I quietly and slowly ascended the stairs.

As I reached the upper floor, I quickly walked through the bedroom and closed the door.

Unfortunately I never had a lock for the bedroom door.

I placed the things that I was holding on my arms on the desk, where there was also the dull red amulet.

I grabbed the chair and slowly placed it down in front of the door and quickly got to the windows.

I looked down and watched carefully what was happening.

Not trying to make myself obvious, I was half hidden, just in case he looks up.

All I could see was the man that I encountered yesterday.

Ms. Crimson must be in front of this man, as I could not see her.

I could not hear what they were saying, but after a while the man suddenly entered in the tavern.

‘What?’ Confused to what I was seeing.

I tried to hear what was happening from below, but they had at least to shout at each other for me to hear everything they are saying.

A couple of minutes has passed and I waited for something to happen, looking outside the windows.

The man got out from the door.

‘Oh.’ I exhaled, being all relaxed as I thought he was going away.

But instead, Ms. Crimson also got out from the Tavern, in which she briefly started walking after closing the door behind her.

The man followed her.

‘What- why is Ms. Crimson…’ I thought to myself.

‘Is she trying to get him away from the tavern?’ Yeah, a plausible outcome that I had thought.

-----

Clarkson presented her with a bright smile.

He took a glance behind her and tried to search for something, but Crimson took another step, to block the inside view of the tavern.

“Defensive, again, on our second meeting?” He kept grinning at her.

Crimson sighed and glared at Clarkson before responding.

“What do you want?” She asked him in a solemn tone.

Crimson had to do something, but she did not know why her brother or the people he works for with are looking for the little girl.

She did not have all the facts in her mind in order to do something, if something ever happens between her and her brother.

But all she knew was that she needed to follow Exios’s instructions.

Which was taking care of Liliana and defend her.

She thought that it was better if her brother took the initiative, and she would follow his lead to not get suspicious.

Clarkson gave a soft chuckle before responding her.

“Can’t I visit my sweet sister?

It has been a long time since the last time we have met…” He looked at her before looking to the ground with a wistful expression on his face.

Crimson was a bit surprised, but she kept her guard up.

“Well, you have met me now, do you need anything else?”

“Visiting does not mean having a brief encounter.

Can’t I come in?

I want to catch up with you.

I want to know what you have been doing all this time and what happened to you.” He looked at her, as if his eyes were really genuine.

After all, the last time they met was not a good time for the both of them.

She recalled the last time they met, which was a mess and had so much hatred inside the both of them.

And now she is looking at her brother who just wants to talk with her, talk about all the things they have been both doing this entire time and spend time with each other.

Like good old times, when they loved each other.

Or was it really that case?

“Wow.

You have improved so much in acting.

Don’t fuck with me now, Clark.” She smirked at him.

She knew that it was just a showoff.

Nothing genuine in what he said.

In everything he has been saying.

Clarkson looked at her, making his genuine eyes disappear and instead form a smile that seemed to say ‘Ah, I knew it was not going to work. But it was fun.’

“Yeah, well, just let me in sis.” He shoved himself into her and entered the tavern with ease.

“Get your shit together.” Crimson cursed at him, as she staggered a bit at his sudden entrance.

Clarkson slowly walked around the tavern, while Crimson closed the door as she had no choice but to let him in.

“Wow, such a delightful place.

It really gives you comfort.” He looked intently at every detail in the tavern.

And as he carelessly walked for a bit, he eventually noticed the picture frames on a table.

“No way.” He walked closer to the picture frames.

He grabbed a picture frame where it showed only the woman and the young boy, smiling and holding their hands.

“Who are they?

Are you… interested in women?” He tried to guess.

He looked at Crimson as she was just standing still, glaring at every move he was making.

“No, she owns this tavern.

A friend of mine, that’s what she is.”

“Mhm, I do see a ring on her finger.

So she has a husband, huh?” He carefully placed the picture frame back to where it was before.

As Clarkson looked intently at the other picture frames, Crimson slowly walked at a distance behind him.

‘He knows.’ Crimson thought.

‘He is already suspicious enough, he knows that I’m here to protect the girl.

I can’t wait for him to initiate something, I have to do it or else he will be able to get to her.’

“Where is the little girl, though?

You know, the one I met yesterday.

