A Secret Meeting?

Everyone went to their respective rooms to prepare for the night to come to an end, wondering what could've happened up at the manor for destruction to fall upon it 'I wonder who was fighting? And why by our rooms?' Jack thought while sitting on his bed 'I wonder...' Jack continued to think while letting out a low hum as he saw Zack come from out the bathroom and saw the look he had on his face.

"You look like you're up to something." Zack said as Jack stood up to face him "Lets go back to the manor." Jack said plainly as Zack raised a brow at him "Why would we do that? Miss Kyla told us to stay here." he asked as Jack crossed his arms "You don't find it strange that the manor is destroyed and that we have to stay here but there's only one person among us who isn't staying here?" Jack said as Zack eyes immediately widened.

"Indra!" He said as Jack nodded "I wanna know what happened, even if they don't want to tell us." Jack said as Zack gave a slow nod "What about the girls? Should we tell them what we're doing?" Zack asked as Jack shook his head "Telling them is the equivalent of telling miss Kyla ourselves, let's go." He said as they began leaving their rooms quickly and quietly and out the way they came.

On the third floor- The Infernal Vault was for more distinguished guests or people looking for more privacy than what the second floor offers and didn't need to be cleaned by Brom or Kaela, the walls is a deep obsidian stone layered with moving veins of molten red light, like magma frozen mid-flow. The walls subtly pulse in rhythm as the sight intrigued Kyla knowing the small rumor she has heard that it may be the heartbeat of the inn.

The floor had midnight black tiles polished to a mirror sheen as they reflect the ceiling but never the people walking, while the ceiling itself had runes etched onto it that Brom explained was for warding 'Warding what exactly?' She thought inwardly as she turned her attention to the ember orbs that was drifting slowly near the ceiling as it gave off a dim reddish-gold light.

Brom also explained that orbs had it's purpose too, the warm glow was for welcome guests, the flickering red for intruders and cold blue for cursed or marked souls and abnormal beings. Each room is sealed behind blackwood doors wrapped in silver fame-etched metal, each door bearing a different flame sigil- a living glyph that shimmers with color based on the room's current state "Calm, Hostile and locked." Brom explained as she also noticed that the hallway was also unnaturally long as he explained that it was also a subtle illusion that hides how many rooms actually were there.

She also noticed that other than the sound of them walking was the distant sound of fire burning and yet there was no visable flames even as she only looked around at the walls it seemed as if a shadow was moving behind her as Brom caught her looking back a couple of times and couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

"You couldn't have built a normal inn?" Kyla said in playful aggravation "I appreciate the compliment, as much I would like to claim this masterpiece I unfortunately didn't build the inn." He said as they stepped into one of the rooms.

Inside the room was spacious, larger than it would seem from outside. As the walls were made of obsidian stone infused with ember veins that glow softly like dying coals as firelight dances across the surfaces even when no flames burn.

The ceiling was carved with ancient fire-runes that dim and glow in rhythm with the occupant's breathing. Brom explained that some ceilings show illusions of starfields, shifting constellations, or elemental storms based on the guest's essence.

The bed was sturdy, with frame forged from blackwood, and draped in ash-gray fabrics. The sheets are stitched from phantom silk—cold, smooth, and never catching flame. The windows were frosted arcane glass. When touched, they can be tuned to show real views, past memories, or even hidden realms.

The windows were intriguing to Kyla as it made her nearly want to touch it, as the furniture was a rune-etched writing desk that seals its contents in flame when left unattended. A soulmirror—shows not your face, but your truest self or buried fears and a ember chandelier hovering near the ceiling, floating on a flame current.

Kyla made her way towards the bed while Brom sat at the desk "I wanted to talk to you privately, I know talking to you about this publicly could hurt my image and trust that I built over the years." He said as she gave him a firm nod understanding where he was coming from.

"I caught wind of a meeting that's supposed to be here that was set up through Kaela, she tells me that a member that represents a noble household is coming to meet with another noble." He said as Kyla's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Another noble? What noble-" She said as it immediately clicked to her maybe because the other noble meeting here even if it wasn't a representative had to be Lord Siegfried 'But why here of all places? His office is still in perfect condition.' She thought to herself as she was confused "So you think someone is trying to use his name to make some type of profit?" Kyla asked as Brom shrugged his shoulders.

