Chapter 6 – Embers and the Abyss

Beneath the ashen sky, Selena came to a slow halt before the ruins of the once-grand mansion. Though no storm raged, the wind was sharp enough to sting her cheeks like a blade. Her breath came in short gasps, whether from tension or the cold. The once-magnificent Blanchard estate had collapsed into little more than an empty shell, its courtyard swallowed by wild overgrowth. Some had once called this place the pinnacle of Eastern aristocracy's splendor, but now, it was more akin to the abyss that concealed the truth she sought.

As she bit down on her lip and lifted her gaze, she sensed Leon's presence approaching from a distance. He was clad in a coarse cloak, his fingers absentmindedly brushing the hilt of his sword instead of the usual wine glass. His every movement was edged with caution. Selena recalled how, despite his habitual mockery, he had saved her from multiple ambushes and even followed her here in anticipation of further threats. And yet, trusting him completely still left an uneasy knot in her chest.

"Are you going in now?" Leon asked in a low voice.

The entrance to the underground study lay beyond the overgrown and crumbling garden. It was said that, once, the Blanchard family had maintained a secret library and research chamber beneath the estate. After her father's death, it had been all but sealed away.

Selena inhaled the biting air before responding. "I have to. When I deciphered the document Michel left behind, it became clear that the last thing my father was working on was likely buried beneath this mansion."

She ran her palm over the sheath of her dagger—a relic steeped in blood and memory. Blood Requiem. If this blade was truly the final key her father had left behind, then she had no reason to turn away.

"Whoever is trying to capture me, let them try. The truth starts again from here."

Cautiously, she stepped toward the ruined garden. Dew clung to the wreckage, cold against her skin. The path to the underground study led beneath a partially collapsed archway, with broken stone strewn across the way. Had she been alone, she might have struggled to clear a path. But Leon, ever nonchalant, moved ahead and deftly inspected the fallen debris.

"It's too quiet," he murmured. "Unnaturally so. Either someone swept through this place ahead of us, or…"

Selena scanned the surroundings instead of answering. When her family fell, most of the estate's servants scattered, and those who remained mysteriously disappeared. The more she took in the desolation, the more she felt the creeping weight of impending disaster.

The stairway leading underground was nearly blocked by tangled roots and rubble, but with some effort, they could clear a way through. As she and Leon worked to remove the debris, she whispered a silent prayer—May what I find here be the truth. Whether her father had been falsely condemned or whether a far greater conspiracy had devoured their family, she had to know.

And then, she felt it—a presence behind her.

Selena instinctively drew Blood Requiem. The eerie gaze that had been trailing her for some time was different this time. A shadow flickered in the darkness, then vanished. She exchanged a glance with Leon, silently questioning whether he had sensed it too, but he only shook his head slightly.

After a moment of stillness, she whispered, "Is this another ambush? Or has someone already been waiting for me here?"

Leon smirked. "You're quite the popular one, aren't you? But this feels different. It's not the usual bloodthirsty kind. It's as if they're… watching from very close by, but not making a move."

Shaking off the unease, she quickened her pace down the newly opened stairway. The air in the underground corridor was thick with the stench of decay and dampness. The low ceiling and narrow passage seemed to stretch into endless shadows, yet she faintly recalled that the old study was connected to this space.

They lit their lanterns and moved carefully. The sound of dripping water echoed unnervingly in the silence. Ancient markings covered the walls, some of which triggered a flicker of memory—symbols her father had studied long ago. Some even seemed to match the engravings on Blood Requiem. She traced them with her fingers, trying to recall their significance.

Then Leon, lifting his lantern higher, muttered, "Look."

At the far end of the corridor, someone was sitting against the wall. Dark, disheveled hair fell over their face, obscuring their features. Selena hesitated—was this an enemy? But before she could react, the figure let out a dry chuckle.

"Finally, we meet, Selena. And… Leon Blackwood. You took your time."

Her heart lurched.

"Ka… Camilo?"

She wasn't entirely sure, but the voice was eerily familiar—her former fiancé, Camilo Erheim. She hadn't expected him to be here, deep within the ruins. Why? For what purpose?

The man pushed himself up unsteadily, holding a candle near his side. In the flickering light, his identity became unmistakable. Camilo Erheim. His sharp gaze was the same as when they had last crossed paths. Yet, a bandage wrapped around his arm suggested he had sustained an injury.

"You… have you been following me all this time?" Selena asked warily.

She had long suspected someone had been keeping records of her movements, but she never imagined Camilo would be ahead of her, waiting in the underground study.

"You've been tracking my every move, even writing reports about me," she accused.

Camilo tilted his head with a smirk. "I have been keeping notes on you. For a long time. But if you want to know why, you'd have to trust me. And you don't, do you?"

His gaze flicked toward Leon.

"Is this the 'other ally' you mentioned? He looks… interesting."

Leon, still gripping his sword, regarded Camilo with mild amusement. "So, you're the ex-fiancé? Hmph. Guess you were already playing around in the dark long before we got here."

Camilo neither denied nor affirmed the statement. A tense silence hung between them.

Selena's thoughts spun in chaos. Camilo had indeed been watching her, recording her actions, yet she couldn't immediately label him an enemy. Once before, he had extended a half-hearted offer of cooperation. But she had no idea how he was connected to her father's death or why he was here now.

"If you came here to kill me, what are you waiting for?" she challenged.

"Or are you planning to capture me? If this is another trap, we might as well fight now."

Camilo sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not here for that anymore. I knew you'd come here, and I thought… maybe I should see your father's records first. That's why I've been investigating this ruin, and I've found traces of what he left behind."

Selena tensed. "You mean, you already have something that belongs to me?"

"Yes. Before you were exiled, your father made a move to 'activate' Blood Requiem. That cursed relic isn't just a weapon—it carries a far greater meaning. And the one who betrayed him feared it."

Selena clenched her jaw. "The traitor…? Are you saying Michel was telling the truth?"

Camilo nodded. "From what I've discovered, Michel never truly turned against your father. If anything, he was caught in a trap. Which means the real traitor is someone else. I just need one more clue to confirm it."

Leon chuckled. "So, in the end, we're all chasing after fragments of the truth, one step behind. You're no exception, Camilo Erheim."

Camilo turned to him, eyes narrowing. "And you, Blackwood heir… I heard you were once poised to take the highest seat in noble society. Yet here you are, siding with an exiled woman. Suspicious, don't you think?"

Tension crackled in the air. The three of them, bound together by mutual distrust yet pursuing the same goal.

Selena exhaled sharply. "Fine. For now, I'll watch you. If what you've found can help uncover my father's killer, then I'll consider your offer."

Just then, a voice called from the corridor's entrance.

"Selena Blanchard."

The three of them stiffened.

"You've come this far," the unseen figure continued. "The order is to take you alive. But if you resist, your companions will suffer."

The enemy had finally arrived.

Leon smirked. "Another 'capture' order? You really must be valuable."

Selena's grip on her dagger tightened. Why do they want me alive?

There was no time for speculation. Armed figures emerged from the darkness, encircling them.

Camilo, still gripping his injured arm, muttered, "We need to move. Now."

The game was far from over. The abyss was only growing deeper.