"H-Huh? W-What do you mean?" Ella stuttered, her legs unsteady as she stumbled toward the window. The moment her eyes met the scene outside, they widened in disbelief.

  Her mother, who had been smiling with them just moments ago, now stood clutching a club, her gaze burning with a murderous bloodlust.

  Beside her, several men grinned wickedly, tightening their grip on their weapons.

  Ella staggered back, her face draining of color.

  "W-What's g-going on!?"

  Tetra suddenly lunged forward, seizing Ella by both shoulders and forcing her to meet her eyes.

  "I know this sounds insane, but… did you know about this? Were you the one who lured us here? Are you working with them?" Her brow furrowed and her lips pressed tight, as though the question itself pained her to ask.

  Tears welled up in Ella's eyes as she shook her head in desperation.

  "N-No… I d-don't even know w-what's going on anymore…" Her voice quivered, thick with despair, and her gaze lingered on Diana with regret.

  "I-I'm sorry, Y-Your Majesty. I… If I had known this would happen, I would never have brought you here."

  Her body trembled, guilt pressing down like a weight she could no longer bear.

  Diana pressed her lips together, reading the raw regret in Ella's eyes. Then, with a slow shake of her head.

  "You don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." She said softly,

  Her gaze swept the room, searching for anything useful.

  "Where is your sister?"

  "S-She's probably in her room."

  Ella hurled up the stairs, the others following close behind.

  Meanwhile, Alaric's eyes lingered on the door. As he suspected, Tetra had locked it, but the grip of the lock wasn't strong enough to withstand force for long.

  His gaze shifted to a large drawer bolted to the wall.

  Without hesitation, he tore it free and wedged it against the door, blocking entry from the inside.

  He sprinted upstairs, but stopped short, his brow furrowing as he saw them standing outside the room when the door was already open.

  "What's wrong?" he asked, but the words caught in his throat the moment he saw Tetra's face.

  Her eyes were wide, frozen, as though something had reached into her chest and seized her heart, locking her in place.

  He followed her gaze, then wished he hadn't.

  The sight before him was a nightmare, it was the same suffocating horror he'd seen when they uncovered the truth about the orphanage.

  Diana stood yet her legs were slightly trembling, her mouth hanging open as though she'd forgotten how to breathe.

  A tremor ran through her jaw, and her eyes… her eyes carried the kind of despair that didn't just witness pain, it shared it.

  Leaning against the bed stained with blood so dark it glistened under the dim light; Ella's twin sister lay shackled. Heavy chains bit into her arms and legs, leaving angry welts where the skin had tried to resist.

  She was stripped of everything, clothes, dignity, humanity while her flesh a map of purpled bruises and fresh gashes that marked her entire body.

  A blindfold clung to her face, soaked and frayed, as though it had been there for days.

  Then a twitch. A faint tremor in her fingers.

  Ella's breath caught. The fear that had locked her muscles gave way to something fiercer: desperation.

  She stumbled forward, nearly tripping on the slippery floor.

  She dropped to her knees beside the bed. The sheets squelched wetly beneath her as she tore the blindfold away.

  Her sister's hollow eyes stared back at her, empty and in darkness.

  Yet her lips… they moved. Only slightly, but enough to shatter Ella's last defense against the grief clawing its way up her throat.

  "Emma!!" she cried, her voice cracking as she cupped her sister's blood-streaked cheek with trembling fingers.

  Tears slipped down her face, splashing onto Emma's skin, washing away the dried crimson that clung stubbornly to her.

  Diana's body quivered, shock rooting her in place for a heartbeat before she forced herself to move.

  She sat beside Ella and pressed two fingers against Emma's neck.

  Her breath hitched, then her eyes widened, hope flooding through her.

  There, it has a faint, steady pulse beneath her fingertips.

  "She's alive…" Diana whispered, almost disbelieving. Then louder, her voice sharp with urgency, "Cut the chain, she's still breathing!"

  Alaric didn't hesitate. A blade materialized in his left hand with a faint shimmer, the air humming faintly around its edge. He strode forward, and they stepped aside to give him space.

  Lowering himself beside Emma, he angled the blade with precision, each motion careful, controlled, making sure not to graze her skin as the chains fell away with a metallic snap.

  The moment Emma was freed, Diana slipped her arms beneath her, pulling her close until Emma's limp body rested against her.

  "Let's get out of here," she said, her voice laced with raw desperation as she rose to her feet, steadying Emma's weight against her body.

  Alaric turned to Tetra, their eyes meeting for a brief, silent exchange.

