After the heavy doors closed behind Elsera, hours passed and silence settled over the courtyard. Darius, Rowan, Vani, and the others remained just outside the manor, keeping their voices low. The tension was thick in the air—not fear, but the kind of quiet you hold when something important is happening just out of sight.
Rowan crossed his arms and glanced at the closed door. "I hope everything goes well."
"It will," Darius said calmly. "We have to trust Elsera."
Rowan nodded slowly. "I trust Lady Elsera—that's why I follow her. But I won't lie, this whole situation still makes me uneasy."
Darius didn't argue. "I understand how you feel. But for now, patience."
They stood still, the air growing colder as hours slipped by. What had begun as the crispness of afternoon had long since faded, giving way to the chill of nightfall. The estate grounds, still well-kept with polished stone paths and trimmed hedges, seemed almost more ominous in the dark. Yet, unease still crept into their bones. Every minute felt longer than the last.
Then came the sound of metal boots clanking against stone.
Two knights in silver-plated armor approached from down the path. Their helmets were off, tucked under their arms, revealing sneers that needed no masks to hide behind.
One of them chuckled. "Oh look, stray dogs waiting for their master."
The other laughed along. "Don't be cruel. They're just here to waste Lord Evernigh's time."
Vani's eyes flicked toward them, calm and quiet.
What's their problem? They don't even look that strong.
Despite the provocation, no one reacted. They kept still, composed. These weren't the kind of men you wanted to give an excuse to.
But the first knight didn't stop. "You really think your low-rank noble girl's gonna convince Lord Evernigh? She's just a bastard, after all."
That crossed a line for Rowan. His jaw tightened, his fists clenched. He took a half step forward—
—but Darius grabbed his arm and pulled him back. A silent warning.
The knights smirked, pleased with themselves.
Then their attention shifted.
"And what about this one?" The second knight tilted his head toward Vani. "Where'd she pick up a filthy mutt like you?"
Vani didn't respond. Didn't blink.
They're just trying to provoke us. No need to waste energy... But why are they trying to provoke us?
Another step. Closer.
"Hey, kid. What, too scared to talk? Or just too stupid to understand common words?"
Still, Vani said nothing. His gaze stayed fixed, almost bored. But inside, a quiet anger was rising, coiling in his chest.
Then came the spit.
A glob of phlegm struck his shoulder, sliding down the fabric.
Even Darius straightened slightly, watching Vani now.
Ignore it. Ignore it. It doesn't matter…
But then, the knight took one more step. He reached out, grabbed Vani's arm.
"What? Cat got your tongue? Or is this how your bitch of a mother taught you to act?"
Time stopped.
In one motion, Vani's hand moved to the dagger at his side.
The next, he had the knight by the throat.
His eyes weren't red anymore. They were glowing—a deep, smoldering crimson. The kind of red that didn't reflect light but absorbed it, like embers burning in a pit of shadow.
The knight's boots scraped the stone as he was slammed against the nearest pillar, hard enough to crack it.
Vani didn't yell. He didn't snarl. His silence was far more terrifying.
His grip tightened, and the knight's laughter vanished. His face turned pale as his hands clawed at Vani's arm. The others froze.
For a moment, everything felt heavy—the air, the silence, even the light itself. Like gravity had shifted, bending around the boy with blood in his eyes.
You can insult me. Beat me. Starve me. But you don't speak about her.
The knight's breath hitched, his face turning red.
Rowan's jaw hung open.
Even Darius looked… impressed.
The other knight reached for his weapon—but Darius moved before he could draw it.
"Don't," he said, calm but sharp. "That would be a mistake."
Then—
The manor doors creaked open.
Elsera stepped through the heavy doors, her expression unreadable.
She looked at the group. "It's done."
Darius tilted his head slightly. "Everything went well?"
She gave a slow nod. "Lord Evernigh will send someone to inform us of his decision tomorrow."
Everyone exhaled—quiet relief, though the tension still hung in the air.
But Elsera's eyes quickly moved to Vani, narrowing. "What happened out here?"
Vani didn't answer. He simply stared at her, his face blank, his posture composed but stiff. There was a faint edge in his cold gaze .
Elsera's tone sharpened. "Why did you grab a knight by the throat?"
Darius stepped forward, his voice even. "They provoked him. One of them spat on him. The other insulted his mother. That's how it started."
Her gaze snapped to him. "So you couldn't stop him?"
Darius hesitated. "He moved before I could react."
Elsera studied him, then looked back at Vani. She clearly didn't believe that. But she didn't push.
Instead, she gave a quiet sigh. "You can't just attack a knight of the realm in front of a noble's estate."
Vani met her eyes but said nothing.
That was his answer.
Before anyone could speak further, a thunderous boom echoed through the city—a deep, concussive roar that shook the ground beneath their feet. Windows trembled. Birds scattered from the rooftops. For a split second, everything was still.
Then chaos followed.
Shouts erupted from nearby. Somewhere in the distance, a pillar of smoke curled into the sky.
"What was that?" Rowan said, his voice tense.
The doors behind them opened again. Lord Darius Evernigh stepped through.
"What in the world—" he started to say.
But before he could finish, one of the knights—the same one who had mocked the group earlier—suddenly turned on the other.
"You fool! We were supposed to wait for the signal!"
The second knight's eyes widened in shock. "W-What are you talking about?"
But he didn't get to say anything more. The first knight lunged for Lord Evernighm
Everything happened in a blur.
Darius moved first—his instincts sharper than anyone else's. His sword was already drawn before most of the others had even realized the threat. With a single, brutal thrust, he drove the blade through the knight's chest, the steel sliding in with a sickening crunch.
The knight gasped, blood bubbling at his lips, and collapsed.
But it wasn't over.
The second knight, no longer confused—now fully part of the betrayal—snarled and spun toward Vani, blade in hand. He moved fast, with deadly intent.
But Vani moved faster.
The knife never even touched him.
With a sidestep so smooth it was almost lazy, Vani avoided the strike, his hand already on his dagger. One clean, practiced motion—nothing flashy, nothing wasted.
The man's throat opened.
He collapsed, gurgling.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Everyone stood frozen. Darius wiped his blade clean with mechanical precision. Vani said nothing. He didn't even look at the man he had just killed.
Lord Evernigh stared down at the bodies at his feet, his voice low but sharp.
"What in the world is happening?"