The silence that followed the man's words seemed to last longer than it should have.
Clark continued holding the servant against the wall, although the man's resistance had almost completely vanished. He struggled to breathe, his eyes moving between their faces as though searching for some way to escape. There was fear in his expression, but it wasn't the same fear as that of someone who had just been caught. It was something deeper, a certainty that whatever was about to happen would be worse than anything Aken or Clark could do to him.
Aken stepped a little closer.
"What did she see?"
The man opened his mouth, but no answer came immediately. His eyes shifted toward the entrance of the house before returning to Aken.
"I don't know everything. I was only told to watch the family and report whenever she appeared."
"Who told you to do that?"
"I never saw his face."
Clark pressed the man's arm a little harder against the wall.
"Convenient."
"It's true! I received instructions from other people. Sometimes someone would show up at the inn. Other times, they left messages. I didn't know what they were looking for in her."
Aken watched the man in silence.
The trembling in his hands didn't seem feigned. Even so, fear wasn't proof of innocence, and someone's ignorance didn't mean they hadn't taken part in something far worse than they realized.
"You said she saw something," Aken continued. "What happened that night?"
The man tried to answer.
Then his expression changed.
First, he frowned, as though he had felt a sudden pain. Then he clutched his chest and tried to pull away from the wall. Clark noticed the movement and caught him before he could fall, but the servant already seemed unable to keep his body steady.
Aken stepped back half a pace.
Not out of surprise, but to observe.
The man began to tremble. His fingers clenched around his clothes, and a muffled sound escaped his throat. For a moment, he stared at Aken with wide eyes, as though he had finally understood what was happening.
"No..." he murmured.
Clark looked at Aken.
"What's happening to him?"
Aken didn't answer immediately.
Something was wrong.
The man tried to breathe again, but the movement was interrupted by a sudden convulsion. His legs gave way, forcing Clark to hold him up so he wouldn't collapse all at once. The servant's gaze grew unfocused for a few seconds, and then his hand slipped from his chest.
By the time Clark lowered him to the floor, the man was no longer responding.
Aken knelt beside the body.
It didn't take long for him to realize there was nothing more to be done.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
The house remained as silent as before. The table, chairs, and extinguished fireplace stood exactly where they had been, while the light entering through the back window illuminated only part of the floor. The man's body lay between them, and the smell of dust and damp wood seemed stronger in the enclosed space.
Clark slowly stood up.
"That's the second one."
Aken continued studying the corpse.
"Yes."
"The same thing that happened to the other one?"
"Similar."
Clark ran a hand over his face and slowly exhaled.
"Wonderful. Another dead man and no answers."
Aken examined the body for a few more seconds before standing.
"Now we know it wasn't an isolated incident."
"We already knew someone was eliminating witnesses."
"We knew they were willing to kill. We didn't know they could do this even after losing control of someone."
Clark looked at the corpse.
"Do you think it was some kind of spell?"
"It could have been."
"Blood magic?"
Aken took a moment before answering.
"Perhaps. It could also have been alchemy. We don't know enough to distinguish one from the other."
Clark remained silent.
The vampire theory was still on the table, especially after the information he had gathered about the men connected to the court. Even so, the two cases didn't prove that a vampire was behind the deaths. A skilled alchemist might have developed a method of altering the human body, while someone familiar with ancient rituals might have been capable of producing a similar effect by other means.
There was also the possibility that they were dealing with something neither of them understood.
Aken disliked that last possibility, but there was no reason to dismiss it simply because it was inconvenient.
Clark crouched beside the man once more, searching for any detail they might have overlooked. After a few moments, he gave up and stood.
"We can't keep questioning people who die before they answer."
"Then we need to find someone who can talk."
"If there's anyone left."
Aken looked at the open window.
The man who had escaped was still a possibility, as was anyone involved in hiring the servants. However, the death before them had made one thing clear: the closer they came to the truth, the greater the risk of losing the few leads they still had.
"We need to return to the manor," Clark said.
Aken shook his head.
"Not yet."
Clark looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because we already know someone inside that estate is watching the family. We know Vanessa saw something, and that people involved in the matter are being silenced. Going back now won't give us an answer."
"And what do you suggest?"
