In a damp underground chamber, dimly lit by the red glow of crystals hanging from the stone ceiling, two figures stood before the iron bars of a prison cell.
One of them was a man with deep red hair, spiked upward like frozen flames. He wore a worn black leather jacket, covered in gashes, and his belt was lined with small knives that looked ready for use at any moment. Behind his crooked grin, his teeth were slightly pointed, and his gaze was wild—like a beast toying with its prey.
Beside him stood a larger man with messy silver hair, cloaked in a rough, dark gray robe that looked like it had been stolen from a dead wizard. A deep scar cut across his left temple, making him appear more menacing under the dim light.
"Finally," the red-haired man muttered with a grin. "We got lucky… the perfect hostage to negotiate with Dawnery Merchant."
"Hmm," the silver-haired man replied in a deep voice. "Now everything becomes easier. Only one more step to the artifact."
The red-haired man glanced sideways. "Have you prepared the nobles?"
The silver-haired man gave a small smirk, then answered flatly, "That was the easy part."
But his tone suddenly turned sharp, mocking.
"But… wasn't that your job, Donovant del Eltzheim?"
Tension crackled in the air.
The red-haired man's expression instantly darkened. He shot a sharp glare and spat on the floor.
"Don't you ever say that wretched name again, or I'll cut off your head, Simmon."
Simmon shrugged, unfazed.
"Whether it's Derek or whatever… I don't care. As long as you keep your promise to avenge your grudge, and I can finally summon the creature within that artifact."
He reached into his robe and pulled out a crimson-black orb. It was etched with ancient symbols, its color like dried, hardened blood. Cracks lined its surface, and it was clearly just a quarter of a whole artifact.
Derek narrowed his eyes at the object.
"Two more pieces left…"
He spat on the ground again, then continued,
"One's in Dawnery… the other with the royal family. I already tried to kidnap that foolish princess—but the plan failed. She vanished without a trace."
Simmon sighed long.
"That's because you toyed around too much."
Derek chuckled lowly.
"And now, even the second plan has gone rotten. Infiltration from within—well, it worked, but… the people I placed inside Dawnery… are no longer useful."
He slowly turned to face the barred cell before them.
"But… it doesn't matter. Because now, we have a hostage perfect for a new role."
His eyes narrowed sharply.
"Isn't that right… little elf?"
Inside the cell, a young elven girl slowly opened her eyes. Liriel, who had been pretending to be unconscious, gritted her teeth. Her expression was full of anger and confusion.
"What… do you mean?" she asked sharply. "What do I have to do with Dawnery Merchant?"
Simmon chuckled darkly, his voice mocking.
"Wow… maybe elf brains are smaller than humans'. You really don't get it, do you?"
Derek joined in the laughter, his sharp teeth gleaming in a wide grin. He leaned down slightly, staring at Liriel like a predator watching its trapped prey.
"Because your sister, little miss… is there."
Liriel's face went pale.
"What…?"
Derek crossed his arms and added,
"And she… is very close to the owner of Dawnery. Almost like her own daughter."
He stared straight into Liriel's eyes, his smile terrifying.
"Now do you understand… why you are so valuable?"
Liriel fell silent. Her mouth slightly open, breath caught in her throat.
Those words—your sister is there—spun in her mind. Confusion, fear, and a sliver of hope swirled inside her.
"…Sister?" she whispered.
+++++
In the grand hall of Torain Castle, the atmosphere turned tense. Morning sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows, but it couldn't drive away the chill that settled over the gathered nobles and guards.
A guard knelt before the royal throne, panting.
"My lord… Princess Evelyne is not in her chambers."
King Thalreos Del Eltzheim, a broad-shouldered man in his middle years with a pale gold crown atop his head, stood abruptly from his throne. His golden eyes narrowed sharply, his voice booming.
"What do you mean… not there?"
The guard bowed low.
"We've searched the entire upper floor. No trace of her. The doors and windows were locked from the inside. It's as if… she vanished."
A sudden magical pulse flared from the palace's wards. The arcane sentries bowed in panic.
"Your Majesty… we've detected no outside magic breaches. Even high-level teleportation shouldn't be able to bypass the royal wards."
The king frowned, his expression tense. His finger tapped repeatedly on the armrest of his throne.
"In that case… the only possibility—"
"—is that there's a spy inside the palace," he finished coldly.
Silence fell.
The king turned toward a young man standing proudly near the throne. His hair was dark gold, short and neatly styled. His eyes were sharp, filled with resolve. He wore the ceremonial mantle of the royal family, and at his waist hung a double-edged sword engraved with a winged dragon.
"Gerald."
The young man stepped forward and bowed.
"I hear you, Father."
"Lead the troops. Search the capital and beyond the walls. Use every resource you have."
"With honor." Gerald bowed deeply with military discipline.
