Threads of Fate

A/N: Okay so the ball slowed down on it's roll a bit. But in my defense... It was my 30th birthday in August and my dad came down to visit (I live in Southern California and my dad lives in Massachusetts. So it was a big deal for him to come down). Also Code Vein finally came out and that consumed my life as well. Game is great!

But I'm gonna get back on track and finish this segment before moving on to my other fanfics. I plan to have at least one more chapter (or two) after this before I have to go back to the drawing board as to how I will continue this story... IDK. But enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own DGM. Caelum, Nima, and Vergil are OC's I created for this story.

Chapter 15: Reunion of Old Friends (Part 2) - Impetuous

Two Years Ago

The Doctor was surprised that Caelum woke up so soon. Nima was surprised as well, but she was thankful that he finally woke up. However Caelum wasn't out of the woods just yet. He was still weak from the injuries and recovering from them was easier said than done. Even with Cross's help with his healing magic, the wounds were considered severe.

Today was no different as Caelum was sleeping. Nima continued to stay at his bedside, with Vergil keeping watch. After what happened, there was no chance that he would leave Caelum alone, even if he was in Nima's company. Cross would come up and check on him often. And of course they would sometimes lead to Cross and Caelum butting heads, much to Nima's surprise and the Doctor's annoyance. But deep down, she took this as a sign that Caelum was improving.

In fact he finally made his way to the Doctor's place and entered. He wasn't surprised to see Nima still there. "You know, you don't have to be here 24/7." Cross said.

Nima was surprised for a moment, as she didn't hear Cross coming in. "Ah! General! I didn't hear you coming in!" She said, standing up.

"Not surprising. You've barely slept after keeping an eye on Caelum this whole time. I told you that you can take a break. Vergil here is more than capable of watching over him." Cross said.

"Trust me Cross... I've been telling her the same thing." Vergil pipped up from his corner, still having his identity concealed with his hood.

"I know, but I... I just can't help but be here at Caelum's side. He's been though a lot." She said.

Cross paused for a moment. "I'm sure this ordeal is hard for you too. You did lose your Aunt and your other two friends after all." He finally said.

Nima looked down, knowing that he was right. " You're right. Their loss hit me pretty hard. We were all like a family. Caelum too. And that's why I feel the need to stay by his side." She said.

She soon realized that her statement might have been a bit rude when she mentioned that Caelum was a part of her family. Last thing she wanted was to have Cross thought that him and Caelum weren't family. "I'm sorry! I wasn't implying that you and Caelum weren't..." She started.

But Cross interrupted her as he put a hand on her shoulder. " It's fine. To be honest, I'm obviously not the best figure in his life. But you and your aunt were able to give him a stable life. My nephew is very lucky to have someone like you in his life." He interrupted.

Nima couldn't help but remained speechless at the moment. Her mind trying to process what Cross just said. However her thoughts were interrupted as something flew by her head and into Cross's face, a pillow. The forced of the impact made Cross arch his neck back a bit before the pillow slid off his face.

Nima had a surprised look on her face as she looked over at Caelum, who was now up. It was obvious that it was Caelum that threw one of the pillows at his Uncle. "Caelum! You're up! You should be resting!" She said.

At this point, it was clear that Cross was annoyed. "Idiot nephew! Just what the hell was that for?!" He yelled.

"Hard to rest when all I smell is booze and cigarettes coming from Uncle-dearest here..." Caelum casually said, mocking Cross's "best figure" comment from earlier.

"Arrogant punk. I ought to beat some sense into you!" Cross said, still annoyed.

Again Nima kinda panicked. She should be used to the two butting heads by now. "Please guys! Don't start arguing now. The Doctor will get mad again and..." She started, trying to get the two to settle down.

However Vergil decided to pipe up. "Hate to interrupt this little family squabble. But now that Caelum's awake, I think it's about time to have that little discussion Cross." Vergil said as he stood from the chair in the corner.

Caelum looked over at Vergil, already having a feeling as to what Vergil was talking about. Cross managed to get over Caelum's little stunt and sighed. "Right..." Cross said. He then looked over towards Nima. "Why don't you go and have that break. I need a few moments with this nephew of mine here."

