The knights rushed toward the hidden door, their steps sharp and tense.
According to Rosalie’s report, Scarlett had gone to the master suite monts before the explosion. What she found instead sent her into a state of terror.
Two n, strangers cloaked in shadow, had breached the chamber. The princess was struggling in their grasp, dragged violently toward the open passage of the trap door.
Helen, who was with Anna in the chamber, and Scarlett, who had just arrived, fought back with desperate courage, screaming for help, clawing, and pulling at the n to free the princess from their grip.
In the chaos, Scarlett managed to seize one of the intruders’ sleeves—Brone, the Bargesian leader—gripping his arm to stop him.
The fabric tore under her fingers, and what she saw beneath made her blood run cold. His skin was blackened and veined, pulsing with an unnatural energy, as if corruption itself coursed through him.
The hand that erged was no longer human... It was monstrous.
Brone’s furious snarl shattered the air. With a violent swing, he struck Scarlett across the face, sending her crashing to the floor.
Pain exploded through her jaws as the taste of blood filled her mouth. Before she could move, a brutal kick drove into her ribs, forcing the air from her lungs.
Helen’s scream echoed, mingling with the princess’s terrified cries. The sound twisted into a cacophony of chaos before everything faded into darkness.
When Scarlett woke up, the room was eerily silent. Curtains fluttered from the broken window, and a faint sll of smoke lingered, remnants of the explosion.
The princess and her companion were gone. Only the overturned table and shattered glass bore witness to the struggle.
Weak and disoriented, Scarlett called out for help, but no one answered. Summoning the last of her strength, she dragged herself out of the suite, her hands and knees sared with blood, until she stumbled into Elis.
By the ti Noah and his group reached the secluded passage, Clara was already there.
She knelt by the entrance, closely examining the traces and scuff marks left behind by both captors and victims.
"You’re here!" said Noah.
Clara rose to her feet with the help of her walking stick.
"I ca here imdiately after Miss Holt told what had occurred. She was taken to the treatnt room by Her Highness Princess Elisabeth. Mr Foster ntioned this passage, and I suspected the perpetrators used it to escape after kidnapping Lady Raychard and Miss Reed. The evidence confirms my suspicion," she stated.
Noah nodded, then turned to his n.
"I’ll inspect the tracks and find out which way they went. The rest of you, search for any other clues."
The knights obeyed at once, scattering across the area to comb through the snow and soil for signs of movent.
"These tracks are still fresh," said Clara. "They shouldn’t be far from here."
"Mrs Foster said Miss Holt was badly beaten," Eli muttered, his jaw tightening as his eyes swept the ground. "How could any man do that to a woman? That scoundrel doesn’t deserve to walk free!"
"He’s no man! He’s an animal!" the knightess snapped. "Miss Holt said a burly man hit her, and his right arm wasn’t human. The force behind the blow was unnatural."
"A burly man?" Luke frowned and turned.
"Yes. From the description, he matches with Lord Brone Morro," said the knightess.
"But how could he still have his right hand? His Highness, the Grand Duke, severed it during our last battle against the Bargesians," said the knight.
"According to Miss Holt, the other man involved in the kidnapping wasn’t old like the magic practitioner. He was younger, and the strangest part was that no one had heard the ladies’ cries for help from the master suite. It was as if the chamber had been sealed off from the rest of the mansion," Clara said, recalling the woman’s tearful account.
"Young man... monstrous limb... sealed chamber..." Alex muttered, thinking to himself as he heard the conversation.
"Magic!" Callis exclaid, having just arrived at the scene from a corner. "They must’ve used black magic, the sa kind that struck the tribesn!" she answered instead.
"Mrs Amares! You’ve returned!" Clara said, turning to her.
"I arrived not long before the incident," the derian Princess explained. "Sylvia was about to deliver news regarding your friends when the explosion occurred. I joined the rescue efforts to help those trapped and contained the fire. Afterwards, I went with Rosalie to the treatnt room to gather details from Miss Holt when she ca to the knights. I assu you had already left by then," she said to Clara.
"I did. I ca straight away here when Mrs Foster left to report to the knights. How are Sky and the others?" the knightess asked, concerned.
"They were treated with healing magic, but were still unconscious when I left. They’re no longer in danger," said Callis.
"Thank goodness," the knightess breathed in relief. "I’ve been waiting for updates for so long."
"Sir McQuinn’s boot prints are here!" Noah suddenly called out, pointing to the ground. "He must’ve found these tracks and followed them. Check further!" he ordered Alex.
The knight pushed through the thicket but returned monts later with a frustrated look.
"There are no more trails beyond the bushes. I couldn’t find a thing," Alex reported.
"D*mn it!" Noah cursed. "The Bargesians must be behind this! They used the explosion as a diversion to kidnap Lady Raychard and Miss Reed!"
"No doubt," said Callis with a grim expression. "They must have used magic to cover their tracks as well."
"I can use search magic," she offered after a mont’s thought, "but it will consu a large amount of mana."
"Don’t," said Drystan firmly. "You’ve already spent too much strength rescuing the people and extinguishing the fire. It’s too risky."
