"From the bottom of my heart...Thank you. Thank you so much, my proud Knight.." The King would state, sniveling as he'd use some napkins to blow his nose and wipe the tears from his eyes. The children rolled their eyes at the fifteen year old prince being such a state, while Natalie would help him walk across the luminescent land that was Khepros. Gabriel was quick in explaining himself, getting a new set of napkins in case he breaks down. "So...A Couple days ago, when me and my associate were having a vacation in this scarab, a man came up to me. He somehow had some knowledge about my royal duties as king over my very friends-"
"Who still admits that what you're wearing is Garbage.." Natalie retorted, yet Gabriel ignored her words.
"Not the time. Anyway, He offered me a deal. A chance to truly make them safe under my rule, just as long as I live long enough to see them grow. It was trite to say the least-"
"WAIT YOU MADE A DEAL WITH SOMEONE!? What did they look like!? Do they have a face!? What are they wearing!?" Harvard jumped in once he heard his situation. Gabriel took notice of the boy's expressions and would be quick to assume that he has experienced something like this. Fear wafted in his heart, his assumptions being given that he also sold something to the nefarious individual, but Natalie was quick in comforting him that no such thing was possible. Gabriel took a deep breath, before shaking his head.
"Unfortunately, I haven't. He did act a bit dramatic however. A-Anyway, Before anyone else interrupts me! There I was, thinking he's been keen on his word to ensure my rule is protected...But then.....But then...." He began to tear up, covering his face as he bawled out his own eyes, sobbing like mad, indirectly telling the children that something must've happened to the Goblins he watched over. Before long, they would be face-to-face with a building. One in red and black, with graffiti of smiles coated on the numerous walls, and a sign with blaring, yellow lights: "The Witch Hour." The letter H in its sign was faulty, flickering its light on and off rapidly. The boys would enter into the place, noticing that, despite the small cobwebs hanging across the corners of the halls and the dust that piled on its desks, it seemed to be still intact and taken care of. A Velvet rug that extends from the entrance to possibly the entire building, silver chandeliers with a well-sustained light, and picture frames of what looked to be the Goblins themselves, doing their usual antics on the festival. Nothing was truly out of the ordinary at a first glance, with Harvard even looking back and attempting to state that it feels normal, until he accidentally bumped into someone.
"Oh! Apologies! Must've been in the way, right?" A Man stated. Harvard looked up to answer his question, before silencing himself and staring at him. The man was lanky, thinner than he could've imagined, with a tailor-made cloak and dress pants, both of which were solid red. The cloak itself held patterns of eyes all over him, sporting different colors on each iris. The man's face, however, was what truly got his attention. He doesn't have any eyes, rather empty sockets. His mouth was crooked, yet it can still hold a smile. He had no ears, but he was capable of hearing the discourse, and he doesn't have a nose either. It was almost like he was a mannequin, a template for someone else. Harvard would try to look away, but he was able to notice more of them. Some were cleaning up the rooms, whilst others were busy dusting away the cobwebs, ensuring the place is spick and span. They all had the same template: Blank face, no eyes, and a cloak with a pattern of different colors. "Hello? Are you lost, young one?" The man asked, catching Harvard off guard once more.
"O-o-oh! Ah, No, no, I'm not lost! I'm good! I was just ah.....trying to make a reservation!" He would state, backing away to showcase his friends, as well as the two siblings, allowing them to see and react accordingly to the bizarre staff. He shifted his head towards Gabriel to see if this was the aftermath, to which Gabriel would nod as a result. All four of the children nearly had their jaw drop at the confirmation, looking amongst one another to question how was this possible.
"Reservations, hmm? I'm assuming for six? If you can follow me, please, I'll be sure to write down your names so you can spend the night. By any chance, do you know how long you're going to be here?" The eyeless man asked, somehow being able to make his way to the desktop, grabbing a piece of paper, and already beginning to write. He was still able to see, despite such disfigurement.
"Ahh...Har-" Harvard would be silenced by Solomon, being taken close so he can whisper.
"Let's not use our names. Try using aliases. Fake Names. Something's extremely off with them." He would mumble.
Harvard would nod in response and tried to speak again "Harley and Germain are the two people above us. I'm Hermos, and that's Zashin, Timaeus, and Critia." As soon as Harvard answered, the Staff member wrote them down and passed a key to Gabriel, letting him catch it. The Man bid his farewell, allowing everyone to leave and make their way across the now cleaned halls, following the velvet carpet upwards into a secluded room. Opening it would gift them with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fancy kitchen, and a fireplace, alongside a few books and papers. There was also a large, glass window, allowing them to get a majestic view of the city. Harvard was quick in closing the door, locking it, before turning his attention to the King. "THATS what happened!? How did they lose their eyes?? Why are they human!?" He would ask.
"I don- I don't know! Not even I was there when it happened! The moment I saw such faces, I ran for help, unable to get my bearings. It's awful, isn't it! Those are my people....and now...they're monsters!" The King became distraught once more, muffling himself within the pillows to contain any sounds. Harvard and his friends became quick in investigating the matter, keeping an eye out for the staff members, whilst also trying to look around their given room for any clues.