Dilek and Anton ran through the manor's second floor, their bare feet silent against the marble. The corridors stretched long and cold, moonlight spilling through tall glass windows, the chandeliers above swaying faintly from the night wind.
They froze as a pair of guards passed at the far end, lanterns flickering across the white marble. Anton tugged Dilek's arm, pulling him behind a tall grandfather clock. The hammer on his back bumped the wall with a dull thunk.
One of the guards stopped.
"You hear that?" he asked.
The other stiffened. "What? Dude, I'm scared of ghosts—are you teasing me?"
"What—no! You know what, let's just go before you start panicking and acting like a little girl."
"Dude, I don't do that, I just get teensy weensy scared."
"You are a grown man. Don't speak like that."
Anton didn't move until their boots faded down the stairwell. Only then did he whisper, "Move."
They slipped from behind the clock, creeping down a narrower passage lit only by moonlight. As another group of guards turned a corner up ahead, talking quietly about strange noises earlier.
"Oh no no no…" Dilek muttered under his breath.
"Back, back!" Anton hissed, pushing him into a storage room half-open nearby. A wash of torchlight brushed the door's edge as it shut behind them.
Inside, the air smelled of dry grain and oil. Crates and barrels filled the corners. The two crouched behind a stack of boxes, Anton laying his hammer gently on the floor to stop it clinking.
Footsteps stopped right outside.
"Door's unlocked," one guard murmured.
Anton froze.
"Forget it," another replied. "No one would be dumb enough to hide up here."
"Oh, but I would totally hide here though," a third voice joked. "Like some grand escape scene. Hell, maybe I'd be like a panther."
"You're more like a cat. Shut up."
"Oh yeah? You wanna fight, big guy? You pissed your pants in front of the girl last week."
"What? I didn't!"
"It's a figure of speech—but you did chicken out."
"Whatever."
The two burst into laughter at the third one as their laughter faded down the hall. Silence returned.
Dilek let out a long breath, sweat tracing down his temple. "We're dumb. How come, they seem to have a life," he whispered.
Anton smirked. "What did you expect? Of course they have a life, They are alive and humans?."
They waited another moment before slipping back out. The hallway felt colder now. Wind from a cracked window brushed against them, carrying the distant sound of horses stamping came from a distance.
They moved low, hugging the walls. Halfway through the next corridor, torchlight flared again—this time close. A guard turned the corner.
Anton shoved Dilek behind a row of thick velvet curtains. The fabric smelled like old dust and oil.
Voices came muffled through the curtain.
"I wonder if they're giving out pies tomorrow… Heard the Duke was in a good mood. Maybe we'll get some during practice."
Keys jingled. A door opened across the hall, its hinges groaning.
Anton mouthed, Now!
They slipped out the moment the guards entered, running in silence.
At the next turn, they almost crashed into a maid carrying a lantern. She gasped.
Dilek quickly pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh! We're playing hide and seek. Don't snitch on us."
The maid blinked, confused. Her eyes trailed over their guest robes.
'Grown men playing hide and seek? Why are all rich people like this? she thought. The Duke sure invites weird ones.'
She nodded stiffly and kept walking.
They hurried on, moving through dim galleries and servant halls. Voices echoed faintly behind them again—the same guards looping back, searching this time.
At last, they reached a quieter wing. Heavy oak panels lined the walls. The sound of boots grew closer again.
Dilek turned the nearest handle—it creaked.
"Hurry," Anton muttered.
They slipped inside and leaned against the closed door, both panting in the dark. A narrow slice of moonlight cut across the floor from the balcony window.
Outside, the guards' footsteps faded.
Anton let his head fall back against the wall, exhaling.
"Almost caught four times," Dilek whispered. "You call that a plan?"
Anton gave him a tired look. "We're still not caught. That's all that matters."
"Who disturbs me?"
A deep voice came from the shadows.
Both turned. A tall man stood near the counter—broad shoulders, elegant mustache, knife in hand, the smell of spices in the air.
"I'm being interrupted during my cooking," he said flatly.
Dilek squinted. "Who are you cooking for in the middle of the night?"
The man looked at them carefully. "Aren't you the two the Duke brought here? I see… you must be trying to escape, am I right?"
Dilek shook his head quickly. "What? Dude, no—we're kinda hungry."
Anton stared at him. "Yes, we are escaping."
Dilek's eyes widened. He whispered harshly, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"
Anton whispered back, "This guy looks strong—he can help us, Maybe he is a good guy"
The man raised his knife, eyes cold. "I won't."
He stepped closer.
"Tonight," he said softly, "I'm serving human skin for midnight snacks."
"Clearly he is a cannibal, I would rather be captured by guards at this point." Dilek said looking annoyed.
—
Teruru stood outside the manor gates, fidgeting nervously as the guards around her watched with stern, suspicious eyes, her hands twisting in front of her.
'Lady Iris… whyy would you bring me hereee… I'm scareddd…'
Her gaze drifted upward, following the night sky until she spotted a faint flash in the distance. She blinked.
'Huh… that's the signa—'
Her eyes widened.
'Oh that's the plan… the distraction… guards… what do I dooooo!'
She looked toward one of the guards, Stiff, with the kind of face that could murder people just by looking at them. Her heart nearly stopped.
