Aether had noticed it from the very beginning—the monster was careful not to damage the old mansion. Even when Aether had hurled it toward the decrepit structure in the earlier skirmish, the creature had twisted its massive body mid-air to avoid collision.
Its attacks, brutal and relentless elsewhere, were suspiciously absent when it came to the mansion as if it were protecting the place.
“Grrrrlll…”
The monster’s guttural growl rumbled ominously, and its glowing eyes locked onto Aether and Nightfire through the front door. Yet, despite its overwhelming strength, it didn’t make a move to reach them.
No clawing, no lunging—just an eerie, unyielding stare!
It was unsettling!!
‘It has the same power as me… Does that mean I’m similar to it?’ Aether’s thoughts churned as he frowned, his instincts urging him to seek answers from his log.
But there was nothing.
‘Tsk! Come on, log! Now of all times, you’re sleeping? What kind of sick joke is this?’ he thought, his frustration was palpable!
Nightfire shifted uneasily beside him, her body tensing under the weight of the creature’s unrelenting gaze. Finally, she snapped, slamming the door shut.
Thud!
“E-Enough with this damn staring contest!”
She leaned against the door, “A-Anyway, what do we do now? I can’t stay here a second longer,” she said, her voice trembling.
Aether blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. He nodded in agreement, knowing full well they couldn’t afford to linger, “First, we need to figure out how to remove the barrier around the gate. Until we do, we’re stuck here.”
Nightfire bit her lip, her expression grim. One of her illusions moved toward the gate but was immediately repelled by an invisible force.
“And how exactly are we supposed to do that?” she asked.
Aether glanced around the dusty, decrepit space. “By searching this place. There’s bound to be something—”
“Nope! Nope, nope, nope! Absolutely not! No way!” Nightfire crouched down, hugging her knees tightly as she furiously shook her head. “I’m not moving an inch! This place is cursed, I’m sure of it! I can still hear those voices in my head, Aether! Voices! Did you forget what almost happened to us?!” That dangerous voice almost made her pee!
Aether sighed, lowering himself to her level. “Nightfire, listen to me—”
“Nope!”
“Please, just listen!” He softened his voice, meeting her panicked gaze with a steady, reassuring expression. “No matter what happens here, I promise you won’t die. Okay? This mess is on us—we dragged you into it. I’ll do whatever it takes to get you out of here, even if it means risking my life.”
Nightfire flinched, her raspberry-coloured eyes wide as she stared at him. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Even if… the only one could survive, you chose me?”
Aether chuckled, his lips curling into a small smirk. “Of course… Definitely not!”
She blinked, momentarily stunned by his bluntness.
“As much as I’d love to save you,” he continued with a serious shrug, “Helena’s more important than you.”
Nightfire’s jaw dropped her expression a mix of disbelief and reluctant amusement. “Wow. Here I thought you were going to seduce me or something! Do you seriously think any girl you’re trying to impress would want to hear that?”
Aether shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. “You’re not just any girl, are you?”
[+100 AP]
Nightfire’s lips twitched, slowly curling into a grin. “Damn right, I’m not.” She stood up, brushing off her skirt with exaggerated flair.
If Aether had said she was more important than Helena, Nightfire would have been disappointed.
But his honest response?
‘Not bad I suppose…’ She thought but that’s it nothing more.
Until,
“And I’ll find a way to save you, even if it costs me.” Then he added a softly genuine smile.
[+200 AP]
Nightfire froze, a warm, unfamiliar sensation spreading through her chest. She blinked, momentarily taken aback, before brushing it off with a roll of her shoulders.
Aether turned his attention to Helena, ignoring Nightfire’s reaction. “She should stay here for now,” he murmured, gently wiping the blood from Helena’s lips. Leaving her by the entrance was the safer option. If anything happened, they could grab her quickly and escape.
Satisfied with his decision, he straightened up. “You take the ground floor. I’ll handle the upper floor. Sound good?”
Nightfire hesitated, her nerves still on edge. But she realized splitting up would cover more ground faster. Gritting her teeth, she nodded. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
The first room Nightfire entered was a spacious living room. Dust hung in the air, illuminated by the faint light filtering through the grime-streaked windows. Sparse furniture—a torn couch, a shattered coffee table—littered the space.
She inspected every corner, looking for switches, hidden compartments, anything.
But there was nothing.
“Sigh… This is going to take forever,” she muttered, moving on to the next area—the kitchen.
