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Chapter Text

Rafayel sat quietly in the corner of his campus art studio, a soft hum escaping his lips as his brush glided over the canvas.

"Hmmm~ hmm~ hmmmmmmmmmm~"

His tone was light, almost cheerful, blending with the soft rustle of paint and paper.

Bright colors swirled together, his own secret mix made from protocore shards, glowing faintly under the light. He smiled to himself, amused by the quiet mischief behind his peaceful expression.

"What kind of intel or protocore should I get today?~"

He sang softly to himself, like it was part of his creative ritual.
The classroom was silent, the other students absorbed in their work, unaware that Rafayel was already planning his next trip into the lawless shadows of N109.

As night settled over Linkon City, the vibrant lights of the university campus dimmed, and the world outside grew colder, more dangerous.

Rafayel slipped out of his campus hostel unnoticed, no longer the bright art student—but someone entirely different. He had traded his casual attire for a sharp, sleek suit that made him look older, colder, more calculated. A smooth black mask covered the upper half of his face, casting shadows over his eyes and hiding his identity completely.

He moved quietly through the outskirts of the school, heading toward a discreet corner of the carpark. There, parked under a flickering light, was his secret indulgence, a gleaming red luxury car, far too expensive for a normal student. But Rafayel wasn't just any student.

He twirled his car key around his finger with a smirk, then slid into the driver's seat with practiced ease. The engine purred to life.

As the city blurred past his window, heading straight into the darker districts, he hummed again, soft and amused.

"Today, no art piece to sell... but intel. Heh~ Let's see which lucky criminal I'm aiming next."

The closer he got to N109, the more the streets twisted into chaos. But Rafayel smiled.
He always did his best work in the dark.

The moment Rafayel crossed into N109, the air changed.

The lights were dimmer, streets cracked and flickering with unstable neon. Graffiti tagged every surface, whispers filled the alleys, and danger pulsed through the ground like static. But Rafayel didn't flinch.

He pulled up to a towering, grand building, beautiful in a broken way. Marble twisted beautifully with rusted steel, lined with guards and cameras that never blinked. A place of dark trades, quiet murders, and unspoken power.

Parking his red car smoothly at the side, Rafayel stepped out. His shoes clicked softly against the pavement as he adjusted his blazer and mask, brushing imaginary dust off his collar.

He approached the thick, guarded entrance. A single glowing scanner hovered beside the locked doors, waiting for a code. No pass, no entry.

Without hesitation, Rafayel said smoothly,
"Crimson."

The scanner blinked green.
The heavy doors slid open with a deep mechanical groan.

A sharply dressed staff member stood inside, bowing slightly.

"Welcome back."

Without another word, the staff gestured politely and guided him to the elevator. The interior gleamed with mirrored walls, and the lights above buzzed faintly.

The staff pressed the panel for him—Floor 47, known only to those deep in the underworld.

"Your floor, sir."

Rafayel gave a small nod, hands in his pockets, calm and composed.

As the elevator rose, he stared at his reflection in the polished walls—mask on, suit sharp, expression unreadable.

Tonight, it wasn't about painting.
It was about who would bleed information first.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing a buzzing floor draped in luxury and secrecy.

Floor 47.
The beating heart of underground dealings, cloaked in elegance, laced with danger.

Dozens of sharply dressed individuals filled the space. Some lounged with drinks in hand, others whispered in corners, exchanging secrets worth lives. The air was thick with perfume, smoke, and tension.

Rafayel stepped in calmly, unfazed by the chaos of power around him. As he walked through the crowd, heads subtly turned. His presence didn't go unnoticed. He was "Raf", the elusive art broker whose pieces, sold quietly, ended up being worth billions and trouble.

A butler passed by, offering a silver tray of wine. Rafayel plucked a glass without a word, swirling the deep red liquid as his masked eyes scanned the room. Elegant. Dangerous. Detached.

Then came a voice behind him.

"Fancy seeing you again, Mr. Raf."

He turned slightly, cool as ever, wine glass still twirling between his fingers. A small group of traders had approached, clearly intrigued by his arrival.

Straight to business, he said flatly,
"If you want something, I want intel. Or protocores."

The traders exchanged amused glances. This was the norm here—a price for a price.

"Sure. I give you intel. You provide me a painting."

Rafayel gave a cold smirk. No hesitation. Just precision.

They moved toward a secluded grand table in a quiet corner, the chatter of the crowd fading behind them. A chandelier above shimmered dimly, casting sharp reflections on the glass between them.

He leaned back casually in the chair, one leg crossed over the other.

"So... what's the deal?"

The trader leaned forward, voice low but tinged with pride.

"Information on the Farspace Fleet. Not just scraps. It's about what they're doing in secret right now. Operations not even their own people know."

Rafayel's eyes glinted behind the mask.
Now that was interesting.

He smirked, voice smooth.

"I'm on."

As the trader began to speak, Rafayel let his thoughts drift for a second.

Oh? Another Farspace spy? I wonder if the previous one... got caught? If not , he will soon. My art never misses.

Rafayel sat across from a grizzled-looking trader cloaked in a heavy coat. The air was thick with smoke, low voices, and tension.
The trader leaned forward, eyes glinting with interest, a crooked smirk on his lips.

"I heard your paintings... are imbued with protocores. The paints. You can provide me a painting for it?"

Rafayel didn't blink. Instead, he slowly tilted his head, a cold smirk forming beneath the mask covering his upper face.
Rafayel replied smoothly, voice like a blade.

"I can. Now. Give me the intel... and I'll do the painting for you."

There was a pause, just long enough for the tension to crackle between them like static.
Then, as the trader began to consider, Rafayel leaned back slightly, thinking to himself with quiet satisfaction:

"Bingo. A new target."

He didn't need to say more. This was his game, and once the painting was done, the Wanderers would do the rest.

The trader leaned closer to Rafayel, his voice dripping with confidence.

"The fleet... they're conducting an experiment on—"

Click. Click.

Footsteps.

Polished shoes echoed softly across the concrete floor. A tall man in a tailored black suit approached with the grace of someone who owned every room he walked into. His presence cut through the murk like a blade—silent, precise, and cold as steel.

He stopped just behind them.

"On?"

The single word was spoken with ice in its tone. Calm, quiet, and dangerously sharp.

The trader's eyes widened. His smugness vanished in an instant, replaced by sheer terror. He turned slowly, neck stiff, breath caught in his throat.

"Brigadier General Caleb..."

The words fell from his mouth like a death sentence.

Chapter Text

Caleb stepped forward, his gaze locked onto the trembling trader.

"Continue,"

he said coldly. 

"Came here to give out intel? Or to betray your own fleet?"

The trader opened his mouth to respond, but only stammered breath came out. Panic had already gripped him.

Without hesitation, Caleb drew his sidearm, sleek, black, and silent and fired.
One shot. Right between the eyes.

The trader collapsed to the floor with a dull thud, lifeless. 
Caleb muttered, voice flat and detached, like he was commenting on the weather.

"Spy. Again." 

No one flinched. In N109, gunshots weren't uncommon. Death wasn't shocking. It was background noise.

Rafayel's eyes widened slightly behind his mask. Just slightly. He thought dryly, staring at the corpse now bleeding onto the cracked concrete.

Well... there goes my target. Guess I'll have to paint a different trap.

Caleb, unbothered, took the dead man's seat and sat across from Rafayel—unmoving, eyes sharp, posture straight.

"You're the one," 

he said coolly, 

"selling all the paintings imbued with Protocore energy."

There was no accusation in his voice, just fact. The weight of someone used to knowing things no one wanted him to know.

Rafayel tilted his head with a lazy shrug.
"And?"

His tone was calm, almost bored. But underneath, his mind was already calculating, testing how much Caleb knew... and how much danger he was actually in.

Caleb's gaze bore into Rafayel like frost cutting through glass—sharp, unblinking.

"Thanks to you," 

he said icily. 

"I caught the spy previously... and now."

Rafayel said nothing, his mask hiding the flicker of amusement in his eyes.
But in his mind?

So the previous spy really got caught. Nice. But... this one? Not really because of me?

He kept his silence, letting Caleb think whatever he wanted.

Without breaking eye contact, Caleb stood and walked closer, his footsteps steady, deliberate. He stopped just in front of Rafayel's table.

"When's the next time you're here?" he asked, tone flat, unreadable.

Rafayel slowly looked up at him, one brow raised behind the mask.

"Why? Exchange intel?"

His voice dripped with calm sarcasm, playing it cool.

Caleb didn't answer.
He just stared, cold, unreadable then turned and walked off without another word.

No explanation. No glance back.
Just silence.

Rafayel watched him go, puzzled behind the stillness of his mask.

"...What was that?"

The thought lingered as he leaned back in his chair, a mix of confusion and curiosity twisting behind his calm exterior.

"Was that a threat... or an invitation?"

The next afternoon, after lectures wrapped up at Linkon University, Rafayel slipped away from campus and headed toward the quiet forest on the city's edge—a rare place where nature still dared to exist near the chaos of N109.

He carried a large sketch pad tucked under one arm, and a slim case filled with his custom-made Protocore paints. The air was still, dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. It was peaceful.

For a while.

Settling onto a flat stone, Rafayel laid his materials out with care. He dipped his brush into the iridescent paint, the liquid shimmering faintly with unstable energy. Humming softly, he let his hand move with practiced grace.
Rafayel murmured to himself, smiling.

"This will be good~" 

But peace never lasted long around Protocores. A sudden chill swept through the forest.

The air warped. The shadows twisted.

Wanderers began to emerge, twisted, ghostlike creatures drawn by the paint's raw energy. They slithered from the trees, clawed hands reaching, voidlike eyes fixed on him.

Rafayel sighed, brushing his bangs back lazily.

"Every single time. Tsk."

Without standing, he lifted his hand—and with a flick of his fingers, fire ignited around him. His fire evol roared to life, a clean controlled blaze. The Wanderers were incinerated one after another in precise bursts, turned to ash before they could even scream.

Not a drop of paint smudged.
But just as he let his guard down, a single Wanderer lunged from behind, bypassing him entirely.

Straight into his painting.

The beast's claws tore through the canvas, leaving a jagged hole through the center. Half of the painting was obliterated. The Protocore-infused paint splattered across the leaves, wasted.

Rafayel's eyes widened in horror.

"No—!"

In a flash of rage, he unleashed a blazing inferno, reducing the final Wanderer to scorched dust. He sprinted to the ruined painting, dropping to one knee and lifting it with trembling hands.

A long sigh escaped him.

"Arghhhh!! Wasted my paint on it!"

He stared at the torn page like it had personally betrayed him, frustration simmering just beneath the surface.

"That was going to sell so well..."

"Arghhh!!"

Rafayel flopped onto the grass, throwing his arms back and kicking his legs in frustration like a furious child. His ruined painting lay nearby, a gaping hole torn through its center. The vibrant protocore colors smeared uselessly across the paper and grass.

He sat up with an angry huff.

"Since you guys keep attacking my painting, right? Take it! Take! Hmph!"

And with one furious throw, he launched the painting deep into the forest, the wind catching its edges before it disappeared into the trees.

Still fuming, Rafayel stomped out of the clearing, muttering under his breath as he made his way back toward campus. The sound of his boots crunching over twigs matched the rhythm of his irritation.

Deeper in the forest...A quiet figure paused mid-step.

Not Lumiere.

Xavier. Unmasked. Casual, but still sharp. His features were calm but always watchful, like someone who never stopped analyzing the world.

He had been walking through the woods, alone, when the surge of Wanderer energy brushed against his senses like static. He didn't flinch, he followed it. Silently. Hidden in the shadows.

And then... he saw it.

From behind a patch of trees, he had witnessed the entire scene: the student painting calmly, using glowing protocore-infused paint... then suddenly fighting off Wanderers with flames so precise they never touched the canvas.

Xavier's eyes narrowed slightly. Curious. Controlled.

And now, as he stood still in the silence, the painting, the very one Rafayel had angrily thrown—fluttered through the air and landed with a soft thud directly in front of him.

Xavier looked down at it.

His brows lifted ever so slightly.
It was familiar. Too familiar.

He remembered it clearly, the last time, a ruined painting had flown out of nowhere and hit him square in the head while he was in his Lumiere identity. A strange encounter he hadn't forgotten.

And now?

It had happened again.
Only this time, he had seen the artist. Unmasked.

"So... it's you,"   he muttered quietly, eyes still on the painting.
"A university student. Creating all these."

He knelt slowly, brushing a gloved finger across the still-glowing streaks of paint. The residual energy pulsed faintly against his skin.

He smirked faintly, cold, intrigued, calculating.

"Interesting."

Chapter Text

Night in N109 was never quiet, but tonight carried a strange electricity in the air.

The district's tallest, grandest building, infamous for housing elite-level black-market deals, buzzed with activity. The Grand Trading Hall was alight with low, golden lighting, polished obsidian floors, and layers of wealth and danger interwoven in its every corner.

Tonight was different. Tonight, a single painting had drawn every criminal eye in the city.

A mysterious art piece, crafted with real Protocore energy—was up for auction. Rumors whispered that it wasn't just artwork. It was bait.

At a private table tucked into the highest shadowed corner of the hall, Rafayel lounged in a dark, tailored suit, a silver half-mask covering his upper face. He swirled a glass of wine in his hand, legs crossed, expression sharp with amusement.

From behind his mask, he watched the room fill with shady figures, warlords, smugglers, corrupt officers, all of them pretending they weren't about to kill each other over one painting.

He smirked. He murmured to himself.

"Let's enjoy this"

His trap had been set. Anyone bidding for the painting was a guaranteed criminal. Wanderer-bait embedded into the paint would do the rest—eventually.

What he didn't know? Tonight's guests included two very specific predators.

Caleb, dressed sharply in an all-black suit, strode into the room without announcement. His presence was quiet but commanding, eyes cold, posture straight. He moved like he already owned the place.

His sharp gaze scanned the room once and then locked onto the painting on display.

Without a word, he walked to a side table, perfectly positioned to observe the auction—and possibly the artist.

From another entrance, moving like a whisper through shadow, entered Lumiere.

No one saw his face, only the familiar mask, only the silver coat flowing behind him like smoke. His movements were slow, fluid, impossible to hear.

He didn't sit with the crowd. He stood far back, arms crossed, blue eyes glowing faintly beneath the mask's shadow.

Above them all, Rafayel twirled his wine glass, watching as the first bids began. Oblivious to the fact that two of N109's most dangerous men were now staring straight at his trap.

The hall fell into a hush as the bidding officially began.

A low voice from the stage announced,
"Starting bid: one million credits."

The crowd leaned in.

Rafayel, seated high above in his private corner, sipped his wine lazily, one leg crossed over the other. His mask gleamed faintly in the golden light, hiding the amusement playing on his lips.

He hummed softly to himself.

"Nah uh~ target must be someone who bids high~"

Bids began to rise quickly.
Two million. Five million. Ten. Fifteen.

The tension in the room climbed with every shout, and Rafayel grinned behind the rim of his glass, enjoying every moment. His trap was working. Greed was biting the hook.

