Audrey’s Desperate Escape and a Fateful Confrontation

The longer days of summer were a familiar truth to the residents of Lanburg County.

Though the daylight visibly dimmed, the sky’s clear blue canopy still held its brilliance. Yet, hundreds of miles away, dark clouds relentlessly advanced, gradually pressing down upon the sorrowful town.

The diligent gardeners had long since vanished from the estate’s grounds. After merely a few days of neglect, a palpable sense of overgrown wilderness had already begun to creep in.

Audrey, clutching Colette’s hand, struggled to navigate the overgrown paths, desperate to evade any pursuers who might emerge from the mansion. Colette remained in a semi-conscious state, and after merely a few steps, she succumbed to unconsciousness. Audrey, with no other recourse, hoisted her younger sister onto her back and continued their hurried escape.

Her ankle had twisted when she leaped from the second floor. Within minutes, an unbearable, tearing pain surged through it. Fortunately, the weight on her back was as light as a feather, ensuring her arduous journey was not insurmountable by sheer force of will. With the mansion no longer safe and its servants untrustworthy, she found solace in the belief that a secluded refuge offered greater security.

“I will protect you… so please, don’t be angry with your elder sister,” Audrey murmured to her unconscious sibling as she pressed onward, Lora’s final, lingering gaze still vivid in her memory.

‘If only Rhine were here,’ she thought, ‘though I don’t need to worry too much about his safety.’

Her intuition firmly suggested that, between Daniel, Chris, and Rhine, it was Rhine whose safety she had the least cause to fret over.

The sprawling gardens were the very place where she had spent her formative years. Within the entire estate, Audrey herself was second only to the diligent gardeners in her intimate knowledge of its every nook and cranny. Early summer jasmine bloomed in profusion, and countless other unnamed, expensive flora, transplanted from distant lands, contributed to the garden’s lavish elegance. Yet, at this moment, no one possessed the luxury of mind to appreciate their beauty.

‘Chris must have already realized the estate is under attack,’ she reasoned. ‘He possesses numerous methods to transmit messages. If we can just hide in the garden and weather this initial storm, external aid will surely arrive.’

‘I wonder if any of those sorcerers are proficient in detection magic,’ she thought. ‘Our greatest hope now is that their attention remains entirely focused within the mansion, for only then can we ensure our safety.’

She stumbled forward, gritting her teeth against the searing pain in her ankle. Ahead, the path was choked with dense thorns, while behind, the omnipresent danger chilled her heart to ice. The scent of death and strife drifted from the mansion, carried on the wind’s murmurs. She could discern the wails of familiar voices, interwoven with the chilling, cruel cackles of strangers.

‘Colette is still so young,’ Audrey thought, ‘she should never have to endure such horrors. Why do things never go as planned, neither in the past nor in the present?’

‘Holy God, if you can hear me, please, respond,’ she pleaded silently. ‘Why must human destiny be so fraught with misfortune? Why are there always so many abrupt changes, so many profound injustices in this world?’

‘Mother, if the knowledge and wisdom you bequeathed to me truly hold power, why can’t I be stronger? Why am I condemned to merely witness everything unfold, utterly devoid of the strength to protect even those dearest to me?’

‘Merlin,’ she implored, ‘your footsteps span the continent, your memory permeates mountains and wilderness, and your revelations are destined to descend upon me. Yet, from your supreme temple of wisdom, could you not share, or even bestow upon me, a mere fraction of the most insignificant power?’

A soft, rustling sound swiftly approached from behind. As anticipated, the worst-case scenario had materialized. Audrey’s heart remained eerily calm. She gently lowered Colette from her back, then quickly found an unassuming cluster of bushes and carefully concealed her sister within.

“I say, let my sister vanish without a trace; sorcerers shall not find her aura.”

She wiped away the sweat beading on her brow, ensuring the hiding place was utterly foolproof. Even the most meticulous gaze would struggle to discern the girl nestled within. After a quick scan of her surroundings, she began to limp, favoring her injured ankle, towards the elegant pavilion situated at the heart of the garden.

