Hurried knocks echoed through the cozy living room of the small townhouse, disrupting the tranquility that had enveloped the space. Elizabeth, engrossed in her book, reluctantly placed a bookmark on the page she was reading, set the book aside on the side table next to the floor lamp, and stood up. As she walked towards the door, her movements were cautious yet curious.
Upon opening the door, she was greeted by the harried, sweat-drenched face of her father, Richard, who was panting from the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. His eyes were wide with urgency.
"Oh, Father, why are you in such a hurry?" Elizabeth asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Where's your mother, Elizabeth?" Richard bypassed her question, his tone urgent.
"She's in the washroom, but—" Elizabeth was abruptly cut off by her father's commanding tone.
"Pack up your things, Eliza. We're leaving!" he announced, striding past her into the living room, heading straight for the washroom.
"But Father, we just settled here a week ago," Elizabeth protested, her confusion and frustration evident.
"Enough! Just follow what you're told, Eliza," Richard replied sternly, not slowing his pace.
Inside the washroom, Richard found his wife, Victoria, who looked up in surprise. "Richard, why are you home so early?" she inquired, her voice filled with worry.
"They know where we are already, Victoria," Richard stated grimly, his face tense.
"But how? We abandoned everything and did anything to erase our traces and made new identities?" Victoria's confusion turned to anger, frustration about their mysterious enemy clouding her expression.
"They've got eyes everywhere now. Everyone here becomes a puppet of theirs, which is strange. Everyone in our clan, even allies and nemesis, has scattered, and their locations become unknown after," Richard explained, his voice low and grave.
"And Eliza?" Victoria's concern for their daughter was palpable.
"She's already packing her things," he reassured her, then added, "The carriage will be here soon."
The couple hurried back to their room to pack their limited belongings. As they were about to finish, another set of knocks on the door froze them in their tracks.
"I'll open it, Father," Elizabeth offered, moving towards the door.
"Let your father handle it," Victoria intervened, pulling her daughter back.
Richard approached the door with a normal pace, his mind racing with thoughts of their family’s safety and their mysterious enemies. He didn’t want to open the door, knowing well that if he refused, they might force their way in. He and Victoria had made significant sacrifices to protect their family and secure a better future for their daughter. He couldn't let it end here.
Before he could reach the door, he murmured a spell chant, and a magic circle activated in their room, filling it with light:
"O Herald of the celestial throne,
I invoke thee now,
To traverse the boundless skies with hallowed vow.
Carry forth my cherished treasures with care,
To realms where dawn and dusk embrace the air.
Come forth, Mercury!
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Swift-winged messenger divine,
Heed my call,
cross the heavens' line.
From the golden gates of the rising sun,
To the tranquil shades where the day is done.
By the power of the elements,
by the arcane lore,
I summon thee to pass through the ethereal door.
With this chant,
I bind my plea to your spirit's flight,
Guide these precious burdens through the fading light. Harken, Mercury!
Attend my earnest summons,
Through whispering winds and the murmuring summons.
Let the stars bear witness to our pact this day,
As you carry my treasures across the astral way."
The earth trembled, and the sky split open, revealing a handsome man with winged heels and back, his hair adorned with floral ornaments, and a scepter in his hand topped with wing symbols and encircled by two serpents.
"By the shimmering veil,
I heed thy call and obey.
From celestial realms,
I descend swiftly.
With wings alight,
through unseen stellar paths,
I guard thy treasures.
Guided by celestial winds,
from dawn to dusk,
I fulfill thy sacred plea.
Bound by ancient rites and elemental might,
I traverse the ethereal door.
Fear not,
for with precision,
thy treasures remain safeguarded.
Sealed beneath the astral tower,
let the cosmos witness our pact.
Thy will be done,
as I traverse the skies from sun to sun,"
Mercury responded.
"Victoria, my love, please take good care of our daughter for me, will you? I love you both," Richard said with a sad smile, his eyes glistening in the light as he struggled to suppress his tears.
"NO!!! NO, NO, NO, NO, RICHARD! YOU CAN'T DO THIS, RICHARD!" Victoria cried out hysterically, tears streaming down her face as she clutched Elizabeth close.
As Victoria was about to rush towards him, the room was instantly engulfed in a blinding light. After a few seconds, it became empty. The house echoed with the sound of Richard's erratic breath. He knew what he had to do. He had to finish this, for his family's safety and for the future of their kind.
Richard turned slowly from the now empty room, a room steeped in the lingering magic of his desperate invocation. The knocks at the door had ceased, replaced by a heavy, ominous silence that seemed to press against the walls of the townhouse. With a deep breath, he steeled himself for the confrontation ahead, his heart heavy with the sacrifice he had just made.
Outside, the afternoon sun was now obscured by dark clouds, casting long, sinister shadows across the cobblestone streets. Richard's mind raced as he approached the door, his hand hesitating on the knob. The decision to send his wife and daughter to a safer realm was gut-wrenching, but necessary. They were his treasures, and their safety was paramount, beyond even his own life.