Aken glanced at the door.
"The church."
Clark remained still for a moment.
"The church?"
"Vanessa was carrying a prayer book when she was last seen. We also found that piece of blue fabric in the garden chapel. We don't know whether the two are connected, but the church might have records of the family or information about the places she used to visit."
Clark thought for a few seconds.
"The priest might also know something about the region's old customs. Rituals, stories about spirits, that sort of thing."
"Exactly."
Clark cast one last glance at the corpse.
"I hope he's more talkative than our last acquaintances."
Aken headed for the exit.
"That would be a welcome change."
---
The church stood in an older part of Velen, along a street that climbed gradually from the marketplace before ending at a small stone square.
The building was older than most of the surrounding structures. Its pale stone walls had darkened with dampness, and parts of the roof had been repaired so many times that the tiles came in different shades. A narrow tower rose above the main entrance, holding a bell that could be heard across much of the village.
Despite its simplicity, the place appeared well maintained.
Flowers stood in front of the entrance, and small candles could be seen through the side windows. A few people entered and left in silence, while others lingered in the square talking before returning to their duties.
Aken slowed as they approached.
"I expected to find more people," Clark remarked.
"Perhaps they're working."
"Or perhaps everyone has discovered that the priest is terrible at conversation."
Aken looked at him.
"Are you planning to ask questions or annoy him?"
"I can do both."
Aken didn't reply.
They climbed the steps and entered.
The interior was cool and quiet. Wooden benches occupied the central nave, arranged in rows facing a simple altar. A few candles burned near a stone statue, while light filtering through the stained-glass windows cast patches of color across the floor. The smell of wax, old wood, and incense lingered in the air.
There were few people inside at that hour.
A woman knelt near the front benches, praying in a low voice. Farther back, a man was gathering used candles and carefully placing them inside a box. When he noticed the two newcomers, he raised his eyes and waited for them to approach.
He was a middle-aged man with brown hair beginning to turn gray and a calm expression. He wore a dark tunic beneath a light-colored robe, fastened at the waist with a simple cord.
"Can I help you?"
Clark took out the Guild document he had presented at the manor.
"We're investigating the disappearance of Vanessa Vane. We need to speak with someone who knows the family and the religious customs of the region."
The priest glanced at the document but didn't seem particularly interested in it. His eyes remained on Clark for a few seconds before turning to Aken.
"Has the duke already sent people here?"
"Not that we're aware of," Aken replied.
The man let out a small sigh.
"I thought it would come to this."
Clark put away the document.
"Does that mean you know something?"
"It means Vanessa attended this church from childhood. Her disappearance concerns many people in Velen, and not only because of her family's position."
The priest looked at the empty benches.
"She was a beloved young woman."
Aken noticed a subtle change in the man's expression when he mentioned Vanessa. It didn't seem like a rehearsed answer meant to please the investigators. There was genuine concern there, although that didn't mean he knew every detail of the case.
"Can we speak somewhere else?" the priest asked. "I wouldn't want to disturb the people who came to pray."
Clark nodded.
The man led them through a side door into a small room containing a table, several chairs, and shelves filled with books. A wooden crucifix hung on the wall above a low cabinet. Several documents had been arranged in small stacks on the table, some old enough that their edges had yellowed.
The priest gestured toward the chairs.
"Please, sit."
Clark took one. Aken remained standing for a few seconds before sitting as well.
The man closed the door.
"My name is Edric. If you tell me what you've discovered so far, perhaps I can help."
Clark cast a quick glance at Aken before answering.
"Vanessa disappeared three weeks ago. Her family believes she was in the gardens of the estate when she vanished. We found no clear signs that she left the manor of her own accord, but there are some inconsistencies in the servants' accounts."
Edric frowned.
"Inconsistencies?"
"People who should have seen something but didn't. Others remember different details. We also discovered that some servants hired recently left the estate without explanation."
The priest remained silent for a few moments.
"That's concerning."
"We also found a piece of blue fabric in the small chapel in the gardens," Aken added. "The family couldn't explain how it got there."
Edric looked at him more closely.
"Vanessa used to wear blue dresses."
"We know."
The priest lowered his eyes to his hands.