Until—
A voice cut through the bidding like a blade.

"Thirty billion."

Sharp. Cold. Commanding.
The room fell silent.

All heads turned to the man standing calmly in a black suit at a side table, his expression unreadable.

Caleb.

Rafayel stopped humming mid-note.
He leaned forward, wine glass hovering in mid-air, eyes narrowing as he tried to make out the bidder in the shadows.

"Interesting... who is this? New target?"

Then, recognition clicked.
His eyes widened behind the mask.

"Huh??? No way. Farspace Fleet Brigadier General Caleb? Nonono—I'm not messing with that."

He leaned back quickly, gripping his wine like it was suddenly made of glass.
And just as he tried to recover—

Another voice entered the room.
Smooth. Cold. Calculated.

"Fifty billion."

It echoed softly, yet powerfully, from the back of the hall.
Rafayel choked.

"PFT—!"
He spat out his wine.

Heads turned. Eyes searched.

And in the shadows, leaning casually against a pillar, stood Lumiere—his signature mask hiding all but the faintest glint in his eyes.

Rafayel blinked, frozen in disbelief.

"Why is Lumiere here?!"

His heart raced.

"Wait—why are they both here?! "

His plan had worked a little too well. Now, two apex predators were bidding on a trap meant for criminals.

And Rafayel?
Was caught in his own game.

Rafayel's calm composure was officially shattered.

He set down his wine glass with trembling fingers, no longer able to enjoy the rich vintage—or the situation.

Inside, pure chaos.

No way I can handle those two...

He stared wide-eyed at the trading floor.

One's a Farspace Fleet General, the other's got a bounty big enough to buy a moon. Strong enough to make my head fly off without blinking. No way, no way, no—

He almost stood up in panic but forced himself to stay seated, though his boot tapped nervously beneath the table.
Down below, no one else dared to speak after Lumiere's cold "fifty billion." The hall held its breath.

The painting glowed faintly under the display lights, unaware it had become a ticking time bomb.

Rafayel groaned. Deeply.
Then—
He stood abruptly, leaned over the balcony, and shouted across the entire hall:

"EIGHTY BILLION!"

Silence.

Every head turned. Even Caleb and Lumiere paused, glancing up toward the voice.

There, in full view, stood the masked man from the private balcony—Rafayel, arms spread dramatically like some reckless bidder with too much money and too little sense.

Inside?

I'M BIDDING ON MY OWN WORK! WASTING MONEY ON A WASTED ART PIECE! THIS IS STUPID!

He slumped back into his seat, muttering under his breath:

"I'm not risking this. Nope. Not tonight. Not dying for paint."

A moment later, the announcer confirmed:

"Sold... for 80 billion. To the gentleman in the upper balcony."

Applause. Confusion. Shrugs. No one suspected the artist had just bought back his own trap to avoid a very explosive mess.

Meanwhile, Caleb watched with a flicker of amusement.
Lumiere just tilted his head slightly, unreadable... but his interest had grown.

And Rafayel?
He covered his face with one hand.

"I hate all of this."

The bidding had ended.
The painting was his again technically. Not that it mattered. He had successfully baited and evaded two apex-level predators in one night.

Or so he thought.

Rafayel let out a long, dramatic sigh, dusted off his suit, and turned to quietly exit the private balcony—

When the door clicked open.
Standing in the doorway, calm and cold as ever, was Caleb.

Rafayel froze.

"...Huh?"

Before he could even react, a shadow blurred past the balcony rail and Lumiere flew up from below, landing effortlessly with a soft thud behind him.

Two monsters. One room. One Rafayel.

"WOAHH!! Wha—WHAT???"

He spun around, pressed to the wall now, eyes wide beneath his mask as both men slowly stepped in, blocking the only exits, one by door, one by air.

Caleb adjusted the cuffs of his suit calmly, icy eyes locking onto him.
Lumiere said nothing. Just stared. Still as stone. Mask gleaming under the chandelier.

Rafayel raised his hands halfway, defensive and jittery.

"Okay okay okay—gentlemen—how about we talk first before anyone vaporizes anyone?"

His voice cracked slightly, trying to keep the humor alive.
Inside?

I should have just sold the painting to some no-name street crook. I'm going to die in a suit. In a penthouse. Because I paint too well.

He forced a shaky smile.

"Did you, uh... need something? Other than trying to outbid each other on my totally non-dangerous art?"

Chapter Text

Lumiere took a step forward, slow and deliberate, his voice low and cold.

"You've been selling your artworks to a lot of bidders. They always end up caught... or dead, shortly after."

His masked gaze locked onto Rafayel with unsettling stillness.

Caleb, standing just to the side, glanced briefly at Lumiere.
A flicker of understanding passed between them—unspoken, but mutual.

Then Caleb turned his icy stare back to Rafayel, his tone just as sharp.

"I haven't had the chance to thank you... for helping me catch my fleet spy."
"Twice."

Rafayel laughed, nervously then coughed, trying to bury the rising panic under a thin layer of charm.

"W-Well, thank you. But if this is all, I'd love to be on my way. The bids are settled, after all."

He made a move to step toward the door—

Both voices cut in, cold and overlapping:

"Why bid your own art?"

Rafayel stopped. Mid-step. He slumped slightly.
Groaned silently in his mind.

CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH TWO DANGEROUS PEOPLE I CAN'T HANDLE! I'M JUST A STUDENT!

But what came out was just a polite cough and a half-smile.

He raised a brow, deflecting coolly.

"Then let me ask you two something. Why are you buying my art?"

The question hung heavy in the air, and for once, Rafayel stood his ground, mask steady, though his heart was tap-dancing in his chest.

Both men—Caleb and Lumiere, answered in perfect, chilling unison:

"Because we want to see you."

Rafayel froze.
He coughed, on air this time, wide-eyed behind his mask.

"Huh? Ha... ha... wow... this is... marvelous, huh?"

He forced a shaky smile, voice slightly higher than usual.

Deep inside?
This is too scary!! WHY ME? I JUST DRAW THINGS!!

Then, Caleb stepped forward with purpose, his voice low and cutting.

"You have a special ability... to dissect Protocores and Aether Cores without triggering detonation, don't you?"

Rafayel's eyes dimmed slightly behind the mask.

There it was. The real reason.

Lumiere didn't speak, but his stare was enough, sharp, dissecting, confirming the question with silence.

Rafayel straightened, mask tilting just enough to show a shift in tone.
His voice came out quiet but firm.

"If you want answers... then trade intel. You know how things work here."

That earned him something rare.

A cold smirk from Caleb. And a shadow of amusement behind Lumiere's mask.

Lumiere's voice came first, flat and composed:

"Sure."

Rafayel leaned back slightly, smirking as if he was back in control.

"Alright then. What's the intel?"

Lumiere stepped forward, closing the space between them with an eerie calm. He leaned in, voice barely above a whisper near Rafayel's ear.

"You. Are. A student."

Rafayel's blood ran cold. His eyes snapped wide, breath catching. Slowly, he turned his head toward Caleb, who hadn't reacted yet, still unaware.

"...You—!"
Rafayel hissed under his breath, glaring at Lumiere.
Lumiere tilted his head faintly, voice unreadable.

"An exchange is an exchange."

Rafayel's fists clenched.

His patience snapped as his fingers curled into the fabric of Lumiere's uniform, yanking him close in a flash of fury.

"Yes. I can dissect Aether Cores and Protocores without causing harm."

His voice was sharp, no longer playful, no longer evasive. Just raw and tired.

Lumiere's blue eyes met his steadily. For a second, they softened, just slightly. Then came the faintest curve of a smirk.

But Caleb's voice broke the moment.

"So what did he say?"  he asked coolly.
"What intel did Lumiere give that made you confess?"

Lumiere cut in before Rafayel could speak, voice laced with cold edge:

"Find out yourself, General."

And without waiting for permission or response, Lumiere turned and left, his coat trailing behind like shadowed smoke. Silent. Effortless.

Rafayel let go, shoulders tense, his breath uneven.
Now, it was just him and Caleb in the private balcony.

Caleb stepped closer, unhurried, hands behind his back.

"Since you've admitted you can do what no ordinary person can... I have a proposal."
"Help me dissect Protocores and Aether Cores. In return, you can use what remains to create your paints. I need the clean separation for intel, deep intel."

Rafayel blinked, stunned by the offer, then slowly raised a brow.

"...Are you asking me to join the Farspace Fleet?"

Caleb shook his head, firm and cold.

"No. Join me. Not the Fleet. You'll work directly under me, personally."

The implication was heavier than his tone.
A dangerous privilege. A private contract under a Brigadier General.

Rafayel hesitated, his pulse quickening beneath his calm exterior.
He said it honestly.

"This is risky."

Caleb smirked. Cold. Confident.

"Right now, standing in the heart of N109... surrounded by killers, thieves, and Wanderer-chasers..."
"You're already in the most dangerous place on the planet."
"Working with me? Is safer than where you are."

He stepped even closer, lowering his voice.

"Don't you think, Mr. Raf?"

For the next few days, Rafayel's mind was a battlefield of thoughts.

He couldn't shake the weight of Caleb's offer, direct access to Protocores, a private partnership, protection... and control.

And then there was Lumiere. That cryptic stare. That smirk. That whispered truth. It all spiraled in his head like a half-drawn canvas he didn't know how to finish.

In class, sunlight poured through the tall windows of Linkon University's top art studio. Students hunched over their easels, brushes sweeping across canvases, quiet classical music playing in the background.

Rafayel sat in his usual corner, a clean sketchpad in front of him, but his hand barely moved.

He stared at his half-finished piece, eyes glazed. 

Rafayel mumbled to himself, lips barely moving.

"This is way too risky...I just wanted to earn some cash and catch criminals silently... how did this turn into a personal invitation from a general? And Lumiere acting like a cryptic ghost boyfriend?"

Thwip—clink!

His clean brush slipped from his fingers and sailed across the studio—right into someone's head.

"Oi!"

A voice snapped from the other side of the room.

"Who?! Is my head an attraction for flying brushes now?"

The class laughed.

Rafayel blinked, snapped out of his spiral, and hurried over with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, sorry—it's me,"   he said, scooping up the brush.
"Your head looked like it needed a little kiss to wake up."

The surrounding classmates burst into laughter. The one who got hit rolled their eyes and smirked.

"Rafayel! Don't make me throw paint at you next time."

Rafayel held up both hands, backing away with exaggerated steps.

"Oops. Got it. Truce."

He laughed, but the smile faded just slightly as he sat back down.

Behind the charm, his mind still spun.

Caleb... Lumiere... If I say yes... there's no turning back.

Chapter Text

Days passed, and Rafayel made a conscious decision to stay away from N109.

He wasn't ready.

Caleb's offer lingered like a ticking clock, and Lumiere's unnerving presence remained stamped in the back of his mind. The weight of their attention pressed on him—even when they weren't around.

He avoided the underground zone, sticking to campus life. Art classes, lectures, the usual chaos of university.

Midday, in the open-air studio room, Rafayel sat at his easel, sleeves rolled up, brush in hand, lost in the blending of deep crimson into a cloudy grey. His thoughts swirled like his paint strokes—distant, tangled, indecisive.

Then—

"OH MY GOD, GUYS!!"

A squeal echoed through the hallway as one of the campus girls burst into the room like she was late to spill the tea.

"There's a hot dude outside the university! Super hot! So tall!"

A few heads popped up. Some laughed, some peeked toward the windows. Rafayel didn't even blink. He kept painting, unfazed.

"...What's with people and tall dudes lately?"   he muttered under his breath.

An hour passed.
Class was ending, students stretching and packing their brushes, and then—

CRASH!

A whole group of classmates flooded into the room, buzzing louder than a swarm of caffeinated bees.

"Okay, wait! Is it me or is there another hot guy outside now?"
"TWO of them! Both are insane-looking!"
"Why are they just standing there?!"
"They've been there for an hour, are they waiting for someone?"
"Should we, like, go talk to them?"

The whispers turned into full-blown speculation.

One of the girls stepped over to Rafayel, who was calmly putting his sketchpad away, paint-stained fingers moving with practiced ease.

"Rafayel? Are those hot guys outside your friends or something?"

He raised a brow, confused.

"I don't have any friends outside campus. Why are you asking me? I don't even know what they look like."

Someone from the crowd laughed playfully.

"Aren't hot guys supposed to hang out together? We figured maybe they're your type."

Rafayel blinked, slung his bag over one shoulder, and gave a half-smile.

"Thanks for the compliment, but nah. I have zero clue who they are."

Rafayel strolled out of the studio building, bag slung over his shoulder, eyes half-lidded from creative fatigue. His only plan? Drop by the hostel, maybe nap, maybe scream into a pillow about how complicated his life had become.

Then he noticed it—

A crowd.

Gathered near the main gate. Murmuring. Phones subtly out. Heads tilted and eyes wide with intrigue.

Two tall men stood there, statuesque and still, attractive, no doubt. Handsome. Cold-looking. Dressed in dark, immaculate coats. Their presence screamed dangerously out of place.

Rafayel raised an eyebrow as he casually walked closer.

"So the rumors were true...There's really two tall men standing outside the campus causing a hormone crisis."

But then he got a proper look.
And instantly froze.

His bag slipped from his hand.

"...Wh—WHY is Brigadier General Caleb here??"

His heart thudded.

"And that silver-haired guy beside him—he's good-looking too but—why is he with Caleb?!"

Then it clicked.

"Oh no. No no no. I've gotta—GO—"

He spun on his heel, ready to make a tactical retreat.

Too late.
The silver-haired man, calm, collected, and terrifyingly elegant—stepped forward.

He moved through the student crowd with silent authority, not pushing people aside but making them part like waves for a ship.

He passed Rafayel, bent down, and picked up the bag Rafayel had dropped.

Then turned. Smirked.
And said, smooth as glass:

"I believe you dropped your bag... Mr. Raf."

Rafayel stiffened, lips parting.
He squinted.

"...You are... who?"

The man leaned in, closer than comfort allowed—and whispered near his ear:

"Lumiere."

Rafayel's soul almost left his body.

He took a half-step back, face stiff, heart screaming.

AWEOWJEIOGNGNNOHNOSJO! So Lumiere's face looks THIS good?! Those two hot guys everyone's gossiping about are literally the two people I'm trying to AVOID???

His hands trembled as he took the bag, too stunned to be grateful.
Meanwhile, the student crowd, who had gone from curious to full-blown fan club, whispered:

"Ahhh... no wonder."
"It's our campus mystery boy's friends."
"No wonder they're so out of reach. Even his friends are off-limits."

One by one, they dispersed in silent defeat, finally understanding:

Rafayel was untouchable.

And then—
Caleb walked over, calm and cool as ever, stopping just beside Lumiere.

He gave Rafayel a long look, clearly evaluating every inch now that he could see the artist without his mask.

Then, smirking ever so slightly, he said—

"So... this is how you look without the mask. Pretty cute. And handsome."

Rafayel had had it.

Without thinking—completely forgetting he was terrified of both these walking threats to national security—he grabbed them by the wrist and dragged them off to the side of the campus gate like they were annoying classmates who owed him notes.

