The wall of vines protecting the guests vanish into thin air. They scramble to their feet and flee the palace as soon as Raiden signals that they are no longer in danger. However, Ian, Hadley, and the king remain immobile. Ian approaches the Aragons after a long silence, his eyes trembling as he clutches his necklace, which was once a scythe.

"W-where's Katherine?" Ian asks, his voice trembling.

Sunshine and Nathan lower their heads, and Raia remains silent, so Raiden is the one who speaks.

"Just as you witnessed, she leveled up to a stronger demon capable of harming anyone, including Elysians."

"Stronger demon," Ian repeats.

"Yes. They will receive power from the God of Darkness after their transition, which we call the Black Art. They are the real threat."

"A Cimmerian? Like Lady Bella?"

Raiden nods. "Yes."

"A Cimmerian's soul is completely corrupted," Raia explains. Her flaming longsword vanishes and reappears as a necklace. The weapons of her team follow suit. "They are beyond saving. They are doomed to eternal oblivion."

Ian lowers his head and clenches his right fist. "I see. So she also disappeared. But, unlike my . . ." He pauses, unable to finish his sentence. "Lady Bella and Katherine's souls will never reincarnate."

The prince is indeed quick on the uptake than he allows himself to be. If he becomes an Aragon, he will be a valuable asset to the team.

Following that thought, Raia takes a quick look at her comrades and assesses their strengths and assets. Raiden excels at defense; Nathan is a skilled fighter with superhuman strength and speed, making him the strongest disciple in this current team; and Sunshine, who serves as a long-range fighter and someone she has yet to discover. These people are far more useful than Raia imagined.

"Ian!" Hadley shouts. She runs towards her brother and grabs his left arm. "I have no idea what's going on, but it's all their fault!" Her fierce blue eyes sweep over the four Aragons, lingering on Nathan.

The redhead Aragon meets her gaze, an unreadable expression on his face.

The king is as still as a stone in the corner. Despite what they have witnessed, he and the princess remain ignorant. But Raia can't really blame them. They've just witnessed something they'd never believed before. They are still in shock. Besides, they had just watched their people vanish.

Ignoring the king, Raia takes a deep breath and braces herself for her impending torment. Their mission may have already been completed, but her job does not. Now that the demons have been defeated, she must heal the injured disciples.

She doesn't care if she heals them or not, but she will need their strength at some point, so she must do this.

Raia approaches Raiden and places her hand gently on his chest.

Raiden flinches at her sudden touch. Raia gives him a glare when he opens his mouth, rendering him speechless.

"Don't say anything stupid. You're not the only one I'm healing," Raia murmurs.

Her palm glows with a warm light, which she spreads throughout Raiden's body, healing all of his wounds. Raia clenches her unoccupied fist as pain engulfs her body, spreading like a fire.

"Thank you," Raiden whispers after Raia has healed him.

Raia walks away from him and over to Sunshine, who gives her a surprised look but says nothing to stop her from healing her as if knowing better than to argue with the grim-faced girl.

"Thank you, Raia," Sunshine says, her face etched with a soft smile. However, something else has piqued Raia's interest.

"Is that . . . ?" Raia asks, her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, the Mark of an Angel," Sunshine responds with a sheepish smile. "I've already reached the final Divine Level of my Blessing."

Raia's eyes widen as she stares at her with a stunned expression. The final stage and requirement for making a contract with an angel is reaching the final divine level of a Blessing. They will receive the Mark of an Angel after reaching the highest level, which will grant them even more power.

The Mark of an Angel was what Simon told her before when she asked about it after seeing that mark on his forehead.

That explains why Sunshine let Nathan slay the Cimmerian rather than doing it herself.

"Yeah," Raiden says as he approaches them. "And she doesn't need to expend more mana in releasing her Blessing because she can use both its standard and released forms without asking for more power."

"He's right," Nathan chimes in, trudging toward them with a twisted smile. "Aragons like us who haven't yet reached the final Divine Level of our Blessings are more prone to enervation because releasing them takes a lot more mana than using it in its standard form. But in Sunshine's case, she has high stamina and mana."

I see. So we have an experienced warrior on this team.

Nathan gives Raia a child-like smile. "You don't have to heal me."

Raia looks at him with a cool expression. "You're right."

Nathan flinches comically, then looks at Raiden. "Does she hate me?"

Raiden sighs and scratches the back of his neck. He doesn't say anything, as if responding to Nathan would make him look stupid as well.

"So," Raia drawls, looking at Sunshine, "have you . . . "

Sunshine lets out a soft laugh as she realizes what Raia is trying to say.

"No, I haven't made a contract with an angel yet. I tried once before, but I didn't have much luck with it. Maybe the angel doesn't want me." She heaves a deep sigh and lowers her eyes, her face downturned. "Asking an angel for a contract isn't really that simple."

Sensing her discomfort, Raia refrains from probing further. But there is one question that she can't get out of her head.

"I became an Elysian when I was eleven years old," Sunshine says as if she can read her mind.