Nima understood, but a part of her was worried about them getting into another argument. "Uh... Sure." She said as she went to leave. However she stopped and glanced over at Vergil. "I'm sorry if it's too much to ask, but can you please make sure things don't get too heated between the two of them?" She asked.

"I can only try..." Vergil said. His answer was good enough for Nima as she left.

A heavy silence filled the room after Nima left. A few moments passed before Caelum spoke.

"I already know what you guys are going to say. It's not safe for me here anymore, I'm I right?" Caelum said.

"You know very well that it's no longer safe. Not to mention that there's no one else to continue your training with your magic." Cross said.

Caelum sighed. "Figures..." He muttered.

"You seem awfully calm about this Caelum." Vergil pointed out.

Caelum just scratch the back of his head. "I'm not gonna lie, the last thing I want is to travel with you guys and leave Nima behind. But I knew that deep down, staying here wasn't going to be permanent." Caelum said before pausing. "Besides... I have no choice but to get stronger. Jasdero and Devit need to pay for what they have done. And if it means that I have to leave here and have you continue to train me, then so be it..."

This obviously didn't sit well with Cross. "You possibly can not be thinking about going after them! Vergil didn't save you from the twins just so you can have revenge!" Cross said.

Caelum just clenched his sheets. "They killed Master, blew up her body, and destroyed her home. What the hell do you want me to do? Sit around and let them join the Earl? I can't do that again! I can't sit around and do nothing this time!" Caelum argued.

"Jasdero and Devit almost succeeded in killing you! You're lucky that Vergil got there just in time to save your sorry ass. You don't have a chance in defeating them, let alone the Earl. Not with the power you have now." Cross said.

Caelum remained silent. He knew that Cross was right. "You're right..." Caelum muttered. Cross just looked at his nephew, a bit surprised that he quickly agreed. "But seeing Master Kara dead... I couldn't help but think of my mother. I was just a child then and I was helpless. But I'm not a child now. I can get stronger. I won't let my mother and Master Kara's death be in vain. And maybe I can protect Nima for once..." Caelum added.

Cross remained silent. He honestly hated these kind of moments. He couldn't help but think what would happen if Caelum died. Despite their relationship being strained, Caelum was still his nephew. The only blood relative he had left after his sister died. But he knew that Caelum would have to face his whole past sooner or later. He had to admit, he was a bit conflicted. So he looked over at Vergil. "What do you think Vergil." He asked.

Vergil paused for a moment before he spoke. "I think we both know that it's inevitable to keep him from facing the Noah Clan. It's about time that we properly train him Cross." Vergil said.

Cross took another moment. Of course Vergil would agree with Caelum. He let out a sigh and look at Caelum. "Alright fine. We'll leave when you're fit enough for travel. And your training will start when you've recovered. But don't think that I'm happy about your decision... Idiot Nephew."

Preset Day

Caelum stared down Jasdero and Devit, red aura erupting from his body. They simply stared back, with smirks on their faces. All three had their respective guns drawn.

"How about we get to it, shall we?" Devit finally spoke. Jasdero chuckled in agreement.

Caelum had to defeat them quick. He knew that he probably wouldn't last in a dragged out fight. So he decided to make the first move. It wasn't a moment later when he vanished from his spot, using his energy to build up his speed.

This momentarily surprised the twins, but quickly regained their composure when Caelum appeared behind them. He then aimed his guns at them, firing multiple rounds of bullets. The twins managed to dodge them by jumping back, skidding across the ground a bit as they landed.

Devit again chuckled. "Well now. I see why you're dubbed as the Crimson Gunslinger these days." He said.

"Yeah. Looks like he leaned a trick or two over the years!" Jasdero chimed in.

"Yeah... But I think we all know that a trick or two aren't enough to beat us Caelum." Devit said as they both aimed their guns at Caelum before firing off one of their Red Bomb bullets.

Caelum gave a slight smirk as he slightly raised one of his feet before slamming it onto the ground. It wasn't soon after as an earth-like wall erupted from the ground, protecting Caelum from the twin's attack. Smoke covered the area around Caelum, preventing the twins to see what what was going on.

Still the twins thought that they won, figuring that Caelum took the attack head on. However they were surprised to see an earth wall after the smoke cleared. It wasn't soon after that the wall crumbled and scattered across the ground, revealing an uninjured Caelum.

