Zoemi woke up in the middle of the night, again, this time though, he noticed someone's presence before that someone even managed to get close to his bed.

The black-haired opened his eyes, expecting to see Aspakeony sneaking in, but instead, he realized that it was the dark-haired older gentleman corpse puppet.

"Oh, you're awake.

"

The puppet spoke with a smirk and Zoemi instantly realized that the necromancer was in full control.

"I've been looking into the Academy's security like you asked me – and low and behold, it is completely fine, just like I told you… although I did notice that one of the teachers is constantly sneaking into the dungeon in the middle of the night – sometimes with students – but when I followed them, it turned out they are experimenting with magic. Anyway, that's not why I came here.

"

Aspakeony spoke through Banemor's mouth and scoffed as if Zoemi – despite staying silent – was the one making her go off-topic.

"Then, the academy is safe. That's great – while we are at it could you…?

"

"Hold on – let me ask you something first.

"

The black-haired boy sat up straight on his bed and asked, but the shadow corpse puppet raised his hand and stopped him with a serious expression.

"…umm… sure…? What is it?

"

Zoemi closed his mouth and nodded, curious what was so important that it couldn't wait until morning.

"I cast muffle on your room so you can talk freely, now, answer me this – you lived in the slums before little Mizoe picked you up, didn't you? What were your parents' names?

"

"Excuse me…?

"

…that was what he thought – but then the question turned out to be strange, to say the least…

"Your parents' names – you told me that your mother was a darkness magician, so you weren't just orphaned right away, right? And what about your father?

"

Despite causing quite a confusion, the necromancer using her corpse puppet asked again sounding as if it was really something very important.

"I… didn't have a father. Mother told me that he was in heaven, which implied that he died but, well, you know…

"

Zoemi scratched the back of his head awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders.

"Slums are a tough place to live, it's hard to survive, I wouldn't be angry or surprised if it turned out that my biological father was somewhere out there…

"

The black-haired boy added indifferently, making it clear that even if that man was alive, he didn't have any intentions of ever looking for him – in case he was actually alive.

"I see… that… actually makes it more plausible then…

"

The corpse puppet lowered his head and muttered with a very serious expression, making Zoemi raise his brow in confusion…

"What is more plausible?

"

Zoemi asked furrowing his brows and tilting his head.

"That comes later – first – tell me what was your mother's name.

"

Banemor waved his hand dismissively and asked with a rather domineering expression which was definitely something that was leftover from when he was alive because Aspakeony definitely couldn't muster anywhere near as much authority around the black-haired boy so naturally.

"I… I don't remember – I was less than four years old when she died, I only ever called her mom.

"

Zoemi frowned and huddled up his shoulders defensively.

"…I didn't think about that… do you remember how she looked like any birthmarks or scars or something?

"

"…

"

Aspakeony controlling the dark-haired corpse puppet pressured the black-haired boy – which didn't quite get him in good mood.

All that talk made him remember the day- when his mother died, trembling in a fewer, clawing at her chest as if something inside her chest was burning her out from the inside.

"Her face, eyes, nothing stayed in your memory?

"

The necromancer pried even further – and sleeping fury awakened inside the boy's heart.

***ASH*

"THE ONLY THING I REMEMBER IS HOW SHE CRUMBLED INTO PIECES BECAUSE THOSE FUCKING GHOSTS WANTED TO SHARE THEIR MANA WITH HER, AND IT FUCKING CORRODED HER INSIDES SO THAT SHE FUCKING CRUMBLED INTO PIECES LIKE A HOLLOW HUSK!

"

The boy subconsciously activated his shadow enchantments and punched the nightstand, smashing it into splinters with one hit while he shouted with more hatred than he ever thought that he could harbor.

Surprisingly enough, his eyes didn't turn lifeless – they were pure of raw, very human emotion.

"…I…! I am sorry…

"

The corpse puppet flinched and didn't even try to say anything else – he merely turned into a shadow and exited the boy's room using the shadow walk.

"…

"

Zoemi glanced after him only once, to make sure that he was gone – which he could confirm thanks to his ability to see the unique shadows – and slumped on the bed, raising his numb and to his face.

The punch that shattered the nightstand also ended up breaking his pinky finger.

The black-haired boy furrowed his brows and squinted his eyes, focusing on the world of dancing shadows inside his mind, and reached towards the healing spell of the heroine.

"Shadow theater – heal.

"

He muttered and without any delay, his finger straightened itself and the selling that was increasing his pinky's volume disappeared completely within a few seconds.

"…

"

Zoemi furrowed his brows and moved his hand a few times, confirming the full mobility before nodding with grim satisfaction and laying back down on the mattress.

|…was… was that really what happened to my mother…?|

Only after calming down a little bit, the black-haired boy calmed down enough to realize that the words he spoke were rather oddly specific, considering how young he was when it happened – he wasn't even a mage back then and had no idea who Ghosts of Bellcephora were…

…or did he…?

The more he tried to think about it the more of a blur his memories were becoming – he could swear that the first person who told him about the Ghosts was the royal tutor, Vatlo Jora Erest…

But didn't he know them before…?

"…huh…?

"

'Know them'?

Not 'knew ABOUT them'…?

"…what is this supposed to mean… that recent mana depletion seriously messed with my head… or is it because I'm restless because of the shopping trip with Miriette…? Both?

"

Zoemi breathed out and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling with a bothered expression.

There was no way that he could go back to sleep after getting so agitated…

"…might as well train some spells…

"

He muttered, raising his hands and spreading them open.