As I rushed through the hallways, aiming for the Comte's bedchamber I was suddenly stopped by the slightly ajar door leading to Cadence's room. The sheets of the bed were disturbed, an energy reading came from underneath them. Someone was sleeping on Cadence's bed.

"Poor girl, you've been replaced all too quickly."

Stepping closer to see the face of the unfortunate soul that stepped foot in this house I lit a dim fire behind my shoulder, revealing a woman mid to late twenties with pale lavender hair and puffy, irritated eyes. Did she cried herself to sleep? Why? No, inside those walls the question would be why not. Only there's something more about this woman hugging the pillow like it's priceless treasure, something in the likes of I, or more accurately Cadence, knowing her. Having met her before but I just couldn't place the feeling.

That is until she opened her eyes. In terms of genetics Cadence took the golden hair from that bastard's side of the family and the same eyes as her mother. And now those violet irises were staring at me, the same as myself.

"What!"

This didn't make any sense. Why was she here of all places, why are her eyes red from crying. From the start she was the person I least expected but still for her to act like that, what happened?

Eliza: My cute charoite.

In a half asleep state her hand reached out to me. I took a step back, snuffing the light out and before I knew it she had fallen back to sleeping, thankfully she wasn't lucid. Regardless of that whole situation I couldn't possible burn the room with her inside. I guess that I'll have to cause some form of commotion to wake the castle up after killing that bastard and then circle back here. It does make my night so much harder and complicates my escape but I can't see any way other than interacting with her directly.

Quickly tacking her arm back under the sheets and stepping out of the room I run, not trying to muffle my steps anymore, towards the bedchamber. I had no intention in staying even a second longer in this horrid place. Opening the bedchambers' door that bastard's bed was about to get into range for my fire spell to engulf when out of nowhere a second presence appeared, already inside realm, right by my side. Quickly jumping backwards I narrowly managed to dodge the dagger aiming for my head.

To think that bastard had someone skilled, literally, by his side. Turning around and running down the hallway I couldn't sense this presence anywhere within realm, even after the attack was finished while they were retreated their weapon their presence disappeared from the world itself. Once again she appeared right behind me ready to open a new hole in my head, this time to avoid the attack I had to roll forward as to not lose my momentum. Getting back up was more shaky since my body was anything but ready for those types of moves. If it wasn't for Arthur's memories I would most likely ended with splitting my head to the ground instead of getting it stabbed.

Only even that proved to be but a delay as I got grabbed by the back of my duster yanking me off my feet. With no time to react and them bringing the knife down on me I jumped back disrupting their balance. Given that I was both expecting it and she broke my trajectory I recovered quicker than my wannabe assassin, continuing moving forward, only one place coming to mind for me to escape.

The assassin's knife came flying at me, as I jumped sideways to dodge it she reappeared right behind me jumping me and pinning me to the ground. Whilst on top of me she bothered to flip me around, most likely to be able to see my face twist as she put her hands around my neck. What an absolute sick person I was facing. They applied pressure for all a second before loosening their grip for some reason.

???:You...

A familiar voice, soft and sweet normally but now unable to hide its hostility and the two surprised eyes, violet? That's right! She's Lana, that bastard's personal maid, for as far back as I can go into Cadence's memories she always stood there, by his side, to a creepy degree. Now that I think about it she was inside the master bedroom and the smell from the couch... Oh shit!

Lana: I'm very glad that you survived.

You neither look or sound the part though.

"How so? you got tired spreading your legs to make a heir?"

Lana: You were always an eyesore to me. It's so much better to kill you with my own hands.

"You sure know how to bark. I goes to show how good a bitch you are"

Her face twisting in anger, she pressed her palms around my neck with all the strength she could muster. And it was a lot to add, forget about chocking me to death she was going to crush my windpipe into a tenth its original size. Acting quickly I striked her exposed elbows with the inner part of my palms. Forced to lose her grip on me, least she breaks her arms, her head came rushing downwards right where I wanted it as rapidly raised mine. In one swift move her nose had an encounter of the close type with my forehead, letting out a very satisfying splattering noise along with all the blood and snot normally found inside.

Kicking her to the side and getting up I picked up the pace while she recovered. Finally I arrived upon Cadence's room once more. Betting on her losing her bravado with another person around I locked the door behind me and hugged a nearby dresser making enough noise with my actions to awaken Eliza.

Eliza: What is going on.

In her half asleep she missed the, larger than both of us combined, dresser jumping across the room and blocking perfectly the door from opening. Her eyes finally narrowed down on me before going wide with surprise. Now that I think about how can we see so good in the dark, having a moment to take a breath aren't both Lana's back then and Eliza's eyes right now somewhat glowing like nocturnal animals? I also could see fairly well even without relying on realm. Is it something that people with violet eyes can do or something? An observation better saved for calmer times.

Eliza: It's really you!

