Chapter 117: Night Troubles [Pt 1]

[00 Months: 12 Days: 14 Hours]"Damn it… I can't sleep…"

With the sound of Seraphina's last whispers still echoing in my mind, I lay back on the plush bed, my heart pounding against my chest in a rhythm only it knew.

My mind was awash with thoughts, one blurring into another, as I tried to make sense of the tornado of emotions swirling within me.

'Seraphina... What is she to me? A tool? An ally? Or something more?'

There was an undeniable connection between us, but did it hold any weight?

I had initially seen her as a means to an end, a path to navigate through the treacherous territory of the Lyma family's machinations.

But now? Her smile, her kindness, the light kiss on my cheek, they were blurring the lines.

'Does she have feelings for me?'

Was it possible that I had stirred something within her as she had in me? Sёarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

My mind flashed to the warmth of her kiss, the feel of her lips against my skin. It seemed too intimate, too tender to be a mere friendly gesture.

'I'm so confused…'

Just as I was caught in the grip of these tumultuous thoughts, an image of Lucy Fer flashed across my mind.

The sight of her smiling face sent a flush of warmth across my cheeks. But why? Why was I thinking about her?

'Damn it! My thoughts are a mess.'

Sighing heavily, I shook my head, trying to dislodge the confusion that seemed to have taken root.

This was all so muddled, so messy. Wasn't I supposed to be focusing on the mission?

"Damn it, Mikey, get a grip," I muttered under my breath.

Attachments would get me nowhere. I had to stop this before it got out of hand.

I decided then, to push aside the feelings, the confusion, and the lingering image of Lucy Fer's wide grin.

There was no point in getting attached.

After the expedition, I'd most likely be gone, a ghost in the wind.

The warmth of Seraphina's kiss would fade with time.

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'That's right. It's all useless anyway…'

And with that thought, I forced my eyes shut, burying my tumultuous emotions under a veil of sleep.

It was a new day tomorrow, and I had a mission to focus on.

Everything else was inconsequential.

"...."

{00 Months: 12 Days: 17 Hours}

[Skill Activation]

<Danger Sense: You Are Being Targeted>

A jolt of alarm snatched me from the depths of my sleep.

My heart pounded fiercely against my ribs as my eyes snapped open, darting around the dimly lit room.

The room was deathly quiet, the kind of quiet that settled over a graveyard.

'Did <Danger Sense> Activate? That means…!'

Something was definitely wrong.

A sudden movement flickered in my peripheral vision. An amorphous, shadowy figure loomed ominously beside my bed.

'Who is… that?'

Time seemed to slow as it lunged towards me, a glinting blade in its grasp.

Reacting instinctively, I shot my hand up, grabbing the figure's wrist. I felt the cold hardness of the blade, mere inches from my chest.

A viscous, pungent liquid oozed from its tip, an unmistakable scent filling the room.

Poison.

Staring into the face of death, a savage snarl formed on my lips. With my adrenaline coursing through my veins, I tightened my grip around the figure's wrist, crushing the bones within.

A strangled gasp echoed through the room as the figure stumbled backwards, the blade clattering to the floor.

In one swift movement, I lunged, reaching out to grab the shadowy figure's throat.

But just as my hand was about to make contact, the figure dissipated, vanishing into the shadows like a wisp of smoke.

'Damnit!' I gritted my teeth, glaring blankly into space.

I was left alone in my room, the chilly night air whipping around me, the only evidence of the encounter being the discarded, poisonous blade.

'Who… was that? Did someone just… try to assassinate me?'

Still alert and on high adrenaline, I tried to control my breathing, my ears and senses straining in the near silence.

I swiftly activated <Immersion>, hoping for the traces or any sign at all of the shadow that just tried to kill me.

That was when I heard it.

The raw wail that echoed through the otherwise quiet hallways. It sounded like it came from a room not too far from mine.

'T-that voice…!'

My heartbeat skyrocketed, and my mind was immediately on high alert.

Instinct took over, prompting me to quickly jump from my bed, stowing the poisoned blade in my <Personal Space+ (Custom)> Skill.

It disappeared without a trace, leaving me unencumbered as I dashed out of my room.

The moonlit hallways rushed past in a blur, my senses fully attuned to the direction of the cries. My legs moved on their own, guiding me towards the heart-wrenching sound.

My mind, on the other hand, was a whirlpool of confusion and apprehension. What could've caused such distress at this hour?

I skidded to a halt in front of a room, my heart thumping loudly in my chest.

Inside, Seraphina and her siblings were huddled together. I could see their faces, pale in the dim light, each one mirroring the same bleak, horrified expressions.

Drius stood off to one side, his face a mask of barely concealed sadness.

'W-what… what are they doing? What's with their expressions?'

The sight of Seraphina was the hardest to swallow. She was in tears, her face etched with raw, unfiltered pain.

It was a jarring sight, so far removed from her usual vibrant demeanor. Theo, too, seemed on the verge of shattering. His hands clenched into fists at his side, his usually jovial features set in a grim line.

A sense of dread pooled in my stomach, cold and nauseating.

Something had clearly gone terribly wrong, something grave enough to reduce this normally lively family to such a state.

But what that was, I was yet to find out.

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[A/N]

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