Limits...

I was confused, but I was able to keep my head clear and ask "What do you mean "abilities?" From the way you worded it, it sounds like I have more than one. But that's impossible, someone can only have a single ability at a time, unless they have a copying ability." Mor'Ulthan squinted his eyes as his shadowy body twisted and snaked around me, his putrid breath against the side of my face.

"You know nothing, little mortal. Humans and Demons are such ignorant beings, so ignorant that they choose to ignore the facts that do not favor the opinions...you will see just how wrong you are in time..." Mor'Ulthan dissipated with a laugh that echoed around as if we were in a cave. Time had yet to resume, and I could only think of one thing.

'That bastard literally meant what he said, didn't he...I better not be stuck in time forever...'

Suddenly, a bright blue light emerged from the trees and was steadily, but slowly, making its way toward me. When the light got closer, I could make out a set of glowing purple eyes, and long, wild blond hair glowing in the wind. Samuel grabbed Xeno's blade as time unpaused before hurling him away and lifting his hands up to the sky with a mighty roar.

"Thunderclap!!"

Samuel threw his hands down and lightning crackled in the air before shooting down and obliterating everything around it, including Xeno. Samuel reverted back to his normal form before shooting me a wink and a sly smile before saying "It seems you've gotten quite popular with the ladies recently...so, what's the count?" I didn't under stand his question, but I could tell it wasn't something I wanted to ask about just from the look in his eyes.

"The hell do you look so proud for?" I asked as I fell to one knee before struggling to stand back up. Samuel shrugged his shoulders before saying "Who knows? I guess it's because I was right about you being a powerful ally in the future...Don't worry, your friends are all safe with my men, and I'll tag along with you guys until we can find a safe haven of sorts. Until then, however, the work load will be split evenly. So get your ass up and show up with a cool stance or something. Shoo, shoo!"

Samuel pushed me off toward the forest and I had to use all of my strength to keep from toppling over. Cursing the man silently, I began to limp back to the forest while thinking about Mor'Ulthan's words. It was hard for me to believe that I had an ability just sitting there, waiting to be discovered, but I also knew that these eyes of mine weren't an ability.

'The Eyes of Mor'Ulthan, eh? More like the Curse of Mor'Ulthan...' I let out a heavy sigh as I thought about all of the useful items that Xeno would of had on him, but he was now disintegrated and scattered through the wind. Something about that guy felt...familiar somehow, but I just couldn't put my finger on what it was.

I had finally reached the edge of the forest and I walked in with no clue where I was supposed to go. I found myself walking toward the clearing I had stumbled upon and found everyone safe and sound. The whole situation was beginning to unfold in my head. We actually could've died, and from the ones who took me in no less.

I was almost assassinated by the House Vesphyr's most loyal subjects, House Arvair. They were sent to kill me, but who ordered them to, or was it of their own free will...? These thoughts kept running through my head as I began to think that I was betrayed by Nalia, Syn, and Daarvess. It was too much to bear for my already fractured mental state.

"-ke...! Take! Are you all right?" I snapped out from my thoughts and looked up to see, not just my group, but the entire class looking at me with respect, admiration, and thankfulness. "You were gone for so long and...and there were sounds of yells and fighting...and then they stopped..." A random girl I had never even noticed before was suddenly crying and clinging to my severely torn shirt.

The look on my face was flawless, Orzo especially got a good laugh out of it. I was in total shock, and I didn't know what to do when so many different people began to thanks me and cling to me. It felt kind of nice though, to be someone's savior. I looked over at Arisu, who had a warm smile on her face as she looked at me and saw that I was still alive, while Sylia had a small frown on her usually expressionless face.

I saw Azrael breathe a sigh of relief once he ran over after hearing all of the noise, before getting everyone off of me to allow Arisu to heal me. I abandoned the tattered shirt of mine, revealing my toned, yet not chiseled, and tattooed body, causing most of the girls in the group to blush and look away, however, my eyes were fixed on one thing only.

Inside of one of the five large wagons inside of the forest was a little white-haired girl sleeping peacefully with my vest over her small body. "How did May get in there...?" I asked as I pointed toward her. Arisu smiled even brighter than before as she said "Your friend, Sam, said that he stopped by our dorm to see if you had left anything behind after you called him, and that was when he found May all alone. He decided to bring her along, even if she was not someone we knew."

I looked over at Samuel and silently vowed to owe him several favors, something that I felt would bite me in the ass later on. After I was healed up, I went to stand so I could walk over and thank Samuel, however, I felt a weight pressing down on my back and it prevented me from moving. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Arisu's pale face against my back with sweat practically dripping from her body.

