"Where is it?" Evelyn asked.

It was like yesterday that she entered the forest by herself and found a slave that later on became her guard and aide.

​​

Now, as she approached the entrance of the Shield forest at night, she felt the difference of it from the day.

It was eerie and some monsters are making noises that will send the hairs at the nape of the neck stand.

Allan, Cabel and Evelyn, decided to continue their talk at the Shield Forest where the Cabin was found out.

They rode a horse in the middle of the night. Allan knew that it would be better not to waste time like what his sister, Evelyn said.

The galloping of the horse was what indicated the nights that someone was approaching. They prepared themselves for battle however they saw their Young Master with Duke Cabel and a masked woman riding the horse in full sprint.

They immediately step aside. Curiosity lingered on them because of the appearance of the two individuals accompanying the rushed Allan.

Meanwhile, Allan heard all about what Evelyn needed to tell him. The black mana, what they found in the temple… her speculation about the connection of the sacrifice spell in the cabin to the Temple of light.

It was so shocking that he was left speechless. And Evelyn, that time nonchalantly talked about how she helped the Duke when there were some mages and assassins that ambushed them on the way to the St. Prisch Academy

She asked about why Duke Keene decided to leave the mansion when he knew that there was something going on in the fief.

That question also left him to wander.

His father isn't the type to act without reason, and saying that he was going there just to inspect was obviously made up.

'Why did father tell me that he was just going to inspect the St. Prisch Academy… what for?'

He wanted to absorb the information first and weight the odds. However, they are pressed in time.

"Young Master... Evelyn called.

"What is it?"

Allan felt a pang whenever he heard his sister call him something like a stranger would do. Still, he decided to let it be… he really didn't have a choice but to accept how his sister would treat her.

'In the first place, it was my fault that Evelyn became like this… it was because of how immature I acted towards her.'

Allan can't help but blame himself, after she was gone, everything felt like an empty hole. There was nothing that he could do to bring back time and nothing that could do to bring back his sister alive.

At least, that 's what he thought. But right now, he has a chance and Allan decided to gain his sister's forgiveness.

The four years that passed let him realise his action towards his own sister was uncalled for. She was just a child like him but all the blame fell behind that small shoulder.

"Are we still not there? How far was it from the entrance?" Cabel asked while they were still riding the horse and was running at full speed.

And along the way, they are also killing monsters that they encounter.

"We're here…"

Allan responded as he saw a small light getting wider and brighter every time they moved forward.

They left their horses to the knights and proceeded to enter the Cabin without paying attention to the knights curiosity stares.

The second leader of the knight whose name Evelyn didn't know led them to the underground without asking much about who was accompanying their Young Master, especially that Evelyn looks like an assassin with all the black fabric enveloping her.

She was getting stares every now and then but Evelyn ignored it.

'It was natural for them to be suspicious…' she thought.

The dark lit underground and a smell of decay, blood, moss as well as the moisture lingering around can definitely make someone's stomach turn upside down.

Cabel gave Evelyn a handkerchief… She was dumbfounded because she already had a mask on her face.

"Double protection…. It's too smelly"

Evelyn can't help but question her decision when she let Cabel accompany her in this inspection.

Allan just stare at Cabel like he was thinking how stupid can he be to act frivoulous in this kind of situation.

Both Allan and Evelyn, shakes their heads. Cabel just stares at Evelyn and his hand reaching out with the hanky. He was waiting for Evelyn to get it from him.

And she did, a small sigh escapes her lips. The next moment, Evelyn stands at one of the iron bars and sees the prison cell that was big enough to fit a hundred people.

A scowl made its way to her face. She saw the corpses, rather, she saw the remains of the people inside the prison.

"Why are you still not doing something about this?"

She was asking about the bones that were stacked and piled like a pancake.

"Ugh...that comparison was foul…" Evelyn mumbled.

Allan then replied to her.

"The Knights will get them out of here at the break of dawn and hold some funeral."

"That's good… we should at least give them a goodbye."

Evelyn searched the other prison cell and the size of the underground was big enough to conduct and held a conference with five hundred people.