  Without a word, Tetra took the curtain and rushed forward, put it to Emma's body and kneeled so Diana could ease Emma onto her back.

  She glanced at Alaric, her tone edged with unease.

  "Are you sure about this?"

  Diana's brows furrowed, confusion tightening her expression as she caught the firm resolve in Alaric's gaze.

  He glanced at her over his shoulder, voice steady yet edged with determination.

  "Your Majesty, allow me to act on my own accord."

  Her frown deepened, unease coiling in her chest.

  "What do you mean?"

  Before Alaric could answer, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed beyond the wall.

  Then—crash! the wall exploded into shards of stone and dust as a gigantic man burst through, swinging a massive axe straight toward Diana.

  She froze, unable to move in time. Instinctively, her eyes squeezed shut—

  Clang!

  The deafening metallic clash rang out, followed by a cascade of dying sparks.

  Slowly, she opened her eyes. Alaric stood before her, blade locked against the axe, his stance unyielding.

  With a swift motion, he kicked the gigantic man's foot, sending him staggering.

  Before the man could recover, Alaric seized the front of his tunic and, with a sharp twist of strength, hurled him through the window. Glass and stone rained as the massive form vanished into the place.

  Dusting off his hands, Alaric strode toward the gaping hole left by the impact.

  He paused, glancing back at Diana, his eyes burning with resolve.

  "Let me handle these small flies. You need to get out of here."

  Diana's breath caught, her eyes widening in disbelief.

  "W-What are you doing? Let's get out of here together!"

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  He chuckled softly. "Don't worry about me, Your Majesty. I may be young, but I'm the second strongest among Leo-san's subordinates." Stepping toward the gaping hole, he stared down, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

  "I'll follow you after I'm done with these guys!" He cast one last, piercing look their way. "Now, go!"

  Tetra reached out and gently clasped Diana's hand. With her other hand, she drew Ella closer, knowing the girl was frozen in place, paralyzed by shock.

  "Don't worry about him, Your Majesty. He can handle them on his own and what we should prioritize now is your safety."

  Diana bit her lip, hesitation flickering across her face before she gave a small, reluctant nod.

  "L-Let's go!"

  When the massive man crashed through the second floor and out of the house, debris of shattered glass and splintered wood rained down, smoke curling in the air like ghostly tendrils.

  Ella's mother snapped her gaze upward, her sharp eyes narrowing as a lone silhouette stood framed against the haze.

  Her brows drew tight, a dark frown settling across her face.

  She raised the club, pointing it toward the figure.

  "Who are you?!" she shouted with a tone laced in malice.

  The figure leapt down, landing with a sharp, controlled impact that cracked the ground beneath his feet.

  As the smoke parted, she saw his face, recognizing him as the young man from the group. Her lips curled into a devious smirk.

  "I see… you're no ordinary man. I can feel it in your glare."

  Alaric didn't move. He tapped his heel against the ground once, the soft sound carrying an edge of calm defiance.

  A faint chuckle escaped him as his eyes locked on hers.

  "You're not ordinary either, not after mercilessly torturing your own daughter to the brink of death."

  He raised his sword, pointing its gleaming tip straight at her.

  A vein throbbed visibly across her forehead, her irritation twisting into a sneer.

  "You're strong, I can sense that from you. But!" She threw her arms wide, as if embracing the coming storm.

  "What can you possibly do… when you're outnumbered!?"

  The men around him tightened their formation, deliberately closing the distance, weapons aimed squarely at him.

  When Alaric glanced toward the rooftops, he spotted more figures, archers lined in a row, bows drawn taut, their arrows aimed straight at his heart.

  Beside them, faint glimmers of light gathered around the hands of mages, their incantations weaving long-distance spells that hummed with deadly energy.

  Yet Alaric did not flinch. His stance remained firm, his breathing steady.

  No tremor of fear betrayed him, only a faint, knowing smile curved his lips, as though he had been waiting for this danger all along.

  A sudden volley erupted, arrows slicing the air, spells streaking forward in blinding flashes coming towards him with tremendous speed.

  Clang—slash!

  Alaric shifted his stance, coiling his body to strike. His sword flashed, and with a single sweep, every arrow and spell was cleaved cleanly in two.

  They sailed past him, shattering against the ground and erupting in a violent chain of explosions.

  Smoke curled around him, but he stepped forward through it, chuckling softly as his gaze locked on Ella's mother.

  "You'd better be prepared for what's coming next, rotten old hag." he said, voice low and sharp. "I'll become Ella's vengeance."