Students whispered as he stormed past with both men in tow.
He didn't care.

SLAM.

He pushed them against the campus wall beside the hedges, where no one could hear, eyes blazing with a mixture of panic and irritation.

"Okay."

He pointed accusingly at Caleb, brows furrowed.

"How did you know I studied here?"

Before Caleb could answer, Xavier coolly cut in, arms folded, tone casual like he was talking about the weather:

"He and I made an intel exchange. So... here we are."

Rafayel's jaw dropped.

"Ha! You two... trading intel on me?!"

He waved his arms, exasperated.

"Then why are you standing like statues outside the campus like it's a romantic novel gone wrong?!"

Caleb, still leaning back against the wall with a calm smirk, replied:

"The proposal."

Short. Direct. And completely unbothered by Rafayel's rising panic.

Xavier, beside him, added without blinking:

"And... just wanted to see what the legendary 'Mr Raf' looks like outside of trading hours."

Rafayel gasped—eyes wide—and immediately slapped his hand over Xavier's mouth.

"Ssssh!! Don't call that nickname here!"

He looked around in case anyone heard.

"I'm Rafayel! Just Rafayel here! Normal uni student! Mask-less and panic-prone!"

Both men... laughed. They actually laughed.
Xavier gently took Rafayel's hand and removed it from his mouth, still smirking.

Caleb, ever the composed one, looked at Rafayel's campus uniform again. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he said:

"You hide it well. But I'm Farspace Fleet General. Finding a university record isn't exactly hard."

Then with a casual shrug, he added:

"Besides, you act very different without the mask. Less cold. More... lively."

Xavier spoke again, voice cool and effortlessly smooth:

"Call me Xavier."

Rafayel blinked at him.

"Oh. So that's your real name?"

Xavier tilted his head with a half-smile.

"Let's just say... that's what you can call me."

Chapter Text

Rafayel let out another long, dramatic sigh as though the air in his lungs might carry away the chaos in his life.

"Okay. Fine. For now... don't come and find me. And the proposal? I still need time to think."

He leaned in slightly toward Caleb, glancing left and right like someone preparing to deliver national secrets under the campus CCTV.

"Look... erm... Brigadier General Caleb, I—"

But the moment the title slipped out, Caleb's expression shifted. His calm mask sharpened into something colder, more serious.

"Caleb."

Rafayel blinked in confusion.

"...What?"

Caleb didn't move, didn't waver. His voice, this time, was clipped and stern.

"Caleb. Not with the 'General' calling."

That caught Rafayel off-guard.
Not just the words, the weight behind them.

He ran a stressed hand through his hair again, muttering.

"Okay... Caleb."

He exhaled.

"Look. I'm a university student. I've got exams, project deadlines, and zero combat training. Getting involved in your proposal? That's not a 'risky mission,' that's a full-time death wish."

Caleb leaned in, mirroring Rafayel's whisper, voice smooth and low.

"Nobody dares touch what's near me."

Rafayel stared at him for a second. Then sighed again.

"That sounds exactly like something a dangerous man would say to someone seconds before they get dragged into federal-level drama."

He turned quickly to Xavier, pointing in silent accusation.

"And you. You just came to see me, huh? That's it?"

Xavier didn't even flinch. His tone was ice.

"No. I came to tell you—keep painting. Keep doing what you've been doing in N109."
His eyes flicked toward Rafayel's, like a sniper sighting. Your paintings have helped me lure out the filth I'm hunting."

Then he tilted his head, casually reminding:

"Besides... you once threw a painting. It landed on my head. In the forest."

Rafayel's eyes blew wide open.

"Huh?? That was you?!"

His voice dropped into a whisper again.

"I threw that away thinking no one would ever step foot in that forest! It's like the forbidden graveyard of N109—wait..."

Realization dawned.
"You're Lumiere. So... of course that forest means nothing to you."

He dragged a palm down his face, internally combusting.

OH WHY DID I EVEN THROW IT THAT TIME—!!

He groaned softly, already imagining ten new ways his life would spiral thanks to one impulsive emotional art tantrum.

Xavier, ever unreadable, calmly added:

"It was good work. Worth getting hit by it."

As the weight of both Caleb's and Xavier's presence sank in deeper, Rafayel snapped.

"I—I see you guys next time! Just—just not outside the campus!!"

And with that, he bolted.
Half-sprinting, half-tripping his way back to the campus hostel like a man running from his midterms, responsibilities, and two uninvited warlords in his life.

His figure disappeared through the gate doors.

Silence settled. Left behind, the two men stood side by side, gazing at the empty space Rafayel once occupied.

Caleb smirked, folding his arms, his voice low and cool.

"Interesting."

A faint gleam lit his sharp eyes.

"Now I really want to know him more."

Xavier, still and unreadable, didn't turn. His voice, however, was laced with subtle chill.

"Stay in Skyhaven. Don't bother coming down again."

Caleb's smirk widened. He didn't miss the edge in Xavier's tone.

"We both know what we want."

He turned to face Xavier directly.

"And I don't intend to let go of an opportunity that's standing right in front of me."

A beat. Then he added, lightly but pointed—

"Besides... what if Rafayel prefers Lumiere more than you?"

Xavier slowly turned his head. And glared.

Cold. Piercing. Dangerous.

"Don't try making this an issue."

But beneath that icy stare, deep in his mind—A flicker.

Hmmm... Is that so?

A quiet night near the campus forest.

Rafayel crouched in front of his infamous 80-billion-credit painting, brush in one hand, the other smeared faintly with glowing protocore pigment. The forest around him had already been cleared of wanderers, because of course, painting with protocore always summoned them like moths to chaos.

He grumbled while retouching the canvas, muttering curses at fate, art, and a certain pair of men.

"Just looking at this painting makes me angry all over again. I bought my own work to avoid them, and still—still! It fails."

He added a final streak of color and leaned back with a tired smirk.

"Well... whatever. It's time for a comeback."
He grinned.
"I must get a new target."

And then—A sudden shift.

A faint shimmer of light. And Lumiere appeared, calm, composed, out of nowhere like a ghost woven from the shadows.

He dropped a handful of glowing protocore shards into the grass in front of Rafayel.

Rafayel jerked upright, stumbling back a little.

"WOAH!—Wha—why are you here?! And what's with the protocore shards suddenly at my feet?!"

Lumiere's silver hair caught the moonlight as he spoke coldly, yet calmly.

"I figured you might need a restock. It's been a while since you've shown up at N109 to trade for shards or Aether Core."

Rafayel narrowed his eyes and grumbled.

"Gee, I wonder whose fault that is I had to stop going there for a while?"

Lumiere didn't miss a beat. He smirked, subtle, cool, and infuriatingly elegant.

"We didn't even hunt you down. You chose to vanish after you sold that 80-billion painting... to yourself."

Rafayel scoffed loudly, tossing his brush into the grass dramatically.

"Hey! I'm re-selling it. It's called rebranding! It's going to be a comeback piece!"

Without responding, Lumiere walked forward, picking the protocore shards off the grass and gently holding them out to him.

"Then take it."

The gesture was surprisingly... soft.

Rafayel took the glowing protocore shards into his palms, their faint energy pulsing gently between his fingers. He eyed Lumiere warily.

"...So you want an exchange for this?"

His voice was suspicious, as if expecting a hidden trap to spring.

But Lumiere only smirked, calm as ever.

"No."
A pause. Then, smoothly—

"Plainly just giving it to you. I'll be attending the bidding then."

Rafayel blinked. His brain stuttered for a second at how effortlessly cool that sounded.
And then, worse, he blushed.

Just a little.

"...Ugh."  He quickly looked away.

But as Lumiere's words caught up to him, Rafayel's eyes snapped open.

"Wait—what?! You're attending the bidding?! Again?! NO! Don't tell me you're going to bid on my painting again!!"

Lumiere let out a rare soft laugh, fingers adjusting his upper face mask with quiet elegance.

"No."

A sly smile tugged at his lips.

"I'm just going to watch... how beautifully dangerous your painting is. Let's see which criminal it captures next."

That stunned Rafayel.

"Beautifully... dangerous?"
He blinked.

 What kind of compliment was that?

Before he could dwell, he blurted,

"Then... is that general—uh—Caleb coming too?"

The moment the name left his mouth, Lumiere's eyes darkened. His voice cooled into ice.

"I don't know. Why mention him?"

A pause.

"Interested in him?"

Rafayel stared at him, caught between flustered and confused.

"Interested? What kind of weird question—? Sure, he's handsome, I guess, but that's not the point."

He flailed a bit.

"I just don't want either of you bidding again! It ruins my plans!"

Lumiere chuckled, the sound low and soft, brushing with amusement.

"We won't this time."

He shrugged, all cold elegance again.

"Last time was only to find out who you really were. Now?"

His eyes flicked toward Rafayel.

"We already know who you are."

Rafayel rolled his eyes. Arms crossed, sigh sharp.

"Hmph! Sure! Stalkers, the both of you."

Lumiere smiled faintly behind the mask.

Chapter Text

The night air buzzed with tension.

The grand N109 tower loomed over the district like a sleeping beast, lit with crimson and deep violet hues. Inside, the bidding hall was already filling with an eclectic mix of shady traders, high-tier criminals, masked information brokers, and a few figures no one dared to question.

And high above them all, in the private upper balcony, sat Rafayel.

Dressed sharply in black, mask covering the upper half of his face, he lounged effortlessly in his seat. One leg crossed, one hand twirling a glass of wine like he owned the place. The low hum of conversation below didn't faze him.

His eyes flicked to the center spotlight, his painting, placed prominently on display, glowing faintly with protocore-infused paint.

He smirked coolly.

"Let the fun begin."

The entrance doors opened wide with an echoing creak.

And sure enough, just like he feared, two familiar figures entered, casually commanding the atmosphere the moment they stepped in.

Lumiere first, cold, elegant, silver hair catching the dim lights. Then Caleb, sharp and imposing in a sleek dark suit, no military emblems, yet unmistakable in presence.

Rafayel stiffened in his seat, swirling his wine more aggressively than necessary.

"They actually came."
He muttered under his breath.

"PTSD. Real. Trauma. Live replay of that 80-billion nightmare. Can I scream?"

He slouched slightly, muttering like a stressed actor before a performance.

"They promised not to bid. Just watch, Raf. Chill. Chill. Chill."

He peeked down again.

Lumiere found his seat in the front-left corner of the bidding hall, already tilting his head slightly, eye locked on the painting like it was prey.
Caleb chose a spot at the opposite end, arms crossed, expression unreadable, but gaze flicking upward toward the balcony Rafayel sat in.

Rafayel froze mid-sip.

"Oh god. He's looking. They're both looking—"

And in that moment, he made eye contact with both of them.
Lumiere smirked. Caleb raised his glass slightly.

Rafayel sank deeper into his seat and groaned softly.

"...I'm surrounded by danger.. but why are they so cool at the same time?"

And the bid finally began, everybody was bidding for the painting when it was announced, except for Caleb and Lumiere.

"50million!"
"56million!"
"60million!"

And suddenly one shouted.

"Three Aether Core shards."

And Rafayel smirk.

"Oh? Should i accept that?"

The room fell silent the moment the bid was called.

Caleb and Lumiere, seated on opposite ends of the hall, exchanged a cold glance. They both knew, it wasn't just a bid. It was bait.

Aether Core shards were no ordinary currency. They were rare, dangerous, and carried the kind of power that could destabilize an entire region. Whoever offered that had a plan.

Up in the private balcony, Rafayel raised his wine glass calmly, signaling to the emcee that he accepted the trade.
He sipped slowly, watching the tension ripple through the room below.

"Now..."

 he muttered to himself, lips brushing the rim of the glass. 

"The real deal."

In a high-level private room of the N109 tower, Rafayel sat across from the winning bidder. The man entered coolly, placing a sleek black box on the table.

The trader said with a polite smile.

"Feel free to check" 

Rafayel leaned forward and unlatched the box.
Inside, three Aether Core shards glowed faintly with raw, untamed energy. They were beautiful and deadly.

Without looking up, Rafayel asked in a calm voice.

"You have more, I presume?"

The man nodded, still smiling.

"Yes. But for now, I can only trade these."

He glanced at the side.

"Now, the painting?"

Rafayel raised two fingers.
A staff member entered quietly and delivered the large painting, still wrapped in a sealed case. The trader stepped forward and unwrapped a corner, gazing at it with admiration.

"This is even more beautiful up close," 

he murmured. 

"Such intense energy... You're not just painting. You're crafting weapons."

Rafayel rested a hand lightly on the box of shards. His expression remained cold.

"If you can provide more Aether Core shards or valuable intel,"  he said,  "I'll continue supplying."

The trader nodded.

"Then I'll see you again at the next bidding, Mr. Raf."

As the man left with the painting, Rafayel leaned back in his chair, staring at the shards that now sat in front of him.
His fingers tapped the lid lightly, once.

"Baited."

His smile was faint.

"Let's see who takes the bite."

Rafayel sighed heavily, one hand gripping the steering wheel as the other tapped impatiently against the leather. The sleek red car purred quietly as it pulled into a secluded spot near the campus parking lot.

In the back seat?

General Caleb and Lumiere.

Rafayel pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why! do you guys have to follow me back?"

The car came to a smooth stop. Caleb was the first to step out, calm and cool in his black suit.
Caleb said plainly, adjusting his cufflinks.

"I need to see how you dissect the shards" 

Lumiere followed, equally composed, his silver hair glinting faintly under the dim light.

"We didn't bid on your painting," 

he said, voice low and cold. 

"So I consider this an exchange. A fair one."

Rafayel stepped out and slammed his car door shut, pointing accusingly at Lumiere.

"This isn't an exchange! You self-proclaimed it!"

He turned to Caleb and jabbed a finger in his direction.

"And I haven't even agreed to your proposal!"

Caleb simply smiled, unbothered.

"Then I'll take that as a yes."

Rafayel groaned and dragged a hand down his face.

"No it's not!!"

Without another word, he spun around and made a beeline for the campus hostel, his footsteps fast and annoyed. Behind him, Caleb and Lumiere followed casually, like shadows that refused to disappear.

Rafayel hurriedly unlocked his hostel door and peeked down the hallway. He whispered, waving his arms to usher them inside before anyone could see.

"Quick, quick, quick!" 

Caleb and Lumiere stepped in calmly, taking in the room with quiet interest. Despite being a campus hostel, it was spacious, clean, and styled with subtle elegance—just like its occupant.

Caleb looked around and smiled faintly.

"Your room for a hostel... it's big."

Lumiere removed his upper mask, now appearing fully as Xavier. His silver hair caught the soft light.

"Your rent for this isn't cheap."

Rafayel shut the door behind them with a huff, pulling off his own mask and tossing it on the desk.

"I don't need a room review," 

he muttered.

 "And thank you? I earned this. Selling how many paintings at N109, you think I'm poor?"

Caleb folded his arms and leaned against the wall, his gaze shifting toward the small black box in Rafayel's hands.

"So," 

he asked coolly, 

"how do you dissect the shards?"

