"Hope, can you go with Sadie to the carriage?" Kurt asked softly. "I have a few things I need to discuss with my friends before we head back. I’ll be there in five minutes, and then we’re going home."

"Ok!" Hope nodded, her small face was still blotchy from tears but her expression much brighter.

She took Sadie’s hand, trusting the boisterous maid instinctively. As they walked away, Kurt caught the tail end of their conversation.

"... Now, listen here, kiddo. Since you’re coming to the mansion to be a little maid, you’ve gotta learn the rules. You can’t just call him ’Kurt’ anymore. You have to call him Master Rossana or be like me and call him Bossman."

"... Bossman? Hehehe, that sounds funny."

Sadie’s laugh was cut off as they rounded the corner of a stack of crates, leaving Kurt alone with Dominik and Emelie.

Dominik let out a long breath as he stretched his limbs. "Well, with that settled, I’m heading out. I need to finish escorting the rest of these kids to the community center. Some of the parents might not make it until the middle of the night or later, and I’m not letting them sit out here in the storm."

He gave Kurt a firm nod and Emelie a tired wave. "See you both later. Try to stay out of trouble for at least twelve hours, Kurt."

"No promises, Dom." Kurt smiled as he watched him leave.

Once Dominik was out of earshot, the atmosphere between himself and Emelie shifted.

"Emy, is it really over? With Tobias, I mean. Are there any loose ends? Any parts of his plan for the children that we might have missed?"

"No. It’s done, Kurt. Tobias was... well, he was pretty incompetent, truth be told. He was low on the power rankings within the cult. His little ’extraction’ and ’show’ project died with him and his blood alchemists."

"Well, if he was part of a larger group, won’t they send someone to avenge him? Or to finish what he started?"

"The cult doesn’t waste their time or resources on failures. Tobias was worthless to them from the start and died to them the moment he let his ’brothers’ die. Let’s not forget that little stunt he pulled at the king’s palace. They’ll likely scrub his name from their records and move on like he never existed."

"Harsh... Oh yeah. Violet mentioned something to me. She talked about a place. The Sanctuary. What is it?"

Emelie’s posture went rigid, and the casual weariness in her eyes vanished.

"Stop right there, Kurt. Do not even think about The Sanctuary. Not now. Not for a long time."

"But, why–"

"It is effectively the cultists’ paradise," Emelie interjected, her hands beginning to glow with a faint, nervous hum of mana. "It is their main place of operations, their holy ground, and their fortress. It is a place, Kurt, that you, not even I, are not even remotely ready to take on."

"But if you know where it is and how they operate, then we can plan. We can get manpower. An infiltration mission, like this one, but with proper preparation. We can nip the whole–"

"Kurt, I am begging you," Emelie’s voice trembled with an intensity he hadn’t seen before. "Please. Neither I, nor anyone I know, can currently take on the Sanctuary. It’s not just a base; it’s a death trap guarded by things that make the Great Weaver look like a house spider."

"Currently?"

"... I don’t know if we ever will be. The Sanctuary should be our Endgame. It is far too early to focus on them. For now, we should keep getting stronger and ruining their smaller plans. We chip away at the edges. We don’t go straight for the throat when the beast is a hundred times our size, ok?"

Kurt went silent, absorbing the weight of her warning. He trusted Emelie’s judgment on magic and the cult more than anyone else’s.

"Alright. I understand. So, what now?"

"Now? We have a grace period," Emelie said, regaining some of her composure. "We’ve dealt with Tobias. The cult will be reeling and reorganizing. Stay low and live your life with the principal. I’ll tell you about our next move after the Academy tournament is over."

"Sure. And I’ll even be there to come cheer you on."

A sudden commotion broke out near the entrance of the pier. The sound of heavy hooves and wood clattering against stone drew their attention. A dark blue carriage with silver embellishments pulled through the gates, clearing the crowd with an air of immense self-importance.

"Oh no. Not now." Emelie’s face went pale.

The carriage hissed to a stop, and the door swung open before the footman could even reach it. A man jumped out; Tall, elegant, and possessing similar features to that of Emelie’s. He scanned the pier with frantic energy until his eyes landed on her.

"EMELIE! THERE YOU ARE!"

He sprinted toward them, his cloak billowing behind him. Before Emelie could even move, he had scooped her up into a massive, suffocating hug, spinning her around.

"My little sister! My precious, talented, tiny Emelie! I finally get to see you again!"