Raia frowns as she examines the silver cross bracelet on Sunshine's right wrist. The radiance of angel halo on her forehead fades. Knowing that someone like her is already fighting demons at such a young age fills Raia with an indescribable feeling. Is she feeling a sense of pity toward her? No, she can't. Nobody likes to be pitied.

A brief awkward silence passes between them before Raia grabs Nathan's arm and begins healing him before the man can even protest.

Ian winces, drawing their attention. The prince falls to his knees, clutching his bleeding shoulder.

"Ian!" Hadley kneels by her brother's side, checking his wound. The king approaches them, a worried expression on his face.

"Ian, be still!" Hadley shrieks when Ian struggles to get up.

When Ian looks up, his eyes land on Raia. He furrows his eyebrows as he glances at the light emanating from her hand.

"Oh, the prince looks bad," Nathan mutters under his breath.

Raia trudges toward Ian after healing Nathan. The Prince stares at her as she kneels beside him on one knee. She places her palm on his bleeding shoulder and heals him without meeting his gaze.

Hadley scowls at Raia. "What are you doing?"

Raia remains quiet, as she no longer has the strength to explain someone something. She's healed four people so far, and it drains her much faster than fighting demons. Of course, healing many patients was her job at the orphanage, a job that left her exhausted every hour.

The reason she came to despise her so-called miracle more than anything else in the world.

Ian opens his mouth but says nothing. His grows wide.

"You . . . " Ian says as he raises his gaze, staring at Raia in complete disbelief and awe.

"Our comrade, might be scary, but she can heal for real," Nathan says with a proud smirk on his face.

Ian blinks, then his eyes flicker to Raiden and Sunshine, who flank Nathan on both sides. He looks at them as if expecting them to back up Nathan's claim.

"She can heal?" Hadley asks with a look of disbelief.

Raiden gives her a soft smile. "Yeah, she can."

Raia lets out a whimper and lowers her head, unable to keep her pain and exhaustion at bay any longer. Her face contorts as she bears the pain that has infiltrated her body and mind. She clutches her chest with her free hand, attempting to control her heavy, rough breathing.

Ian tilts his head in confusion and stares at her for a few seconds before he finally grasps the scene unfolding before him.

"Y-you're feeling my pain," he gasps, horrified. Just as he is about to stop her, Nathan's sharp voice stops him.

"Don't. Just let her. She won't like it if you'll stop her." Nathan tightens his jaw. "Not if she started already."

Raiden and Sunshine avert their gaze in discomfort.

Ian's expression softens as he returns her gaze to Raia. He places his hand on the back of her head and pulls her in for a kiss on the forehead.

Everyone present is stunned by the prince's unexpected behavior, but the three Aragons know better.

"This isn't good," Nathan murmurs, and Sunshine and Raiden nod in unison, alarm and discomfort crossing their features.

Raia jerks back and uses what little strength she has to push Ian away, and the boy collapses on his back.

"What the hell are you doing?" Raia snarls, giving Ian the death glare.

Ian gives her a puzzled look.

"You're dumber than I thought," Raia says in a flat voice before standing up and walking away.

Nathan chuckles. "You have chosen the wrong person, Your Highness."

"I guess the prince has taken a liking to our healer," Sunshine remarks, and Raiden smiles sheepishly as he scratches the nape of his neck.

While trudging towards the palace's entrance, Raia collapses to her knees, as if her strength has left her body. She clenches her teeth. She doesn't have an ounce of strength left in her. Fighting demons and healing many people has depleted what she had. She tries to stand but falls flat on her face.

Damn it!

"Raia!" Raiden yells and rushes over to assist her. Nathan and Sunshine are close behind him.

Raia pushes his hand away.

"What's wrong?" Raiden asks, confused.

"Don't," Raia breathes. "I'm fine."

I can still stand on my own. Besides, I don't need . . .

But Raia collapses on the floor again. Her vision gradually blurs, and her eyelids feel as if they weigh thousands of tons.

She has already reached her limit.

Raiden releases a huge sigh. "You're not fine. Jeez, why do you always have to be so stubborn?"

Raia trembles in frustration. She pulls herself up from the floor once more, but she no longer has the strength to do so. Raiden catches her arm before she collapses again.

Raiden smiles and pats her on the head. "Receiving help or asking for it does not make you weak. Rather, it makes you stronger. Not everyone has the courage to admit they have flaws. Only strong people are capable of such feats. So stop being so stubborn and let me help you. You healed me, so now it's my turn to repay you." He pauses and gazes into her eyes.

"Trust me," he whispers, so softly that Raia isn't sure she heard him. He then picks her up and carries her before she has a chance to argue.

"You're stronger than you think, Raia. Stronger than you'll ever realize," Raiden says. "So let your flaws become your weapons as well."

Raia lowers her gaze as she mulls over what he said, her heart speeding up a bit. She always thinks she's already strong, but their fight with the Blood Demon named Loki proved her wrong, and she still has a long way to go. She doesn't fully comprehend what Raiden said since she has never received help from anyone other than her master. But Simon trained her to be stronger, and the people at the orphanage told her she didn't need help. She's a healer; hence help comes from her. Furthermore, she can't trust others to see her weakness.

"Trust me," Raiden repeats, looking her in the eyes.