Rafayel gave a cheeky grin, placing the box on his desk and flipping it open with flair.

"Just like this."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. 

"Just like that?"

Rafayel didn't reply. Instead, he took out the three Aether Core shards, cradling them carefully in his palm. A faint green glow began to shimmer around him.

He inhaled, then exhaled slowly.
Suddenly, the air pulsed, his Resonance Evol flaring to life.

The shards lifted from his hand, floating mid-air. A vibrant green aura wrapped around each one, dancing like soft fire. The cores began to crack—not violently, but gently, as if being unfolded layer by layer, their energy controlled and steady.

Caleb's eyes narrowed, visibly intrigued.
Xavier's brow furrowed, watching intently.

Neither spoke, but both shared the same stunned thought.

He's not using any tools? No gear? Nothing?

The only thing working here, was Rafayel himself.
And he was doing the impossible like it was just another part of his art.

Chapter Text

The shards floated above Rafayel's palm, glimmering with a vibrant green aura as his Resonance Evol pulsed gently through the air.

Each crack along the Aether Core shards was slow, precise—like a sculptor chipping away at stone without ever letting the dust fall. But as the shards began to open further, their energy started to surge.

A low, ominous hum filled the room.
Caleb's stance shifted subtly. One hand brushed the edge of his coat, where his weapon rested.

Xavier straightened, his expression tightening beneath the soft silver strands that fell across his brow.

The air was starting to distort, and both men were ready to move the moment a Wanderer got pulled in by the unstable energy.

But Rafayel?
He simply smiled.

"Relax,"

 he said softly, not even opening his eyes. 

"I can stabilize the energy."

And just like that, his Resonance flared brighter, forming a soft ring of green light around the shards. The unstable pressure that had started to fill the room vanished—dispersed like smoke in the wind.

The energy stilled. The shards hung in the air peacefully, cracked open in perfect segments, completely tamed.

Caleb and Xavier both stared—no words, only thoughts running like wildfire through their heads.

What... this is incredible. I f he can crack Aether Core shards this easily... Then what if... it's a full, pure Aether Core?

Xavier's eyes narrowed slightly.
Caleb's jaw tensed.

And Rafayel, completely unaware of the storm he'd just stirred in their minds, finally opened his eyes, still glowing faintly with his evol and smiled lazily.

"See? Easy."

Xavier's eyes widened for a brief second—quick and subtle—but he quickly masked the reaction behind his usual cool facade.

"You just dissect it... like that?"  he asked, voice low, controlled.

Rafayel gave a lazy shrug, as if what he'd done wasn't completely unheard of.

"Yeah. Simple, right?"

Caleb let out a low chuckle, arms still folded as he leaned slightly against the wall. His gaze hadn't left Rafayel once.

"You're full of surprises," 

he said, amused.

 "Then how do you turn it into paint from there?"

Rafayelflicked his wrist casually, guiding the softly glowing, dissected shards to hover above his desk before letting them float down to the table surface.
Rafayel said, strolling over to his art desk. From the lower drawer, he pulled out an old mortar and pestle, setting it down with a gentle clack.

"Like this" 

Xavier blinked. Caleb's brows lifted.
They both said in unison, disbelief flickering in their voices.

"A mortar and pestle?" 

Rafayel beamed smugly, placing the dissected pieces into the bowl. He grabbed the pestle and started grinding down the shards without hesitation, the sound of crystal breaking echoing faintly.

"Yeah? What were you expecting, military-grade equipment?" 

The fragments cracked further into fine, shimmering powder, glowing softly with a greenish hue. Then Rafayel's other hand lit with a controlled flame, and he held it over the bowl, melting the powder into a viscous, iridescent liquid.

"My fire evol helps melt it down just right,"

 he added casually.

 "Once it reaches the right consistency... voilà. Protocore-infused paint."

Caleb watched, stunned despite himself. Xavier remained still, but inwardly?

He's really just... crushing them like nothing? With a painter's tools?  His method is so strange. So simple. So... artistic.

It didn't make sense by scientific standards. But it worked.

Caleb shook his head with a soft laugh.

"You really are something else, Rafayel."

Xavier picked up his mask from the desk, running his thumb across the edge as if brushing off dust that wasn't there. He glanced over his shoulder, gaze resting on Rafayel, voice soft and cool.

"Quite cute,"  he said.

Rafayel, mid-stir with the molten paint, paused.

"...Huh?"

But Xavier had already slipped the mask over his face, becoming Lumiere once more.

"I've seen what I came to see. I'll see you around, Rafayel."

And just like that, he moved to the window and stepped out—vanishing into the night air in one fluid, impossibly graceful motion.

Rafayel stood there, blinked once, then again.

"...Okay. That was actually cool."

The door creaked open behind him, and Caleb's voice followed, calm and cold as ever.

"I'm leaving too. And I'll take your silence as a yes for the proposal. I'll come find you when I need you, Mr. Raf."

Before Rafayel could protest, Caleb was already gone, the door shutting gently behind him.
The room fell into silence.

Rafayel stood in the center of his studio-like space, still holding his pestle, molten paint simmering gently on his desk.
He groaned aloud, dragging a hand down his face.

"When did I ever say I'd meet them again?!"

But there was no one to argue with.
With a defeated sigh, he turned back to his work, heating the crushed shards carefully with his fire evol, the glowing paint swirling to life once more.

His thoughts drifted bitterly but not without a hint of humor.

I just got dragged into two people's lives I never volunteered for. ..Well, at least both of them are good-looking.

A few days later, deep within the shadows of the N109 forest, Mr. Raf stood motionless beneath the canopy, half-mask resting over his upper face, crimson jacket glinting softly under the fractured light. He knelt beside a worn-out tree stump, testing a few low-tier protocore shards traded for a lesser painting.

As the energy shimmered faintly from his palm, a sudden rustle in the trees broke the silence. Rafayel's eyes narrowed.

Without looking, he spun slightly and sidestepped—just in time to dodge a blade that sliced past where his neck had been moments before.

He rose slowly, voice icy calm.

"Well... who is this?"

From the shadows emerged a familiar figure, face twisted in fury.

The trader who had paid for his painting with three Aether Core shards. The man snarled.

"You! That painting—it's been drawing wanderers nonstop. And not just any—scout types. First a few, now an entire damn army!"

Rafayel didn't flinch. Instead, he laughed softly, cold and mocking.

"It's a protocore-infused painting. What did you expect? You thought the paint was going to protect you?"

The trader's expression darkened with rage.

"You did this on purpose! The scout wanderers—they've brought larger, stronger types to my lab! It's chaos now!

Rafayel tilted his head slightly, as if amused. He dodged another swing with effortless grace, hands in his coat pockets the entire time.

"Oh? You have a lab?" 

His voice dropped, laced with ice.

"Mind sharing... where exactly that is?"

The trader lunged, fury erupting in a reckless strike.

"You don't mess with EVER personnel!"

Rafayel's eyes widened behind his half-mask.

"EVER?"

Chapter Text

Rafayel's eyes widened behind his half-mask.

"EVER?"

The name hit him like a sudden shift in air pressure, that name was not supposed to surface in N109. That wasn't just any underground group. EVER was a whispered name in encrypted intel circles, rumored to operate in extreme secrecy, manipulating protocore evolution and wanderer behavior.

But the trader didn't give him time to process. He slashed again, faster this time. Rafayel barely leaned back to dodge, his hand instinctively flaring with his fire evol.

Flames danced between them.

"Tch." 

Rafayel clicked his tongue in irritation. 

"I sell art, not weapons. If you don't like what you bought, take it up with the trade system."

The trader didn't stop. 

"You've lured entire swarms to our research zone! You're interfering with EVER's internal protocol!"

Now Rafayel's expression hardened beneath the mask.

"...So you're confirming EVER has a research lab in N109?"

The trader realized too late, he had said too much.
Rafayel's voice turned razor-sharp.

"Thanks for the intel."

As Rafayel stepped forward to strike, a sudden surge of light erupted in the trader's palm.

He held a Pure Aether Core.
Rafayel's eyes widened in shock, immediately leaping back with agile ease.

"What...?"

The trader smirked darkly, holding the glowing core close to his chest as he began absorbing its energy.

"You messed with the wrong person,"

he growled.

"Let me show you what it means to taste the power of a Pure Aether Core."

But Rafayel's shock faded into a slow, cold smile.

"Baited."

Before the trader could react, Rafayel charged forward without hesitation—his fire evol flaring alive around him, heat spiraling through the air.

The trader staggered.

 "What—?!"

Rafayel's fist blazed as he punched forward, flames crashing toward the trader like a tidal wave.

"Mr. Raf here loves a challenge,"

Rafayel hissed.

"And if you've got a problem with my artwork, maybe I should burn that attitude right out of you."

Their powers collided.
The trader roared, his evol exploding in strength, boosted wildly by the raw, unstable energy of the Pure Aether Core. Rafayel was pushed back slightly, grunting at the sudden force.

He slid back, catching himself with a hand to the ground, then muttered under his breath, half annoyed, half impressed—

"...Okay. Using Pure Aether Core as a booster? That's cheating."

Flames lit his eyes as he stood tall again.

"But let's see how long you last before it consumes you."

The trader's body trembled as raw energy surged through him. His eyes were wild, glowing unnaturally, veins lit with the violent pulse of the Pure Aether Core.

Rafayel braced as another shockwave burst out, trees splintered, the ground cracked, and the very air hummed with unstable resonance.

"Are you crazy?!" 

Rafayel shouted, his voice cutting through the roar of power. 

"You're going to create a rift here!"

The trader laughed, a twisted grin on his face as he floated above the fractured ground.

"And you're coming with me, Mr. Raf."

Rafayel's eyes narrowed.

"You've lost it. That Core's consuming you."

The cracks in the forest widened violently, blue light flickering from the depths as if reality itself were starting to peel. Rafayel's gaze sharpened.

"I'm ending this."

He launched forward, fire evol igniting in a swirl of heat and light. He aimed straight for the Aether Core, hoping to snatch it but the trader, maddened and empowered, unleashed a blast that sent Rafayel flying.

He crashed through dirt and branches, tumbling through broken roots before catching himself mid-roll. No real injury, just a brutal impact. He exhaled sharply, wiping dust from his jaw.

The trader rose into the air, cackling.

"Let's finish this!"

He came crashing down, fist drawn and glowing with unstable Aether energy, ready to strike Rafayel straight into the collapsing forest.

But before the blow could land— A blur of light.

Lumiere.

He appeared in a flash, arm wrapped firmly around Rafayel's waist as they vanished from the impact zone in a blink. The trader's blast hit the ground where Rafayel once lay, erupting into a deep crater of smoke and fire.

Rafayel gasped, eyes wide. He could hear his heartbeat thunder in his ears.

"Xav—Lumiere?!"

Lumiere's voice came cold and steady, but with a surprising softness as he set Rafayel gently on his feet.

"Stay here."

Rafayel looked up, heart pounding against his ribs.

"He's holding a Pure Aether Core... it's not stable."

Lumiere nodded slightly, already walking forward through the trembling forest.

"When I signal,"

he said without turning back, 

"you come."

Rafayel blinked. 

"What signal—wait, what?!"

But it was too late, Lumiere was already moving, faster than wind, a blur of silver and shadow. His strike landed before the trader could even blink, slicing a clean line across the man's side. Sparks of Aether energy flared out, unstable, wild.

The trader staggered back, eyes wide. 

"Lumiere?! Back off! This is between Mr. Raf and me!"

Lumiere's eyes glinted behind his mask. 

"And this," 

he said, striking again, 

"is between you and me."

The trader barely managed to block. 

"Wh–what?!"

Lumiere didn't answer. His blade slashed again, clean and sharp, forcing the trader on the defensive.
Then he asked, voice colder than steel, 

"Where's the lab?"

The trader roared in rage, attacking wildly. The corrupted Aether energy surged, and the cracks in the forest floor split deeper, the air warping around them.

Lumiere vanished and appeared behind the trader in an instant.

"I said... Where's. The. Lab?"

His blade came down, slicing the trader's arm clean off.
The trader howled in pain as the Pure Aether Core slipped from his hand, tumbling midair.

From a distance, Rafayel could only watch, wide-eyed and frozen in awe.

"W-Woah... he's cool... really cool."

But the moment shattered.
The falling Aether Core pulsed with volatile energy. The rift at the center of the forest ignited violently, the skies above warping, twisting into a black spiral.

Lumiere's eyes widened. In a blink, he was gone, then reappeared right in front of Rafayel, arms snapping tight around his waist.

"Now."

"WAIT, WHA—!!!"

Rafayel barely had time to scream before Lumiere threw him straight toward the floating Aether Core.

The wind tore at him, gravity falling away. His instincts kicked in.

Rafayel twisted midair, eyes narrowing, evol flaring. He reached out and caught the Aether Core just as the screaming trader launched forward, too slow.

The Core pulsed violently in his arms. Rafayel grunted, eyes shut, and pressed it against his chest, his Resonance Evol syncing with it, fighting to stabilize the spiraling rift.

A glow surged from his body, and slowly... the tremors began to calm.
But the danger wasn't over.

The trader roared and lunged toward Rafayel, hand outstretched, only for Lumiere to appear behind Rafayel like a shadow.

Sword raised.
Eyes glowing behind the mask.

"You won't touch him."

Chapter Text

Lumiere's blade flashed midair, a precise, ruthless arc that severed the trader's remaining arm just before it could touch Rafayel. With brutal efficiency, he kicked the man backward, sending him crashing to the forest floor below.

High above, Rafayel floated with the volatile Pure Aether Core gripped in his arms, grunting through clenched teeth.

"Urghhh! This is a pure Aether Core, not those little shards!"

 he gasped, his breath labored. 

"It's so much more difficult!"

Flames shimmered around him as his Fire Evol flared to life, weaving into the pulsing energy of his Resonance Evol. The unstable core howled against containment, threatening to crack reality again but Rafayel grit his teeth, drawing deeper from his reserves. Slowly, agonizingly, the core dimmed and stabilized in his arms.

The tremors stilled. The rift vanished.

Rafayel sagged, his strength waning. Gravity pulled him down, but before he could fall, a familiar presence surged up to meet him. Lumiere, calm and effortless, catching him in midair.

"Rest,"

 Lumiere said softly, lowering him toward a nearby ledge. 

"I'll handle the trader."

Rafayel winced, the Aether Core clutched tightly in his palm. 

"Urgh... thanks. But hey, don't kill him, okay? At least get something from him, Cool Lumiere."

A faint smirk curved under Lumiere's mask.

"I'll try."

He turned without another word, descending to where the trader now lay in agony, blood pouring from both arms, body trembling from the overload of energy.

Lumiere landed lightly, blade already pointed at the man's throat.
He asked, voice ice-cold.

"Where's the lab?" 

The trader gave a broken, bloody laugh.

"I'm not telling you anything."

Lumiere narrowed his eyes behind the mask.

"Then Mr. Raf's painting will guide me there."

The trader's eyes widened in horror.

"You—!"

From afar, Rafayel raised a hand weakly, seated with his back to a tree. His tone was dry.