He began doting on her, rubbing his cheeks on hers, checking her face for scratches and smoothing her hair while Emelie looked like she wanted to evaporate into the void.

"Who... is this?" Kurt asked, genuinely baffled by the man’s explosive personality.

Emelie tried to push him away, her face bright red. "Kurt, this is–"

"Everett!" the man interrupted, spinning around and striking a pose. "Everett Herst, Emelie’s much more handsome and protective older brother. And who might you be?"

Kurt was taken aback by the man’s boisterous energy but extended a hand politely. "I’m Kurt. A... friend of Emy’s. Nice to meet you."

"’Emy’, you say?" Everett looked at Kurt’s hand, then at Kurt’s face, then back at his hand. He didn’t take it. Instead, he leaned in, his eyes narrowed.

"A friend? Just a friend? Because I hope for your sake that it’s not ’boyfriend,’ otherwise I’m going to have to kill you right here on this pier. Nobody is good enough for my sister. Especially not some ugly pirate wannabe."

Kurt’s temper flared, his hand tightening into a fist, but Emelie stepped between them. "Everett, stop! Kurt is my friend. Nothing more." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "What are you even doing here?"

"Mother was worried!" Everett cried, clutching his heart. "You were supposed to be home days ago! When we heard you were at the docks dealing with a crisis, I came to pick you up personally."

"Of course you did." She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I’m leaving now." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

She then turned to Kurt, softening her expression for a brief second. "Remember what I told you. Lay low."

Kurt affirmed with a nod, watching as Emelie walked toward the blue carriage. Everett, however, didn’t follow her immediately. He stayed behind, staring at Kurt with a look that had shifted from boisterous to deathly cold in the span of a heartbeat.

"What’s the problem?" Kurt asked flat. "I already told you, we’re just friends."

Everett suddenly smiled, a bright, artificial thing that didn’t reach his eyes, and extended his hand. Kurt was confused by the sudden shift but took it anyway.

The moment their palms connected, Everett’s grip turned into a crushing vice. He yanked Kurt forward, leaning into his ear.

"Stay away from Diana Valentine," he whispered, dripping his voice with a calculated, frozen malice. "She is far above your station, stray dog. Don’t think for a second that just because she called you ’Lovers’ makes you her equal."

Kurt’s eye turned sharp and dangerous. The air around them seemed to thicken with killing intent. Everett, satisfied with the warning he gave, tried to pull his hand away, but Kurt didn’t let go.

He tightened his own grip.

The sound of Everett’s knuckles grinding together was audible over the crashing waves. Kurt’s smile grew wider, his expression radiating a terrifying, quiet amusement.

"What are you doing? Let... let go," Everett hissed, contorting his face as he tried to maintain his composure.

Kurt only squeezed harder, leaning in until they were inches apart. His blank eye staring into the very soul of Everett’s gaze.

"Everett! What is taking you so long?" Emelie called out from the carriage window.

Kurt finally released his grip. Everett stumbled back a few steps, cradling his hand and face pale with a mixture of shock and pain.

Kurt smoothed the cuffs of his shirt, his smile turning gentle and polite.

"It was nice to meet you, Everett. I really hope we’ll get along. You seem like a very... passionate brother."

Without waiting for a response, he sharply turned on his heel and walked away toward his own carriage.

Everett watched him go, his breath hitching. He took a few seconds to massage his throbbing hand, forcing his "loving brother" persona back into place before climbing into the carriage with Emelie.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, dear sister! Just had a man-to-man talk. Shall I take you to the academy dorms to get your things?"

"No," Emelie dismissed him, staring out the window. "Stop by City View Hotel first. I was staying there with my friend Amy. I’m bringing her home with me for the next few days."

"Haha, no problem at all! I love meeting your friends! You were always such a quiet one; it’s good to see you’re finally branching out."

......

Kurt climbed back into the red-and-gold carriage, where Sadie and Hope were waiting.

"All done, bossman?" Sadie asked.

"Yep. We can leave now," he said to the driver.

As the carriage began to move, Hope looked up at Kurt, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Kurt? Why are you in such a good mood?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"You’re grinning like you just found a chest of gold," Sadie noted, leaning forward.

Kurt touched his face, realizing for the first time that he was wearing a massive, genuine smile. He then leaned back against the cushions, the image of Everett stumbling back in pain still fresh in his mind.

"Well, let’s just say, I just met an interesting new friend."