Yawn…

Waking up to a dog the size of a body pillow was the best.

I rubbed and hugged Noxx in my office-room—yeah, my office-room—because it had actually been built, and this was my first time sleeping in here.

It was… nice.

Way nicer than anything I expected.

Eggshell-painted walls stretched around me, clean and quiet. Obsidian drapes fell from the window all the way to the floor, heavy but smooth, like they were made to block out more than just light.

Right beside my bed, a piece of glass hovered against the wall, held together by faint black smoke.

Not behind it.

Not around it.

The smoke was gripping it.

Demon news ran across the surface, talking about the time of day as if this were normal.

I stared at it for a second longer than I should.

…Yeah.

Still getting used to that.

I rolled out of bed, stretching, my mind already running ahead of me.

I still needed to hunt down my father.

I wanted to see his blacksmith.

I had ideas.

A clock idea.

A diagram idea.

A don't-let-me-forget-this idea.

My brain didn't stop anymore.

I glanced left.

The bathroom.

Stand-in shower.

I sprinted in like I had an appointment.

—

Steam followed me out when I was done, my hair still damp, black robe hanging loose on my shoulders.

And that's when I noticed it.

A coffee machine.

Fancy too.

Multiple buttons.

Multiple settings.

The kind of machine that looked like it judged you if you pressed the wrong thing.

Next to it—

a note.

I picked it up.

"Since I couldn't stay once you woke up, I had this set up and ordered by your father.

Also, he isn't here because he has a meeting in the Neutral Zone with the Holy Kingdom.

Aunt Sera will be with him too."

…Of course.

I looked back at the machine.

"Regular coffee… cappuccino… espresso…"

I blinked.

"Wow. I wanna try everything."

Noxx walked between my legs as I owed him money, his tail thumping against my calf twice.

Right.

Food.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you."

I set the machine to regular coffee.

The moment it started brewing, the smell hit me.

Perfect.

Then my stomach remembered something important.

Sugar.

Creamer.

I opened the cabinet above it.

And there it was.

Purple demon sugar—you had to pre-order that from the Hell Farmlands—and demon creamer sitting right next to it as it belonged there.

"…No pun intended."

I fixed my cup and took a sip.

Peace.

For exactly two seconds.

Then—

The Ledger popped up.

Like it was offended I was happy.

[ WOUNDED: 0 / 20 ]

[ ILLNESSES: 0 / 10 ]

[ COMMENT: GET READY FOR A LONG DAY ]

I stared at it.

Noxx stared at it too, head tilted like he was deciding if he could bite it.

"…Wait a moment," I told it.

A knock hit the door.

"I'm not decent!" I called out.

A calm voice answered from the other side.

"Take your time. I can wait in the lobby."

…Oh.

I moved fast.

—

Black lab coat. Purple gown. Name tag. Sophia Valac. Noxx was already scratching at the door like he'd been waiting longer than I had.

I opened it.

My office led straight into the lobby, where the nurses were already moving around, papers in hand, voices low and focused.

And then—I saw him.

Standing near the doorway like he had been posted there.

Like he belonged there.

Scorin.

Gallant like a noble soldier.

Fierce like a dragon trying to pretend it wasn't.

I almost tripped over my own feet.

"Good morning," he said.

I cleared my throat like I was normal.

"Good morning to you too. You been there long?"

"No," he said immediately.

The staff said otherwise with their faces.

Scorin glanced at them once.

That was all it took.

Everyone suddenly remembered they had work to do.

I laughed.

I couldn't help it.

He blushed.

Actual blush.

"…Can I help you out today?" he asked.

I blinked.

This version of Scorin?

This version wasn't trying to kill me.

"…Alright," I said, trying not to sound like I liked that. "Ask a nurse for protective gear. Gown. Mask. All that."

I turned, already walking.

"Then meet me in the first room."

"Yes."

He said it as if he'd just been assigned a mission from God.

—

The first patient was a young demon boy.

Fever.

Chest pain.

Simple.

I was checking him when Scorin stepped in, fully geared now.

The boy looked up—

and immediately froze.

Recognition.

Fear.

"Relax," I said before it spread. "He's here to help."

The boy hesitated…

then smiled.

"Thanks, mister!"

Scorin flinched.

Just a little.

Like he didn't understand why anyone would say that to him.

He lifted a hand anyway.

Small wave.

Careful.

Polite.

I focused back on the boy.

Demon Flu.

Easy.

I lifted my hand.

Umbral Grace flowed out—

effortless.

That was new.

Usually, I had to focus more.

Hold it. Feel it. Force it. Now it just…

moved.