"Then how are we supposed to track them?" asked Luke.
"Summon the eagles and instruct them to search," Clara suggested.
"That’s a good idea," Noah agreed, "but we’ll still need an exact location to reach them quickly."
"If the eagles can lead us within the vicinity, then using search magic afterwards would consu less mana and give a precise reading," said the derian Princess.
"Then take with you to help with the direction," Clara insisted. "I may be limping, but I won’t slow you down."
"No," Noah said, shaking his head. "If it’s about using the eagles, I can handle that. Da Verns, you’re still recovering. It’s too dangerous."
"Your summoning skill is only basic," Clara countered. "Trust , Sir Brooks, you’ll need for this. I can call them faster and from farther away."
Noah hesitated, glancing at his n.
"She’s right, Sir Brooks," said Drystan. "We’ll need both her and Mrs Amares for this."
Noah exhaled sharply, then made his decision.
"Fine. You’ll ride with . Summon the eagles and begin the search." Then, he turned to his n. "Sir Henderson and Sir Parker, get the horses ready."
"Yes, Sir Brooks!" they responded in unison and hurried off towards the stables.
Clara steadied herself on her walking stick, then cupped a hand to her mouth and whistled sharply toward the sky. A sharp, rhythmic sequence echoed across the clearing.
Noah frowned slightly, recognising the call but noticing subtle differences. That rhythm was a little different from the one he had learned.
They waited.
Monts later, the sound of wings filled the air. A formation of eagles soared down from the distant sky, their piercing cries slicing through the wind.
"You called all of them?" Noah asked in astonishnt.
The knightess gave a brief nod before whistling again, this ti in a more complex rhythm the knight had never heard before.
"Kwek... kwek... kwek!"
The eagles responded imdiately, splitting apart and scattering in every direction, so flying high while others swooped low over the terrain.
"Our enemies might be cloaking themselves to avoid detection," Clara explained. "So I’ve directed the eagles to look not only for people, but for unusual disturbances. Animals are sensitive. They’ll sense what our eyes can’t."
"Great work, Da Verns," praised Drystan.
"Don’t get too comfortable yet," Clara cautioned. "They’ll send us a signal once they’ve found sothing. It’s only a matter of ti before we close in on the right periter, but the enemy could still be on the move."
"I just hope your eagles return safely," Callis sighed, worry creasing her brow. "We don’t know what the enemy might do to Lady Raychard and Miss Reed."
"What do you an, Mrs Amares?" Clara asked.
Callis turned to her and said in a grave tone, "That black magic that burned your friends also triggered the explosions in the eastern tower and the fire that followed. And according to Miss Holt, Lord Brone Morro has sohow grown himself a monstrous limb to replace the hand His Highness severed. The old magic practitioner, too, has turned young again."
"Indeed. She told the sa to ," said Clara.
Drystan’s eyes hardened. "That is bizarre!"
Callis nodded solemnly.
"From what I’ve observed, this black magic manifests several abilities. It fuses the powers of fire, stealth, healing, regeneration, and even sound suppression. In all my years of study, I’ve never encountered a dark force this formidable, not even in the ancient records of the Great War."
"Heavens," Alex muttered. "How could they have gained such power?"
Everyone fell silent, the sa uneasy thought passing through their minds.
"If they already wield such strength," Drystan said, "why would they co after Lady Raychard and Miss Reed?"
"Could it be revenge?" Alex suggested. "We defeated them before, and we saved our Lady from their first dark assault."
Noah shook his head.
"If their goal were revenge, they would confront us directly. Currently, they hold the advantage. The Bargesians tend to flaunt their power and gloat over their dominance."
A tense pause followed until Callis suddenly gasped. "That’s it!"
Everyone turned toward her.
"What is it, Mrs Amares?" Alex asked.
"It’s Anna!" Callis exclaid, eyes wide. "The source of that dark power cos from the Khasif! They were after her from the very beginning! Even their previous attempt was ant to capture her!"
"But how?" Noah demanded. "They never took Lady Raychard, and you were their target on their first attempt."
Callis’s expression darkened.
"They must have mistaken for the Ro’an direct descendant while looking for one! My brother once told that Anna bled heavily at the forest cottage when they were stranded. He left behind her blood-soaked clothes and armour there. Black magic thrives on blood and sacrifice... and her blood—" she paused, realisation dawning, "...her blood must be what they used to produce such power! Black magic cannot replenish itself like mana, so they want to use her blood to sustain and amplify it!"
"Oh, my God," Clara breathed, eyes wide with fear. "If they took her blood... then the baby—" She couldn’t finish.
"Everyone, arm yourselves!" Callis ordered sharply. "We don’t know what we’re walking into. Wait for !" she said, making a move.
"Where are you going?" Alex asked as she turned away.
"To retrieve my brother’s weapon," the derian Princess said anxiously, her eyes filled with worry. "We are about to confront the dark force, and this is beyond the usual. Only the holy force can defeat such evil. My magic alone might not suffice, but my brother’s bow still carries his power. That might be our only hope."
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