A brief sound of ripping parchment filled the early atmosphere near the public library's bulletin board. Ever since Nicolas had arrived, he was already on the tip of his toes. Minding and taking note of every rustle in the shadows and movement in the streets. He was fairly sure that everyone was mostly asleep by this time in the morning but his hood is up as a precaution.

The town was still quiet and the sun is still an hour from rising so it would be natural to see the empty streets illuminated by a few streetlamps getting infested by some insects that try to enter the glass. They are bumping into it every time as a cold, gentle breeze can be felt in the air. No one was awake except for the farmers at the farmlands and other industries that he walked past just a few moments ago.

This gave Nicolas a bit of relief as he sighed. He examined the parchment that's now in his possession, he was not surprised that Gregoria would be looking for him, he was the prince after all. The prince left his duties to carry out this endeavor. After briefly criticizing his portrait in the announcement, he finally turned around and prepared to leave, tucking the parchment into his pocket. All was going well when suddenly bumped into someone.

"Sorry", said the lady, even though the situation is far from her fault.

Nicolas, on the other hand, searched for the parchment that slipped from his grasp before meeting the person eye-to-eye. He had goose bumps as he saw those familiar glasses of Madam Veronica, the librarian, the same time as his hood fell off. Veronica quietly panned her vision back and forth from Nicolas to the portrait that the boy is trying to grab at his side while his eyes are locked on her, wide, shocked, and speechless.

"I knew I saw you from somewhere,", the librarian blurted as Nicolas finally caught the paper and sprinted out of sight like a mouse being chased by a cat before Madam Veronica finished her sentence. "You're the missing prince!", she stopped herself from yelling with her hands to her mouth. "I knew I saw him somewhere. I should have known the first time; I was even the one who helped the messenger place that announcement. How can I be so dumb to not even recognize such an important person", she sighed as she watched the boy vanish into the dark horizon.

"Could he? Why would he run from his own kingdom?", she asked herself while looking at the bulletin board as she dug out her keys from her bag. "Whatever it may be, he should have a reason. I don't need to be Royalty to know how hard it could be. I already oversee this library and I can't even keep up, What more for a whole kingdom, including the pressure of doing everything perfectly", she thought as he opened the doors of the library.

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"If he wishes not to be found, even risking being seen while taking down the announcement, then I should keep my mouth shut. I saw nothing", she came to conclusion as she fixed her glasses to the bridge of her nose, then flipping the "Open", sign at the door. "1,000 gold would suffice my retirement, though", she can only laugh at herself as she finally enters the establishment.

A couple of hours later, the streets slowly came to life as the sun started to claim its place in the sky. The messenger came bearing the newly issued newspapers and announcements that he soon posted on the bulletin board. Not long before he's finished, onlookers, especially old balding men, start to gather and swarm the place to check the news, and although a bit out of place, so is Alisa. Holding a bow and a quiver containing dozens of arrows in her back, she looked like a proper hunter, except for the fact that she's wearing a skirt. She squeezed herself through the crowd, fighting the men's big bellies, until she finally arrived in front.

The parchment with the biggest text reads as follows:

"Heinous Murderer Finally Fell"

After 10 years of covert murders and running, slick criminal "Trolos" had finally fallen. Following the issue yesterday about the murders, the nameless man was finally identified as Trolos and was found dead beside his victim. Most of his limbs are amputated, and a total of 20 stab wounds can be found in his body.

As to who had finally put him down, the authorities still has neither clue nor an idea to whoever it maybe, but according to them, this calls for a fortunate yet unfortunate fruit. It is unfortunate because the murderer is already gone, but at the same time, it is unfortunate and unnerving that, besides Trolos, someone else is also capable of these things. We can just stay put for now, but we can never be sure if this certain 'someone' is a hero or another murderer on a rampage.

"Trolos,", Alice read as she felt a bit of relief.

She knows who Trolos is, by name at least. She had heard his name circulating before but never actually given it much attention, especially when it's not actually on the scope of her concern.

"A murderer indeed; I didn't know he was already here", she whispered as Nick's words echoed at the back of her mind. "He deserved it— I did not kill the woman—", he really is telling the truth, she thought as she projected a faint smile. "Maybe I'm still right about him being a good person— but not good enough; he still killed. But I should probably apologize to him the next time we meet."

She ventured into the forest to hunt, feeling lighter than yesterday. She felt as if a spike was removed from her chest and she's breathing normally again. From afar, she saw a single prey, a rabbit, as white as snow. Though its trait can only help by failing to blend with the lush green grass he's feeding on, it stuck out like a sore thumb. She took one of her arrows from the quiver and then placed its tail at the bow string. Calmly, she pulled the string as she pointed her bow at her unsuspecting prey.

"Stay still", she whispered as the bowstring rested on her cheeks as if it were glued.