The kitchen was no better. Broken utensils, rusted pans, and faded cabinets greeted her. As she rummaged through the debris, she couldn’t shake the sensation that something—or someone—was watching her.
Meanwhile,
Aether returned to the same room they had initially entered and,
“The book is not here…” he muttered under his breath.
He knelt, checking beneath the bed, behind the dresser, and even the dusty shelves. Yet there was nothing—no book, no lingering traces of its presence, and even the sound of the dancing flames had mysteriously vanished.
With a resigned sigh, Aether straightened up and rubbed the back of his neck. “Guess I’ll have to check the other rooms.” He turned and left.
Meanwhile,
Helena’s unconscious form lay still near the entrance, her chest rising and falling faintly.
Shadows stretched long across the room as if leaning toward her. One shadow, darker and more defined than the others detached itself from the wall and began to take shape.
The figure loomed silently over her for several minutes, its presence both chilling and tender. Then, it crouched down, a pale, almost human-like hand extending toward her face.
Fingers brushed gently over her blood-streaked lips, the touch unnervingly soft. A whisper followed, faint and achingly familiar.
“Hel…”
The name fell like a caress, filled with sorrow and longing.
Suddenly, a faint white light began to glow around Helena.
Back to Nightfire,
Nightfire rifled through the kitchen supplies, her frustration mounting. “There’s nothing here either,” she muttered, half relieved and half annoyed.
Relieved that no new horrors had appeared. Annoyed that there were still no signs of switches, keys, or clues to help them escape.
She tapped her fingers on a rusted counter, her thoughts drifting. “Looks like he really does care for the woman he loves,” she murmured. “Maybe he’s not as bad as I thought. Guess that’s why so many women fall for him…”
A chuckle echoed in her mind, breaking her train of thought.
“What’s this? Are you in love?” Ashara teased, her voice laced with amusement.
Nightfire snorted, flipping a pan absentmindedly, “Love? Me? Come on now. As I’ve said before—I’m not interested in love. Just a his cock and some fun,” she replied bluntly.
Ashara chuckled again, her tone playful, “Oh, really? Then why bring him up at all? You’ve never done this before, have you?”
Nightfire’s lips twitched, her irritation flaring. “I’m just… surprised at how honest he is with his emotions. That’s all—”
Tang!
Nightfire froze mid-sentence. Her breath hitched as her body stiffened in terror.
“A-Aether?” she whispered, her voice trembling. The sound had come from behind her—a sharp metallic clink that sent shivers down her spine. Slowly, with utmost caution, she turned, only to find… nothing.
“Sig–!!!” She let out a shaky sigh, her lips parting to mutter a curse. But just as she began to relax, a shadowy figure flickered past the kitchen entrance.
Her heart leapt into her throat.
Nightfire’s face paled, her throat dry as she gulped. Gritting her teeth, she stepped back, cautiously summoning an illusion to move ahead of her. It floated toward the doorway, her shield against whatever might be lurking.
Nothing happened.
Gathering her courage, she peeked out from behind her illusion. The corridor stretched ahead, silent and empty. She exhaled slowly, her nerves taut as she pressed forward.
Then she saw it.
The shadowy figure reappeared, gliding soundlessly into the living room.
Nightfire’s heart raced. Every fibre of her being screamed for her to call Aether, but she hesitated.
What if the thing turned on her before he could arrive?
No! She wasn’t about to take that chance.
‘Okay, just stay calm… Move slow… Don’t die.’
Step by trembling step, she approached the living room, her illusion leading the way. Her nerves were on edge, her hands clammy. As she stepped inside, her eyes widened.
Blink*[Exit switch]*Blink
There, on the far wall, was a small board labelled Exit Switch in blinking white letters. Beneath it lay a tiny remote with a single red button.
Nightfire blinked in disbelief. “Is this… some kind of prank?” she muttered under her breath.
Still wary, she sent her illusion ahead to test the waters. The illusion reached the board without issue, standing unharmed in front of the switch.
Nightfire exhaled shakily. “Okay… No traps so far.”
Cautiously, she approached the blinking sign, her fingers trembling as she reached for the remote. She snatched it up, holding her breath as she scanned the room for any reaction.
Nothing.
“Damn it, this place is messing with me,” she mumbled in a relieved tone, clutching the remote tightly. Without wasting another second, she turned to call Aether.
Meanwhile,
Aether was… froze too as he mumbled, “Arcane…. Clara….”
500(600(650)…) PS=1(1(1)…)Ex/ 50(100(120)..) GT=1(2(2)…)Ex