Is she not their daughter?” He kept looking at the picture frames.

Crimson kept walking slowly behind, getting closer to Clarkson.

With a swift of her hand, a wooden stick, thick and long as her arm, appeared on her hand.

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“Stop moving, before I hypnotize you.” He raised his hand, to which only three fingers where up, forming a gun.

“What?” Crimson flinched and stopped moving as she heard Clarkson.

‘Hypnotize?’

Clarkson slowly turned around, pointing his hand at her, while smiling at her.

“Oh, you were already hypnotized.

This is great, I thought it wouldn’t work.

Unfortunately for you, you already looked at my eyes, so even if you close them, you’re still hypnotized.”

“What the fuck are you yammering on about.” As Crimson tried to back away, Crimson felt that she could not move.

She could not move an inch of her muscle.

“Move closer, till your forehead touches my fingertip.” Clarkson said.

Or to say it more properly, he ordered.

Even if Crimson tried her best to move at the opposite direction, or stop moving, her feet, her whole body, was out of control.

In fact it was not in her control anymore.

Crimson, walked slowly, and as her forehead reached Clarkson’s fingertip, she stopped.

They were now close face to face.

With Crimson, looking at Clarkson’s eyes in confusion.

And with Clarkson pointing his hand, that was formed like a gun, on her forehead.

Crimson, with just a few seconds of thinking everything through, she finally reached to a conclusion.

She looks at Clarkson in disbelief.

“Dear sister, when I push my hand into your head, you will be unconscious.

And as I say the word ‘go’, you will open your eyes, walk out from this tavern and not say a thing.

Walk aimlessly for a while, until my presence vanishes.” Clarkson smiled at his sister.

“Any last words?” He asked her, while enjoying the expression that his sister was making.

Crimson glared at him the whole time.

But in a split second she gave a mocking smile at him.

“Go fuck yourself-“

Clarkson moved his hand, purposely touching his finger to her forehead.

Satisfied to his brief movement, he slowly led his arm down.

In a blink of an eye Crimson closed her eyes, her hair fluttered as her body started moving backwards, causing her to fall down the hard wooden floor.

Bam!

Crimson laid there, looking like a lifeless body.

Her wavy red hair covered her face, but Clarkson stared at her smiling in disappointment with the outcome.

He initially walked towards her before crouching to move and look closer at her.

There he could see part of her face, which wasn’t covered with her red wavy hair.

The same wavy red hair as his.

“And here I thought you were at the same level as me.

I hoped for it too haha.

Are you aware of me now, sister?

Do you see how far I have come and how much I have grown?

All those years, and yet you did nothing.”

He stopped for a moment, as he thought of two words.

‘Level’ and ‘Nothing’.

He smirked, looking at her as if she was pathetic.

“Actually, it’s good if you keep on doing nothing.

At least you won’t have to be involved in this mess.”

He stood up and exhaled.

He fixed his attire and looked at Crimson.

“Go.”

Crimson opened her yellow eyes with no hesitation.

Clarkson started moving, he reached the tavern’s door and grabbed the handle.

He let himself out first and waited for Crimson.

Crimson briefly got up and started walking towards the open door.

Eventually she got out of the tavern, closing the tavern’s door behind her.

-----

Ms. Crimson and the man who looks just like her both left the tavern.

Unresolved questions came upon my head, but I thought that maybe it was the only decision that Ms. Crimson could have done.

‘Maybe she couldn’t do anything.’

And all I could do was look out the windows and wait for either Ms. Crimson to come back or for sir Exios to come back.

‘I wish both of them would come back as soon as possible.’

The words “Do not come out, unless you know it’s me.” Kept repeating in my head.

Not getting out from a room is easy.

‘Don’t open the door and don’t make a noise.’

But if someone was in front of that door, all they had to do was open it.

It’s easy for them too.

And that’s when I heard footsteps coming from the staircase outside my bedroom.

Loud footsteps as they creaked to each step on the wooden floor.

I quickly turned my head towards the closed door.

A shiver came down, I hurriedly tried to think of a way to hide or even fight back.

Then I noticed the red dull amulet placed on top of the desk and recalled what sir Exios told me.

-

“As long as you have this amulet, everything will be all right.”

-

I quickly walked towards the amulet and grabbed it.

But the footsteps were getting clearer and closer.