"Okay... So he learned more than just a trick or two..." Jasdero joked.

Devit only let out a sigh. "Aw man... I thought for sure that we got him." He muttered.

"Seems like you two forgot that I had more of a knack with elemental magic than you guys did back in the day." Caelum taunted.

Devit chuckled again. "True. But that was before we became what we are today. So don't think for a second that you have a chance at beating us with the same tricks." Devit said.

"Hey Bro! Here's an idea. After we beat Caelum, how about we bring his body back to Nima!" Jasdero pipped up, which caused Caelum's smirk to vanish.

"Yeah sure! I would love the the look on Nima's face. And who knows, maybe we'll be generous and kill her too. Just so you guys can be together in the afterlife." Devit said.

Whatever self-control that Caelum had vanished. Anger was building up inside him. There was no way that he would let them get to her. "You guys... Just leave her out of this." He warned.

"Oh? Struck a nerve have we? Well then, show us what you got Caelum." Devit said.

Caelum didn't need to be asked twice as he used his energy again and sped towards them.

Bookman still continued running with Nima, getting as far away from the fight as they could. Of course they could hear the gun shots from the distance. That only made Nima worry about Caelum even more. She couldn't help but thought that she was a fool on not believing Caelum in the first place.

Bookman also had thoughts going through his head. Mainly he hoped that Caelum would be smart and just drive them away. But he had a feeling that wouldn't be the case. So he planned on at least meeting up with Lavi and Lenalee and have them help Caelum drive the twins off. Hopefully Caelum wouldn't do something too stupid in the mean time.

Bookman soon thanked his luck when he heard Lavi calling out to him, seeing him and Lenalee running towards their direction. He stopped as soon as they caught up, letting go of Nima's hand.

"Talk about good timing." Bookman said.

"We heard the commotion all the way into town. We figured that it was an akuma attack." Lavi said.

"Well you're not too far off. Caelum and I managed to get rid of them before the got to Nima here." Bookman replied.

Lenalee looked at Nima. "Thank goodness that you're alright Nima." She said. Nima only shook her head a bit, still trying to process the whole ordeal. Lenalee couldn't blame her. She then noticed that Caelum wasn't with them. "Hold on, if you guys defeated the Akuma, then where's Caelum?" She asked.

Bookman let out a sigh. "Unfortunately we have another problem... Those Akuma weren't the only ones that showed up. We got a couple of Noahs on our hands..." Bookman revealed.

Lavi realized where Bookman was going with this. So did Lenalee, however she kept quiet to prevent revealing that she knew about Caelum's history with the Noahs. Last thing she needed was Lavi to get into trouble. But that still didn't stop her from having a shocked expression on her face.

However she couldn't help but express her concern at least. "Caelum's fighting Noahs? But he's still haven't recovered from his injuries!" She said. Thankfully it would be still believable that Lenalee would be concerned over Caelum fighting in his state. Noahs or not.

Nima paused as Lenalee revealed that Caelum was fighting the twins injured. 'He's injured? But how?' She couldn't help but thought.

"You should realized by now that Caelum's stubborn. But that doesn't change the fact that he's gonna need some help. Lenalee. Take over for me and get Nima to safety. Lavi and I will go and give Caelum some backup. I have a feeling that this is not gonna end well." Bookman said.

"Okay..." Lenalee said.

Bookman then turned to Lavi. "Let's go." He said.

"Right..." Lavi replied before the both started towards Caelum's direction. Soon after they started off running, Lavi made sure that they were a great distance away before speaking again. "Hey, Panda. You think that Caelum would let himself get too far consumed into trying to defeat those two?" He asked.

"Hmmm. I would hope that he would be able to use his head. But I highly doubt it. There's just too much history between those three. It would be hard to convince him otherwise." He answered.

"So why let him face them alone?" Lavi asked.

Bookman paused before answering. "Because even though he wants revenge on the twins, there's at least one thing that he is willing to protect..." Bookman answered.

Lavi figured out what he meant. "You mean Nima..."

"Correct. The girl is might as well be all he has left. And I'm sure he would do anything to make sure that she's safe. However... That won't make a damn thing if he dies over it." Bookman said.