'Teruru calm down… like momma said… when I panic I should sing my name… yes yes yes…'
She whispered under her breath, "Terurururu… terurururu… terurururu…" The rhythm steadied her breath. For half a second, she even smiled—
Then she suddenly shouted, "HELPPPP MEEEeeeee!"
Her voice died mid-scream. The guards turned toward her, confused. Heat rushed to her cheeks. She wanted to dig herself into the ground from embarrassment.
And then—something wriggled inside her shirt.
Her eyes widened. Insect.
"WAHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed, jumping up and down as she flailed her arms wildly. The guards panicked, rushing to restrain her. She twisted away, running in frantic circles.
She tugged at her shirt, almost ready to pull it off in pure terror. The stern guard, now just as panicked, lunged to stop her.
"Miss—please—stop!"
But Teruru, cornered and terrified, did the only thing she could think of—she bit him.
"AHHHHHHHH!" the guard yelled, stumbling backward. Chaos exploded.
Guards shouted. One tripped over a pike. Another ran into the gatepost. Teruru kept screaming as the entire courtyard turned into a mess of shouting, running, and confusion.
From nearby, Nandita cupped a hand to her ear. "Wow… I can hear Teruru from here. She's doing a great job distracting them."
"Yea…" Percy said weakly, guilt creeping in as he remembered placing a toy insect inside her shirt, just in case she didn't cause enough of a distraction.
Ami was already off her horse, crouching low by the wall. "So you said there's a secret way?"
Percy and Nandita dismounted beside her. Percy nodded. "Yes… the guildmaster told us once."
"Why was your guildmaster finding secret entrances?" Nandita asked.
Percy sighed. "She was an irresponsiblle adult."
Before Ami could respond, a distant rumble echoed across the courtyard. The ground seemed to shake. Shouting grew louder — and then, from the road, came a frantic noise like thunder and hooves.
Percy turned. "What's that noise?"
Ami squinted toward the gate. "Hey Nandita… is that Marcus and Diego?"
They all turned at once — and there, bursting through the silence, Diego and Marcus clung to a horse charging at full speed straight toward the manor.
Percy's jaw dropped. "WHAT THE—"
"WOAHHHHHHH!" Diego shouted, trying to pull the reins. The horse didn't slow — it accelerated.
The guards, still reeling from Teruru's outburst, barely had time to react. "STOP OR WE WILL ATTACK!"
They scrambled to pull the heavy gate shut, but the horse was already too close, running across the path like a bullet.
"CLOSE IT!" someone yelled.
But the horse didn't care.
'That's what happens when you give out empty threats!' percy thought—
BAM!
The horse went past the metal gates and crashed through the half-shut gates of the manor, splintering wood and knocking guards aside as it charged inside the manor.
Dust rose. Guards groaned. Teruru stood frozen mid-scream, her hair a mess, the toy insect finally crawling out and flying away.
In Castorik's room, Iris sighed.
'Why do I feel like something messed up she thought'
—
In Portrident, Cold and mist curled between the narrow streets as a lone spy stumbled through the alleys, his breath ragged and uneven. His cloak was torn, boots scraping on the cobblestone as he glanced over his shoulder, eyes wide with terror.
"No way… no way no way no way…" he gasped, voice trembling. "All of my comrades… they died in a second… what the hell is that thing?"
He tripped, catching himself against a wall slick with dew. His chest heaved. Panic clawed at his throat.
"I don't wanna die… I don't wanna DIEEEE!" he screamed, the sound echoing through the fog. "Someone—SOMEONE SAV—"
The cry cut off mid-word.
A sudden silence swallowed the street. The spy's body went limp, his head vanished before collapsing onto the stone.
"Too noisy," a voice said calmly.
From the shadows, a figure stepped out — cloaked in black, eyes faintly glowing beneath the elephant skull. His hand, still gripping the spy's head, dropped it carelessly to the ground.
"And you should expect this," he murmured, his tone cold and steady, "for trying to steal from a place you shouldn't have."
The Darkest Night lifted his gaze toward the moon
"All the spies are taken care of," he said quietly, almost to himself. "I suppose I've helped you, Iris… now don't mess it up."
Hela appeared following the scream and saw the Darkest Night.
She froze for a moment, her eyes falling on the body before turning toward him.
"You… you were fighting against the Ruda the last time…"
The Darkest Night looked at Hela calmly.
Behind him, Duja followed, panting slightly as The Darkest Night said,
"Oh, sorry for such a sight… it's just that pests are roaming tonight."
"The kids… where are they?" Hela's voice carried a sharp edge of anger.
"Oh, it's alright. They will come back by tomorrow," the Darkest Night replied.
"Tomorrow?" Hela's anger grew, her tone cutting through the air.
"Look, I don't care how strong you are. I'll kill you if you don't return them to me."
"Oh?" The Darkest Night smiled faintly.
"A mother in distress," he whispered under his breath.
"Don't worry, we have sent people for them."
"Sent people for them? What happened?" Duja asked, his voice tightening.
The Darkest Night's tone turned serious.
"Duke Castorik has kidnapped Dilek and his party members. Iris went to get him."
Hela stood quietly.
Duja, trying to ease her silence, said softly,
"Honey, see… they'll be back by tomorrow."
Hela's eye's widened.
"Castorik, huh?" she said coldly. "Duja… let's go. Get a horse."
Duja didn't look into her eyes—because he couldn't see his wife in them anymore.
What he saw instead was something terrifying.
He remembered that day…
The day she lost her children—
A day she could never forget.