"Woah, hey are you okay?" I asked as I moved her over to the stump I was sitting on. She nodded her head and tried to smile as she responded. "Yes, I will be all right. My ability drains me when I use it for too long, but I will be fine with a bit of re-!" She let out a yelp as I picked her up and began to walk over toward Samuel.

"W-What the hell are you doing!?" That was the first time I heard her say anything like that. "Put me down you bastard!" And now the second time. "Nope, can't do that. If I leave you alone, you'll just go off and heal someone else, even if they only have a scratch. You're strong, Arisu, but you have to know your own limits. It's okay to be weak at times, so just relax and take a break."

Arisu fell silent and set her head on my shoulder, refusing to look at me as we neared Samuel, who had a cheeky grin on his face. "So I see the count is only at one...rookies, am I right?" I cocked a brow before deciding to ignore his comment. "Samuel, thank you for doing this. I know I had no right to ask for a favor, but you helped me out anyways. I can never thank you enough, and I want you to know that I am indebt to you. Whatever you need, I'll do it. No questions asked."

Samuel laughed before ruffling my hair and saying "Well, I'd say you have multiple debts to pay off to me, but the first one can be changing the way you address me. Call me Sam from now on, and I'll make sure you and your group here have places to live and work to do, deal?" I narrowed my eyes and stared into his eyes for a while before sighing and giving in.

"Fine. I'll accept you offer...Samue...Sa...Samu...Just ignore the "u" in there..." Samuel shook his head and wagged his finger before saying "Ah, ah, say it properly!" I glanced around and made sure no one else was listening in before leaning close and saying "Fine, Sam..." in a low voice. Samuel cupped his ear with his hands before saying "What? I couldn't hear that, sorry! One more time please."

I clicked my tongue and walked off, leaving Samuel by himself. I made my way over to the wagon May was sleeping in and set Arisu down carefully before leaning over the back. I watched as Arisu gently put May's head in her lap before gently rubbing her hair, causing her to smile contently. This was a scene that caused my heart to feel warm, like I was wrapped in blankets, and I realized that I had to protect this at all costs.

I was no longer thinking about just gathering information for Noir, and I was no longer thinking about returning to Noir. I was thinking about how I could hold on to these feelings, these memories, and this happiness for as long as possible. For once, I felt I was being selfish. I wanted something with my whole heart, my whole being.

And I was willing to do whatever it would take to protect these people.

It felt like the lock keeping the chains that squeezed my heart had unlocked, and I no longer thought of Nalia Vesphyr as what I used to. I only saw her as my turner, and the First House Leader. Nothing more. I turned my head to Sylia, and realized something. Ever since I was turned, I had enhanced senses, and I could usually smell that someone was a being of Noir, but I never really realized it since I was never taught what a Human and a being from Noir actually smelt like.

But now I knew. I knew that Sylia was one of them, and I would eliminate her if she posed a threat. I'd have to confront her about it soon, preferably tonight. 'No wonder she knew so much about me, and knew that I had died. Just who the hell are you really, Sylia Seris...?'

"Who are you glaring at? I feel bad for them, even though I do not know who they are." I chuckled and looked over at Arisu before asking "What? Do I really look that scary to you? I'm just a big softie at heart and you know that." Arisu let out a soft, pleasant giggle as she gently stroked May's hair with a soft smile.

"You'd make a great mother one day..." Arisu's face lit up and turned completely red. I quickly waved my hands and explained. "I-I must've been thinking out loud again! I meant that, with the way you treat May, you would be an excellent mother because you know how to take care of kids and cook really damn good meals!"

Arisu looked at me with a happy expression as she covered the bottom of her mouth before saying "That was the first time I had ever seen you flustered. You looked really cute..." My brows raised as I began to process her words in my mind. "That's the first time I've been complimented..." Arisu cocked her head to the side with an eyebrow raised.

"You are telling me that, with your looks, you've never been complimented before? I do not believe it." Shit. How am I supposed to explain this away now. I looked away and thought about telling her about everything, but I could imagine the disgust and fear splayed across her face when she realizes that I'm a Half-Demon.

"I...I can't tell you that right now...but I promise I will later on. I just need some time to prepare myself, that's all." Arisu nodded her head with the same smile as always before saying "Do not worry, for I have many secrets that I too can not bear to share just yet. I trust you, and I will always be here, not matter what. Even if Hell itself was to engulf our world, I would stand by you until my final breath, as will Orzo, Sylia, and Azrael."

'Maybe it won't be so hard to tell them after all...'