"Outside of Greyhaven most if not some humans still show disdain towards us and given the opportunity they may even take us as slaves or hostages like I was before coming here to make some quick money, so why would someone important like a representative would want to meet at my inn?" Brom said as it made sense to her, a human attempting to meet- let alone speak to Lord Siegfried wouldn't do so at the inn they would do so face to face since the same is expected of him.

"I appreciate the info Brom, when is this meet supposed to take place?"

...

At the manor Jack and Zack could be seen casually walking alongside the manor and made their way to the backyard and once they got back there their faces was in shock and disbelief as the pool was destroyed as there was also zigzag scorch burns marks and small piles of blood "What the hell happened here?" Zack asked in disbelief as he and Jack looked around in awe as Zack walked up to the small piles of blood.

"Well?" Jack asked while Zack was smelling the piles "This blood belongs to...Silas? And Indra?" Zack said while looking up at him in confusion as they looked over at the dorm building that had a hole in it as they walked over to inspect it.

Looking at the edges of the hole they both could tell that fire made the hole and looking around the room itself was obviously Indra's- no decorations or furniture "So the fight started here?" Zack said while looking at the walls as there was a claw mark going across it and on the opposite side was a medium sized crater.

"Why would Silas be here at the dorm? What was he here for?" Jack asked aloud as they looked around Indra's room and only saw a small pile of books that that Jack immediately recognized from the library.

Walking over to pick them up Zack followed behind him as his eyes widened slightly "Shadows and Necromancy? Why would Indra want to learn something like that?" Zack asked as Jack looked at the next book that also caught his attention but made him just as confused "Vamperism." He said as Zack grabbed the book.

"I've read this book, it explains what we already know and some abilities they have- not a big deal if you ask me." Zack said while shrugging his shoulders "Maybe we can find out more." Jack said as Zack was confused as Jack started heading towards the manor.

"We aren't even supposed to be here right now!" Zack said in a hushed whisper as Jack went inside the manor as the lights were off as they made their way upstairs as Zack followed him to the floor where Lord Siegfried works.

"This is a bad idea." Zack said in another hushed whisper "It won't be as bad if you shut the hell up." Jack said as they stopped at the room next to Lord Siegfried's office and once inside Jack put his hand up the wall as elven runes appeared slowly one after the other.

The runes ended up shaping into a tall rectangle similar to a mirror as the sound and sight from within the office started to appear on the wall, Silas standing in front of his father's desk while Lord Siegfried was seated and Sir Cain on his left side.

"I'm telling you father we need to get rid of him! He's going to bring the Tempest name negative attention!" Silas said while Siegfried shook his head slowly "I know I had Cain talk to you and tell you not to cause your usual antics when you came home, and yet, here you are, disobeying me as usual." Siegfried said as Silas gritted his teeth.

"I wasn't doing anything against your wishes father! I was protecting our family!" Silas said as Siegfried chuckled "By destroying my backyard? AND nearly get yourself killed in the process?" Siegfried said while standing up "If that's what you call protecting us, protecting the family name? You are doing a shit job of it." Siegfried said while walking towards him.

"How can I trust you to lead our people if you don't have control over your emotions and don't see the bigger picture? So what if Indra was studying shadows and necromancy, he's still Dragonkin and his efforts— his strength will be useful to us." Siegfried said as Silas stared at the floor.

"I never known a Dragonkin to be able to transform into a were-tiger and regenerate like he does- use mana the way he does…he's dangerous, he can potentially destroy everything you've built." Silas said as the tension in the room became thick "Right now son, I only see you destroying everything I've built." He said as it made Silas ball his fists in rage while his face remained the same-calm.

"Leave me." Siegfried said as Silas immediately turned around and left the room as Jack got rid of the spell he casted to see into the other room as they stood there in shock and disbelief "We need to leave, we've seen too much." Zack said in a hushed whisper as they began to walk towards the door only to see the knob rattle.