‘Hide! Where? Where?’ I hurriedly looked around and instantly went in the wardrobe, to which I closed myself in.

The wardrobe was quite big, but it was stuffed with so many clothes.

I couldn’t see anything from the outside, not even a glimpse of light from the outside, as the wardrobe doors were perfectly closed.

But it was dark, making it even worse for me.

I was scared, but I was more frightened now as I’m hiding in the dark from something or someone.

I held the amulet with both of my hands, grasping it.

Wishing for the person to open this wardrobe to be sir Exios or Ms. Crimson.

Just not someone or something I’m hiding from.

And as I held onto it so tightly it shimmered an intense bright red.

Just like back at the tent of Ms. Crimson.

“What…” I muttered.

But at that moment, I heard the door slightly open, with the chair making a loud noise.

Creeeek

The footsteps weren’t heard for a moment, as if they were standing still, looking at the bedroom.

But eventually they started walking around.

I felt my whole-body trembling in sweat.

I was terrified.

But the amulet that kept illuminating a bright red kept me company in a way.

I clasped onto the amulet and closed my eyes.

And somehow this type of feeling was so familiar to me.

A terrible feeling that was somehow familiar.

Familiar yet terrifying.

But ever since I woke up this was the first time I felt such terror.

Terror of the unknown.

The footsteps stopped.

But the wardrobe doors made a noise instead.

Creeeeek

They found me.

But I still kept my eyes closed, clasping on the amulet.

“There you are sweetheart.” A man’s voice was heard.

A voice that had a gentle deep tone to it.

I cautiously opened my eyes.

There stood a young man in a green tuxedo suit, green silk hair and light purple eyes with a monocle.

I stared at him, unresponsive.

He crouched down and looked at me.

“There was no need to be scared.

It seems like you are about to cry.”

I was about to.

My whole body was sweating; I still felt a trembling between my legs and arms.

“Did I scare you?

Oh my, I am not that bad of a person.

I guess his highness has told some frightening aspects about me, did he?”

I looked at him in confusion, I didn’t know who or what he was talking about.

“Ah, he did not?

That is good then, first impressions matter after all.

You should be less afraid now, I am not here to scare or harm you haha.”

He put his hand inside his tuxedo, as if he was getting something.

After that he pulled his hand out and slowly opened in front of me.

A small orange flower.

“This is called a poppy.

And I came here to give you this.” He smiled at me.

I looked at the flower called poppy, which had large, crepe papery, cup-shaped, brilliant tangerine petals with black spots in the middle.

A simple flower.

“Take it, it’s yours.

It is a gift after all.”

I was hesitant, but this man never really did anything bad to me.

He had such a nice tone and expression.

I was scared, but it was slowly fading away.

‘I should take the gift.’

I reached my hand and carefully grabbed the poppy.

The flower was on my hand now.

“See?” He smiled at me.

I felt a little safe, but I was still cautious of him.

“It also has an amazing scent, that’s why I thought of gifting it to you.

Poppies create quite an exquisite fragrance.”

I looked at him briefly before looking at the orange poppy.

As I moved it closer to my nose I sniffed it.

Indeed, it did have a beautiful scent.

Beautiful, but my vision came to a blur.

And quickly it went all black.

-----

Liliana laid inside the wardrobe asleep.

Still holding on both of her hands the orange poppy and the red amulet, that was still shining a bright red.

Denver reached his hand to Liliana, but as his finger was just about to touch Liliana-

Zap!

It generated a small red lightning.

“Figures.

That amulet was something to protect her after all.

Now, if I were to destroy this little thing…”

He began to put his hand on top of the amulet, close enough, but careful enough to not touch the amulet and Liliana.

After a while he began to dismantle the amulet, causing it to generate tiny pieces of red lightning around itself and around Liliana.

But Denver successfully destroyed the amulet.

“It creates a shield around her.

This shouldn’t be a problem as long as I don’t do her any harm.”

But even after the amulet’s destruction, it created a shield around Liliana.

Denver thought that it would activate only when the other party tries to harm her.

And so he carefully grabs Liliana.

“It’s time to go back.

Those two are probably going to be here any minute now, that amulet really is discomforting.”

Denver started moving, while carrying Liliana on his arms.

Both left the bedroom, while the poppy fell from Liliana’s hand.