Ali Arkman arrived at the Smith Villa in a cloud of dust and then got off the horse. The moment his boots touched the ground, his heart sank.
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
The gates were wide open. The walls were cracked. The courtyard was in ruins.
"Damn it! What the hell happened here?" He didn't even bother tying his horse. He rushed inside.
The main hall was a mess. Furniture overturned. Traces of battle everywhere. Cracks on the floor. Broken pillars. Dried blood.
Ali ran through the corridors. "Mr. Rudeous! Lady Alice! Rowan! Daliah! Lilith!"
No answer. He searched every room. Every corridor. Every corner of the estate.
But nothing. Not a single person. His heart started pounding harder and harder. He came outside disheartened.
Then…
Suddenly.....
His eyes fell on the courtyard ground. There were words carved crudely into the stone.
Not written with ink. But carved with force.
