Craige and Keith were out attending a meeting with the Lords of the land within his domain.
"Your Graces, Hale sent a letter," Keith said as he handed it to him.
Greetings, Your Grace,
We've noticed an unusual increase in merchants entering the North. Even entertainers are flooding in, it seems suspicious.
–Hale
Craige narrowed his eyes as he finished reading. "Keith, check how many merchant passes have been given permission to enter__"
His command was suddenly cut off.
"Your Grace, something has happened!" Rolen came rushing in, breathless and pale. "Duchess Luren, Prince Karin, and Velzra… they've been abducted."
Craige froze for a heartbeat, then bolted upright from his seat, his chair clattering behind him.
Without a word, he stormed out of the House of the Marquis, where the meeting was held, panic flashing in his eyes.
"Tell them the meeting is canceled," Craige barked, already mounting his horse with urgency. "Now!"
Craige's voice rang out with authority, "Rolen, seal every gate. No one leaves the North!"
"Yes, Your Grace!" Rolen replied, then lit the
flare. A stream of black smoke cut through the white sky, a signal to all generals and soldiers stationed at every border to seal the entrances immediately.
Above, Habek soared higher, scanning the area with sharp eyes, alert for any movement.
"Venn and Roan were searching anxiously for the others, it looked like they had left without them. A sense of worry tightened Venn's chest as he scanned the empty trail, while Roan called out their names, his voice echoing in the cold mountain air."
Just then, Clara came running, breathless and panicked, shouting about what had happened.
The moment Clara finished speaking, Venn and Rolen took off without hesitation, urgently commanding the soldiers under their command to mobilize
They saw the black flare as they scoured the hot spring mountains.
"Take care of Claren," Cleven
said urgently, handing Claren to Clara before mounting his horse. Without wasting another second, he rode off in a different direction from Rolen and Venn, determined to cover more ground.
Despite their efforts, no trace had been found, the abductors were clearly professionals, leaving no clues behind.
"Search every corner, every inn, every shadow if you must!" Roan barked, his voice sharp with fury and desperation. "We will find them, no matter what it takes!"
Luren was dragged by three masked men. Her hands were tied tightly behind her back, and a cloth was shoved into her mouth to silence her cries. They had already left the forest and were now riding in a carriage
speeding toward town.
"Cover her eyes," the leader barked. "We need to get out of the North now!"
The carriage suddenly came to a halt. The door creaked open, and another masked man climbed in, his voice urgent and breathless.
"We can't leave, the gates have been sealed shut!"
"Damn it…" the leader cursed, slamming his fist against the wooden wall of the carriage. "If it's hard to enter the North, it's even harder
to escape it once they lock all four gates."
The Northern Domain was surrounded by a towering stone wall that spanned its entire border. Only four massive gates served as entry and exit points, and each one was guarded day and night by elite generals. There was no way out, not unless you could fly high enough to soar over the walls.
"We underestimated the Duke! How could he seal all the exits in such a short time?" the man exclaimed, panic rising in his voice.
"That man's a monster… I told you, we never should've taken this job. Infiltrating the North is a suicide mission," another muttered, fear
creeping into his words.
"Shut up!" the leader snapped, his voice sharp with desperation. "We either die here, or we die at the hands of the Mad King.
---
Venn noticed some plants had been disturbed, pulled out and bent in one direction. His eyes narrowed. A trail. He crouched and followed it silently, each step careful and deliberate. On the opposite side of the slope, Rolen had taken position. He raised his hand, signaling his men to spread out and surround the mountain.
"They might be hiding inside the old Diamond Mine," he muttered to the soldier beside him. "No one gets out."
---
Velzra's hands were tied tightly behind his back, the rough rope cutting into his wrists. His mouth was covered with cloth, muffling every sound. Blood trickled from his palms, he had been pulling out some thorny plants as they dragged him, hoping someone would notice the trail.
He was still wearing the thin clothes he'd used for the hot spring bath, barely enough to keep out the chill. The cold mountain wind
pierced through the damp fabric, causing him to shiver violently. Every step on the rocky path sent pain shooting through his legs, but he refused to collapse.
"Let's hide for now," one of the masked men said, glancing around with unease. "The Duke's soldiers are moving everywhere."
Velzra stumbled, nearly falling. A sharp yank on the rope forced him upright again.
"We'll meet in town tomorrow," the man added, his voice low and impatient.
"It's getting colder. Let's stay here tonight," another said as they spotted a cave nestled between jagged rocks.
They shoved Velzra inside without care. He collapsed onto the cold stone floor, his thin clothes offering no warmth. His entire body
trembled from pain and cold, blood smearing against the rock. He clenched his fists behind him and pressed his forehead to the ground. He couldn't speak. He couldn't scream. But he prayed, Please… someone find me.
---
"Where should we go? The soldiers are everywhere," the masked man asked his companion, glancing over his shoulder anxiously.
Karin shivered violently from the cold, wearing only a thin piece of cloth barely enough to cover him. They had stopped beside a large boulder, the wind slicing through the mountain pass like blades. The freezing air bit into his skin, he could no longer feel his fingers or toes.
"He's too pretty for a man," the other masked figure muttered, eyeing Karin with a twisted grin. "No wonder the Velgarith King wants
this omega. How about we sample him before handing him over?" His voice dripped
with malice.
"You do what you want," his partner said flatly. "I'll keep watch and look for a place to hide. This terrain's a nightmare to navigate."
Karin's eyes widened in horror as the man crouched down, his gloved hands brushing against Karin's trembling legs. He tried to scream, but a gag muffled his voice, and his hands were tightly bound behind him.
"Mmmph!" he struggled, twisting his body away, eyes welling up with panic.
"Stop squirming," the man growled, pushing Karin to the cold ground. He climbed on top of him, his hands now roaming up Karin's thighs as he began tugging at the flimsy cloth around his waist.
Tears welled up in Karin's eyes as dread overwhelmed him. Someone… please… help me...
---
Craige had traversed every path across the rugged mountain terrain, yet found no trace of them. The wind was cold, and the rocky slopes stretched endlessly under the gray sky. It seemed they had already made it to
town, he thought, narrowing his eyes. With urgency in his heart, he steered his horse down toward the village nestled at the foot of the mountain.
The night was deep and silent, the full moon casting a pale glow over the land as it watched silently over those still searching in the bitter cold.
"Still no news?" Clara asked anxiously, her voice tight with worry as she paced back and forth near the receiving area.
Keith shook his head solemnly. He gently took her trembling hands and guided her to sit beside him. "Let's wait together," he said softly.
"Prince Claren finally fell asleep," Ione said as he descended the stairs, his face weary. "The poor boy cried himself to sleep…"
Keith gave a faint nod as Ione joined them in their quiet vigil. Outside, soldiers continued their desperate search through snow-dusted
paths and dark woods.
"I pray they find them soon," Butler Serio said with a heavy sigh, setting a tray of hot tea on the table. His eyes drifted to the window, where the wind had begun to howl. "The weather is turning worse by the hour…
looks like a snowstorm's brewing.