Lavi got what Bookman said and nodded. However a thought still lingered in Bookman's mind. A thought that he dared not share.

'If Caelum were to die now, who knows what will happen in the future...' He thought. It was obvious that he knew everything about Caelum, everything from before his birth to his childhood. What he told Lavi was only the tip of the iceberg. He didn't think that Lavi was ready yet to reveal everything about Caelum.

After Lavi and Bookman left, Lenalee looked over at Nima. "Okay, let's get you someplace safe." Lenalee said. She was about to lead her, only to stop when Nima spoke.

"You said... Caelum was injured?" Nima asked.

Lenalee paused for a moment, recalling the events that took place with Mimi then. "Yeah... We were in a bit of a sticky situation a few days ago. Caelum decided to fend off the enemy so Lavi and I could escape. But he got injured in the process. But Bookman managed to swing by in time to fend the rest of the Akuma off." She finally said.

Nima paused as she looked towards the direction where Caelum was. Although she could still hear faint gunfire off in the distance. But the fact that he was injured worried her. And she should have known. It was just like Caelum to ignore his injuries. Now that she thought about it, she remembered how tense Caelum was she embraced him earlier. That must of been due to his injuries. She couldn't help but realized how much of a fool she was.

Lenalee noticed how quiet Nima was. She she called out her name. "Nima? Are you sure that you're alright?" She asked.

Nima snapped out of her thoughts as she looked at Lenalee. "I'm fine. But..." She started before trailing off a bit. It was as if she made up her mind. She couldn't let Caelum continue on with his fight with Jasdero and Devit. "I'm sorry... But I have to stop Caelum he hurts himself further..." She said.

Nima didn't give Lenalee time to respond before rushing off where Caelum was. Lenalee yelled out her name to stop her, but it fell upon deaf ears. So instead she went off after Nima.

After awhile of fighting, the twins managed to push Caelum back. Caelum just landed on his feet, skidding back a bit before stopping. He had to admit, he could feel strength leaving him as he was trying to catch his breath.

The twins chuckled a bit, seeing the state Caelum was in. "Well I have to admit, you're lasting a lot longer than we thought." Devit said.

"Yeah, but it looks like you're running out of energy." Jasdero pipped up.

"Don't think I'm done yet." Caelum said, ignoring the sweat from his brow. He was about to make a move before his heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened as he dropped his guns, his red aura completely vanishing. He couldn't help but collapse to his knees, clutching his chest as he felt pain.

'Just... What the hell is going on?' Caelum couldn't help but thought. He couldn't help but wonder where this pain came from all of a sudden. Was it a side effect from his powers? He doubt it, but it didn't change the fact that he felt something stirring within his chest.

Again his eyes flashed gold for a moment. But it wasn't noticeable to himself and the twins. Speaking of which, Jasdero and Devit paused as they looked at Caelum with curiosity. It was like they felt like something was up, but they couldn't place their finger on it.

"Hey Bro. Something seems off about him, don't you think?" Jasdero said.

"Yeah, there's definitely something off about this." Devit replied. However he soon smirked. "But who cares? His guard is down. I say we finish him off." He added.

"You're right!" Jasdero said. The soon aimed their guns at Caelum and fired off a red bomb bullet.

The pain in Caelum's chest subsided. He looked up seeing the bullet being fired at him. He cursed under his breath as he reached for one of his guns, grabbing it and aiming at the bullet. But he soon realized that he wasn't fast enough.

He prepared himself for the impact, only to have Lavi appeared and blacked the bullet with his hammer. Bookman soon appeared and used his needles to attack the twins. The twins managed to jump back, dodging the attack.

"Aw come on! Exorcists? Really?!" Devit blurted.

"And we were just having fun too!" Jasdero added.

Caelum just stared at Lavi and Bookman, a bit surprised that they were here. "Lavi?" He muttered.

Lavi looked back at Caelum. "You alright there?" Lavi asked as me moved his hammer out of the way.

Caelum managed to grab his other gun and get back onto his feet. "As alright as I can be... But what are you guys doing here?" Caelum said.

"We came to help you obviously." Lavi said.

"I didn't ask for your help..." Caelum said, the tone of annoyance clearly in his voice.