The glow settled over him, and the heat left his body as if it had never been allowed to stay.

The Ledger ticked.

[ ILLNESSES: 1 / 10 ]

[ COMMENT: KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK d-(WuW)-b ]

I glared at it.

"You really wanna act smug?"

The kid laughed nervously.

"Thank you! I feel much better!"

I smiled.

And when I looked up—Scorin was staring.

Not casually.

Not curious.

Focused.

Like he had just found something valuable.

Something he wanted to understand.

Something he wanted to keep.

I ignored it.

"Next."

—

The next patient was a veteran.

His arm was pointing in a direction it absolutely should not have been.

He saw me and straightened up.

"Princess, I—"

"Save it," I cut him off.

I stepped in close, already grabbing his arm.

"A doctor cures the wounded."

I twisted.

Crack.

"We don't ask what caused it."

He didn't scream.

Just one sharp breath.

Then—

Umbral Grace sealed it clean.

Bone reset.

Flesh stabilized.

Pain gone.

He flexed it slowly.

Then faster.

Like it had never been broken.

His eyes glowed.

Bright.

Like Hell had just gotten its own angel.

Behind me—

Scorin was watching.

Not like before.

This time, it felt like a duel in his head.

Like he was measuring something.

I didn't give him time to think.

"Next."

—

Third patient.

Demon female.

Holy residue leaking from her shoulder.

That glow was wrong.

Sharp.

Burning.

"Do not touch it," I said immediately.

Scorin froze mid-step.

Good.

I leaned in, focusing carefully this time.

This wasn't simple healing.

This was removal.

The residue fought back—just a little—but Umbral Grace wrapped around it, isolated it, and crushed it out.

The woman exhaled.

Relief.

Then she smiled at me.

"You have a cute boyfriend working behind you."

I almost lost focus.

"I—uh—it's not like that."

I glanced back.

Scorin was standing there.

Still.

Calm face.

But his eyes—

Mine.

I looked away fast.

"Do you know what she means?"

He blinked.

"…Boyfriend? Like… a boy being a friend?"

The room went quiet.

The woman and I both stared at him.

Hopeless.

Completely hopeless.

The Ledger updated.

[ WOUNDED: 5 / 20 ]

"Next."

—

I finally got a second to breathe at the nurse station.

I sat down behind the desk.

Scorin was nearby, studying the coffee setup as if it were a puzzle he refused to lose.

I glanced at the Ledger.

It glanced back.

[ WOUNDED: 10 / 20 ]

[ ILLNESSES: 4 / 10 ]

It hummed.

Waiting.

Then—

"Here."

I looked up.

Scorin was holding a cup as if it might explode.

"I hope you like it."

I took it carefully.

"If I pass out," I said, looking at Noxx, "drag me to emergency."

I took a sip.

…

Perfect.

My face warmed before I could stop it.

Scorin saw it.

Something in him shifted.

Subtle.

Satisfied.

"You know," he said quietly, "if you didn't make snappy comebacks all the time… you'd be cuter."

I choked.

"If you got time to stare, you got time to help more patients!"

He laughed.

Actually laughed.

Then turned and jogged off as I had just given him another assignment.

Big dragon puppy.

—

Next case.

A demon male. Severed arm. Scorin was holding it. We were trying to reattach it.

Then—it popped off.

Just—left.

Like it had plans.

Scorin froze.

"…It's moving."

The arm crawled across the floor.

I stared at it.

"Sir… your arm is looking for the exit."

The demon shrugged weakly.

"Yeah. It does that sometimes."

…

I didn't question it.

Noxx bolted. Caught the arm mid-run. It went limp instantly in his mouth, as if it had given up on life.

He trotted back proudly.

Dropped it in my hands.

I smirked.

"You're better than that lizard, aren't ya?"

Scorin took visible emotional damage.

The Ledger flickered.

[ WOUNDED: 15 / 20 ]

I looked around the ward.

The movement.

The noise.

The patients.

The work.

Then down at my hands.

Still steady.

Still moving.

"…Yeah," I muttered. "This is real."

Then Noxx froze.

Not sat.

Not growled.

Froze.

His lantern blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Blinkblinkblink—

I looked at him.

"Noxx?"

His ears pinned back.

A low sound rolled out of him.

Not a growl.

A warning.

Then he turned toward the hospital doors.

"Noxx, wait—"

Too late.

He bolted.

Straight through the ward.

Nurses shouted.

Patients jerked upright.

A tray hit the floor.

"Noxx!"

He didn't look back.

He burst through the hospital doors like something outside had called his name.

And then he ran.

Far from the Nocturne Mercy Ward, Noxx ran.