"Oh yeah. Forgot about the painting. Still infused with protocore. I can just resonate with this Aether Core here to find it."

The trader opened his mouth, fear starting to twist his face—

Shhkk—

A clean slice. A sharp gasp. Then silence.

Lumiere stood over the now-lifeless body, his blade still humming with faint heat. He gave the corpse a final glance, wiped the edge of his sword on the grass, and turned his head slightly toward Rafayel.

"Problem solved,"  he said coolly.

Lumiere stepped through the settling dust and bent down smoothly, lifting Rafayel into his arms with effortless strength.

Rafayel flinched, his heart thudding.

"W-Wait—Lumiere! I can still walk!"

A rare smirk ghosted across Lumiere's lips, calm and cold as ever.

"For now, I carry. You single-handedly stabilized a catastrophic-level rift. At least let someone do something for you."

Rafayel stared at him, then sighed in surrender.

"Fine..."  He leaned his head against Lumiere's chest, exhaling hard.

Without another word, Lumiere left the forest, carrying Rafayel like he weighed nothing. At the edge of the trees, the sleek red car gleamed where Rafayel had parked it, untouched, pristine. Lumiere opened the passenger door, gently setting Rafayel down inside before walking around to the driver's seat.

He slid in and glanced sideways.

"Lead the way, Mr Raf,"

 he said, hands on the wheel.

 "You resonate with the Aether Core. Guide us to the lab."

Rafayel gave a tired laugh, trying to ignore the way his heart was still racing.

"Fine," 

he said with a grin, cheeks faintly pink. 

"You're really cool, Lumiere."

Lumiere said nothing at first, starting the car with a smooth hum of energy beneath them. But his thoughts drifted quietly.

Cool as Lumiere? Or as Xavier?

Guided by the gentle pulse of resonance from the Aether Core in his hands, Rafayel leaned back against the car seat, eyes half-lidded in focus. The Core shimmered with a faint glow, whispering directions only he could feel. He pointed quietly, his voice low but sure.

"Left at the fork... then keep going straight."

Lumiere followed his instructions without question, his grip on the wheel firm, posture relaxed. Minutes later, they pulled up to a concealed clearing deep within N109. Before them stood a nondescript blackened building, humming faintly with energy: EVER Lab.

Lumiere cut the engine, then turned toward Rafayel, a rare smile playing on his lips.

"You really are something. Not even affected by the Core's pull."

Before Rafayel could respond, Lumiere reached out and gently patted his head.

"Stay here," 

he said, cool and casual. 

"Protect the Core. I'll handle the rest."

Rafayel blinked, face flushing pink at the casual gesture. 

"Erm... okay. Just... don't make a big scene."

Lumiere slid out of the car without a word and strode toward the lab. The door hissed shut behind him.

Thirty minutes passed. Silence.
Then—

BOOM!

The entire lab ignited in a monstrous eruption of fire and smoke, flames licking the sky. Alarms blared deep in the building, but there was no sign of a fight, no returning fire. Just that single, overwhelming explosion.

And through the blaze, Lumiere emerged, coat fluttering slightly in the heat, untouched and unbothered. In his arms: a sleek black box filled with glowing Aether Core shards.

Rafayel gaped from the car, mouth slightly open.

"Wh—what the fuck?" 

he whispered. 

"That is way too cool."

He watched in stunned silence as Lumiere walked calmly back toward the car, the burning wreck of EVER Lab behind him.
Rafayel muttered in awe.

"No wonder his bounty's so damn high. He just single-handedly leveled a lab and walked out like he went in to pick up groceries."

Lumiere handed the box wordlessly to Rafayel as he slid back into the car. Rafayel took it with both hands, carefully tucking the Pure Aether Core beside the shards. He glanced out the window at the scorched remains of the EVER lab, smoke still curling into the sky like silent accusations  and then at the man beside him.

Cool. Calm. Mask on. Driving like nothing had happened.
Without thinking, Rafayel spoke, voice soft.

"You... are really cool."

Lumiere didn't respond. The hum of the engine filled the silence as they left the wild territories of N109 and returned to the glowing city lights of Linkon.

Then, finally, as the skyline shimmered ahead, Lumiere broke the silence.

"Cool?"

he repeated, voice low.

"As Xavier... or as Lumiere?"

Rafayel blinked, caught off guard.

"Huh?"

Still focused on the road, Lumiere reached up and slid his mask off. He rested it on his lap, his expression unreadable, voice still sharp and cold — but laced now with something more... human.

"I'm asking," 

he said, without looking at Rafayel, 

"your 'cool' — was it for Lumiere... or me?"

Rafayel furrowed his brow, completely confused.

"Aren't you... Xavier and Lumiere?" 

he asked cautiously, unsure what answer was expected. 

"Aren't they both... you?"

Inside his head, Rafayel was spiraling.

What kind of question is this? What's he trying to say? Is this about... identity? Affection? Persona?? Am I supposed to know the difference?? What kind of psychological landmine is this???

He stared at Lumiere, at Xavier, trying to read between the lines of the calm façade.

"...Why does it matter?"  he added quietly.

Chapter Text

Xavier parked Rafayel's red car in its usual spot—close to the campus, but tucked out of sight. He turned to Rafayel, his expression serious and cold.

"It matters."

Rafayel groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

"What? Why does it matter? I mean—Lumiere is cool because I always see you fighting with that identity. And Xavier is... handsome?"

He paused, mentally panicking.

What even is this? Am I... comparing him to himself? Complimenting both sides of the same person?

Xavier leaned forward, his gaze fixed on Rafayel's face.

"Which one do you prefer?"

Startled by the closeness, Rafayel instinctively leaned back, his cheeks heating up.

"Erm... er... ARGH! I DON'T KNOW!"

Fumbling for an escape, he popped the car door open, grabbed the box of shards and Aether Core, and stepped out.

"I'm going back to my hostel. Thanks for tonight. I'll... make it up to you."

Xavier stepped out as well, calmly handing Rafayel the car keys. A small smile played at his lips as he slipped his mask back on, becoming Lumiere once more.

"I'll send you."

Before Rafayel could react, Lumiere scooped him up and took off into the air, flying straight to Rafayel's hostel window. He gently placed him inside the room.

"Goodnight,"  Lumiere said coolly.

Rafayel stared at him, heart pounding in his chest.

"Good... goodnight..."

And just like that, Lumiere disappeared into the night.
Rafayel couldn't sleep properly due to Xavier question, his heart thumping just at the thought of it.

The next day was the weekend. No classes, just peace—until Rafayel's phone rang.

Still in his room, he picked it up lazily.

"Hello?"

A calm voice came through the line.

"Look outside your window."

Confused, Rafayel frowned and walked over. He pulled the curtain aside—his eyes widened instantly.

Below the tree outside the campus hostel, Caleb was standing there, casual as ever.
Rafayel's voice shook as he gripped the phone tighter.

"How the hell do you have my number?! And why are you below my hostel?!"

Caleb looked up, smiling softly, still holding the call.

"I can dig up info, did you forget? Lumiere told me what happened. Come down. I'm bringing you to Skyhaven. Just two days."

Still staring down at him in disbelief, Rafayel ended the call and stuck his head out the window, yelling.

"YOU ASSHOLE!!"

But a few minutes later, Rafayel was downstairs anyway, grumbling under his breath, the box of shards and Aether Core in hand.

"So they do talk all the time... Just to dig up my info?! Ugh! unbelievable."

Rafayel stomped into Caleb's car, the box of shards and the Aether Core cradled in his arms. He glared at Caleb, thrusting the box forward.

"I believe I'm heading to Skyhaven because of this, right?"

Caleb only chuckled, already steering the car toward the edge of Linkon where the plane to Skyhaven awaited.

"Yes," 

he replied smoothly. 

"Also, are you hungry? There's food in the back seat. Go ahead and take it."

Rafayel grumbled but, at the mention of food, turned around and rummaged through the bag behind him. Without hesitation, he pulled it into his lap and started eating immediately.

"Force kidnap!"  he muttered between bites.

Caleb chuckled again, amused.

"You boarded the car yourself."

Rafayel, cheeks stuffed with food, glared half-heartedly.

"Hmph!"

After leaving the car, Rafayel followed Caleb up the steps of a sleek, private plane. His eyes widened the moment he stepped inside.

Rafayel said, eyes glimmering with excitement.

"Why are we taking a private plane? But.. this is cool. My first time going to SkyHaven"

Caleb was already seated calmly, legs crossed, looking completely at ease. He glanced at Rafayel with a soft smile.

"With that box?" 

he gestured toward the one Rafayel was holding. 

"You want to board a public flight to SkyHaven? You looking to invite threats?"

Rafayel frowned and placed the box on the table in front of Caleb before settling into the seat across from him. He turned to look out the window, eyes fixed on the clouds and the sky outside.

"Wow... pretty,"  he murmured.

Caleb watched him quietly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Says the pretty one..."  he thought silently.

Once they arrived in SkyHaven, Caleb led Rafayel to yet another car waiting on the runway. Rafayel followed, still carrying the box of Aether Core shards.
Rafayel asked, raising a brow as he slid into the passenger seat.

"Just how many cars do you have?" 

Caleb started the engine, his expression calm.

"Not as many as the paintings you've sold in N109."

Rafeyal scoffed, smirking. "Rich," he muttered under his breath.

The ride was smooth, and soon they reached the towering gates of the Farspace Fleet headquarters. The moment they pulled in, guards in uniform straightened and saluted Caleb with sharp precision.

Rafayel looked around, his eyes wide in awe as they drove past layers of security checkpoints.

"Damn," 

he whispered. 

"This is one hella guarded place."

After leaving the car, Caleb led Rafayel through a towering building — clearly a place reserved only for the highest-ranking officers. Every corner was guarded, the walls lined with sleek panels and state-of-the-art tech. Rafayel followed quietly, eyes scanning everything with curiosity.

When they entered Caleb's private apartment, Rafayel stopped in his tracks.

"Whoa..." 

he murmured, taking in the spacious, luxurious layout. 

"This place is enormous."

He placed the box of shards in the living room, but Caleb picked it up without a word and walked further inside. Rafayel, curious, raised a brow and followed him.

The room Caleb entered next was a fully equipped experimental lab, sleek counters, glowing panels, energy containment fields, and everything humming faintly with power.

Rafayel's eyes lit up. 

"Hohoho! Of course the General has his own experimental room too..."

Caleb gently set the box down and turned to him with a smirk. 

"Wanna try dissecting the shards here?"

Rafayel nodded eagerly. 

"Let's start with the hardest — the Aether Core."

Caleb raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. 

"Oh? You really think you can dissect a pure Aether Core? That's supposed to be impossible without specialized tools."

Rafayel scoffed, cracking his knuckles. 

"That's what people who rely too much on tech say. I've done it plenty of times. It's just... more effort. The energy in it is dense, but not unmanageable."

Caleb watched him, both amused and impressed.

"Then show me."

Rafayel opened the box carefully, lifting the Pure Aether Core into the air. As the core rested in his palm, Caleb silently took the box away, setting it aside to give him space.

With a deep breath, Rafayel let his resonance evol flow. The Aether Core began to float on its own, slowly pulsing — first faintly, then with a stronger rhythm. Rafayel closed his eyes, focusing entirely. A soft glow surrounded him, and when he opened them again, his irises burned with a vibrant pinkish-blue light.

The room shifted.
Energy hummed in the air.

Rafayel's aura expanded, wrapping the core in a controlled field of force. He grit his teeth.

"Urghh... this is always so difficult..."

The Aether Core began to crack, faint, delicate fractures spreading across its smooth surface.
Caleb, watching from nearby, stepped forward in shock. His voice came low, almost a whisper.

"It... works..."

The resonance deepened, Rafayel's body lifting slowly off the ground under the intensity of the power he channeled. Energy radiated through the room — pulsing, controlled chaos. The cracks spread further.

"Urghhh!!"

Then suddenly, Caleb rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Rafayel from behind, pulling him gently down.

"I'll help you."

His voice was calm, grounding.

Rafayel gasped softly, not from the energy but from the closeness. His heart skipped, the feeling of Caleb's embrace unexpectedly steadying... but also warm. Caleb's presence stabilized his rising energy, keeping him from losing control.

And for a moment, everything paused, just the two of them, surrounded by glowing light, and the Aether Core slowly surrendering to Rafayel's will.

Chapter Text

Rafayel hovered just slightly above the ground, the glow of his evol surrounding him like a soft flame. Caleb stood behind him, arms steady as he held Rafayel gently but firmly, grounding him in place.

The Aether Core pulsed wildly, resisting the force trying to break it. Rafayel's body trembled from the intensity, his voice low and strained.

"Urghh..."

Caleb's gaze shifted toward him, catching the shimmer in Rafayel's eyes — that brilliant pinkish-blue glow, the signature of his resonance evol at full strength. His aura radiated warmth and pressure, almost ethereal in how it wrapped the room in waves of energy.

Caleb reached forward slowly, resting his hand just above Rafayel's, fingers brushing lightly against his skin. His voice came quiet, steady, close.

"You can do this."

Rafayel gritted his teeth, but the moment Caleb's hand touched his, something settled inside him, like the chaos found a rhythm. And then, with one final surge of power, the Aether Core cracked in half. A soft thud echoed across the experimental desk as the glowing fragments landed.

Rafayel slowly descended, his feet finding the floor again. Caleb didn't let go. He kept his hands over Rafayel's, grounding him as the last wave of power dispersed.
Caleb said softly, almost in awe.

"You really did it" 

Rafayel panted, still catching his breath, and instinctively held onto Caleb's hands in return — not thinking, just needing something to anchor him.

"This is really difficult," he murmured.

Caleb gently guided him closer, both of them now looking at the broken Aether Core halves. His voice was cool, but there was a flicker of something deeper beneath it.

"You're incredible. If anyone found out you could do this... you'd be hunted by every major organization out there."

Rafayel let out a shaky sigh, his shoulders still heavy from the effort. He whispered, eyes still fixed on the glowing core.

"I know. That's why I'm here."

Caleb smirked as he looked at the cracked Aether Core.

"So... we split the core? You take half, I take half?"

Rafayel shook his head, waving it off with a tired scoff.

"Nah. I'm taking the shards in the box. You keep that thing," 

he said, gesturing toward the glowing Aether Core halves. 

"I don't want to handle that thing again. Hmph! I just need the shards for my protocore paint anyway."

Caleb chuckled quietly, his eyes still on Rafayel.

"So, are you dissecting the rest of the shards here?"

Rafayel leaned against the table, smirking back.

"Of course. I'm already here. But not now, that Core took almost everything out of me. I need to rest first."

Without releasing his hand, Caleb gently tugged Rafayel along.

"Then rest in my room," 

he said casually. 

"The experimental lab will still be here when you wake up."

Rafayel followed without thinking, too tired to argue. It was only when Caleb led him into a large, softly lit bedroom and guided him toward the bed that Rafayel blinked and finally noticed.

"...uh?"

They were still holding hands.

Caleb, ever calm, placed a hand on Rafayel's shoulder and eased him down onto the bed. He said gently, then stepped away and quietly closed the door behind him.

