Chapter 79 - The One to Follow

She was back to the cold, foul-smelling sewers again. The marionette was now retracted into a doll with a sad face. Its lips were sewn to a sad curve. Faustina let go of its hand—and then shifted her gaze to Owen.

Blood.

Owen was bleeding.

Faustina's eyes widened and immediately helped the limping man. He was gasping and heaving. There were claw marks on his skin and slashes on his body.

"A-are you alright?"

"'m fine," Owen answers, "'m glad ye snap outta it,"

Faustina blinked.

"I'm not properly trained but I know warlock's marionettes. They'll weep like babies and will be… evil. We have to go."

And as Faustina helped Owen to his feet, they began to move away from the puppet, without stepping into the circle. Faustina noticed blood on the other hand of the marionette.

"H-hurry," Owen says. "It'll follow us."

"I—I'm sorry—"

The darkness was looming all around the corner. They had no lamp to light their way into the sewer's dark paths. It was a good thing Owen's sword was emitting a bit of dim light. Faustina felt it was not the time for inquiries.

"T-the marionette will weep for a few minutes until it will crawl to seek us. We have to hide. We will not make it to the exit."

"Wh-what?"

"It beat me up. Unmoving. Only in one hand. That marionette is fueled with dark magic as well as…"

'Faustina…'

Faustina felt a shudder to her spine.

"Did you hear that?" Faustina wanted to make sure she wasn't the only one hearing things.

"Ye bet I did." Owen retorts. "We have to hide. It's getting near."

Faustina nodded.

They went to different trains and passages Faustina never saw before. In a small corner, he left her.

"Wait here. We can't be together. The stench of my blood is strong…" Owen says weakly. "Ye have a connection to the marionette, that's why we can't say you will be safe with a boundary. If I draw one, it'll find you sooner."

"W-what do we do?"

"Stay put." He says. "It'll find ye sooner or later. I will attack at your signal. Ye'll be the bait. Is that okay with ye?"

Faustina nodded.

"Goddamn that Abe, where is that punk when ye need him."

Faustina blinked. "You know Abe?"

"Well, how'd ye expect me to have connections with the duke, and not some assassin?" Owen mutters. A sinister whisper lingered. "It's comin'. Give me a signal. I'll attack once it gets near."

Faustina nodded, and with that, Owen shut the light from his sword and was gone from her sight.

Faustina was covered in soot and dirt. How could she come out like this—or come out alive, even? She bit her lips and listened to the eerie silence of the sewers. In the stillness, she waited.

She held her breath as she heard a rustle. And then her lips were covered with a cold hand.

**

"Where's that damn brat…" Lucas Feuerlon mutters in annoyance. He has been strolling around the capital, jam-packed with a crowd of different races and social standing, in look for a certain person of importance.

Ezekiel Johann Unsterblich.

The next schoolmaster of Magierstadt. He was nowhere to be found, which was not a surprise in general. Ezekiel was a young man of wonders—one day he's uninterested, the next day he is curious. With a façade of a handsome young man with an unexpressive emotionless face, he was a feast to the ladies, but for Lucas, who was all-smiles and an extroverted ambitious noble, considered Ezekiel as rather snobbish and a brat.

"We've search to the southfarthings. He's nowhere to be found."

"East as well."

Lucas wanted to crush his own staff.

"What about those deployed in the west?" He asks.

"They are yet to return."

"Then let us go there."

And as they headed to the west part of the smaller portion of the capital—the Farthings (which is basically a smaller portion of the town where the majority of parties take place, where nobles reside, and the one nearer to the central harbor), Lucas saw a familiar face running towards him.

"Maddie?" Lucas exclaims in surprise. "Why aren't you in the Chateau?"

"L-lady Faustina! Sh-she's!" Maddie heaved. The troops spoke to themselves as they see the maid soaked in sweat and is obviously in panic.

"Where is she?" Lucas asks calmly. "Maddie, calm down," Lucas appeases her as he held her shoulders, holding her firm to place.

"She's—She run off!" Maddie exclaims. "And her shoe—oh her shoe—she left the other pair in the middle of the road, sir! I—I don't know where she has gone into!"

Lucas sighed, and then massaged his temples.

Ezekiel and Faustina. A brat to find—and a missing sister.

"Double the troops. Request backup. We have a situation here." Lucas tells the soldier.

Maddie was still panicking and was on the verge of crying.

Lucas sighs.

"Where is Orwell, by the way?" He asks. "Is he in the suite?"

"I—I do not quite know, sir! We were supposed to meet in the Chateau, but M'lady run off—"

"I'll go get Orwell," Lucas says. "Maddie, go rest. Lieutenant!"

"Sir!"

"Bring Maddie to the Manor safely. Do not listen to her ramblings."

"B-but sir!"

"Maddie." Lucas patted her head. "I can handle this. You are tired. Rest. I'll find Faustina."

Maddie stared worriedly, but then she nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Prepare a carriage!" The lieutenant exclaims.

**

Faustina gasped, suppressing a scream as light sparked from nothingness—in front of her. Light from a stone being held by someone—

Light illuminating silver locks.

"Y-you're…"

"Shh," he says. "What are you doing here, Faustina?"

"What are YOU doing here—Ezekiel!" Faustina retorts. "It dangerous to be here!"

"SHH!" Ezekiel shushes.

An eerie whisper again.

"Turn the light off!" Faustina mutters silently. The light from the stone was now gone.

Silence.

"It's coming," Ezekiel says, his eyes fixated on the darkness.