Welcome to the relaunch of the CASeries on Wattpad. Before you continue reading, here are a few FAQs. If you're a proud rereader, we're taking attendance, so please say I! 😂

Some stuff to note:

• Chapters will be republished five chapters a week (3 on Monday, 2 on Thursday).

• The series began here many years ago, and I just want to share the ending with everyone (which is not far now!). The seventh and final book to this series is now available and serializing for all members on my website (mylovelywriter.com).

• One of the reasons I had to take the books down first is for new opportunities, which includes a comic series made on a partnership with Tapas. They have an app which you can download on both Apple and Android devices! Check it out!

Chapter 1 ♕ She's Not Human

Hearing the fact that Valeriana clashed with Courtney earlier, Corvan and Tamara chose to rush in to see what was happening while the others stayed behind to fix the remaining items for the journey. After a few moments, Rowe decided to send the twins after the two who left a few moments before to see what had happened. He told them to bring them over if they were fine and run back in case something bad occurred.

They were just about ready to leave for a small village in the country of Gargantua which was a part of the continent of Larkovia, specifically the one so-called West Monte which was a part of a small province on the eastern most tip, where a newly opened bar just started making a name among the masses.

They were excited since this was the first mission assigned to them that they would do together. Usually, each member would be sent off doing their own particular assignments, but this time, they came as a group. Being given certain 'tasks' was a part of being a member of the Celestial Circle. It was one way to prepare them and let them know the reality of being one of the kingdom's knights. They doubted if Valeriana had been assigned a 'task' before. She was lucky her first one was with the rest.

When they did arrive, they were shocked to see the confused and frustrated expression of Valeriana. Her complexion seemed to have paled a few shades and she was unsteady and unfocused. Curious, the others looked questioningly at Tamara and Corvan, wondering what in the world happened that made the girl the way she was.

Not wanting to stress the girl, Tamara decided to push her into getting ready before turning to the others as she disappeared around the corner. It took only a few moments to tell the whole thing—trust Tamara to make a long story short—and that made the others worry. Despite only being new, Valeriana was not a hard person to like.

Hearing the fact that the necklace was torn from her neck made everyone contemplate. After all, was that not a sign that she was dying?

"You said the necklace was removed. Where is it?" Elfre asked him, crossing her arms.

"It's with the Court Leader." He answered.

"Doesn't she need it?" Genevieve asked.

"She doesn't." Corvan replied bluntly.

"But if she stays like that, won't she . . . ?" Rowe's voice went silent as everyone's imagination went wild.

"She won't."

"What? But—"

"She's not human."

They all went still at his words. They barely even managed a word, only a short, "Huh?"

They then started speaking all at once.

"But that's not possible."

"Surely you're joking."

"A joke would be funny, though."

"What the heck did you say?"

"You're kidding."

"Wait? What?"

"Valeriana? How come we didn't know?"

Corvan grew irritated from their simultaneous mutterings and bombarding questions that he growled and repeated his words in a hiss that came as a warning for them to stay quiet and calm.

"She's not human."

The Twelve exchanged glances before shooting a look at the direction Valeriana disappeared at.

"Valeriana's one of us? She's not human? How come? A Valemnian living with humans? That notion is . . . unthinkable." Raziel's lips twisted in disbelief.

The entirety of the Celestial Twelve found it hard to believe that the girl they thought was a human all along was actually a Valemnian herself. The sudden revelation came as a shock and a bit too hard to take in.

Valeriana? A Valemnian? The thought seemed so strange . . .

"All along?" Brindon muttered.

"I figured." Charles suddenly stated, making everyone gape at him.

"What? How?"

"I've been suspecting." He said. "After all, an ordinary human wouldn't be able to do the things Valeriana did before. Although her aura may seem too weak in our eyes because of her supposedly 'human' quality, I noticed a change in it after the 'incident' in the 'bath'. Very slowly, she's developing a different . . . feel. Being as perceptive as everyone is, I'm sure you noticed it too."