"Sleep. I won't disturb you"

Rafayel sat frozen for a moment, eyes wide. Then he slowly looked down at his own hand, the warmth still lingering in his palm.
His cheeks turned a deep red.

"...Did we... just hold hands that whole time?"

His heart thudded against his chest as he stared at the door.

Caleb knocked softly on the door.

No response.

He waited a few seconds before pushing it open. The room was quiet, the curtains half drawn, casting soft shadows across the floor. Rafayel was still fast asleep, curled under the covers on his bed, hair tousled from sleep.

Caleb called gently.

"Mr. Raf?"

Rafayel stirred faintly.

Caleb let out a low chuckle, stepping inside.

"Rafayel. Your nap is turning into real sleep."

Rafayel groaned softly, rolling onto his back and rubbing his eyes with both hands.

"Hmm—ohkayy—"  he mumbled, still half-asleep.

Caleb smiled as he stood by the bed, hands in his pockets.

"Do you want to sleep a little longer?"

But Rafayel suddenly kicked off the covers and leapt out of bed, arms stretching high above his head.

"Nope! I need to crack all the little shards! Heh!"

Caleb blinked in surprise before laughing quietly. The contrast between Rafayel's sleepy mumbling and sudden burst of energy caught him off guard but somehow, it fit him perfectly.

Rafayel stepped into the experimental room, the door sliding shut behind him with a quiet hiss. Without hesitation, he moved to the center and lifted his hand, activating his evol.

A low hum filled the room.

The scattered Aether Core shards lifted into the air, hovering in a slow orbit around him. With a flick of his wrist and a focused breath, he channeled his resonance evol. In a single precise pulse, the shards began to crack, fragmenting neatly like glass under perfect pressure.

Caleb stood by the doorway, arms crossed, eyes narrowing slightly as he watched.

"You can do this in one shot?"  he asked coolly.

Rafayel didn't turn. His hands moved fluidly through the air, guiding the shards like they were part of him.

"Yeah,"  he replied. "But not Pure full Aether Core. Those are... different."

Caleb's gaze darkened, a thoughtful weight behind his expression. He muttered to himself under his breath, almost inaudible.

"You're too dangerous to be left alone. If anyone finds out about this, they'll come hunting."

Rafayel paused for a second, eyes still glowing faintly from the evol energy.

"You said something?" he asked, glancing back.

Caleb straightened, his usual cool demeanor returning. He said smoothly.

"Nothing. Just do your thing."

Rafayel gave a small shrug and turned back to his work, the final shards cracking cleanly around him like starlight breaking apart.

After two hours of carefully dissecting the small Protocore shards, Rafayel finally leaned back, wiping the sweat from his brow. Caleb, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward holding a new mortar and pestle.

"Here," 

he said, setting it gently on the table.

 "You can crush the shards with this. I got it for you, figured it'd be useful anytime you're working here."

Rafayel blinked in surprise, glancing between Caleb and the tool.

"Huh? I thought I'd be heading back to my hostel to do all the crushing. Didn't expect the general to be this thoughtful. Haha!"

Caleb folded his arms, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"Now that you're my partner, I have to treat you well."

Rafayel raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Well, it's a forced partnership, but I'll take the perks. I'll need a few more hours to crush this and melt it into paint."

Caleb's smile didn't fade. 

"Then I'll cook something for dinner."

Rafayel's eyes lit up in disbelief.

"You cook?"

Caleb smirked, a glint in his eye.

"You think a general like me only knows how to command and fight?"

Rafayel laughed, already starting to crush the shimmering shards in the mortar.

"Well... I guess not?"

Chapter Text

Dinner had been surprisingly enjoyable—Caleb's cooking skills far exceeded Rafayel's expectations. After the meal, Rafayel lounged lazily on the sofa, watching the soft glow of his melted shard paint as it cooled nearby. He swayed his legs idly, arms stretched along the top of the couch.

"Hey, General!"  he called out.

Caleb emerged from the bathroom, drying his hands with a towel.
"Caleb,"  he corrected firmly.

Rafayel rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Right, right. Caleb. So... what're you planning to do with that cracked half Aether Core?"

Caleb's lips curled into a sly smile.

"Use it to draw out a few spies still lurking in my fleet. And run some research with the experimental team."

Rafayel turned his head, still swaying his legs.
"Bleughhh—intense,"  he muttered with a mock grimace.

Caleb chuckled as he tossed the towel aside.

"Shirt and pants are in the bathroom. Go ahead and bathe."

Midnight rolled in quietly. After lounging long enough on the sofa, Rafayel finally stood, stretching as he made his way toward the guestroom. Just as his hand reached the door, Caleb stepped out from his bedroom.

Caleb asked, arms crossed casually.

"Not sleeping in my room?"

Rafayel turned, raising a brow. 

"Why would I sleep with you when you have a spare room?"

Caleb smiled and shrugged. 

"You napped in my bed earlier. Obviously, the master bedroom's more comfortable."

Rafayel yawned lazily. 

"Well, I have to test the guestroom. See if it lives up to its name."

Chuckling, Caleb gestured toward the master bedroom. 

"Just sleep in my room. I'll take the guestroom. Can't have my partner complaining about comfort."

Rafayel smirked. 

"You said it, not me. I'm not turning down the offer."

He didn't think much of it as he settled into the large, warm bed and drifted off to sleep. But when morning came, something felt... different.

Rafayel stirred, blinking slowly in the dim morning light. He shifted slightly and froze. Something warm. Steady. Comfortable.

He looked up and stiffened. Caleb was lying beside him, fast asleep. Rafayel's head had somehow found its way to his chest.

His eyes widened in silent panic as his heart thumped loudly in his ears. Rafayel muttered under his breath, frozen in place.

"Why is he on the bed?!"

Caleb was still sound asleep, his breathing deep and even. Without warning, he shifted—and wrapped an arm firmly around Rafayel's waist, pulling him closer.

Rafayel stiffened, eyes widening in surprise as he found himself fully leaning against Caleb's bare chest.

His face turned bright red. Rafayel blinked, his heart racing.

"H-He sleeps half-naked? And he's... seriously well-built..."

He couldn't move. Not because he was trapped but because something about it felt oddly warm. Safe.

Caleb's grip was protective, secure, like shielding something precious even in sleep.

Rafayel blinked again, still flustered but slowly relaxing. His cheeks stayed red as he carefully let his head rest against Caleb's chest, hearing the steady heartbeat beneath.

Without realizing it, he closed his eyes, comforted by the warmth and presence beside him. And just like that, he drifted off again, blushing quietly.

Warm light filtered through the curtains as Rafayel slowly stirred, only to feel a gentle poke on his cheek.

His eyes fluttered open, to find Caleb smiling at him, eyes soft and amused.

 Caleb said gently.

"It's already afternoon, Little Artist"

Rafayel's eyes shot wide open. Realizing he was still leaning against Caleb's bare chest, he bolted upright, his face burning.

"W-Why are you in the bed?!"

Caleb chuckled, stretching slightly as if the situation was completely normal. 

"I came in last night to check on you. You mistook me for a soft toy. You pulled my arm down and didn't let go."

 His tone was casual, but a teasing smile played on his lips. 

"Tell me, how was I supposed to move?"

Rafayel's face turned a deeper shade of red. 

"L-Liar."

Caleb said, voice firm but still laced with amusement.

"I'm not lying"

Embarrassed beyond reason, Rafayel scrambled out of the room, dashing straight to the experimental lab. He stood in front of the mixing table, trying to distract himself by checking the consistency of the protocore paint.

Still blushing, he muttered under his breath, 

"That's why I live aloneeeeeee!"

The sun dipped low on the horizon as Caleb's sleek car pulled up outside the Linkon University hostel. Rafayel sat in the passenger seat, a box full of freshly crafted protocore paints resting on his lap. His expression was calm, satisfied.

Caleb glanced at him with a soft smile. 

"Well, I'll see you again soon. I already saved my contact in your phone. I'll give you a call."

Rafayel blinked, startled. 

"When did you do that?"

Caleb chuckled, clearly amused. 

"When you were asleep, Little Artist."

Rafayel frowned slightly, though the corners of his lips threatened to curl upward. He wasn't mad. If anything, his chest fluttered with a strange, unfamiliar warmth.

"Hmph,"  he muttered, hiding his fluster.

As Rafayel reached for the car door, Caleb leaned forward, gently tilting his chin and pressing a light kiss to his cheek.

"Hope you enjoyed your stay at SkyHaven, Little Artist."

Rafayel froze, eyes wide. His face turned crimson in an instant.

"Wh–Why do you have to kiss my cheek?! That's weird!"

Without waiting for an answer, he jumped out of the car and bolted toward the hostel, his heart pounding. Rafayel screamed internally, both panicked and thrilled.

That's cheating!!!

Back in the car, Caleb watched him disappear into the building. His smile faded slightly, replaced by a thoughtful, colder expression.

"I have to protect this little guy now,"

 he murmured to himself. 

"He's too unique to be left alone."

It was a quiet afternoon in the university art studio. Rafayel sat at his usual spot, focused on his canvas, brush moving in steady strokes. The scent of paint filled the air as the class worked in silence, until curiosity sparked a question.

"Hey," 

a classmate said, leaning closer. 

"Those two hot guys who were outside the campus the other day... were they your boyfriends?"

Rafayel froze mid-stroke. He looked up, eyebrows raised. 

"What makes you think that?"

Before the classmate could answer, a small group of girls nearby perked up at the mention, rushing over with wide grins.

One of them squealed.

"They totally looked interested in you!"

Rafayel scoffed, rolling his eyes. 

"Are you all that bored? They're not my boyfriends."

Another girl giggled and nudged the first. 

"Yeah, not yet. They're obviously trying to woo you. We see it."

Face heating up, Rafayel set down his brush and snapped, flustered, 

"No they are not! Get back and draw!"

The group burst into laughter and dispersed, still giggling as they returned to their easels.

Left alone, Rafayel groaned quietly, cheeks still burning. He looked down at his painting, mumbling to himself.

"I... don't think they're wooing me... right?"

Chapter Text

Night draped itself over N109 like a velvet curtain, cloaking the grand building in its usual shroud of mystery and danger. Rafayel arrived in silence, his half upper mask in place, blending into the shadows. He took his usual seat at a corner booth, swirling a glass of deep red wine as his sharp eyes scanned the floor below. There was no auction tonight, his painting wasn't ready but he was here for something just as valuable: information.

Moments later, a group of sharply dressed men in dark suits approached and took the seats across from him.

"Mr. Raf," 

One of them began coolly. 

"An exchange of intel, in return for one of your future paintings."

Rafayel didn't respond immediately. He set his wine glass down and leaned forward slightly. 

"What's the intel?"

The lead suit spoke flatly. 

"EVER is currently targeting a certain individual... and also hunting Lumiere."

That name made Rafayel pause. His gaze sharpened. 

"A certain individual and Lumiere? You do realize it's almost impossible to hunt down Lumiere."

The man's lips curled into a cold smile. 

"Exactly. That's why it's valuable intel. The individual in question is a young teenager. And according to our sources, Lumiere recently destroyed one of EVER's lab facilities."

Rafayel let out a short, humorless chuckle and took a slow sip from his wine. 

"A teenager? Sounds more like a rumor than intel. And let me guess, you're with EVER."

The men didn't deny it.

Rafayel leaned back in his seat, eyes narrowing. 

"As for Lumiere destroying your lab... well, that's kind of your fault. Your man came after me. What did you expect?"

The suited man smiled calmly.

"I apologize for what happened to you. I'd like to continue this conversation—with the hope of securing one of your paintings. As for the 'bait' you set... can I confirm something? Were you targeting us?"

Rafayel's gaze darkened, though a faint smile played on his lips.

"Well, yes and no," 

he replied coolly. 

"You bought my painting, but couldn't handle what came with it. So it became a target. That's not really my fault, is it?"  He paused. "And this teenager you mentioned, what about him?"

The man's smile turned cold.

"EVER is planning to capture a specific teenager from Linkon University. Our research found that his drawings are... very similar to yours, Mr. Raf."

Rafayel's grip on his glass tightened. "What do you mean?"

The man didn't blink.

"The reason I came here to exchange intel," 

he said slowly, 

"is because I suspect you are that teenager, Mr. Raf. And I believe this information alone is more than worth one of your paintings."

Rafayel didn't reply immediately. His thoughts twisted sharply.

EVER... they really went this far, all because Lumiere destroyed their lab over my painting. Great. My identity is about to be exposed.

Rafayel was just about to fire back with a cold retort when two chilling presences appeared behind him. A shadow fell across the table.

Lumiere's voice rang out first, low and sharp like a blade:

"Then go ahead, hunt down that teenager."

The suited man froze as another figure stepped forward beside Lumiere.

General Caleb.

His tone was cool, cutting, as he looked the man dead in the eye.

"If you can."

Rafayel turned, startled, his eyes widening slightly the moment he saw them both. For a second, the tension in his chest loosened. His heart thudded, not from fear this time... but from the overwhelming wave of relief.

They came.

Caleb stepped forward, voice cold and firm, laced with quiet authority.

"If you want a painting from Mr. Raf, then do it the proper way. And if you truly believe he's the teenager you're after, go ahead. Try to catch him."

His gaze sharpened, each word cutting like steel.

"But only if you can."

Lumiere's tone followed, darker, low and lethal.

"I only destroyed one of EVER's experimental bases." 

He took a step forward, eyes gleaming with threat. 

"I haven't even started on the others yet."

The suited man's jaw tightened. He stood, straightening his coat with a glare.

"Since the exchange has failed, I'll proceed with the other method. Capturing the teenager directly."

He turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd.

Rafayel stood up abruptly, his voice a sharp whisper as he glared at them.

"What was that?! You just dared EVER to come after me in broad daylight! I still want to graduate, you know!"

Lumiere's expression didn't change.

"I'll protect you."

Rafayel's heart skipped, he was stunned silent, the weight of that promise sinking in.

Caleb folded his arms and gave a cool, confident smile.

"Then let's reverse the game. We'll hunt them down instead."

Another jolt shot through Rafayel's chest. Again, speechless. Again, shaken by how fast these two turned the tide in his favor.

Caleb stepped closer, leaned in near Rafayel's ear, and whispered:

"I'm protecting you... or should I say we are."

Before Rafayel could even process it, Lumiere yanked Caleb back by the collar, calm yet clearly displeased. Lumiere said, eyes locked on Rafayel.

"Don't worry. Just focus on your campus life. You'll be fine."

Rafayel blushed, his face already warm as he knocked back the rest of his wine in one go. He set the glass down, trying to steady himself before facing the two men in front of him. 

Rafayel asked, voice slightly tight.

"Why are both of you helping me?"

Caleb shrugged casually, his tone effortlessly cool.

"Because you're my partner now."

Lumiere answered just as smoothly, but with that quiet intensity he always carried.

"Because I want to."

Rafayel's heart nearly burst from the double impact. His blush deepened. Rafayel said quickly, standing up and fumbling for an exit.

"O-Okay... erm... I'm going back now"

But before he could move, both men spoke at once.

