions, all of which he dodged deftly.

Evergreen University was a behemoth, featuring numerous faculties and departments. The Psychology Department was particularly popular, not for its academics, but because it boasted two extraordinarily beautiful women Professor Malefica and Elizalina.

Alicarde had not had the chance to finalize his deal with the former. Under the strict surveillance of his companions, a shady meeting with a witch was out of the question. Which was fine, he had a whole month to think it through.

He got out of the car with Elizalina holding his hand. On the surface, they looked like a couple, but the actual reason was far from romantic.

She held his hand to ensure Alicarde stayed under control. During the first few days after the incident with Wrath, there was always the possibility of him going out of control in a fit of rage.

He had become paranoid, seeing enemies everywhere. Elizalina had to clean up some minor incidents with her vampire compulsion.

The number of times he almost got into fights was unusually high over the past month. Normally, Alicarde just ignored them, but recently, he had almost beaten some of them up.

They walked hand in hand, Elizalina's red dress catching the wind. She was exquisite and exuded a natural seductive allure. Alicarde, by her side, was not exactly the most handsome, but his nature as an undying and his constant regeneration from ghastly wounds had restructured his body to be pristine, giving off a vague otherworldly look.

Their presence attracted some attention, whispers from passersby, some not so friendly. They were mostly guys who thought Elizalina was too good for any man, with some even calling her their goddess.

"Can you believe she's with him?" one guy whispered.

"She's way out of his league," another added.

"I heard she's some kind of rich princess. No way a guy like him deserves her," someone else muttered.

"That bastard is just flexing his wealth, damn rich boy."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Hey, you didn't use vampire compulsion on the whole campus, did you?" Alicarde asked, irritated by the attention.

"I did no such thing. It is simply my natural-born vampiric charm," she replied in a hushed, calm tone.

The lecture hall was spacious and well-lit, with natural light streaming in from large windows that lined the upper part of the walls. Alicarde and Elizalina walked in, drawing a few curious glances as they made their way down the aisle.

The wooden desks and comfortable chairs gave the room an academic yet welcoming atmosphere, with each row positioned for optimal viewing of the front stage, where a lectern stood next to a sprawling whiteboard.

Alicarde spotted Anne at the back of the hall, her short blonde hair catching the light. She wasn't wearing her usual glasses today, and Alicarde's lips curled into a teasing smirk as he approached her.

He raised his voice slightly as he closed the distance between them. "Anne? Wow, I almost didn't recognize you without your glasses! Did you gain perfect vision overnight or something?"

Anne had been about to wave at him, but her hand paused mid-air as she noticed Elizalina beside him. Her friendly expression soured instantly, her eyes narrowing in distaste.

Alicarde felt a twinge of unease at the familiar reaction. First impressions really did stick like glue, and Anne had never quite warmed up to Elizalina since their introduction.

"See you later, Elly," Alicarde said casually, trying to diffuse the tension. He started to turn, but Elizalina's grip tightened on his hand, a silent refusal in her grey eyes.

"I must insist on keeping an eye on you," she murmured, her voice soft but firm.

Alicarde raised an eyebrow, his voice a gentle but firm whisper. "I'm fine, really. Carrisa said I'm good to be on my own, remember? You don't need to worry."

Elizalina's reluctance was evident, but before she could argue further, a group of girls called out to her from a few rows ahead.

"Hi, Elizalina! We've been waiting for you!" a tall brunette said, waving her over.

"We saved you a seat," another added, her tone overly enthusiastic.

Elizalina's expression tightened, a flicker of irritation passing through her eyes as she glanced at them. Alicarde noticed the subtle tension in her stance, she seemed more annoyed than pleased by their presence.

Still, she let go of his hand reluctantly, the touch lingering longer than necessary. To anyone watching, it must have seemed like a typical, if slightly dramatic, parting between a couple.

Alicarde sighed inwardly. 'This is going to be a long day.'