"Well that's a fine way to say thanks." Lavi sarcastically said.

Caelum ignored Lavi's comment as he looked over at Bookman. "Where's Nima?" He asked.

"Don't worry. She's safe with Lenalee." Bookman replied.

Caelum felt somewhat relieved. At least she was safe. But he still had one thing left he needed to do. He glanced over at Jasdero and Devit.

There was a pause before Devit let out a sigh. "Man talk about having our fun ruined." Devit said.

"Yeah, this is a total buzzkill." Jasdero said.

"Let's get out of here." Devit said.

"Don't think were done here!" Caelum said.

"Easy Caelum!" Bookman said.

Devit chuckled. "Yeah Caelum. Listen to the old man. Consider yourself lucky... Again. But don't think you can luck out for a third time!" Devit said. He then fired a smoke bomb bullet, causing Caelum, Lavi and Bookman to cover their eyes.

After the smoked cleared, Caelum removed the cover from his eyes. He let out a frustrated grunt. "Get back here!" Caelum said as he started to go after them.

"Caelum don't!" Bookman yelled.

Caelum stopped, but it wasn't Bookman that made him stop. It was a weight colliding into his back, a pair of arms wrapping around him. He paused as he looked back, a surprised look on his face as he realized who it was. "Nima..."

"Please... Just stop..." Nima weakly said, burrowing her teary face into his back.

Lavi and Bookman were also surprised that Nima was here. Lenalee was supposed to be getting her to safety. So it was only natural to wonder what went on. It wasn't too long after as Lenalee showed up. "Guys I'm sorry. Nima just started off running." She apologized. Bookman and Lavi would have replied, but they were interrupted by Caelum's voice.

"Damn it Nima! Let go!" Caelum said in a frustrated tone. It was clear that his emotions were still high after running into Jasdero and Devit.

"No! Just stop it already! You're just going to get even more hurt or worse. And I won't be able to bare it." She said.

Caelum paused, looking at Nima for a moment. Her words got to him a bit. It wasn't too long after as Lenalee spoke up.

"Caelum, listen to her. I know it's hard to not go after them, but you have to imagine how Nima feels right now." Lenalee said. Again, she was careful as to not reveal that she knew the truth about Caelum's history with the twins.

However Bookman decided to speak up. "Don't forget Caelum, that the original plan was to drive them off. And luckily we succeeded. They're gone now, and Nima is safe. Isn't that enough?" He said.

Caelum remained quiet. He looked down at the ground as he tightened his grip on his guns. He honestly still wanted to go after them. But Bookman and Lenalee were right. And he was also mentally kicking himself letting his emotions control his actions. When the twins brought up Nima, he knew that was when he lost all rational thoughts.

He took a moment to let out a deep sigh, loosening the grip on his guns as his body relaxed. He glanced over at Nima, who was still burrowing her head in his back. She was trembling and didn't bother hiding the fact that she was crying.

"Nima..." Caelum said, this time in a more softer tone. A tone that managed to snap Nima out of it as she looked up at him. She noticed that Caelum had a more sincere expression on his face.

"I'm sorry..." Caelum apologized.

Two Years Ago

Caelum was sitting upright on the bed as Nima sat on the chair on his bedside. He eventually broke the news to her that he was leaving town with his Uncle. Nima took a minute to process this.

"So you're really going with your Uncle?" Nima asked.

"Yeah... Doc said I should be ready to travel by the end of the week." Caelum said after nodding a bit.

"I see..." Nima said. She paused for a moment before continuing. "I think it'll be good for you to be honest. I know the past couple weeks were rough, but I think spending some time with your Uncle will help." She added. Of course she was sad to hear that Caelum would be leaving. But at the same time, she knew that him staying here wouldn't help him completely recover from the accident.

Caelum let out a sigh. "Trust me, traveling with that Old Geezer is going to be far from a walk in the park." He muttered.

It was then Nima's turn to sigh. "Listen, I know that the relationship between you two isn't the strongest. But even I can tell that he cares for you and that you don't truely hate him. I mean, he's an Exorsist right? And a General at that. So I can see why he would have my Aunt take you in when you were younger. To keep you safe." She said.