"We'll send you back."

Rafayel turned around, flustered and fuming.

"No! I can clearly go back myself! I'm Mr. Raf!"

Lumiere tilted his head, expression calm.

"Didn't you hear what that suit guy said? He's going after 'the teenager.' They already know it's you, and now they're just playing bait games."

Caleb folded his arms across his chest, nodding.

"I have to agree with Lumiere. There's no telling when or where they'll try to strike. Especially if you're alone."

Rafayel groaned inwardly, deep in thought.

I'm clearly strong! Stop pestering me already! My heart seriously can't take two insanely handsome men saying all this stuff with dead-serious faces!

Chapter Text

Ever since EVER publicly declared their intent to capture a certain teenager, Rafayel hadn't paid it much mind. He trusted Xavier and Caleb deeply, enough that he continued his usual routines without hesitation.

He still showed up at N109 for intel trades. He still lived his daily campus life as though nothing had changed.

But behind the scenes, EVER had already infiltrated Linkon University with a series of covert plans aimed directly at him.

They failed. Every time.

Not because the spies lacked experience or resources but simply because Rafayel was... unusually lucky. And instinctively cautious around anyone who wasn't Caleb or Xavier.

They tried drugging his campus lunch. Didn't work. Rafayel didn't even like eating on campus.

They placed undercover lecturers who offered freebies to lure him in. Rafayel casually handed them off to classmates. One of those classmates fainted mid-lecture.

Next, they scheduled a private meeting through a lecturer, intending to ambush him one-on-one. Rafayel completely forgot. He was too busy helping another student and never showed up.

They even laced an art supply shipment, hoping Rafayel would react to the poisoned paint. But Rafayel, out of pure habit, tossed the entire batch.

"The color's off,"

 he mumbled that day.

 "Let's make it from scratch again."

EVER's agents were baffled. No matter what they tried, Rafayel slipped through, unknowingly dodging every trap with a mix of randomness, intuition, and habit.

To him, life remained normal. To EVER, he was a nightmare wrapped in good luck.

Behind the scenes, Caleb was fully up to date with every move EVER made. He had long planted his own network of spies throughout Linkon University, all silently working to shield one very specific person: Rafayel.

Sitting alone at his desk in SkyHaven's fleet office, Caleb scrolled through the latest report. It detailed every failed attempt EVER had made over the past week.

He leaned back in his chair and laughed, loud and carefree.

"Hahaha! This cute artist just dodges every bullet like it's instinct. Doesn't even realize what he's doing. He's way too unique."

Meanwhile, on the other end of the storm, Xavier operated in silence. He had infiltrated one of EVER's experimental labs, his presence undetected. If they were going to target Rafayel, he would make sure they regretted it from the inside.

EVER's files were wiped. Their data scrambled. One of their prototype Evol vials was now leaking in a cold chamber. No one suspected the quiet phantom who moved through their secured zones like smoke.

Rafayel, blissfully unaware, continued painting in peace, completely in the dark about the chaos orbiting around him.

He didn't know the full details. But he knew this much: Caleb and Xavier were protecting him. And somehow, that was enough.

It was a regular night at N109.

Rafayel attended the private bid, as he always did, and his newest art piece, layered in provocative hues and hidden signals, sold effortlessly to the intended target. Mission complete.

Satisfied, Rafayel sipped from a chilled glass of wine, letting the cool flavor settle on his tongue. Rafayel murmured, relaxed, before slipping out quietly and driving off into the night.

"Now I just have to wait"

But halfway through the drive, something felt wrong. A strange heat crawled up his spine.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, stopping the car, he blinking rapidly.

"What...?"

His body trembled. Breath quickened. Sweat beaded at his forehead. His limbs felt weak, heavy, as if burning from the inside out.

Then—knock knock—a sharp rapping sound on his car window jolted him.

Rafayel froze. His instincts screamed danger. Someone was outside. But he didn't open the door. Something about this was off. Very off.

With trembling fingers, Rafayel fumbled for his phone and tapped Caleb's contact.

The call connected instantly. Caleb's calm voice came through.

"Hello?"

Rafayel clutched the phone to his ear, struggling to speak.

"Ca—leb... I need help... I can't breathe right... Something's wrong with my body... Someone's knocking on my window and I'm not opening it. Something's wrong here, Caleb..."

His voice cracked, breath labored. Panic mixing with the burning heat in his chest.
Caleb's voice instantly sharpened with concern.

"Don't hang up. Keep the line open and slide it into your pocket. I'm tracking your location now."

Rafayel nodded faintly and slipped the phone into his coat pocket. The call stayed connected. Caleb could hear everything, every staggered breath, every trembling movement, and the persistent knock at the window.

Rafayel's head dropped forward against the steering wheel, body shivering, skin flushed and overheated.

"Xav...ier... where are you...?"

He groaned, voice barely audible.

"The wine... someone drugged it..."

CRASH!

Glass exploded around him.

The window on Rafayel's left side shattered into fragments as a gloved fist punched through with brutal force. He barely managed to turn his head, still slumped weakly over the steering wheel, limbs limp and trembling from the drug coursing through his body.

Before he could react, rough hands grabbed his collar.
Rafayel mumbled, vision blurry, breath shallow.

"Wh—who...?"

The man yanked Rafayel out through the shattered window like a rag doll. Cold night air hit his face, but it didn't help. His body burned unnaturally hot, muscles refusing to respond.

The man gripping his collar leaned in close with a smug, victorious grin.

"You've been dodging bullets for days, Mr. Raf. Slipping through every one of our traps like some kind of divine joke."

The smirk widened, eyes gleaming cruelly.

"But not tonight. This time, we finally got you."

He leaned closer, lips near Rafayel's ear.

"Or should I call you... Rafayel?"

That name, said with such venom, made something in Rafayel's foggy mind snap. He groaned, forcing his heavy arm up, grabbing the man's shirt weakly with trembling fingers.
Rafayel breathed, voice low and furious, though his body couldn't fight back.

"You... assholes..." 

His strength was fading fast. But somewhere in the distance, faint through the static of his spinning mind, he remembered:

The call was still connected. Caleb was listening. And he was coming.
Rafayel groaned, his voice raw as he weakly struggled against the grip on his collar.

"Pay me my damn car..."

 he slurred, eyelids heavy, head spinning. 

"You just shattered my car...!"

The man holding him scoffed in disbelief, raising a brow. He mocked, shaking his head with a sneer.

"You still have the energy to care about your car?" 

Rafayel gritted his teeth, and with what little strength he could muster, a flicker of fire bloomed from his palm, his evol trying to respond. The brief spark managed to shove one of the men back, surprising them.

But he was too drugged. The fire fizzled instantly. Two other EVER agents lunged, grabbing him again before he could fall.

"Hold him!"

He struggled as they forced open his mouth. Cold hands gripped his jaw roughly, prying it apart as one of them pulled out a vial filled with a glowing, swirling liquid.

Rafayel's eyes widened in panic.

"N—No—!"

But it was too late. They poured the substance down his throat. It burned, scorching down like liquid fire, spreading through his chest and stomach, intensifying the heat inside him until it became unbearable.

His limbs trembled violently as the burning sensation overtook him. He coughed hard, choking on the last of the liquid, eyes glossing with tears of pain and fury. His fingers weakly gripped the man's shirt as he wheezed.

"Y-You... bastards...!"

His legs gave out. His body slumped into their arms like a collapsing flame, breath ragged and rapid.

Through the roaring heat in his chest, his voice cracked in a whisper, like a plea lost on the wind:

"...Lumiere...Caleb...."

Chapter Text

Rafayel slumped against the EVER men, his breath shallow and skin flushed with heat. His vision blurred, and every inch of his body burned from the drug coursing through his veins.

"Hnnngg— Caleb... Lumiere..."

They laid him across the car seat, slamming the door shut with haste.

Or so they thought.
Just as the door clicked—

SHHHHK—!

A sharp gleam sliced clean through the air, ripping the car in half, metal screeching as sparks erupted violently into the night. The EVER agents staggered back in shock.

"Wh—What?! Who—?"

Before they could react, a presence slammed down like thunder. Lumiere appeared in front of one of them, silent, lethal.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the nearest man's head and smashed it into the twisted frame of the sliced car.

A single word left his lips, cold as steel:

"Lumiere."

The moment the car split in half, chaos erupted.
EVER's men lunged at Lumiere, shouting and charging with weapons drawn.

Unfazed, Lumiere met them head-on.

With a swift, effortless motion, he kicked one attacker clean out of the car, sending the man crashing into a nearby pole with a thud. His movements were fluid, cold, and precise. One after another, the agents fell around him—knocked unconscious or crippled by precise, glowing slashes of his light-based evol.

Amidst the brawl, he reached into the broken car and gently lifted Rafayel into his arms as if he weighed nothing.

"Rafayel."

The artist stirred weakly, his body limp, head resting against Lumiere's chest. He breathed hard, his fingers clutching at Lumiere's uniform.

"Xa...vier..."  he mumbled.

But there was no time. More cars approached. Reinforcements.

Headlights lit up the broken street as backup from EVER swarmed in, tires screeching.
Lumiere narrowed his eyes, glowing with quiet fury.

With Rafayel cradled in one arm, he leapt high into the air. The air around him shimmered—then blazed.

A massive arc of radiant light swung through the air from his free hand, slicing two incoming vehicles clean in half, steel groaning as the severed machines crashed into the street, aflame.

From the safety of Lumiere's arms, Rafayel blinked at the glowing destruction below.
Despite the haze in his mind, he managed a weak smile.

"You're really cool..."

Lumiere gave a rare, quiet smirk, his grip around Rafayel tightening protectively. More engines roared in the distance.

More cars.

EVER reinforcements swarmed like wolves in the night, headlights cutting through the smoke. Lumiere's eyes narrowed. Holding Rafayel close, he leapt straight through the shattered window of Rafayel's damaged car, landing cleanly in the driver's seat.

With practiced hands, he shifted gears, slammed the pedal down.

The car screeched as it launched forward, tires skidding against the road. Rafayel, weak and burning, groaned from the passenger side, tugging at his collar, his body drenched in heat.
Rafayel voice trembled, barely audible over the sound of the chase.

"Xavier... it's hot... really hot... everything's swaying..." 

Lumiere gripped the steering wheel tight, eyes sharp, dodging an oncoming vehicle that tried to ram from the side. He glanced at Rafayel quickly, his jaw tensing.

"Try to hold on."

He could see the fevered flush spreading across Rafayel's cheeks. His shirt clung to his skin from the sweat. Something wasn't right.
Inside, Lumiere's mind raced.

What did they drug him with? This isn't a sedative. This is something else. No standard formula heats the body like this—

A bullet clipped the side mirror. Lumiere swerved.

"Tch."

Lumiere looked over. Rafayel's lips were trembling, his fingers clenching weakly.

"Xav... i-it burns..."

Lumiere's voice lowered, steady and firm.

"Stay with me, Rafayel. I'm getting you out."

Just as Lumiere swerved past another incoming bullet, a flash of silver roared past in the opposite direction, a sleek car slicing through the night like a blade.

Gunfire erupted.

BANG! BANG!

The chasing cars jolted as precise shots shattered their windshields. Tires screamed. One vehicle veered off-road, then exploded.

From that silver car, an unseen pressure slammed into the convoy like a wave. The gravity around them twisted, pressing downward with crushing force. The road cracked. Several chase cars skidded, flipping, their engines shrieking in chaos.

BOOM! Another burst of flame behind them.

The silver car spun coolly back toward Lumiere's vehicle, closing in fast. As it pulled alongside, the passenger window rolled down smoothly, Caleb's face appeared, calm and sharp.

Without a word, he opened his door mid-drive, standing fluidly on it. The gravity around Rafayel's car shifted and the passenger door on Lumiere's side clicked open by invisible force.

Caleb lifted himself effortlessly across the air, wind sweeping through his coat as he landed inside Lumiere's car with catlike control. Rafayel, dazed and flushed, was already sliding weakly to the side.
Caleb muttered.

"Got you " 

He pulled Rafayel close, cradling him against his chest. Rafayel's head rested weakly on his shoulder, his body trembling, heat rolling off him.

Then Caleb turned slightly, raised one hand and everything shifted.

With a surge of gravity, Caleb car launched forward, then slammed back with force.

Behind them, the chase cars lifted off the ground, twisted like toys, and collided midair in a devastating crash with the Caleb car swing towards them. Metal bent. Flames swallowed the road.

BOOM! 
A chain reaction of explosions.

Rafayel stirred again in Caleb's arms, his breath shallow but a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"...this is gonna be my next new art piece..."

Caleb gave a soft huff of laughter, tightening his hold around him just slightly.

"You still have the energy to joke around?"  he said, voice laced with quiet relief.

Up front, Lumiere's eyes remained on the road, glowing faintly in the reflection of passing streetlights. The corners of his mouth twitched into a rare, subtle smirk.

"You're late."

Caleb smirked back without missing a beat.

"You needed the backup."

Lumiere didn't argue.
Behind them, the night burned with the aftershock of chaos, flames flickering in the rearview mirror, like a brushstroke of fire across the black canvas of the road.

Inside the car, Rafayel's eyelids fluttered.

"I'll... draw this one in crimson and gold," 

he mumbled dreamily.

 "Caleb catching me... with a chain of explosions in the background... very dramatic."

Caleb glanced down at him, amused. 

"That's what you're thinking about?"

Rafayel groaned faintly, his voice rasping, 

"I'm an artist, not dead... yet."

They drove on in silence for a moment, the tension still hanging but thinner now, like smoke after the blaze. The city lights stretched ahead.

Whatever drug ran through Rafayel's veins, whatever trap had been set tonight—they weren't done.

But for now, he was safe. And protected.
By them.

Chapter Text

Lumiere pulled up near his apartment, the chaos behind them finally fading after Caleb's explosive interception. The night air was tense and still.

Without wasting time, Caleb stepped out, still carrying the flushed and groaning Rafayel in his arms. Lumiere opened the door swiftly, his movements sharp and cold.

Rafayel mumbled, dazed.

"Whose house is this...?" 

Lumiere replied simply, tossing his upper mask onto the kitchen counter as he locked the door behind them.

"My house" 

He looked at Caleb with cool urgency.

"Head upstairs. I'll check for something to counter the drug."

Caleb gave a curt nod and moved quickly, his footsteps light as he carried Rafayel up to the bedroom. Rafayel clutched weakly at his coat, his body trembling.

Rafayel panted, voice faint and cracking.

"It's really hot... Caleb..." 

Caleb gently laid him down on the large bed. Worry crept into his usually composed expression.

"What the hell did they give you?"

Rafayel shook his head slowly, struggling to remove his suit jacket as his breathing grew uneven.
He whispered, eyes barely open.

"I... don't know..." 

Caleb helped Rafayel out of his suit, leaving him in just his pants. He laid him gently on the bed, then knelt beside him, placing a hand on Rafayel's forehead.

His brows furrowed.

"It's high... like a fever, but something's off."

Rafayel stirred, eyes half-lidded. He reached for Caleb's hand and pressed it to his cheek.