"She had liked that color since childhood. Her mother used to say it was because Vanessa thought blue reminded her of the sky after the rain."
Clark rested his arms on the table.
"Father, we need to know whether anything unusual was happening with her before she disappeared."
Edric took a moment to answer.
"Vanessa began coming to the church more frequently in the weeks beforehand. Sometimes she appeared in the morning, when hardly anyone was here. On other occasions, she stayed until late afternoon."
"Did she seem worried?" Aken asked.
"Yes."
The answer came without hesitation.
The priest took a deep breath before continuing.
"At first, I thought they were ordinary worries. She was growing up, and her family's position brought responsibilities that a young woman her age couldn't always understand. But as the days passed, she seemed increasingly troubled."
"Did she tell you why?" Clark asked.
"Not directly. Once, she asked whether someone could commit a sin without understanding that they were doing something wrong. On another occasion, she wanted to know whether a person could be forgiven for keeping a secret that might harm other people."
Aken remained attentive.
"What did you tell her?"
"That intentions mattered, but they didn't erase the consequences of our choices. I also told her that keeping a secret wasn't always the same as lying, although there were times when silence could cause as much harm as a lie."
Clark tilted his head.
"Was she satisfied with your answer?"
Edric sighed.
"I don't know. Vanessa thanked me, but she still seemed troubled."
Aken glanced at the shelves.
"Did she ask anything about magic or rituals?"
The priest went still for a moment.
It was a small reaction, almost imperceptible, but Aken noticed.
"She did," Edric replied. "Not about magic itself, but about the old beliefs of the region. She wanted to know whether there were stories about people who remained in the world after death."
Clark exchanged a glance with Aken.
"Spirits?"
"That was what I assumed. She asked whether the dead could remain in places where they had lived, even after their bodies had been buried."
Aken leaned back slightly.
The apparition at the manor returned to his memory. The figure in the light blue dress, the blonde hair, and the way it had vanished through the wall. That night, he and Clark had witnessed something that didn't fit easily into any ordinary explanation.
"What did you tell her?" Aken asked.
Edric folded his hands on the table.
"That there were many stories about the dead, but not all of them should be taken as truth. Our tradition teaches that the deceased must be allowed to find rest, which is why their bodies are prepared and buried according to the customs of the region. Even so, there are old accounts of spirits that remain among the living when something prevents them from moving on."
"And you believe those accounts?" Clark asked.
The priest looked directly at him.
"I believe there are things we don't fully understand. That doesn't mean every story is true."
Clark seemed to accept the answer.
"Did Vanessa mention any particular place?"
Edric thought for a few seconds.
"Yes. She asked about the old crypt in the cemetery."
Aken raised his eyes.
"The crypt?"
"It lies in the oldest part of the grounds, beyond the graves still in use. It dates back to a time when certain important families maintained their own burial chambers. The Vane crypt is among the oldest, though it was sealed many years ago."
Clark leaned forward.
"Why was it sealed?"
"The structure began to show signs of damage. The entrance was partially blocked to prevent anyone from getting hurt. Besides, there was no longer any reason to use it. The family began burying its dead in the newer part of the cemetery."
Aken rested his fingers on the table.
"Did Vanessa ask how to get there?"
Edric nodded.
"On the day she disappeared."
The silence that followed was brief, but enough to change the course of the conversation.
Clark leaned forward.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes. She was here in the late afternoon. She was carrying the prayer book she'd used since childhood and asked how long it would take to reach the crypt on foot. She said she wanted to learn more about her family's history."
"And you let her go?" Clark asked.
Edric seemed troubled by the question.
"I didn't accompany her, if that's what you mean. She was the duke's daughter, but she was also a young woman who had attended this church for years. There was no reason to believe she was in danger simply because she wanted to visit an old building."
Aken studied the priest for a few seconds.
"Did she say she intended to go there that day?"
Edric nodded.
"She said she planned to pass through the area before returning home. I asked her not to enter the crypt because the structure was unsafe. She assured me she wouldn't."
Clark slowly leaned back.
"And afterward?"
"Afterward, she left."
"Was anyone accompanying her?"
"Not that I saw."
Edric lowered his eyes.
