Chapter Text
The pale glow of the moon illuminated the gravestones, casting long shadows across the silent paths of the Enchanted Cemetery. A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves of nearby trees, and the air was laced with the cold scent of earth and stone.
Sophina Biblia stood before one of the monuments, bathed in moonlight. Her visionary robes swayed lightly in the wind, and her magenta eyes were fixed on the thick book in her hands. She had chosen this night, this place, for a reason.
To some, her fondness for cemeteries was disturbing. But for Sophina, the silence of the dead was comforting, unlike the chaos of the Bureau or the crowded libraries where her intellect was equally praised and boycotted. Here, knowledge whispered, not screamed. The past lay bare on tombstones and epitaphs.
Tonight, her thoughts were not solely about books and duty. Her mind wandered, which was unusual for her.
Behind her, she heard a soft rustling. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Only one person walked that lazily, that boldly. Presence, more than sound. She closed the book and slowly turned her head.
Renatus Revol stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets, silver hair tousled by the wind. He looked like someone who had just risen from a nap, or from a grave. Possibly both.
"Sophina", he mumbled, yawning. "You’re like a ghost, always showing up where no one wants to be."
"And you’re like mold.” she replied smoothly, “You stubbornly persist where you’re not wanted."
He grinned, stepping closer and casually standing beside her. "Charming as ever."
She turned to him, folding her arms across her chest. "What are you doing here? This part of the cemetery is restricted."
"I should be asking you that, I am the Immortal Cane after all. Besides, I was on patrol. Something about runaway magical corpses."
Sophina raised an eyebrow. "You mean you fell asleep again and the patrol is your excuse."
He laughed. "Maybe, and you? Practicing again with your magic book?"
She sighed. "I came to think. Something you could try from time to time."
"I think just fine, in between fights and naps."
There was a pause in their banter. These conversations had become common between them. First irritating, over time they became interesting, and now even somewhat dear.
Sophina watched him closely. There was something different about his posture tonight, less boastful, more tired. On his sleeve, she saw signs of a recent fight, a torn seam and a bloodstained cuff.
"You’re hurt."
He looked and shrugged. "Surface wound, I’ve already regenerated."
"You shouldn’t take that lightly."
"I’ve survived worse." He winked at her, but she didn’t smile back.
Her eyes softened. "Renatus, even immortals can break."
His smile faded for a moment. He looked at her and saw not the cold-blooded Visionary everyone feared, but someone who cared, someone who saw, truly saw.
He leaned in closer and said softly, "You worry too much."
"I worry just enough."
Silence stretched between them, like a held breath. The air between them grew heavier.
She was the first to break eye contact, turning toward the rows of graves. "Sometimes I wonder", she said quietly, "how long you’ve been living like this."
Renatus followed her gaze. "Too long."
"You’ve never talked about your past."
"You’ve never asked."
"I’m asking now."
He paused, it was true, few ever asked him anything. Most were too afraid or uninterested. But Sophina, she always looked further than others.
"There was… a girl," he said at last.
Sophina blinked.
"In another life. Before I became immortal, before magic turned me into, well, whatever I am now." he gestured vaguely to himself. "She was kind, gentle, smart. Loved to read, like you."
Sophina trembled slightly.
"She died." His voice was indifferent, not from lack of feeling, but from the weight of years. "I couldn’t save her. I thought if I lived long enough, I’d somehow forget."
Sophina stepped closer. "But you never did."
"No." He looked her straight in the eyes. "Because lately, I remember. Not her, not exactly, but that feeling, when I’m with you."
Her throat tightened. She wanted to respond, but for the first time, words, her most treasured weapon, her offense and defense, failed her.
He leaned toward her. "Because of you, I feel alive. And that’s not something I say lightly, Sophina."
Her eyes shone. For a moment, she allowed herself to feel the pain in his voice, the hope in his eyes, the weight of his eternal lonely existence. The tragic fate of a man doomed to watch his loved ones die before his eyes, cursed to live forever mourning those who will inevitably leave, while he himself can never join them.
In that moment, she allowed herself to see him, truly see him, everything he was, not just what he showed the world. And she realized, in this man there was so much more than met the eye.
"Renatus..." she whispered. Her hand gently touched the scar on his face.
He didn’t pull away. He took her hand gently. His fingers, usually rough and cold, were now firm and steady, like an anchor.
"For the first time since I became immortal, I actually want to live," he said, "not because I have no other choice. I… want to live because of you, Sophina."
She stepped forward, closing the final gap, and rested her forehead against his. The silence of the cemetery became an unspoken vow. The dead watched, but without judgment.
"I’ll gladly be your reason.", she said softly, but surely.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "And I’ll be your shield."
The wind carried her hair across his cheek, and he breathed in the scent of old parchment and ink. There was no kiss that night, but something far more meaningful happened, a promise.
____________________________________
Renatus sighed theatrically, collapsing into the chair with a book the size of a sizable stone slab.
"This", he said, flipping a page with exaggerated disgust, "is torture."
He was fairly sure he saw Agito glance up from the corner at the word torture.
Sophina was sipping tea nearby. "You agreed to read a book of my choosing."
"I did, but come on, this one doesn’t even have pictures."
"It’s an encyclopedia on linguistic foundations of spells."
"Exactly."
She looked at him sharply. "Yet yesterday you fought the undead for six hours without a single complaint."
He grinned. "That’s different. At least they try to kill me, this book is just passive-aggressive."
She rolled her eyes, but smiled faintly. "Just keep reading."
He groaned louder, but she noticed something: he really was reading. Slowly, carefully.
Maybe the immortal had finally met his match in discipline, in knowledge, and in love.
She came closer and leaned in, her palm lightly touching his shoulder.
