Selene and Miranda were too stunned to speak.
Miranda's tiny plush body remained still in Selene's hands, and Selene simply stared down at the bear, her mind racing.
Magnus finally broke the silence. "It's just a suggestion," he said, arms folded, gaze thoughtful. "But if Miranda's consciousness awakened inside the bear… then it's very possible that the bear was crafted to contain a soul."
Selene blinked. "You mean like a vessel?"
Magnus nodded. "Exactly. Not many toys are made that way. But magical vessels are rare, and usually custom-made for… other purposes."
Miranda shivered in Selene's arms.
After a long pause, Selene finally asked, "How are we going to get her out?"
Magnus turned toward her. "The same way she got trapped in there—by destroying the bear."
Selene frowned, but after a moment, nodded slowly. "That… makes sense. But we'll have to wait until we're close to her real body. If we destroy the bear too early, her consciousness might get dragged into something else."
"Agreed," Magnus said. "We'll wait until then."
He glanced out the window at the stunned guards still frozen outside, signaling for them to move.
The guards exchanged wary looks but nodded. One by one, they mounted their horses. The carriage resumed its journey down the winding road.
Magnus leaned back in his seat—then his eyes landed on Damian, who was still passed out cold on the carriage floor.
He sighed. "Right…"
Leaning forward, Magnus picked Damian up with ease and placed him on the seat beside him. Then, he pinched the boy's nose.
"Gah!" Damian jolted awake, gasping. His eyes darted wildly—and immediately locked onto the teddy bear in Selene's lap.
"YOU—"
"Calm down," Magnus interrupted firmly, raising a hand. "I'll explain everything."
He quickly broke down what had happened, from the possession to Miranda's situation, and reassured him that there was nothing to fear.
"…She's just a kid, Damian. She didn't mean to scare anyone."
Meanwhile, outside the carriage, the coachman tapped the reins gently, keeping the horses steady. But his curiosity was burning.
He turned to the guard riding closest to the front. "What happened back there?" he asked. "I couldn't leave my post. If danger came, I'd need to drive us out of here. So someone fill me in."
Guard #2 cleared his throat, still visibly pale. "I… I'm not entirely sure. But… apparently, a soul possessed the doll Lady Selene was holding."
The coachman's eyes widened in shock. "What?! A soul?!"
Guard #2 nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's what it looked like."
The coachman swallowed hard. "Was it her who summoned it?"
"I don't know," the guard admitted, glancing over his shoulder. "But… it could be the case."
The coachman made a warding sign with his fingers and muttered something under his breath.
"Gods above… I knew she was strange the moment she smiled at that rock, yesterday like it told her a joke."
The guard gave him a weird look. "What…?"
"Never mind," the coachman muttered, eyes fixed on the road. "Let's just get to our destination alive."
(The rock in question was actually an obsidian Selene found in the front yard of the estate.)
A long silence passed in the carriage as the group processed everything that had just happened.
Eventually, the teddy bear in Selene's lap shifted slightly, and Miranda's soft voice spoke up.
"…Where are we going?"
Selene looked down at the stuffed bear, then answered plainly, "To a tea party. One that Victoria is hosting."
"What?!" Miranda gasped. "That's impossible! There's no way Victoria would invite you!"
Selene blinked. "Why not?"
Miranda huffed. "Because she hates people with dark attributes!"
Magnus raised a brow but remained quiet, letting the girl speak.
Miranda continued, her voice rising slightly with anger. "She says dark attribute wielders are 'cursed monsters who should've been drowned at birth!' And when I told her that my grandma was a shadow binder, she said, 'No wonder you turned out weird. People like that shouldn't be allowed near society.'"
"She said that?" Selene said acting stunned. She knew that those words would come out of Victoria's mouth but what surprised her was that her grandmother was also a dark attribute user.
Miranda nodded. "And that's not even the worst part! When one of her friends mentioned that you were her friend, she laughed and said, 'Please, that filthy shadow brat? She's a stain on my reputation! I wouldn't be caught dead near her unless I was handing out charity.'"
"And she kept calling you names like 'Gloom Bug' and 'Dead Eyes,' saying things like, 'It's only a matter of time before she snaps and murders someone. Just like the rest of them.'"
Selene didn't speak. If she really twelve years old those names might have upset, her. But now, she thinks they are funny.
Miranda's voice dropped into a sad murmur. "Did… did she really invite you?"
Selene nodded. "Yeah. I got an invitation."
"Really?" Miranda's stitched eyebrows furrowed. "Can I see it?"
Magnus reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the envelope. He handed it to Selene, who unfolded it and held it in front of Miranda.
The letter was clearly crumpled and messily taped back together, with faint boot marks on one corner.
Miranda stared at it, stunned. "Wait… this—this is the official seal. But… why is it in such a mess?"
Selene gave her an awkward smile.
Miranda read the invitation slowly, then went silent. Finally, she looked up at Selene.
"…Why are you even going?"
Before Selene could answer, Damian scoffed and muttered, "Because she's desperate for a friend."
Without missing a beat, Selene kicked him in the shin.
"OW!" Damian yelped, grabbing his leg. "Father! She kicked me!"
Magnus didn't even flinch. "Serves you right."
Damian glared but said nothing else, muttering under his breath.
Miranda turned her face back to Selene, voice softer now.
"It's obvious Victoria doesn't want to be your friend… so why are you still trying to please her?"
Miranda's voice cracked slightly. "What's so good about her anyway? Why are you trying so hard to be friends with her… and not with me?"
That question hit harder than Selene expected. She isn't the real Selene, so she has no idea why Selene didn't want Miranda as her friend.
She paused and looked toward Magnus for help—only to find him turning his head toward the window again, completely avoiding her eyes.
Figures.
It took her a long moment to answer. Her voice, when she finally spoke, was quiet.
"…Because I was a naïve brat back then. I thought the people who smiled at me and invited me to parties were my real friends."
Miranda's ears drooped a little.
"As for why I didn't become friends with you… I honestly don't know." Selene stared down at her lap. "Maybe because Victoria didn't like you… and I didn't want to upset her."
"That's stupid," Miranda muttered.
"I know," Selene whispered. "But after I awakened as a dark priestess, all those 'friends' abandoned me. They acted like I was a disease. It opened my eyes. They were never real."
Miranda was quiet, absorbing her words.
"But if you know Victoria's not your friend," Miranda said, "then why are you still going to that tea party?"
Selene looked up, her gaze steady.
"I want to meet you."
Miranda tilted her bear head. "Huh? To meet me?"