At dawn, the world awakened to a chilling headline carried by newspapers, messengers, and trembling lips alike:
"The Reyes Family… eradicated overnight."
The words spread like poison.
Servants froze mid-step, silver trays slipping from numb fingers and shattering across marble floors. Merchants fell silent in the middle of their bargains, mouths hanging open as if the air itself had been knocked from their lungs. Guards exchanged uneasy glances, hands tightening around their spears, a quiet dread crawling up their spines.
No one believed it at first.
No one wanted to.
The Reyes Family was too powerful. Too established. Too untouchable.
And yet—
The news moved faster than the rising sun, spilling into every corner of the nation.
In the marble halls of the Valerius Family, the patriarch slammed his fist onto the long council table. The sharp crack echoed violently through the chamber, rattling goblets and sending servants scrambling.
"The Reyes? Gone?" he roared. "Who would dare provoke such a house?"
At the towering estate of the Crowell Family, Lady Crowell pressed a trembling hand to her lips. Her face had gone pale, eyes fixed on the headline as if it might change if she stared long enough.
"A peaceful house like theirs…" she whispered. "Why would anyone commit something so cruel?"
Within the strict, iron-disciplined grounds of the Dargan Family, armored generals leaned close, their voices hushed but shaken.
"To silence them all in one night…" one muttered.
"The enemy must possess overwhelming force," another replied grimly.
High within a spire lined with ancient tomes, the elders of the Moretti Family spoke in low, heavy tones, fingers brushing over yellowed pages as though searching for forgotten warnings.
"This will change everything," one murmured.
"The balance of power has shifted."
Four noble houses—
influential, feared, powerful—
shared the same reaction.
Disbelief.
Fear.
And a growing dread of the unknown.
---
Far away, in a modest town café, the atmosphere was thick with shock.
Arthur's friends sat gathered around a single morning newspaper, its pages crumpled from trembling hands.
Tedd slammed his fist against the table so hard that cups rattled and coffee sloshed over the rim.
"This is a joke!" he shouted. "Arthur can't be dead!"
Rachel's eyes glistened as tears spilled down her cheeks. She clutched the edge of the paper, knuckles white.
"He was laughing with us just yesterday…"
Another friend shook his head fiercely, jaw clenched as if refusing to let the words sink in.
"No. Until I see a body, I won't believe it."
But the world did not wait for belief.
It had already begun mourning the fall of the Reyes family.
---
Deep within a dimly lit chamber, illuminated only by cold, flickering lanterns, a man knelt on one knee. Sweat dripped from his brow, soaking into the stone beneath him.
"The Reyes estate has been cleared," he reported, voice shaking despite his effort to sound steady. "All primary targets appear to be dead."
Before him stood a tall silhouette, cloaked in darkness. No features were visible—yet the pressure radiating from the figure was so sharp it felt like a blade pressed against the skin.
"Appear to be?" the silhouette repeated softly.
The kneeling man swallowed hard.
"T-There is… one complication."
Silence fell.
Not ordinary silence—but the kind that crushed the lungs and stretched endlessly.
"Speak," the silhouette commanded.
The man bowed even lower, forehead nearly touching the floor.
"The second son and the steward… escaped. Our men tracked them to the lake. It appears they jumped in and fled into the Silent Forest."
The pressure in the room shifted—not with anger, but with interest.
"And you let them escape?" the silhouette asked calmly.
"N-No, Master!" the man stammered. "The Silent Forest is death itself. No ordinary person survives there for long. I guarantee they won't make it out alive. The forest will kill them soon enough."
Silence again.
"And the vault?" the silhouette asked. "The artifact?"
The man flinched.
"We… still haven't found it. We uncovered several hidden chambers, but not the true vault. Its entrance must be extremely well concealed."
They did not know the truth—
That the artifact was already pressed against Arthur's chest, deep within the forest.
The silhouette clicked their tongue softly.
"So the boy escapes… the steward escapes… and the artifact remains missing."
The temperature in the chamber dropped noticeably.
"M-Master," the man rushed to say, "we believe the artifact is still inside the vault. Once we locate the entrance—"
"You will find it," the silhouette interrupted coldly. "Pray the vault is not empty."
The man's entire body trembled.
"Yes, Master! We will not fail. And the forest will finish off the boy."
The silhouette turned toward the window, gaze drifting toward the distant, unseen forest.
"Perhaps," he murmured.
"But do not underestimate a child of Reyes."
---
A dim morning glow filtered weakly through the towering trees of the Silent Forest. Even as the sun rose higher, little light reached the ground. The canopy above was too dense, trapping the world below in a muted, greenish dusk.
I slowly opened my eyes.
A cold breeze brushed against my skin, sending a shiver through me. The last embers of last night's fire crackled faintly, barely holding on to warmth.
Then I realized—
Charlie was gone.
My heart jolted violently.
"C-Charlie…?"
I sat up abruptly.
"Charlie!?"
The forest gave no answer.
Only silence.
My breathing quickened, panic creeping up my spine like icy fingers. Before it could fully take hold—
Soft footsteps sounded behind me.
I spun around.
Charlie emerged from the shadows of twisted roots, holding a handful of forest fruits.
"Young Master," he sighed quietly, "shouting like that will get us killed."
Relief and frustration crashed into me all at once.
"Don't disappear without saying anything!" I snapped, my voice shaking. "I thought something happened to you!"
His stern expression softened—just slightly.
"I went to look for breakfast. I didn't mean to frighten you."
He handed me a fruit and sat beside me.
I hesitated, then asked in a small voice, "Where are we going now?"
Charlie glanced deeper into the forest, where mist curled between massive trunks like something alive.
"We can't turn back," he said quietly. "We have to cross the forest and find another way out. But the Silent Forest is extremely dangerous—so we must proceed with caution until we escape."
My grip tightened around the fruit.
"…Is it really that dangerous?"
Charlie didn't answer. His silence alone was terrifying.
My voice cracked.
"Charlie… what exactly happened to my family? Why were those men trying to kill us? Why—"
"Later," he said gently but firmly. "I promise I will explain everything. But not now. Survival comes first."
I lowered my head, eyes burning. I swallowed hard and forced myself to eat.
Charlie stood once he finished.
"We should move. Staying in one place—"
He froze mid-sentence.
I looked up sharply.
"Charlie…?"
His entire body stiffened. His gaze locked onto something behind me.
Then— Without warning, he lunged at me.
Not calmly.
Not protectively.
But like a predator striking.
"Arthur—GET DOWN!"