In a moment of hazy recollection, her hand found the small golden bell tucked within her garments.

****

Belen Silvester, a Five-Ring Sorcerer, led the decapitation operation. She currently presented herself under the guise of “Head Maid Vanessa.”

The operation’s objective was clear: hunt down the direct descendants of Cavendish, procure their blood, and thereby weaken the seal on King Duran’s mausoleum, ensuring the beast tide would materialize unimpeded by the morrow.

Initially, the gatekeepers had been co-opted, and the infiltration plan proceeded without a hitch. However, matters took an unsettling turn after a servant of unknown gender accosted her, engaging in a strange, desultory conversation for a few brief moments.

First, three sorcerers dispatched into the estate had vanished without a trace. Had they merely walked into an ambush, that might be understandable, but not a single scrap of information had been relayed back. Just as she began to fear her disguise was compromised, the Cavendish family’s knightly guard remained utterly inert. This inaction only intensified her suspicion that she had stumbled into a meticulously planned trap.

Consequently, she maintained the utmost caution, instructing her subordinates to act discreetly. Unbeknownst to her, this very prudence inadvertently prolonged the search. Just as news finally arrived that the duke’s second daughter had been located, the messenger sorcerer was abruptly gunned down by a combat maid.

Thereafter, everything spiraled into disarray. Not only were they fully exposed and forced into open combat, but the second daughter had also been spirited away, escaping through a window with an unknown accomplice.

“A pack of incompetents!” she raged. “What good are any of you? What distinguishes you from mere mortals?”

After her furious outburst, she observed the trail of footprints beneath the windowsill, which led directly into the expansive gardens. With a chilling resolve, she leaped down, then casually waved her staff towards the dense trees, gently closing her eyes.

[Mana Sense]

All things possessed mana; even the most insignificant ant held a minuscule quantity. This potent detection magic enabled her to perceive the mana content of objects and beings, thereby pinpointing the exact location of her quarry.

“Two individuals are escaping,” she announced. “One is undoubtedly the second daughter; the other’s mana signature is being obstructed, rendering them undetectable. Four of you, accompany me; the rest, continue your assault on the third floor.”

Swiftly, they closed the distance. Colette was nowhere to be seen; even the potent Mana Sense failed to detect her presence. The silver lining, however, was that they had snared a much larger quarry.

The eldest daughter sat serenely in the very heart of the pavilion, her face devoid of even a hint of panic. It seemed she had, in the face of imminent death, simply abandoned all struggle.

Nevertheless, it had to be conceded that, for a noble lady, she carried herself with remarkable composure and grace. The fading daylight failed to diminish her inherent beauty. A fraction of the setting sun’s light kissed her pearl-gray hair, revealing its silken smoothness and a noble sheen reminiscent of pure silver.

As she gazed upon their relentless approach, the emotion reflected in Audrey’s eyes was not fear. Instead, it was a chilling fury, tempered by a blazing resolve.

‘Such a rare quality; what a pity,’ Belen mused inwardly. Even she, in her act of crushing beauty, couldn’t help but feel a fleeting pang of regret. Yet, it was nothing more than that.

[Necrotic Ray]

A dark, chilling beam of light erupted from her outstretched hand, hurtling directly towards the poised figure in the pavilion.

“I say—”

Golden light seemed to surge within the very fabric of space, its ethereal mist distorting all sight. The dark beam, in response to the spoken command, froze rigidly in mid-air.

Audrey’s customarily indifferent right eye transformed, shifting into a brilliant golden hue. It radiated a splendid, pure light, akin to a flickering, unblemished flame. An invisible, ancient blessing enveloped her, while unseen, high-dimensional hands gently embraced her.

[Invalidate] (Elvish)

The Word of Authority, akin to an eraser, simply swept forward. The deadly magic vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a faint golden trajectory that, in the blink of an eye, dissipated into nothingness like a fleeting dream.

Her plump, crimson lips parted once more, a soft utterance escaping them:

“I say, you shall not advance a single step.”