"Well, I thought it was only because of the demon attack so I didn't pay much attention to it." Keelan said, his tone a bit ashamed.

"I thought I was seeing things that time too." Tamara muttered, looking away while scratching her scalp. "I haven't really been getting enough sleep nowadays." She then yawned.

Corvan himself felt ashamed to admit he didn't notice it. Perhaps it was because of the fatigue from acting as hero taking a toll on him. He wasn't able to see Valeriana at all since this morning as well since he woke up later than he usually did. She was gone before they could even meet.

Everyone else muttered incoherent things under their breath, admitting that they did notice but failed to acknowledge the fact since they thought that it was impossible. A few of them dismissed it and thought they were mistaken and others were too caught up in whatever things they busied themselves with to care.

Charles began his lecture mercilessly. "If you want to become accomplished people in your chosen field of duty, then you should stop taking things so lightly and avoid thinking so naively."

Tamara grunted and looked up at the ceiling. "Why do you always have to act like you have a stick stuck up in your—"

"Don't dare finish that sentence, Tamara." Charles warned her.

She rolled her eyes. "You don't really respect someone older than you."

"I suspect the Court Leader had taken quite a large part in pulling off this scheme." Aneeka brought out a gun and looked as though she was preparing to fire. "It would only take a while for my patience to wane and I am quite sure when it reaches the end of the line, a bullet will have gone through his head."

"Stop it."

Valemnians possessed a different aura from humans. Auras represented the entirety of a person's very being. It could be compared to seeing a gradient of various colors laid out into a canvas. All auras have different patterns and different colors that could be recognized easily with keen spiritual sensitivity though it was not something 'seen' but 'felt'. Normal Valemnians differed greatly from demons, and the same went for humans. Other races such as dragons, sprites, and more possessed individually distinct auras which set them from the rest.

Though no one said anything at first, they subconsciously got accustomed to Valeriana's welcoming and warm but weak aura that in comparison to what they have got comfortable with, they were more than shocked. Sure, the suddenness of her killing intent appearing a while back during her duel with Zion was unbelievable, considering how benevolent her aura had seemed. It was a proof of the fact that all things, regardless of being seemingly weak and harmless, had a hidden animalistic side waiting to be unleashed when put in danger.

It wasn't as though her aura seemed suddenly malicious. It was just that, unlike before, it demanded more attention. It felt much fiercer—more powerful. It was her aura when she was still a 'human' that made her enemies underestimate her. But now, things were sure to be different.

"So does . . . that change a thing?" Brindon blurted.

Everyone glanced at him questioningly.

"What?"

Brindon stared blankly ahead of him, not opening his mouth. "Don't like long speeches . . ." He said in monotone. "Unlike Charles."

"It doesn't change a thing." Corvan told them, seeming to get the idea without needing the explanation. He knew the others somewhat understood too. They were more mentally capable than some other people, after all, otherwise, they wouldn't be there. "The stupid witch will always be a stupid witch."

"This is simply . . . well . . . shocking." Genevieve shrugged. "I was just . . . uh . . . shocked. I mean, I found it hard to believe that all along . . ."

"How's she doing, though?" Aneeka asked.

"She's recovering."

"That's good, then." Someone else replied.

And that was when the girl decided to let her presence known.

Valeriana knew they were talking about her when she wasn't around. The look on their faces was obvious they were already told the whole thing, however, she was in no mood to act like she usually did so she merely kept quiet instead.

Well, it was either they know it themselves or she would be forced to tell them the whole thing and recount the events.

She would rather go for the first option.

Besides, it wasn't like she had to hide it. She doubted if she even could.

"Are we going?"

Tamara broke the awkward atmosphere by running forward and practically screaming, "What are we waiting for?!"

It would probably take a while to restore the way things were, though. But still, that was no challenge for the Celestial Twelve.