"So cold... your hand..."

Rafayel clinging and squirming towards Caleb hand, licking it with no awareness. Caleb eyes widen, trying to withdraw but Rafayel holding it firmly

His grip tightened slightly as if anchoring himself. Caleb remained still, watching him carefully.

"Don't go...I like it.. It's cold.."

Caleb's gulp, controlling himself. Thoughts running.

What they drug him, It's not just sedative, it's a aphrodisiac.

Xavier came up the stairs and stepped into the room, his expression dark.

"I checked everywhere,"

he said coldly.

"I don't have anything that can counteract this."

Caleb turned to face him, his voice low.

"Xavier... I think this wasn't just a sedative. It's something else, too."

Xavier frowned.

"Explain."

Caleb gestured toward Rafayel, who was curled on the bed, gripping Caleb's hand with surprising strength despite his weakened state.

"He's burning up... and reacting strangely. I think they used an aphrodisiac-type compound. I think the only way to counter... is to... have sex."

Rafayel stirred again, voice breathless.

"Hot... it's too hot..."

Rafayel, still under the influence, licking Caleb's fingers again.
Caleb logic is cracking under Rafayel's touch, he gulp and give a look at Xavier.

"It's either we do it, or he's gonna suffer like this."

Xavier sigh coldly, not resisting anymore.

"I'm controlling from the very start not to pounce on him and.. I don't think we can stop now."

Xavier sat on the bed, lifted Rafayel up gently, while taking off Rafayel pants.

"Rafayel. Are you with us?"

Rafayel shake his head lightly, stirring lightly to touches of Xavier, snuggling towards it. Not even realizing his full naked now.

"uh..? Your hand are so cold.."

Caleb took off his clothes and started kissing Rafayel deep, grabbing Rafayel cheek softly. Rafayel body tensed up with the kissed, moaning in the kissed softly. His body trembling weakly.

While Xavier took out a lube from his drawer near the bed and pour the lube on Rafayel hole. Rafayel body tensed up as the lube enter the hole, he moan even harder in the kiss. 

Caleb let go of the kiss for a moment for Rafayel to breathe. 
Rafayel body trembling, heaving non stop, succumb to the touches.

"urghhh---- hmmmppp----"

Caleb watch Rafayel tremble, mesmerize by Rafayel body reaction.

"You don't know how hot you look like right now."

Rafayel can't respond, lost to the drug fully, face flush red.

Xavier start putting a finger in to Rafayel hole, Rafayel straight up arch his back high, moaning softly.

"arghhhh!"

While Caleb start stroking Rafayel manhood, while kissing him as well. Xavier finger hit deeper, hitting the spot. While the other hand playing with Rafayel nipple, flicking up and down.

His entire sensitive spots all being occupied. Trembling hard, moaning deep in the kiss. 
His legs tremble, toes curl. 
Xavier insert one more finger, now two, slowly three.

Caleb let Rafayel breathe after kissing for quite awhile, still stroking Rafayel manhood. Rafayel moan in high pitch. 

"I'm cumming! Arghh!!"

And Rafayel cum, landing on his belly. Body trembling non stop. Xavier snap at how seductive Rafayel naturally is. He plunge in his manhood straight to Rafayel hard.

Rafayel eyes widen, sparkle with tears of pleasure. Immediately cumming from being plunge in.

"ARGHHHH!!"

Caleb smirk, loving how Rafayel is enjoying being hit in the hole. He open Rafayel mouth and put his manhood in Rafayel mouth straight. Saying it firmly yet soft at the same time.

"Suck it."

Rafayel loosing all his thinking, losing to the pleasure and the effect of the drug, he start sucking  Caleb manhood while being slam by Xavier hard at the hole, moaning while sucking Caleb manhood.

Caleb flicking Rafayel both nipples, trusting his manhood deeper into Rafayel throat. Rafayel moan harder. Eyes filled with tears, dropping slowly due to pleasure.

"hmmmphhh ---- mmmmmmm----"

All the pleasures hitting, Xavier stroking Rafayel manhood faster, and slamming Rafayel harder. 
While Caleb trust his manhood faster in Rafayel throat and flicking his nipple faster. All the sensation hitting towards Rafayel hard.

His body arch high, eyes widens with pleasure, hands trembling holding to Caleb forearm weakly.

Xavier grunt and cum inside Rafayel, so do Caleb. Rafayel eyes widen with tears, his manhood cumming. His moan muffled as Caleb cum inside his throat. 

Xavier smirk coldly.

"You are too sexy."

Caleb pull off his manhood from Rafayel mouth. breathing a little fast, looking at Caleb coldly.

"My turn."

Rafayel cough as the cum swallowed in deep into his throat. He look in daze, breathing hard, face blush.

"hmmm..? There's more..?"

Caleb carried Rafayel up easily smirking gently, letting Rafayel back lean on Caleb chest fully.

"This is far from over Rafayel."

Rafayel hole now full of Xavier cum, leaking. Without saying anything, Caleb plunge in his manhood straight, pushing Rafayel down while carrying him. 

Rafayel scream in silent as he is still sensitive from the previous climax, and now the plunge from Caleb make his body tremble non stop, cumming straight again.

"ARGHHH! SENSITIVE! CALEB! HARGHHH!"

Caleb didn't care, further more. He enjoyed seeing Rafayel climax. He hit deeper more, trusting his hips deeper to Rafayel while carrying him. 

Xavier adjusted his manhood to Rafayel hole while Rafayel still being trusted.
Caleb grin, knowing what Xavier is gonna do next.

"Xavier. You are not controlling yourself anymore aren't you?"

Xavier glare at Caleb coldly.

"Aren't you the same?"

Caleb chuckled while slamming Rafayel up and down panting.

"Well. I can't argue with that.

Chapter Text

While Rafayel being trusted up and down by Caleb, moaning. Rafayel can feel another manhood entering. His eyes widen as the pain slowly increasing from his hole.

"Whaa-at are you doing Xavier? hnnnggg--- It's painful---! I can't take two big paintbrush--!"

Xavier gently rub Rafayel cheek.

"You can take it well."

And in one smooth action, Caleb push Rafayel body down hard. 
Rafayel eyes welled with tears as Xavier manhood enter the hole as well.

"ARGHHH! HNNNGGG---!! IT'S PAINFUL! ARGHH!"

Xavier kissed Rafayel deep muffling his moan and screams, both manhood trusting in hard and fast. 

Rafayel hands scratching Xavier back, digging in his nails as it's too much. Caleb trusting harder and biting down Rafayel neck.

Rafayel body arch high, moaning in the kissed. Slowly .. pain to slowly pleasure. 
Rafayel has been cumming non stop at both manhood hitting his sport simultaneously. 

After doing for nearly two hours, Rafayel strength start giving out, his legs limp from pleasure, trembling at the trust from both manhood. Rafayel both hands drape down lifelessly.

Up and down deep hitting the spot. Don't know how many times he has been cumming. Moaning has now become small moans, losing his voice from sobbing of pleasures. 

Caleb and Xavier grunt in unison low and deep.

"We are cumming."

Rafayel shake his head weakly, trembling.

"No.. No more.. "

And in one full hard trust, they both trust Rafayel down hard. Cumming into Rafayel.
Rafayel body arch high, eyes widen with tears, body tensed, nipple stiffen, he screamed from the sudden pleasure. His manhood cumming at the same time as well. All too much for him.

"NO! ARGHHHH!!!!"

Rafayel fainted, his head dropping towards Xavier shoulders. Caleb and Xavier both lifted Rafayel up, his hole now leaking out full of their cum. 

They both pant and smirk in enjoyment of the sight of it. Both thought in unison.

Way too sexy.

For the next few days, Rafayel didn't show up at campus. Caleb handled the formalities, helping to apply for a three-day leave so Rafayel could rest properly.

Meanwhile, Rafayel stayed at Xavier's apartment, tucked away from the chaos. Caleb and Xavier took care of everything, meals, medicine, and quietly watching over him when he stirred at night.

Rafayel recovered steadily, though every now and then, a memory from the incident would resurface, causing his face to flush bright red. He'd bury himself deeper into the blankets, pretending not to notice the knowing glances from the two men taking care of him.

Rafayel would muttered to himself at bed, face blushed.

"two big dongs in my hole, i thought i almost went up to heaven and stayed there permanently."

Xavier lay beside Rafayel, his tone calm and unreadable.

"Did you feel good?"

Rafayel's face instantly turned red. He didn't answer, just buried himself deeper under the blanket in a flustered panic.

Caleb stepped into the room, sitting casually at the edge of the bed. He glanced at the bundled figure. 
He said with a slight smirk.

"Next time... without the drug"

Rafayel made a muffled noise from under the blanket, even redder than before.
Xavier and Caleb exchanged a glance, both chuckling softly at Rafayel's reaction.

Ever since the incident with EVER, Rafayel was never alone when entering N109 for bidding or intel trading. He was always accompanied, either by Lumiere or General Caleb. Their presence alone was enough to make EVER back off.

Lumiere had been launching quiet but relentless attacks on EVER's labs, disrupting their operations from the shadows. At the same time, Caleb's unexpected intrusions into their bases served as clear warnings: if EVER continued targeting Rafayel, he wouldn't hesitate to expose their illegal activities and start a war between Farspace and EVER.

Faced with those two powerful threats, EVER had no choice but to retreat.

Sometimes after classes, Rafayel would be picked up by Caleb or Xavier for dinner. He no longer stayed in the campus hostel—his nights were now split between Xavier's apartment and, on weekends, Caleb's residence at SkyHaven.

Life had changed, subtly but surely. And though he still acted like the same sharp-tongued artist, there was now a quiet warmth to his routine, something he never expected to find amidst the chaos.

Xavier's apartment was now filled with Rafayel's paintings, canvases leaned against walls, vibrant colors brightening the once-cold space.

Rafayel sat at his easel, brush in hand, blushing in frustration.

"Just how long do you want to keep doing it? Until I faint again?" 

he grumbled. 

"Control yourself, you sly fox! Honestly, I still prefer Lumiere over this horny bastard!"

Xavier's eyes darkened as he approached, his tone low and dangerous. 

"So you prefer Lumiere over me? I'm the evil and sly one, but he's the cool, handsome hero?"

Rafayel turned quickly, stepping back. 

"Okay, okay! Stop! Why do you always get so mad when it comes to Lumiere? Aren't you two basically the same?"

Xavier continued walking toward him, gaze unrelenting. 

"No. Tell me now. Lumiere or me?"

Rafayel flushed, panicked. He shouted, bolting up the stairs toward the bedroom.

"Stop with that! You idiot!" 

Sometimes, Rafayel spent his weekends at SkyHaven with Caleb. He loved teasing Caleb, testing how much control the calm general really had. But he always ended up regretting it. Caleb could go for more than a day, and sometimes, he was even worse than Xavier.

Rafayel lay on the bed, grumbling under his breath.

"I didn't know you could go that long... You're sometimes scarier than Xavier."

Caleb, lying beside him, wrapped an arm around him and chuckled softly.

"Wanna try both of us at the same time again?"

Rafayel's eyes widened, cheeks flushing red.

"No, no! Only if I'm drunk or not thinking straight. It's too much!"

Caleb laughed again, his tone playful.

"You clearly enjoyed it."

Rafayel wasn't sure how to describe what he felt for Caleb and Xavier. His heart was confused, tangled in emotions he didn't fully understand. But one thing was clear—he loved being around them. Their presence calmed him, their little gestures made his heart race, and their words stayed in his mind long after they were spoken.

Could he really love two people at once? He didn't know. All he knew was that every time Caleb smiled gently at him or Xavier silently watched over him, something warm stirred inside.

"I... don't know what I'm feeling," 

Rafayel murmured one evening, eyes lowered. 

"But... I don't hate it."

Caleb and Xavier already understood. They never pushed him. They didn't need him to say the words out loud, they could feel it in the way he looked at them, stayed close, and trusted them. They knew Rafayel loved them, even if he didn't realize it yet himself.

So they waited, quietly and patiently, letting him figure it out at his own pace.

Chapter Text

As usual, Rafayel sat at the high balcony, overlooking the grand hall below where the bidding had just begun. The low hum of conversation mixed with the clinking of glasses and soft music. Beside him stood Lumiere, calm and composed, and General Caleb, arms folded and smirking with quiet confidence.

Behind his half mask, Rafayel swirled the wine in his glass, eyes scanning the crowd below with a cold glint.

"I wonder who the target is this time..."  he mused, voice smooth.

Caleb leaned back slightly in his seat, smirk widening.

"I wonder..."

Lumiere said nothing. His presence was steady, cool, and silent.

Rafayel turned to him with a teasing smile, lifting his glass.

"Cheers, cool Lumiere?"

Lumiere glanced at him and offered a rare, soft smile.

"Cheers."

Their glasses clinked lightly, the moment brief but intimate in its own quiet way, calm before whatever storm might unfold next.

The bidding finally began for Mr. Raf's famed Protocore painting. From the high balcony, Rafayel watched silently, lips curled into a cold smirk. Below, criminals disguised in elegance fought over the piece, unaware it was more than art—it was bait. Some would be caught. Some, if unlucky, would die by it.

Just as he was sipping his wine, Caleb leaned in and gave him a light kiss on the lips.
Caleb said coolly.

"I'm heading down. Need to handle an intel exchange" 

Rafayel blinked, blushing.

 "Erm... sure."

As Caleb walked off, Lumiere suddenly turned, grabbed Rafayel's chin, and kissed him hard. Rafayel gasped, eyes wide in shock, cheeks burning red.

"What's with you?!"

 he sputtered. 

"Why do you always act up when Caleb kisses me?"

Lumiere didn't reply. He only smirked darkly, cool as ever.
Rafayel groaned inwardly, burying his face in one hand, his heart racing.

They're really messing with my heart... hard.

One random day at the grand trading floor in N109, everyone was dressed elegantly as usual. Rafayel stood quietly in a corner, swirling his wine slowly, eyes fixed on the large glass ceiling above. He waited patiently, expecting people to approach him for an exchange of intel.

Today was different—Caleb and Lumiere were both absent. Caleb had to stay back at Farspace, managing his fleet duties, while Lumiere was busy hunting down illegally used Aether Cores by EVER.

Rafayel took a slow sip of his wine, the calm before the storm settling in.

Suddenly, a tall silver-haired man appeared, flanked by two men. His cold voice carried an unshakable authority—the same aura Rafayel remembered from Caleb and Lumiere when they first met.

"Mr. Raf. Am I right?" the man asked.

Rafayel raised his wine glass politely and nodded.

"Yes. And you are?"

The man smirked, eyes sharp and unreadable.

"Sylus."

Rafayel's eyes widened ever so slightly, his thoughts racing.

Sylus? The leader of Onychinus? The leader of N109?

Still, Rafayel kept his calm facade.

"May I know what you want, Mr. Sylus?"

Sylus leaned in, his voice low and dangerous.

"You. An interesting artist."

Rafayel's heart pounded louder.

No... not another one! This one's even more dangerous! What did I do in my past life to attract all these dangerous people?!

END