Jumping out of bed she opened her arms wide to embrace me but I quickly reminded her that that's not how it works as I jumped to the side before collapsing to my feet from the landing. I didn't realized that I had gotten so tired, sure all the running was taxing on my body but not to this degree or perhaps... Most likely using inner energy had an effect in the body since before mispporting the dresser I was generally okay. Expanding that amount of energy in such a short time managed to cause shortness of breath and hazy vision, signs of physical exhaustion. A possible reason why inner energy spells fell out of practice and chants are a derivative of outer energy ones. An interesting idea to say the least.

Eliza: What happened to you. How are you here! Oh my, you're bleeding!

"Shhh"

As soon as that sound came out of my mouth a pounding came from the door.

"What happened did you licked ass so much that you even forgot how to open a door."

Eliza: Watch your language young lady!

Lana: Don't think you're escaping tonight. Your only way out is in the carriage alongside the rest of the trash.

Eliza: Lana is that you? What are you talking about? Cadence...

Lana: Shut up. The days I was forced to see your worthless face are long over.

Eliza: I don't understand. Why are you saying that.

Lana: Of course you don't. You wouldn't recognize your own reflection on a mirror even with a big 'ELIZA' written above your head.

"Can you stop talking. Even through the barricade I can smell the shallow hole you call a mouth"

Lana: There'll not even be a body when I'm done with you.

"Oh what happened! Did you not get to finish tonight? Why don't you visit a nearby pigsty, maybe being among kin will help."

I saw it clearly with realm, a powerful swing of her dagger piercing both door and backside of the dresser. Maybe I went to far.

Eliza: Young lady!

"Damn, you really are a delight for deaf ears aren't you. Don't you have any shopping trip or tea party to be instead of lecturing me."

Eliza was taken aback, her expression clouding while Lana on the other hand let out a deranged laugh.

Lana: How does it feel? Even your daughter realizes how much of a letdown you are.

I finally managed to get up and move towards the window.

"At least she's not the one going crazy over sloppy seconds."

She continued pounding at the door, chipping both the edge of her weapon and the door separating us. I had no time to waste so opening the window I looked as far out as I could. The exit of a wormhole could be opened in two different ways. Either at a place that I had a clear line of sight or, if that wasn't an option or one wasn't visualized, then any place within realm. So looking out of the window I opened a wormhole as far away as possible.

"Get in."

Eliza: What!

"If you want to live, act now. Stop standing there like your brain will run down your nose from thinking."

Like awaken from a spell she stepped forward eyes glued to the space distortion until she reached me, whereupon she turned her gaze to me giving me one final worried look before jumping in the wormhole. I did hear her groan in the distance but I needed to worry more about myself right now. Climbing the window sill I took one final look myself of Cadence's belongings, all of her memories were made in here and now they were about to turn to ash, beginning from the bed were I just started the fire.

This may well been the first floor but the floor had a height difference from the ground equal to the average house so that no one could 'just' climb through the window meaning that if I had forced Eliza to jump she could very well broken a bone or two. Myself on the other hand, despite my less than optimal physique I at least knew how to hit the landing. Or so I thought, instead of rolling to safely disperse the force of impact, after using my legs as springs, I belly flopped to the ground, saving my face from a kiss at the last second. Getting on my feet I grouped back up with Eliza who was still recovering from her little trip. Picking her by the arm we run towards the postern as I looked back to see that the fire had quickly spread and was illuminating the castle as it claimed it.

We watched by from the shadows as the guards kept at their routine until they caught glimpse of fiery red shining at the distance. What they did surprised even myself. Instead of splitting up with one of them identifying what was going on and the other staying on his place both of the run over to the main building.

"Talk about security..."

As I was opening the gate Eliza took a steps back.

Eliza: Is it truly wise to escape out of the castle.

"You're right, you don't have to escape. If you play it smart and blame the fire to Lana you can spend the rest of life as you already have, living off blood-stained money."

Eliza: Me... And what becomes of you?

"I'm not running away. I'm getting the guck out of this miserable place. And you are free to do what you believe right."

The door was open, the escape guaranteed but Eliza was hesitant. Hand in chest, she was switching between looking at the castle and me. With her expressions easing she took the first step forward when a third presence appeared inside realm, right behind her. A groan of pain as the knife stabber her in the back, aiming for her heart. Before she had the change to remove it I was already on top of her pummeling at her face with the side of my hands. My blood boiling she grabbed me by the neck. I could feel my inner energy stirring, gathering at my hands as I swung them up and down. I didn't cared about what it would cause to her, to me, to anyone I released the energy in all its fury.

And there was light. A blinding brilliance as my hands were engulfed in flames. In this state I used one of my hands to free my neck while the other was pressed against her face forcing her to scream from the pain. I kept at it until the screaming stopped, until her grip grew weak and fell off, until her flesh had melted and sipped into mine, but still she wasn't dead, her wavelength was still going strong.

For how much I wanted to finish her off and be done with her forever every second counted when it comes to open wounds, especially for someone with a smaller than average frame like Eliza's. I had to prevent blood loss at all costs. Setting a small fire for light I inspected the wound, since the knife was still inside the blood loss was kept to a minimum. Carefully I removed the dagger with both hands in the same direction it was put in. Arthur's knowledge screamed that this was a bad idea but since there was no chance for a proper operation from now on it all depended on how lucky and willing to live she was.