  Diana, Ella, and Tetra who carried Emma on her back, hurried through the narrow, twisting streets, desperate to find a way out.

  But the more they searched, the clearer it became, everyone in this part of the city was involved.

  Eyes watched from shadowed doorways; whispers slithered through the air.

  The streets were no longer safe.

  Diana's gaze swept the corners of their surroundings, searching for anything an escape, a hiding place until her eyes caught on a small tunnel wedged between crumbling walls.

  It was narrow and uninviting, but just wide enough for their bodies to fit through.

  She tapped Tetra's shoulder. When Tetra turned, Diana pointed toward the tunnel, her expression set in grim resolve.

  "We can hide there for a while," she said, her voice low, her eyes sharp with determination.

  Tetra's eyes widened. "No." She shook her head slowly.

  "That's too dangerous, Your Majesty! I've heard rumors about the tunnels beneath the lowest part of the Kingdom and none of them are good."

  Ella's voice trembled as she nodded.

  "Y-Yes… no one here is allowed to enter. They say the tunnels are… unknowably dangerous."

  Tetra tightened her grip on Emma and leaned closer to Diana, her voice low but urgent.

  "I also heard they're all connected beneath the Kingdom. But the scouts who went in… never came back. Not even one." Her eyes locked with Diana's, intense and pleading.

  "That's why your father sent hundreds of soldiers to explore the depths.

  But none of them came home alive."

  She pressed her lips together, desperation creeping into her tone.

  "It's too dangerous, Your Majesty!"

  They had been talking for so long and loud enough that none of them noticed the approaching danger.

  A man with a mohawk, his body covered in tattoos, suddenly appeared behind Tetra, swinging his sword in a vicious arc.

  But Tetra reacted instantly, twisting out of its path by mere inches.

  Their cover was blown. They had no choice now.

  Without hesitation, they rushed into the tunnel.

  Once inside, Diana glanced back and noticed something strange.

  The man hadn't followed.

  He stood at the tunnel's entrance; eyes locked with hers.

  Then, slowly, a smirk curved across his lips before he turned and walked away.

  "He didn't follow," Diana muttered under her breath.

  "Of course he didn't," Tetra replied, exhaling sharply. "He knows how dangerous these tunnels are. He may be an idiot but he clearly values his life."

  For several minutes of walking by.

  The darkness swallowed them as they moved deeper inside, their steps slow and careful.

  But suddenly crack! the floor beneath them gave way, sending them sliding down a steep, unseen slope.

  The fall lasted only seconds, but the rush of air and grinding sound of stone filled their ears until thud! they hit solid ground hard.

  Diana groaned, wincing as she reached back to rub her head. Pain pulsed at the spot where she had landed hardest. Forcing her eyes open, she scanned the others.

  "Is… everyone okay?" She asked, though her voice was low, it echoed through the tunnel. It was too dark to see, not even the light from the sun could ever touch to where they are right now.

  "W-We're fine!" both replied at once, sitting up shakily. Tetra, meanwhile, cradled Emma with utmost care.

  Then, without warning, a faint glow flickered in the distance. A fire. It moved closer slowly, deliberately, casting long shadows across the tunnel walls.

  Their eyes widened as the sound of footsteps echoed, growing louder with each passing second.

  When the light drew near, their breath caught. What emerged from the darkness was not a human but a skeletal being, hollow and grinning, draped in a black robe.

  In its bony hand, it held the torch, its empty gaze fixed directly on them.

  They rose to their feet in unison, instinct driving Tetra to stand protectively in front of Diana. Her lips pressed together tightly; she had no idea what would happen next.

  "W-Who are you?" Diana asked, her voice trembling with fear.

  "You need not be so tense, Towa… daughter of King Lethros," the skeleton spoke, its voice a dry rasp that seemed to echo unnaturally in the tunnel.

  Then it tilted its skull, as if correcting itself.

  "No… the one standing before me is not Towa, but another soul. Someone who does not belong to this world." Suddenly its lips curve into a wicked smile.

  "Aozawa Diana. I know exactly who you are."

  Diana's face was drained of color. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her lips quivering, hands trembling at her sides.

  "W-Who… e-exactly are you?!" she stammered, her voice cracking under the weight of fear.

  "I am neither enemy nor ally," the skeleton replied, turning its back before glancing over its shoulder at them.

  "I am the keeper… of all the secrets this Kingdom has long buried."

  It paused, studying Diana's expression, as if measuring her resolve.

  "If you wish to uncover the truths erased from history… come with me. But beware…" Its voice dropped lower, almost a whisper. "the burden may be more than you can bear."