As he turned back towards Anne, he couldn't help but notice her glare was now firmly fixed on Elizalina's retreating figure. He plastered on his usual carefree smile and approached her with a casual wave.

"Hey there, Anne. Loving the new look. Seriously, without your four eyes, I almost didn't recognize you," he teased.

Anne rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "That's a little weak, even for you. But I'll have you know, I'm wearing lenses today."

"Ah, sneaky. A step up from the usual," Alicarde replied, playing along. "You've really outdone yourself."

Anne pulled a sheet of paper from her bag and waved it at him. "I have your test scores from you-know-who's class. Wanna see how badly you bombed?"

Alicarde's grin widened. So Malefica had graded their tests already. He was a bit nervous, it had been a month since he'd had a proper conversation with their witch professor, and he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

"Hit me with it," he said, bracing himself.

Anne handed him the paper, and Alicarde winced as he scanned the results. "Ouch. Well, not as bad as last time, but still not stellar."

"You really need to put in more effort," Anne chided, a playful glint in her eyes. "Stop half-assing your work, or you'll always be shy of a perfect score."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Alicarde muttered, rolling his eyes theatrically.

Anne's expression softened. "Speaking of Malefica, have you managed to avoid her glares?"

"Mostly," Alicarde admitted with a sheepish grin. "But I have a feeling she's going to corner me sooner or later."

"She probably will," Anne said, smirking. "What did you do to piss her off this time?"

Alicarde scratched the back of his head, looking slightly guilty. "I… stood her up."

"Uh-huh. Sure," Anne replied, her voice dripping with disbelief. "Whatever it is, she looks pissed. You should be careful."

"Great. Just what I needed. More drama," Alicarde sighed.

Anne chuckled softly. "If you need any help dealing with her, let me know. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"I might just take you up on that, Madam Class Rep," Alicarde said, appreciating her support.

They found their seats at the back of the hall, and Anne leaned closer, lowering her voice. "By the way, what's up with Elizalina today? She seemed more clingy than usual."

"She's just worried about me," Alicarde shrugged. "But it's nothing I can't handle, so don't worry about it."

Anne's gaze lingered on him, skeptical but unwilling to pry further. "Alright, if you say so. Just be careful, okay?"

"Always am," Alicarde replied, his tone light as he winked at her.

Despite his nonchalant attitude, Anne knew something was off. Alicarde had been acting strangely for a while now, and though he tried to hide it, she could see the weariness in his eyes. She didn't want to push, but her concern grew every time they spoke.

"Seriously, though," Anne continued, her voice more serious now. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

Alicarde's smile was warm, sincere. "I appreciate it, Anne. Really. I'll be fine, though. Just a lot on my mind."

Anne nodded, but the worry in her eyes remained. "Alright. Just… don't bottle it up too much, okay?"

"I won't," Alicarde assured her. "So, what's on the agenda for today's class?"

Anne pulled out her notebook, flipping to a fresh page. "We're diving into some advanced theories on psychological manipulation. Should be interesting."

"Sounds intense," Alicarde replied, glad for the change in topic.

"Yeah, it is," Anne said. "But I think you'll find it useful. Might even help you deal with certain… persistent individuals."

Alicarde chuckled softly. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Anne."

As the professor began the lecture, Alicarde tried to focus, but his thoughts kept drifting. He felt Anne's occasional glances, her concern a palpable presence beside him. He didn't want to worry her, but he couldn't shake the feeling that things were only going to get more complicated from here.

Across the room, Elizalina sat with her so-called friends, her attention less on the lecture and more on the back of the room where Alicarde and Anne sat together. Her fingers curled around her pen, and she forced herself to look away, trying to focus on the lecture.

'Ahhh, women.' Alicarde mused, glancing between Anne and Elizalina. He was starting to think he'd rather face Malefica's wrath than deal with the complexities of human— and vampire—relationships.