Tired, Alex stood inside by the tall glass doors. Gabriella and Isaac were on the wide balcony in the cold air.

Her form returned to normal as she hit the ground to her knees. “So… Why haven’t you people killed me yet?!"

Isaac looked at Gabriella but didn’t answer her.

“I am not even in a cage…”

The only things keeping her from running away were the anti-magic shackles and Alex.

Gabriella cried quietly, hiding her face by facing the solid floor.

"Do-… do you have any remorse?"

Gabriella blurted. "That’s what I am saying! I don’t! And if I could… I would kill you without a second thought."

Isaac flinched. "I know you don’t actually feel like that. It’s because of the dark magic, isn’t it?"

"You don’t know how I feel!"

"Trust me, I do. It can be so tempting sometimes."

Gabriella got up on her feet. "Not just tempting. It’s irresistible!"

The red moon suddenly shone on the balcony as a dust cloud moved aside.

"There are millions of people that possess dark magic in the world. If they managed to control and prevent this 'occasional' fury, why can’t you? Why can’t we?" Isaac rested his left hand on his watch.

A chilly gust of wind passed by them.

Gabriella’s green eyes locked in Isaac’s dark eyes for a brief moment. “We?"

"I also possess some kind of dark magic, I think."

Gabriella looked at him silently. His left arm aimed at the sky. His hand and his fingers extended.

*Vooom!*

A crimson-red beam launched from his palm before disappearing into the obscurity of the night.

Mouth agape, Gabriella looked at Isaac’s glowing eyes.

“So you can both heal and fight people. That does seem like a dark magic ability.

“But we’re different. I’m a cursed, and you’re a human.”

"Whatever… You should go inside. We have to leave early for Titan City tomorrow."

The Vampiric Queen left the balcony, but Isaac remained there, observing the strange sky.

‘Maybe vampires aren’t all bad.’

…

Ejiro peaked his head out to the balcony. “Isaac, why are you still outside?”

Isaac was still looking at the sky. It was getting late. “There’s still something I have to do before we leave.”

“Okay. Good night then.” Ejiro closed the door and lay down on the couch.

Isaac closed his eyes, sitting crossed-legged on the floor.

“Ha~”

Taking a deep breath, Isaac focused on the core of his body, centralizing all his magic around it.

His heart pumped fast. After a few minutes, the amount of red magic he possessed grew.

The wind flew in every direction, catching Isaac in the eye of a slight windstorm.

Hints of red flew around him and dissipated when reaching his body: Souls were getting absorbed.

The process was long, but Isaac persevered. He meditated.

Over the course of several hours, the red sky englobing the city had gradually regained natural colours.

At last, the red atmosphere had gone entirely, revealing a beautiful shade of blue.

Isaac Tremblay opened his eyes.

It was morning.

“From now on, the souls will be free from Hellish City and shall roam around the world through me.”

One last red mist appeared in front of him. It was Carlyle.

“Thank you for freeing us... Isaac.” She smiled.

“What’ll happen to you guys from now on?”

“Once you leave this city… I and the others will lose consciousness.”

Isaac put his head down. “Is there no other way?”

Carlyle flew up.

“We were bound to this place… and we chose you to free us… We will still exist within you… however… our unique powers will disappear… and so will our sentience.

“But… don’t worry about us. Just like mana… we will be released from within you eventually… passing on as we should have a thousand years ago.”

She then disappeared into thin air.

Resting his hands on the ground, Isaac looked at the early blue sky.

After a breath of silence, he said,

“Thank you for your guidance…

“...I’ll forever be grateful to you.”

—

End of Part 4 - Hellish City

Part 5: Resolves

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