Caelum looked away. 'Safe... A lot of good that did...' Caelum thought as the images of Jasdero and Devit flashed though his mind. And the fact that he had to keep the truth from Nima... He couldn't help but clenched a fist.

Nima noticed his tension and gentlely grabbed his wrist, which caused Caelum to snap out of his thoughts and looked back at Nima. "I think everything is gonna be okay Caelum. Go with your Uncle. Finish your training in magic. And if things still doesn't work out with your Uncle, you can always come back here. Until then, just be safe."

Caelum relaxed a bit. But there was one thought that lingered in his mind. 'I don't plan on coming back until Jasdero and Devit are dead...' He thought.

Present Day

Caelum and the others decided to stay the night after the ordeal. And although Caelum put it down as he was tired from everything that went on, it was safe to say that he needed to spend a little more time with Nima. Not that anyone would dare speak their minds on it. But Nima wasn't complaining. She was glad that Caelum decided to stay for the night. Hell she even offered Caelum and the others her place to rest. She figured that it was the least she could do after everything they done.

Although she wished that Caelum would stay much more longer than that. But after finding out the truth, she understood why he had to leave. Although the truth was still painful for her. Finding out that two of her friends killed her Aunt and nearly killing Caelum was difficult to accept. But she learned to accept that Jasdero and Devit were no longer human. Especially after having a thorough talk with Caelum for most of the night.

Caelum told her everything about what really happened two years ago. About the Noah clan. How Jasdero and Devit became Noahs. Even told her about his goal in killing the twins. Nima had to admit, she wasn't too keen on that idea. She wished that there was another way. But from the look of things, there wasn't. It all sucked, but there was one thing that was certain. Jasdero and Devit must be stopped. Although she didn't know whether or not Caelum was going up against the whole Noah clan and Caelum didn't bother confinrming or denying it. He said that he cross that bridge when he gets there.

They managed to talk about a few other things. After all, it's been two years since they last saw each other. And they both had no idea when they'll see each other again. But Nima cherished the moment as much as she could. And despite Caelum's lack of expressing his emotions, he was mentally enjoying this moment as well.

Eventually Caelum got sleepy and dozed off as they were on Nima's bed. Nima didn't have it in her to wake him up just enough to get him on a spare bed, so she just laid next to him and fell off to sleep.

Eventually morning rose and Nima knew that her time with Caelum was up. Everything about this was bittersweet. Of course when Caelum woke up, he felt awkward after remembering that he passed out on Nima's bed. Of course Nima assured him that she didn't mind.

After everyone woke up and had a quick breakfast, they got their belongings together to get ready for traveling. However They were surprised to see that Nima also packed some bags. She confessed that it was about time for her to leave town. Caelum understood why. With Jasdero and Devit still out there, she could still be in danger if she stayed here. In fact, he wasn't surprised that there was already a few other villagers following suit and leaving town. And a fellow villager was nice enough to give Nima a lift out of town.

Lavi and Bookman decided to go ahead and check and see if they had everything together before they set off, leaving Caelum to see Nima off. Lenalee decided to join Caelum.

"Are you sure that you'll be okay on your own?" Lenalee asked.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I have a close cousin that lives in the next country over. Him and his wife would keep bugging me to move closer, so I'm sure they'll be delighted to have me there. Besides I'm sure that they could use a little help with their kids." Nima said.

"Well I hope everything works out for you." Lenalee said.

Nima nodded. "Yes, same to you. And I know you guys are probably not going to be traveling together for much longer. But until then, can you keep an eye on Caelum for me? I know how difficult he can be after all." Nima said.

Caelum let out a sigh of annoyance. "Come on Nima..." Caelum muttered.

Lenalee couldn't help but chuckle. "Well I have to agree Caelum. You can be a magnet for trouble." Lenalee joked. Nima couldn't help but chuckle as well.

Caelum just crossed his arms and looked away.

"Oh! By the way, I wanted you to have this..." Nima said as she reached up and unclasped her silver pendant. She then took a hold of one of Caelum's wrist and put her necklace in his hand.

Caelum looked down, seeing the pendant. "Nima... Your aunt gave you this." Caelum pointed out.

Nima nodded. "And now I'm giving it to you." She said.

Caelum sighed. "I can't take this..." He said.

