Outside the Granger residence, Kai Adler and Hermione stood beneath the warmly lit porch.
It glowed softly in the winter dark—clearly, the Grangers were waiting for their daughter to return home. The light cast a gentle halo over Hermione's small, intelligent face as she turned to look up at Kai.
"How about we go home?" she said, smiling faintly and tugging lightly at his sleeve.
But Kai, who usually followed her every wish without hesitation, didn't move. He simply stood there, gently shaking his head.
"You go back first. I'll be back soon."
Hermione frowned, unease rising in her chest. "But… won't it be dangerous?"
The girl's fingers tightened slightly on his robe. "What if we just told the people from Vandheim where the Ivo estate is? Why do you have to go there yourself?"
She paused, her voice trembling. "What if you… kill someone? Won't that just make the next Obscurus flare-up worse?"
Kai's eyes flickered. He had thought Hermione didn't want him to go because she didn't want him to hurt others. But now he understood—she wasn't worried about them. She was worried about him.
He reached out to ruffle the top of her head, but she pouted and swatted his hand away.
"Don't worry. I promised you I wouldn't kill anyone," he said gently. "Have I ever lied to you?"
His smile remained calm, but a steely light glinted beneath it.
"They almost made me lose my lovely Hermione. There's no way I'm letting them off easily."
"But… I wasn't even hurt…"
He called her lovely Hermione.
Hermione's cheeks turned pink, and she ducked her head, mumbling weakly, "That's because I'm strong. If it were Harry or Ron, they'd have been taken in a second."
"And besides… that family's vile. You don't need to feel sorry for them."
She had once again been convinced by his calm voice and quiet certainty. With a sigh, she turned to walk home, glancing back three times with every step.
"Then… you must tell me the moment you get back."
"I'll come directly to your room," Kai said, teasing.
To his surprise, Hermione simply nodded seriously. "Alright."
Kai gave a helpless smile.
Clearly, the girl hadn't caught the implication. Her affections were still young, innocent. She only understood his words literally—as "coming to inform her."
Still a long road ahead, he thought fondly.
Once she was inside, Kai pulled out the Elder Wand—then paused.
After a moment's hesitation, he instead drew the white mulberry wand. He raised it and traced a slow circle toward the Granger house. The magic shimmered faintly, then disappeared as a protective ward settled silently around the home.
Only then did he turn around.
"You arrived quickly," he said.
Ciel and Sebastian were already standing behind him. The Earl raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't you say we'd meet later?"
Kai folded his arms. "I thought Lucius would keep you busy for a while."
Ciel narrowed one eye. So, he knew Lucius would make a move after leaving him alone with me.
"Are you overestimating that Malfoy or underestimating Sebastian?"
Kai simply smiled and turned to the butler. "You alright?"
Sebastian gave a graceful bow. "Merely a light reprimand."
Kai nodded. "Draco did give me a Christmas gift this morning. Returning the favor with his father's corpse would've been poor form."
"Let's go. Time to visit the Ivo family."
⸻
In a remote village near Britain's border, hidden from Muggle eyes, stood a grim manor surrounded by barren woodland.
A creaking carriage rolled down the narrow path toward it.
"Did you hear?" the gaunt driver said, reins in hand. "That fool Swich got himself killed by a Muggle."
"Hah. Figures," said a sharp voice beside him.
It belonged to a goblin—short, with long, pointed ears and a grotesque head. He sat beside the driver, legs crossed and an ugly sneer curling his lips.
"Only someone from the disgraced branch of the Malfoy family could manage something that idiotic. Total embarrassment to Wizardkind."
"If you ask me," the goblin snorted, "we should've cleansed those Muggles ages ago."
"Heh. Clean out the Muggles, and who's going to pay for the goods?" the man said with a smirk.
"Fair point."
The two burst into nasty chuckles.
The goods they referred to were lying inside the enclosed compartment of the carriage.
Several unconscious children, their bodies twisted in unnatural angles, lay heaped together. Only the slow, shallow rise of their chests showed they were still alive.
Then the carriage jolted to a sudden stop.
The goblin slammed into the front wall with a curse. "What the hell?!"
The driver snarled back, "You idiot! Do you not want to live?!"
The goblin turned his head toward where the man was staring—and froze.
A lone figure stood in the middle of the road.
A boy, or so he seemed. Around fifteen. Dressed in black, elegant robes of high quality. His presence calm, still, yet somehow… monumental.
"Excuse me," Kai said, his voice polite. "Is this the Ivo estate?"
The driver blinked, stunned. He looked down at the boy—no, young man—in disbelief.
A child, wandering alone in this wilderness? And yet, his robes, his bearing, even his speech… nothing about him suggested vulnerability.
"You want the Ivo?"
The man started reaching into his pocket, drawing his wand. This was as easy as stumbling upon a sack of Galleons.
But the goblin's eyes widened in terror. Sensitive to magic, it felt the crushing weight of power radiating from the boy like a tidal wave.
"Wait—BE CAREFUL!"
He lashed out with a spell.
The attack vanished before it even touched Kai. It was like throwing a twig into a bottomless sea.
The goblin paled instantly.
The restrained magic that had filled the air—calm but vast—suddenly erupted like a storm.
Neither man nor goblin had time to react. Before a single word of magic could leave their lips, the world went black.
Thud. Thud.
Their unconscious bodies dropped beside the carriage.
Kai stepped past them without a glance. He opened the carriage door and looked in at the tangled forms of the children—unconscious, bruised, drugged. All around his age.
His face remained expressionless.
He turned back to Ciel and Sebastian, who stood in the distance.
"This is the evidence you wanted."
Ciel approached. His sapphire eyes briefly flickered with fury at the sight inside the carriage. But the emotion passed quickly. Cold nobility returned to his expression.
"Disgusting."
He straightened, adjusting his gloves. "These will suffice for a report to the British Royal Family. We'll take care of it."
Kai gave a small nod and turned toward the manor.
"Wait," Ciel called out.
"By law, we should be the ones to handle the estate as well."
Kai glanced over his shoulder, smiling faintly.
"Tell me. What do you really want?"
He'd long known this wasn't necessary. The Christmas ball would've happened without him. Lucius would've shown up regardless. And if interrogation was needed, Sebastian could've done it alone.
Yet Ciel had involved him.
He had given Kai the opportunity to face the people who had almost taken Hermione from him.
In a way… Kai owed him a favor.
Ciel returned the smile. "You're as sharp as ever, Mr. Adler."
"I simply wanted you to owe me one."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "That's all?"
"It's not just any favor," Ciel said, voice mild. "It's one I intend to collect."
"I accept."
Kai's agreement was so sudden that Ciel blinked in surprise.
"I haven't even said what the favor is."
"I'll know when it's time."
Kai gave him a sidelong look, a lazy smile on his face.
"But for now, don't ask. Don't make me repay it yet."
He turned toward the manor once more. The air around him stirred, and his black robe lifted in a silent breeze.
"Right now, I'm just a second-year Hogwarts student."
"The matters of men and wizards don't concern me."
"I just want to go to class, fall in love, and protect the girl I care about."
He rose slowly into the air, hovering like a shadow with wings.
Ciel watched, shaking his head.
A boy who wields storms… yet claims to want an ordinary life.
But a diamond is always a diamond. Even in dust, it shines. And Kai Adler—he was anything but covered in dust.
Just then, the sky above the Ivo estate began to darken. Clouds twisted like a great serpent in the heavens.
The storm was coming.