"He's right, Raia," Nathan says, nodding his head. "As I said before, we're family, and family looks out for one another, okay?"

Family, Raia thinks. She studies Raiden's features, trying to decipher his ulterior motives behind that gentle facade — but all she sees is a young man with a kind smile.

Is he being genuine?

Raiden's brows shoot up. "You're pretty light."

Raia glares at him but says nothing.

"So, how is she?" Nathan asks, his voice tinged with concern.

Raia narrows her eyes as he looks at Nathan's face.

"She has used up all her strength," Raiden responds.

Nathan sighs. "Well, she healed us all."

"I'm so sorry, Raia," Sunshine says, her eyes glistening as if on the verge of tears.

Raia frowns as she studies her face, then looks away, clutching Raiden's coat.

"Dummy, what are you saying sorry for," Raia mumbles.

Raia, who has always been able to read people like a book and predict their behavior and intentions, is having trouble coming to a conclusion.

Are they being genuine?

"Is she okay?" Ian asks, looking at Raia with worried eyes.

Raiden nods. "Yeah. Don't worry about her; she's actually quite tough."

"He's right," Nathan agrees. "She's tougher than the rest of us. She can even kill with a single glare."

"Shut up, you idiots," Raia hisses and grips Raiden's uniform tightly.

"H-hey. Now don't try to rip it," Raiden blurts out.

"What's your name?" Ian asks, a gentle smile on his face.

"Raia," she answers after a long silence.

Ian's expression softens. "Thank you, Raia. You have not only healed me but also helped me understand something."

Raia's brow furrows, but she remains silent. She is at a loss for words and thoughts as she contemplates the people around her. But, for the first time, she believes she can put her trust in another human being. She has this strange sensation within her as if she has discovered something . . . something precious.

I want to trust them. At this precise moment, she recalls something Simon told her before.

"You can trust them, Raia. They're my family. And I believe you will like them."

Warmth fills Raia's chest. The lines on her forehead fade as she unfurrows her eyebrows. For the first time since they met her, Raia displays a gentle demeanor.

A rare sight.

They all stare at her face in stunned silence, as if witnessing a miracle.

"You can smile, you know," Raiden says in a soft voice, breaking the silence.

"Shut up, idiot," Raia grumbles, and the grim-faced girl returns once again.

Nathan and Sunshine glare at Raiden, but Raiden shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly as if unaware of his mistake.

"By the way," Raiden says, looking at Raia. "Have you realized you're bleeding? Come on and let's treat those wounds. And don't even consider arguing because I know how slowly you regenerate compared to how quickly you heal others."

Clutching Raiden's uniform, Raia responds to the demand of her body and closes her eyes.

Master, where are you? I have a lot of things to ask you. But above all, I would like to know why you chose to adopt me. Was it out of genuineness? Or out of pity?

Or maybe it was because I could heal?

Before exhaustion takes over, Raia thinks of Raiden and how desperate the leaders are to keeping him safe. Simon is a highly acclaimed disciple, so he must know something. Raia remembers that before he sent her to Mikael's land, he said something to her that didn't make sense at the time.

"You can heal, which is a miracle from Elysium. You might have been sent here with a sole purpose, so I'll be sending you to the Mikaelean Branch for someone who really needs your power."

But now that she thinks about it, she begins to have doubts.

Raia begins to doubt Simon.

***

The sky overhead begins to dim. Two shadowy figures stand on the copper roof of the Arcelio Palace. One is a young girl dressed in a black bell-shaped gown. She has dark hair that falls to her knees and a red bow on top of her head. A tall man in a black cloak with a hoodie pulled over his head stands beside her. He has an eye patch on his left eye.

They exude a foreboding aura.

Their gazes are fixed on the small figures of Aragons exiting the palace's main gate, four flaming souls flickering in their chests. They watch as the disciples board the horse-drawn carriage. When the two Blood Demons notice that one of them is unconscious, amusement flashes across their faces.

Tallulah lets out a loud, whiny sigh as the carriage moves forward. "Weak and no Core. How long will these low creatures continue to disappoint us?" She flips her hair. "What do you think, Chaos? Should I go ahead with my plan?"

"Whatever you want, Tallulah," says a deep voice.

Tallulah pulls a face. "I told you not to call me that. It's just Tally. T-A-L-L-Y."

Chaos merely sighs. A sharp voice rings in their heads.

The boy named Raiden is my prey! Along with the purple-haired girl. Don't touch them, I will kill them myself! Their souls are mine to savor.

Chaos lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Damn it, Loki! Just shut the hell up!" Tallulah hisses, and Chaos sighs again, like an old man tired of the kids' bickering.

Rolling her eyes, Tallulah blocks Loki's voice and looks up at Chaos. "So . . . Let's go and have some fun with these fellas. I don't care what Loki says; I can't wait to own them."

A sinister grin appears on her face and excitement dances in her large sapphire eyes. Chaos remains unresponsive as they leap from the roof. Their clothes billow in the cool breeze as they make a grand landing. Tallulah's eyes sparkle with delirium as she watches the carriage fade into the distance.

Your sins end here.