"Who could have done this?" Mira demanded, her voice shaking. "Someone sent assassins after us! Tell me—what explanation could there possibly be? Every life in this hall was in danger. My son's life was in danger!"
Aldwin tried to calm her. "Mira—"
"No!" Mira snapped. "Rowan could have died today! All of nobles who came could have died! We should never have come here to celebrate his memory ceremony."
Aldwin opened his mouth to speak, but Mira continued, panic rising in her voice. "How do we know they won't come again? Someone planned this—someone who knew we'd all be gathered here!"
Then Duke Will, Mira's father, approached with a firm but gentle expression.
"Mira," Duke Will said, placing a steady hand on her shoulder, "calm yourself."
She turned toward him, eyes full of fear. "Father… my son was almost killed. Rowan—your grandson—was nearly murdered in front of us."
Duke Will nodded gravely. "I know. And I will not ignore this. You and Rowan are safe now."
"Safe?" Mira's voice cracked. "How can you say that? I don't feel safe here at all!"
"You're right to question things," Duke Will said. "Most of our knights were stationed outside the gates. But the assassins came from a carriage that entered the hall directly. That means someone inside the castle helped them. Someone who planned this from the beginning."
Mira's heart sank. "So… we were betrayed."
Duke Will's jaw tightened. "It seems so."
Aldwin stepped closer. "Whoever sent them knew Rowan would be here."
Rowan stood behind them, silent.
I want to leave this place immediately," Mira said.
"No." Duke Will's voice turned firm. "It is already too late to travel. I will not send you, Aldwin, or Rowan into the night while enemy eyes might still be watching. You will stay here until morning."
"But Father—"
"Mira." Duke Will leaned forward, softening his voice. "Please. Trust me. I will personally secure this castle tonight. At dawn, we will leave together. And tomorrow… I want to spend time with my grandson."
Mira hesitated… then nodded reluctantly. "Very well. But only until morning."
Edric stepped forward once the groups were finally settled.
"They've already arranged it," he said. "The maids are preparing a room for them right now."
Duke Will nodded slowly. "Good. They need rest after… what happened."
But Edric wasn't looking at Duke Will anymore.
His eyes fixed sharply on Aldwin, who froze under the weight of his stare.
"What?" Aldwin said, uneasy. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Edric walked closer, voice dropping into something tight and serious.
"Don't act clueless," he said. "You're pretending nothing happened. That spell earlier—what was it? You screamed for help, and then—"
He leaned in, eyes narrowing.
"—those bodies showed up outside. Torn apart like animals. One shredded into thousands of pieces. Another split clean down the middle."
Aldwin's breath hitched. The image still clung to his mind like a curse.
"And not one of us sensed anything," Edric continued. "No mana. No magical signature. Nothing."
Aldwin lowered his gaze. "I've been thinking about it too. Whoever did that used teleportation… but not the normal kind. That magic was lost centuries ago. And even then, the few who could use it were only able to teleport themselves. Not other people. And definitely not multiple targets inside a sealed hall."
His voice shook slightly.
"To teleport three assassins out of the hall… into separate locations… instantly kill them with perfect precision… That's not human ability."
Edric exhaled sharply, jaw tightening. "Whoever did it is terrifying. And the worst part? They were in the hall with us. Standing among us. Watching everything."
Duke Will stepped forward, his expression grim. "No one alive possesses that power. Not in this kingdom. Not in this entire generation."
"Exactly." Edric's voice dropped lower. "So what was it? A being beyond human? A demon?"
He paused.
"…No. If it were a demon, we would've sensed its aura. Even if it tried to hide it."
"So we're still clueless," Aldwin whispered.