Lucien sat perched on a tree branch, watching from afar. He couldn’t hear what was being said, but the display had been more than enough. There was no doubt now—Neri was hiding something.

He chuckled to himself. She must not know that Rue and Ikar's abilities don’t affect each other. If she really wanted him unconscious, she would’ve been better off just hitting him.

Still grinning, he watched the two assassins disappear into the ground before he leapt down and returned to the spot where Neri had left him.

Neri pulled her cloak from Nyx’s saddle and wrapped it tightly around herself. Her steps were slow, controlled, as she knelt beside Lucien and gently shook his shoulder.

“Lucien, wake up,” she whispered.

He stirred, blinking up at her. “What… what happened?” He sat up suddenly, eyes wide. “The bobcat! What happened?”

Neri chuckled softly. “Calm down. You defeated them, silly.”

“I did?” he asked, brow furrowed.

She nodded. “You grabbed the sharp stick from my hand and hit them as they lunged at us. They lost consciousness upon impact.”

“Hm…” Lucien glanced down at his arm. “I can’t seem to remember. And how did I end up unconscious?”

“You started bleeding. A lot,” she said, pointing to his wound.

Lucien laughed. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m better now, right?”

Something felt off. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she let it go.

“Let’s head back. We need to disinfect your wounds.”

“Neri! Lucien! Are you alright?”

They turned to see her father and Keir galloping toward them, Orin leading the charge.

“Looks like Nyx isn’t the only one who can call for help,” Lucien said smugly.

She smiled. “So it seems.”

The horses came to a skidding stop, and both men dismounted quickly.

“Lucien, your arm… it’s injured,” Keir said, concern heavy in his voice.

“Oh really? I hadn’t noticed,” Lucien replied with playful sarcasm. “Might need stitches, though.” He tore a strip from his shirt and began wrapping his arm.

Duke Rue turned to his daughter. “Are you alright, Rissa?”

“Thanks to Lucien, I’m doing alright,” she replied, mounting Nyx quickly before they could notice her injuries. The cloak hid the worst of it.

She turned just in time to catch Keir and Lucien speaking about the bobcats.

“I’ll be heading back now. I’m a bit tired,” she said, her voice low.

Her father studied her carefully. “Are you sure?”

She nodded, forcing a small smile.

“Very well,” he said with a sigh. “Tell Joel to alert the doctor. We’ll need him when we return.”

“I will pass it on. Good night, Father.”

“Good night, Princess.”

When she arrived at the mansion, Joel was waiting at the entrance. She relayed her father’s message before retreating to her room, locking the door behind her.

She dropped to her knees, breath catching in her throat. Her cloak hit the floor, revealing deep slashes across her side.

“It’s worse than I thought…” she murmured, stumbling to the mirror.

Footsteps approached.

“It’s me, my lady,” came Enya’s voice outside the door.

Neri lifted a hand and the lock clicked open. The simple motion sent a stab of pain through her ribs.

Enya entered quickly and shut the door. “The head maid suddenly announced training for all the maids—wait… is that blood?”

Neri grimaced. “Get ready. We’re sneaking out tonight.”

Enya froze, shocked. “How did this happen?”

“I had to play the defenseless victim while protecting Lucien,” she muttered, lowering herself to the couch. “Also, I found out which guild is after him.”

“Was it an assassination attempt? I assumed it was just wild animals. The cuts… they don’t look like weapon injuries.”

“You’re right,” Neri said, smirking. “It was an animal. Two, in fact.”

Enya blinked in confusion. Neri leaned forward.

“What guild is known for staging their kills to look like animal attacks?”

Enya gasped. “Arlo Guild? But—they usually avoid the Shadows!”

“They knew,” Neri said, voice cold. “And still, they came. Which means someone powerful is backing them. They were warned not to interfere if there was even a whisper of the Shadows Leader nearby.”

“They don’t fear the Shadows,” Enya muttered. “They fear you.”

“I am the Shadows,” Neri replied. Her voice was calm—but deadly.

Enya shivered.

“To answer your question,” Neri continued, “I will be sneaking out. You’re staying here.”

Enya tried to hide her disappointment.

Neri glanced at her, eyes narrowing. “You wanted something.”

“N-no,” Enya stammered.

Neri chuckled. “No, I can’t read minds—” She paused, noting Enya’s expression. “Never mind.”

She peeled off the tattered shirt and pulled on her guild uniform.

“Go check if my father and the boys have arrived,” she ordered.

Enya bowed. “I’ll return shortly.”

The door locked behind her with a flick of Neri’s fingers. She slumped against the wall, one hand pressed tightly to her wound.

“Mom… Dad…” she whispered. “I’m in pain.”

A tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly.

Her teacher’s voice echoed in her head:

“You are the weapon of the Shadows. Weapons do not cry. They storm, destroying everything around them.”

Then her father’s words followed, softer, more human:

“Neri, it’s okay to cry. No one will hurt you anymore.”

But the pain in her side begged to differ.

She winced sharply. Arcadia should have stabilized her… unless—

Koa’s voice surged in her memory:

Don’t use your abilities for the next 24 hours. Any use will cause extreme internal pain. If you do, you’ll have an hour and a half before it kicks in.

A knock sounded at the door—gentle, patient.

She turned to answer, but pain hit her like a spear, tearing through her abdomen. She gasped and dropped to her knees.

Blood had soaked through her nightgown.

Unlocking the door… I used my ability again…

Her body trembled. This was bad. The hour and a half was up.

She crawled toward the bed, teeth clenched. 

She opened her mouth to respond—but another stab of agony silenced her.

And then, everything began to fade.

Another knock. She couldn’t even speak.

This was very bad.