"You’re not alone anymore, Renatus."
"I know", he said quietly. "And that terrifies me."
She smiled. "Good, that means you care."
____________________________________
The Hall of Divine Visionaries was not a place for warmth or laughter.
Meetings here usually began with bureaucratic boredom and ended with execution orders, budget cuts, or the occasional argument just to spice things up.
Today, however, the atmosphere was different.
There were no reports, no disciplinary notices, no new monsters to destroy.
Instead, they had gathered for something much more uncomfortable: Renatus Revol was in love. And everyone knew it.
Rayne Ames stood leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, staring at the door like a man expecting a meteor to fall on his head.
"The relationship itself isn’t even the problem," he turned to Finn, who absolutely wasn’t authorized to be here, but had somehow snuck in anyway. "The problem is it made him talk more, I mean, more than usual, and that was already too much."
Finn smiled. "I think it’s kind of sweet. She calms him down. He’s all… graveyards and melancholy, and she’s… libraries and lectures." A truly eloquent description from young Ames.
Rayne frowned. "So they’re both insufferable, but compatible."
Kaldo Gehenna was already sprawled in an armchair, practically glowing with anticipation, sipping tea with honey, or honey with a splash of tea, who could tell. "I’ve waited a long time for this day," he chirped happily. "Our little undead found someone who’ll hit him with a book over bad grammar. Love truly exists."
Tsurara Halestone sat curled in a corner, trembling slightly as she clutched a cup of tea with both hands as if it might escape.
"I-I brought c-cookies," she stammered, pushing a tray toward the center of the table. "F-for the h-happy couple. M-maybe..."
"With honey?" Kaldo asked hopefully.
Tsurara inhaled. "N-no! Cinnamon!"
Orter Madl, predictably, was not pleased with the news.
"This is a waste of visionary resources," he said dead-seriously, poring over a scroll titled “Law on Emotional Relations” as if it were sacred scripture. "Personal relationships between elite Bureau members jeopardize the cohesion of this institution."
Kaldo gasped theatrically. "You’re just jealous no one ever kissed you under moonlight in a graveyard."
Orter’s eye twitched. He looked like he was one incident away from murder, which he had probably attempted dozens of times before, only to be stopped by his beloved regulations.
Agito Tyrone sat silently, his dragon behind him lazily watching the others with one eye. He said nothing, but occasionally jotted notes into his notebook:
Pros: Efficient teamwork, high emotional stability, potential increase in field effectiveness.
Cons: Public distraction, possible poetic outbursts, Kaldo encourages them.
Ryoh Grantz, miraculously, was not present at this grand gathering, but had he been, he would surely have made a comment praising Renatus’s manliness and courage to publicly declare his love.
The door finally creaked open. Everyone turned.
Renatus strolled in with his hands behind his head, looking completely unbothered by the attention.
Beside him, Sophina walked with her usual grace, chin slightly raised, book tucked under her arm, gaze calmly scanning the room.
"Oh, marvelous," Kaldo gushed. "The stars of our romance have arrived."
Renatus plopped into a chair and grabbed a cookie. "Still don’t get why this warranted a full meeting."
Sophina sat beside him and adjusted the sleeves of her coat. "We’re Visionaries, drama is part of the job."
Rayne stepped forward. "We just want to make sure you won’t start making googly eyes at each other in the middle of missions."
Kaldo added playfully “And to ensure we don’t walk in on, you know… scenes.”
Tsurara choked on her tea.
Renatus smiled. "Can’t promise that. Have you ever tried breaking free from undead claws while someone recites magical poetry at you? Pretty sexy experience."
Orter growled as if someone had cursed in a sacred tongue.
Sophina took a sip of tea without blinking. "I can multitask."
Rayne buried his face in his hands.
Kaldo leaned dramatically over the table. "Alright, enough nonsense, let’s get to the important stuff!”
Everyone in the room looked at him, shocked, breath collectively held, until he continued theatrically, “Who confessed first?” The room exhaled in relief—everything was right with the universe. “Tell me it was during a magical duel, or a storm, or while a dragon attacked you."
Sophina raised an eyebrow. "We were discussing the ethics of resurrection spells in sector 17. He said inethical instead of unethical. I corrected him, and he said he’d kiss me."
Rayne choked on air.
Renatus grinned. "Still stand by that."
"Correction," said Sophina calmly. "You said, quote, ‘Wow, correct me harder.’"
Tsurara turned crimson and dropped a cookie.
Kaldo burst into laughter.
____________________________________
The room eventually quieted.
Renatus leaned forward, his voice softer. "I get it, this is weird. I’m weird, she’s perfect. But I’m not going to screw this up."
Sophina looked at him sideways.
He smiled. "She sees something in me, and I’m not letting that go."
Orter opened his mouth again, ready to express disapproval, but was stopped before he could quote what was surely another passage from some absurd law.
Sophina cut him off without raising her voice. "You fear this makes us weak, but when two Visionaries trust each other unconditionally, it’s a tactical advantage, not a weakness."
Rayne exhaled slowly. "Unfortunately, she has a point."
Agito nodded. "Statistically, paired teams outperform individuals by 27% in combat."
Orter muttered darkly: "I hate statistics."
Rayne stood up. "Fine. You two are weird., but you’ve always been weird. And if she’s willing to put up with that... then I guess it’s okay."
Orter rolled his eyes and added "No kissing during work hours" to the formal Visionary Code.
Kaldo poured himself more honey into… did I say tea? I meant honey.
Agito’s dragon burped a tiny, sparkling heart.
And Renatus, undead, cynical Renatus, looked at the woman beside him and said: "Told you they’d get used to it."
Sophina leaned on his shoulder and whispered: "Statistically inevitable."