Farewell

Tero sobbed as he waited for something to happen while Luka anxiously kept his eyes on Rina and Tero.

Soon after, Rina's hair turned back to normal, and there was no sign of infection on her body.

"It… worked?" Luka couldn't believe his eyes.

Tero immediately jumped on Rina and kept repeating her name, "Rina, Rina."

Rina slowly opened her eyes, and stared at the ceiling, then blink once, then twice, and slowly moved her gaze to the side of the bed.

"Te...ro?" she said.

"Yeah," He nodded as he started crying again. "It's me, Tero."

"How? I was attacked and… my parents… our parents. What happened to them?"

"They are..." Tero took a deep breath and slowly explained everything to Rina.

"I see."

Tero helped Rina sat up on the bed and said in a gentle voice, "Rina," Tero grabbed her other hand and continued, "I am here, and I will always be with you."

They stared into each other's eyes and slowly closed the distance between them, and then they kissed.

'Hey!' Luka turned his face to the side, 'I am still here!'

After a while, Luka glanced in Tero's direction to check whether they had stopped kissing or not, but they hadn't. "Ahem!" Luka cleared his throat to let his presence know.

"Oh!" Tero was finally back to his senses.

Rina looked at Luka and asked, "Tero, who is this person?"

"Let me introduce him," Tero stood up and said as he patted Luka on the shoulder, "He is Luka, my friend from school."

'We aren't friends!'

Rina looked at Luka and kept staring at him. She was staring at him so intensely that Luka started feeling anxious.

"I will drop him off. You stay here," He then grabbed the glass from the table that was filled with Luka's blood and looked at Rina. "There are so many things I want to talk to you about."

"Okay," Rina nodded.

"Let's go, Luka."

"..." Luka followed Tero.

It was already night, and the moon was shining in the lonely sky.

Luka and Tero walked to the cemetery gate. Luka wanted to go home as soon as possible because he didn't want to worry Ana.

"Hey, Luka," Tero called out to Luka.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks, really thanks.."

Luka furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Tero, "Would you remind me when did we become friends?"

"We aren't?" Tero asked with a surprised face.

"Of course, we aren't."

"I don't think anyone would do what you did-- for a stranger."

"Heh!" Luka smirked and spoke, "I did this to gain your favor. Now, don't you speak against me."

Tero chuckled and patted Luka's shoulder, saying, "You are really a good guy."

"Shut up!" Luka pushed Tero back and said in a loud voice, "And would you mind not patting my shoulder every time? It's creepy."

Though those were Luka's honest words, he said that to hide his embarrassment. That was the first time someone other than his family had thanked him.

"I will remember your favor." Tero nodded.

Luka opened his mouth to say something but stopped and scratched his cheek, "What are you going to do with this now?" Luka gazed at the glass.

Tero stared at the glass for some seconds, then moved it to his lips and drank all of it.

"Why did you..." Luka stopped when Tero took out the injection from his pocket and stabbed himself with it. Soon, the marks started to appear on his body.

Luka had no time to react at all. Tero was brought to his knees in pain as he grunted, "It really burns."

Luka wanted to stop Tero, but it was too late. All he could do was wait and see.

Tero's body slowly started recovering, and then he stood up and looked at Luka.

"Why did you do that?"

"Rina would eventually notice the changes in her body, so I have to make sure that I am the same as her."

"You are a strange one" Luka shook his head.

"Not more than you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Haha," Tero laughed and patted Luka's shoulder as he said, "I am glad to have you as my friend."

Luka glanced at Tero's hand and shrugged it off as he turned around. "See you at school tomorrow.". And started walking.

"I am not coming to school now."

Luka stopped walking as he looked back at Tero, "What?"

"I have to be with her, and the only reason I re-enrolled to that school was to hunt Denis down."

"You can still come, right?"

"I am done with school." Tero shook his hand and denied. "Please inform captain Ana about it."

"...." Luka didn't know what to say. If Tero didn't come to school again, that would mean they might never meet again.

"I hope we can meet each other again," said Tero.

"We sure will." Luka nodded and continued, "I am sure we will meet again very soon." Even though Luka knew that this might be the last time he would see Tero, he wanted to part with a smile on his face.

"Umm, Luka"

"Hmm?"

"I don't know how to say it, but… I don't trust the exorcist council."

"What?"

"Denis was right. The council is corrupted, and he also said something about your biological father being hunted by the council."

"What are you trying to say?" Luka was someone who grew up admiring the exorcists, and the council was a big part of it.

"Just don't trust anyone, and only trust yourself."

"Yeah," Luka nodded and said in a solemn voice, "I don't know what to do now."

"Good luck with your life."

"What's that? A goodbye?" Luka teased.

"If anything happens, I will be there to help you-- even if it costs me my life."

"Save that for your girlfriend, and I don't need some guy to protect me."

"Goodbye."

"Yeah, yeah" Luka showed his middle finger to Tero and made his way to his home.

Meanwhile, Tero watched as Luka left.

He then closed the cemetery gate and looked up at the sky. The lonely sky wasn't lonely anymore, and that stars had appeared.

"Luka Aldini, he has no idea what his powers can do." He took a deep breath and continued, "Sadly, I also don't have a clue either, or I would have helped him.

Tero started walking to the house as he pondered. 'His mana is so high that it can even affect his blood and he can easily make anyone submit to him, but he hasn't realized it yet.'

"I am sure captain Ana and Liz are aware of this."

"The only reason he can't use magic is that no magic attributes and convert his high mana. If..." He stopped and pondered. "If there is something that can utilize the mana inside him, then he can be the strongest exorcist of this world."

"But, kind or evil... whatever path he chose, may the odds be in his favor."