Author's note: this is from Aldus's point of view

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I wished to take Serina to dinner in one of the exclusive restaurants that Paris can offer, but I knew that would not be wise, considering that she can't control her pheromones. There was a possibility that we might repeat our experience from the fair where something pleasant turns into a run for our lives. Well, a run for Serina's life, but I will not let any savage touch my masterpiece, so I'm bound to protect her to the extent of my abilities. Until she learns to control her power, we are limited to calm and familiar surroundings where no one will jump on her in case she gets scared and her pheromones start flaring.

Out of everything that Vesper revealed, I must admit that I was surprised to find out how at the fair Serina was not sad but feared for herself. However, I don't blame her for it. We all need to preserve ourselves first. Some people call it selfish, but I call it survival. I learned that the hard way, and I am glad that Serina is learning these lessons with me by my side to protect her.

Serina is not just my best work, she is evolving in front of my eyes and I can't wait to see what step she will take next and how much she will grow. It's fascinating.

I saw her eyes grow big when I activated the rune-arrays so that we can get inside the apartment safely. She is easily entertained, and I am impressed that she is not bombarding me with questions all the time despite her obvious curiosity.

Opening the array reminded me of the time when we traveled via the portal, and I realized that Serina can't do that. I took a mental note to contact one of the artifact masters to forge an item for Serina that can control the arrays I've set up. It will be a ring or a bracelet, something inconspicuous and easy to carry, as my every property has these arrays and I assume that Serina will travel without me once she masters her power.

Over centuries, I learned many skills, but creating items that can be enchanted was not one of them. It's too much heat and smoke for my taste.

When we reached the apartment, I watched Serina as she hopped from one room to another, curiously exploring it, and sparkles in her eyes told me that she approves of what she sees.

Eventually, I found her on the terrace, staring at the Eiffel Tower, and for a moment, my mind drifted off to 1889 when the tower was built. I bought this building because of this view and I was happy to see that Serina enjoyed it.

After reminding her of dinner, I left her to soak in the view. I needed to make a few calls and to change my clothes and shower. Somehow, I smelled of Vesper and I wanted to get that scent off from me.

What shocked me was when out of the blue, during dinner, Serina asked: "Was my name Sanya?"

I knew that she will remember eventually, but she didn't say anything so far and I wondered if she took a nap before dinner. But then she explained how it was lucid, real, and that it happened on the terrace, after I left.

I listened to Serina's explanation of how she missed Duke and wished that he was by her side and that she felt him holding her, and say how he was missing her.

She interpreted my surprise as doubt and started panicking to the point that I could clearly hear her loud heartbeat across the dining table.

"I believe you…", I said to calm down her anxiety, relieved that the security I have around this place was not breached. If she wished for that communication, she was the one who opened the channel.

Of course, I will double-check everything after dinner. I don't want to do it now in order not to freak her out. After a stressful afternoon with Vesper, both of us could use a peaceful dinner.

It's not that I didn't believe her, but this phenomenon where Duke spoke to her without him being present, revealed several possibilities that I didn't consider previously.

If I'm not mistaken, she experienced phenomena that some call soul echo.

I was so excited about this possibility that I've almost told her right away, but I stopped myself because it carries heavy assumptions and if I'm wrong... I don't want to raise her hopes only to disappoint her later.

Soul echo is a type of projection that is not easy to achieve because of complex conditions that need to be satisfied.

First, there needs to exist a deep connection between the two parties involved. It can be close siblings who grew up together, or two who recognized and acknowledged their love for one another. But it can't be wishy-washy feelings because emotions necessary to trigger this phenomenon would be comparable to the ones that mates feel for each other. However, Serina is not a shapeshifter, so…

Second, they both need to focus on each other and wish for the same thing at the same time. In this case, Serina wished for Duke to be by her side, and he needed to wish for the exact same thing at that exact moment.

And last and certainly not least, this does not happen when mortals are involved. Sure, I knew that Serina is special from the moment she woke up in my lab, but Duke…? I will need to find out who that boy is and more importantly, WHAT he is.

I knew that the boy has a special place in Serina's heart, but this incident told me that it's much more than just a crush, and more importantly… it's mutual. It would be one thing if he is a mortal, but if he is something else, things could get tricky.

The lack of information is putting me at disadvantage.

I checked Serina's files, and I didn't find any evidence of a boyfriend or a boy named Duke. Sure, I know that was an alias, but my contacts spoke with people from Serina's college and high school and no one knew a boy who used that nickname.

To make things more bizarre, I went through the yearbooks and online records from Serina's high school, and I didn't see a boy who matches the description from Serina's dreams. Her dreams of Duke are repetitive and too detailed and it does not make sense that she made him up, so this can point to Serina being wrong that they were classmates, or that for some reason his photos were removed. Interesting.

Considering that Serina's memories of him don't go beyond high school, I thought that the boy died. However, tonight's soul echo confirms that he is alive… and thinking about her.

There is a chance that Serina was the only one who called him Duke, and that they kept their relationship a secret. This would explain many things, but also make my search harder as I am trying to find out personal details about Serina's past without alerting others.

If my suspicion is correct, someone wanted Serina dead, and if they become aware that I am snooping around might get people involved to dispose of the evidence or get a hint that she is alive. After all, there was no body found.

This investigation would be so much easier if I'm not relying on humans to do it. But I can't risk exposing Serina's existence to immortals. Not until she is ready. I am aware that as soon as they get a whiff that I am showing interest in someone, they will start their own inquiries, which will be even more troublesome.

Dinner was mostly quiet, and over the dessert, Serina asked if we can spend some time talking.

I was not surprised by this, as she expressed her desire to find out more about the world of immortals during our ride here. I could see that with every new experience, her curiosity is increasing. That's a good thing because, in our world, ignorance is NOT bliss.

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