One of the prison cells caught Evelyn's eye. She slowly approached it and was getting a sense of deja vu.

"Key…" she asked.

The second leader of the Light Legion looked at their Young Master Allan, when he saw that Allan nodded, the leader gave her the key that they found in the Cabin.

She entered the cold cell and wandered her eyes to the dark lit room and the moist that made the floor cold.

"The cement wall is still here… that torch was still hanging there…"

Evelyn bent down and picked up a chain that was pierced and connected to the wall.

She mumbled…

"This one is also here…"

"Eve…?" Cabel whispered as he followed her inside.

"Evelyn immediately ironed her crumpled face before she face Cabel however she was too late to notice that Cabel already saw her wretch expression.

"What? Tell me what is it?!"

She was quiet for a bit before she decided to open her mouth and answer him.

"When I was young, this cramp cell looks too big and scary for me..."

Cabel knitted his brows as he become concerned because Evelyn mumbled words while her face become paled just like a white sheet. That's when a memory flashed to his mind…

"Don't tell me this is where you…"

Evelyn let out a laugh that almost sounded like a scoff… She stood up and left the room and Cabel also followed him. Allan become baffled as he saw Cabel's angry face that says I'll destroy them.

"What happened there?" He asked,

Evelyn just smiled and walked towards the open space.

"It's nothing… let's go, I still need to see that spell."

"No, I need to know why that guy became like that… there was something, right? Tell me, I need to know…"

Evelyn looked back at her brother and sighed.

"It's nothing, it doesn't concern you…."

Continuing her steps to arrive at the place where the enchantment circle was drawn, Evelyn halted… more like, she was stopped by someone pulling her.

"What?!"

A chilling air swept the people accompanying the two. His hand around her wrist was gripped tightly.

"Don't give me that reason… I agree to let you come with me because you said you might have seen something that might lead to why this is happening…!"

"Let her go…!"

Cabel intercepted and held Allan's hand that was grabbing her wrist. The knight who was with them didn't have time to react as he didn't know what happened that leads to this situation.

"Don't interfere with us, Duke Cabel. This is a family matter…"

"Family matter? If I remember correctly, that ended long ago since you blamed her for everything!"

Allan flinched at Cabels' words. He looked at him like he was ready to slit his throat.

Cabel smirked with his chilling presence. His eyes were glowing dangerously so if everyone could see and witnessed this moment, they could say that he would flip everything if Allan didn't heed his words.

"Young master… please calm down"

The knight called Allan, he doesn't know what they are talking about… family? Why would they talk about something like that inside the underground full of corpses.

The second leader of the knight knew that Cabel is now a Duke while Allan was still the heir apparent.

Meaning, Duke Cabel has a title while Allan was still not in that position. It means that Cabel has more authority than him.

Allnan grits his teeth. Evelyn who saw this ridiculous situation heaved a deep sigh.

"Enough! Both of you, Let go…"

They were still looking at each other grimacingly.

"Now!"

Evelyn felt like she was in the middle of a brunt force as their aura was leaking at them. Allan let go of her hand and so Cabel also did the same.

She walked away, leaving the two behind.

"W-wait!"

Evelyn sigh, her brother won't let the matters rest until he knew what it was about.

"It's where I was held captive… happy now? Let's proceed."

She ended the argument and arrived at the open space where an altar and dried blood was scattered all around the wall.

Allan became quiet after he heard Evelyn.

'This is where she was held captive?? When??' He thought…

He looked down and tried to suppress his anger at himself.

'How can you be this idiot? Why do you need to ask a question that will bring bad memories to everyone?'

Allan was feeling frustrated at himself. There was nothing right he did since he saw Evelyn.

At that moment, Allan saw yet again the patterns that were inscribed on the floor. A thumping sound came from his heart.

He grabs his chest as if someone was holding them and gripping it hard.

"Ugh…"

He coughs like there's no tomorrow. And the next thing he knew, his visions were getting dark and Evelyn's shocked sunset eyes was what he last saw before he plopped down to the ground.