The king continued,
"Bring a royal mage. We need someone who can detect magical residue or spatial tampering. I want you to bring…" he turned to the left side of the hall, "Maevira Lysenne."
From the crowd of nobles, a woman in a sapphire blue cloak stepped forward calmly. Her silver hair was partially braided back. Her violet eyes glowed gently but sharply, and in her hand she held a softly glowing crystal staff.
She bowed gracefully.
"Your Majesty called?"
"You will accompany Gerald. Find even the faintest trace of magic."
Maevira nodded deeply.
"With pleasure."
Gerald turned to her with respect.
"I'll prepare the troops. We leave in an hour."
"I'll be ready," Maevira answered shortly.
Once they had left, Queen Elvianne, sitting beside King Thalreos, looked at her husband with a pale face. Her eyes were glassy, though she tried to remain composed.
"How could Evelyne… vanish just like that?" she whispered.
The king took her hand, holding it gently.
"I don't know how she got out… Hopefully, she only slipped out to wander the city…"
"And our daughter… is a strong girl. She'll come back."
The queen gripped his hand tighter.
"…I hope you're right…"
In the distance, the sound of royal trumpets began to echo—a sign that Prince Gerald and Mage Maevira had begun their search.
++++++
In the main meeting room of Dawnery Merchant—a warm hall with polished wooden floors and soft golden ornaments in every corner—silence briefly hung after the guards stepped away from their posts.
Mireth, an elegant elderly woman with silver hair tied neatly in a bun, sat upright in the main chair, her hands folded calmly. At her right stood Velmira, the elf still appearing stiff, while on the left sat Olive, a seasoned adventurer dressed simply but firmly—worn leather jacket, old gloves, and a scar across her temple.
Darwin bowed slightly, his voice calm but heavy with regret.
"First… I want to apologize for the chaos earlier. I came the wrong way."
Mireth looked at him and nodded gently.
"I won't hold that against you, dear. What matters… is that things are clear now."
"Thank you." Darwin nodded politely.
Mireth glanced at Velmira briefly, then back at Darwin.
"So… you're a friend of Velmira's younger sister?"
"Yes," Darwin replied. "Her name is Liriel. We came to this kingdom… just to find her sister, who disappeared a year ago."
Velmira's eyes widened.
"A year…? Wait… she came all this way… to find me?"
Darwin simply nodded.
Velmira looked at him, then spoke in a soft but honest voice.
"I… I forgot to send word… I was attacked back then. Some revenge groups came after me… because of mistakes I made in the past. I lost, and… to keep my companions from being caught, I told them to run. I think they're the ones who returned and said I'd gone missing. After that… I…"
She lowered her gaze. "…I was sold into slavery."
Mireth turned to her, her face gentle.
"And that's where I found her."
Velmira nodded slowly.
"Yes… I've been living here since then. I never thought… Liriel would come looking this far…"
Darwin, who had been silent, finally spoke.
"If you were alive and living comfortably here… why didn't you send a message?"
Velmira hesitated.
"I… I didn't think to—"
"For a whole year?" Darwin cut in, his tone sharp.
Velmira looked down. "…Yes."
Darwin took a deep breath. Then, with a cold and firm voice, he said,
"Do you know what Liriel went through before getting here?"
Everyone in the room fell silent. Velmira looked at Darwin, her eyes starting to well up.
"She fought. Alone. Searching for you. In strange cities, with only vague clues. She fought off kidnappers, survived storms, slept in forests, and kept walking… because she believed her sister was still alive. And you? You just… forgot?"
Mireth opened her mouth, trying to mediate.
"Velmira suffered much too, Darwin. You don't know how—"
But Darwin looked at her calmly.
"I'm not denying her suffering. But I'm talking about responsibility." He turned to Velmira again.
"Your sister… almost got caught because she was reckless. But she was reckless because she was desperate, and she still fought for you. Isn't that enough to make you realize something?"
Velmira said nothing. Her body trembled slightly.
"While she slept in a tattered tent, freezing, you were here… eating in peace, sleeping in a warm bed. Not once did you send a message—even a single line to say you were alive."
Tears began falling down Velmira's cheeks.
She lowered her head. Her voice was barely audible.
"I'm sorry… I was selfish… I was too trapped in my own shame and pain…"
The image of Liriel's bright, stubborn face appeared in her mind. That face… so pure. So full of hope.
And now—so full of pain.
Velmira covered her face with her hands, then collapsed to the floor.
"My sister… my sister came all this way… and I didn't even know…"
Her sobs broke out.
Mireth rose from her chair. Slowly, she walked over to Velmira and embraced her warmly.
"There, there… It's okay now. You understand now…"
Velmira cried in Mireth's arms.
"This is all my fault… because of me, Liriel was kidnapped… because of me… she might be suffering right now…"
Mireth gently patted her back, trying to soothe her.
Meanwhile, Evelyne, who had been standing beside Darwin, nudged his arm and said.
"You're so harsh…"