Nima paused, thinking of something. "Well in that case, hold on to it for me. Think of it as a reason to come back and find me. And I won't take no for an answer." Nima said.

Caelum couldn't help but remain quiet and look down at the necklace. The villager that was going to give Nima a ride out of town came up. "We're ready to go as soon as you are." The villager said.

Nima turned and looked at the man. "Okay. One second!" She said. She then turned back at Caelum and ran up to give him a hug. Caelum snapped out of his thought, a bit off guard from Nima's embrace. Lenalee remained quiet, giving them a chance to enjoy the moment.

"I know that the path you're walking on is dangerous. So telling you to be safe this time probably isn't going to mean anything. But instead, promise that you'll come back alive." She said.

Caelum paused for a moment before he softly return the embrace. "I'll try..." He said.

"That's probably good enough for me." Nima said.

A few moments passed and Nima finally pulled away, both giving one final look in each other eyes. "Until then... Stay safe." Caelum finally said.

"I will." Nima said to Caelum before looking over towards Lenalee. "It was nice meeting you. Be sure to give the other two my farewell?" She said.

Lenalee nodded. "Of course. It was nice to meet you too. Be safe on your travels." she said.

Nima gave Caelum one final look before turning to the villager. "Okay. I'm ready" She said before leaving with the guy.

Lenalee gave a wave as Caelum looked on. When she was finally out of earshot, Caelum spoke. "I'm not gonna ask how you found out..." Caelum said, referring to his past.

Lenalee paused and glanced over at Caelum, a bit confused. "What?" She said.

Caelum sighed as he turned. "I'm sure you know something that you aren't supposed to. And I'm not going to ask how. I have a feeling that you would make a terrible liar." Caelum clarified.

Lenalee looked down. She should be surprised that Caelum found out. "I'm sorry..." Lenalee apologized.

Caelum then started to walk towards Bookman and Lavi were. "Just remember what I said back in that gorge." He said.

Lenalee let out a sigh before following Caelum. She was mentally kicking herself for not being careful. She only hope that Lavi wouldn't get too much in trouble if Bookman knew.

Nima sat in the wagon as it traveled out of town. She looked back, seeing the town getting father away by the moment. She was sad to leave, but she knew that it wasn't safe for her there anymore. She reached down into her dress pocket, pulling out a familiar picture. The same picture that Caelum found in the ruined house. She couldn't help but hold on to the picture after all.

She stared at the imaged of Caelum and the twins when they were younger. Despite knowing the truth, she couldn't help but remember the good old times when they were all young. This picture was proof of that. And it was hard for her to let the picture go.

'Even though I can't forgive Jasdero and Devit for killing my aunt, I can bring myself to forget them when they were still human. I wish there was another way to resolve this... Caelum. Please... Don't give into the nightmares.' She thought.

Caelum and the others finally left town. The past day weighed heavily in Caelum's thoughts. Reuniting with Nima after all this time. Running into Jasdero and Devit. It was so chaotic. A part of him regretted running into Nima. But a part of him was glad that he did. He didn't expect the twins to show up as well. And who knows what would happen to Nima if he wasn't there. Hell the whole village.

He forced the fight with the twins into the back of his mind. Last thing he needed was to be filled with negative thoughts. So he looked forward as he continued traveling with Bookman and the other two.

A few more moments passed as Bookman spoke. "By the way, I managed to find a little something for you Caelum." Bookman said as he tossed a small pouch over to Caelum. Caelum stopped as he caught it, looking at the pouch.

"It's thyme. Nima was selling a whole bunch of it. Turns out that I bought too much. I hear it helps with nightmares." Bookman said.

Caelum looked at Bookman, who was still walking, before looking down at the pouch. He paused for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I'm sure I'm gonna need it after yesterday..." Caelum muttered as he put it in his jacket pocket before walking again.

A/N: Okay so that's a wrap on this segment. Again sorry for the long delay. I'll try not to take another two months to update the next chapter. Good news is that I've beaten Code Vein and got one of the endings. And I decided to put that game of the shelf for now. So hopefully I'll get the next chapter out soon.

I also feel like this was my longest chapter yet lol

Any feel free to leave a review. They're very much appreciated!

Till next time \m/