"If I'd known something like this would happen, I would have insisted she wait until the following day. Perhaps I could have asked one of the guards to accompany her."
"Blaming yourself won't help us find her," Aken said.
The priest raised his eyes.
Aken hadn't spoken harshly, but neither was he trying to comfort him. It was simply a statement of fact. If Vanessa had disappeared that afternoon, they needed to discover what had happened after she left the church.
Clark stood up.
"We need to see the records of the crypt."
Edric rose as well, though he seemed hesitant.
"I can show you the documents we still have. But if you intend to enter that structure, be careful. The grounds are deteriorating, and part of the ceiling could collapse."
"We'll be careful," Clark replied.
The priest opened the door and led them back into the side corridor. Before leaving the room, however, Aken stopped in front of one of the shelves.
An old book sat between two larger volumes, its leather cover darkened by time. The title was almost illegible, but a symbol engraved near the bottom could still be made out.
Aken didn't know what it meant.
Even so, something about the design seemed familiar.
He didn't touch the book.
He simply studied it for a few seconds before following the others.
---
By the time they left the church, the sun had begun to sink behind Velen's rooftops.
The square was busier than before. Some people were talking near the fountain, while a vendor packed away his goods and stacked empty crates onto a cart. The church bell remained silent above them, and the wind carried the smell of damp earth from the nearby gardens.
Clark walked a few steps before speaking.
"A crypt belonging to the Vane family. Vanessa was here on the day she disappeared and asked how to get there."
Aken looked down the street leading toward the cemetery.
"It's our best lead so far."
"It could also be a coincidence."
"It could."
Clark let out a small sigh.
"You really don't make things easy."
"I'm not trying to."
They continued across the square.
Aken was still thinking about what the priest had told them. Vanessa had seemed troubled before her disappearance, had asked questions about the dead, and had shown an interest in a crypt that had been sealed for years. None of that proved she'd reached the place, much less that it was connected to the apparition he and Clark had seen at the manor.
But it was enough to warrant an investigation.
Then Aken stopped.
On the other side of the square, near a stone building that housed a small shop, stood a little girl.
She looked about seven or eight years old. Blonde hair fell to her shoulders, and the light blue dress she wore stood out among the simple clothes of the other children passing through the street. She stood motionless, paying no attention to the merchants or the people crossing the square.
Her eyes were fixed on Aken.
He said nothing.
The girl slowly raised one arm and pointed toward the street leading down to the cemetery.
Clark noticed the change in Aken's posture.
"What is it?"
Aken didn't answer.
The girl continued pointing in the same direction. She didn't look frightened, nor did she show any sign of wanting to approach. She simply remained there, waiting.
Clark followed Aken's gaze.
For a moment, they both fell silent.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Clark asked, his voice lower than before.
Aken nodded.
When he looked back at the girl, she was still there.
Clark took a step forward.
"Hey!"
The girl didn't react.
Aken began crossing the square, keeping his eyes on her. Clark followed, moving around the few pedestrians passing between them.
They were only a few meters away when a wagon rolled across the street in front of them.
Aken moved aside instinctively.
Clark went around the other side.
When they reached the spot where the girl had been standing, there was no one there.
Aken looked at the stone building, then at the street and the nearby corners. There hadn't been enough space for a child to disappear so quickly without being seen, and none of the people around them seemed to have noticed her presence.
Clark stopped beside him.
"I don't like this."
Aken watched the street leading down toward the cemetery.
"She wanted us to go there."
"The girl from the manor?"
"The dress was the same."
Clark remained silent for a few seconds.
"Then we weren't imagining it."
Aken turned his eyes toward the path.
The narrow street descended between low walls and old trees, leading toward the oldest part of the cemetery. In the distance, through the branches, they could make out the tip of a stone structure that likely belonged to one of the ancient burial chambers.
Aken began walking.
Clark followed.
Neither of them knew what they would find there. They also didn't know why the apparition had chosen to reveal itself again, much less why it seemed intent on leading them to the cemetery.
But for the first time since the investigation began, they had a direction that didn't depend solely on asking questions of people who might know nothing at all.
And Aken was beginning to suspect that Vanessa wasn't trying to show them where she had gone.
She was trying to show them something she had left behind.