- Part 1 - The Library Incident
- 110 years after the apocalypse -
"Jonan, what are you doing here?" asked Greyfield, the head servant. "You're not supposed to be here! The Duke specifically ordered you to stay in your room until further notice!"
Jonan smirked. "My father says a lot of things—that doesn't mean I have to listen. And it's not like I'm causing any trouble. I just came to read some books, that's all."
He then looked up at Greyfield with puppy-dog eyes and asked, "So… what are you going to tell him?"
Greyfield let out a sigh. "Just don't get caught, my lord, or I'll be in trouble too."
"Don't worry," Jonan said confidently. "He'll never find out."
A few hours later, night had already fallen. Jonan was still engrossed in his reading, particularly in a book about the world before the apocalypse.
As he flipped a page, he suddenly heard something—a noise elsewhere in the library.
His body stiffened. Who could that be?
Father? No… he should be in bed at this hour.Mother? No way—she hates books.Luna? Definitely not. She fell asleep this afternoon.
Maybe it's just one of the servants…?
Cautious, Jonan peeked in the direction of the sound.
But what he saw was nothing like what he had expected.
Two older men, dressed in black, stood in the library. At their feet lay the lifeless body of a maid, her throat slit cleanly, as if they had killed her in an instant.
Jonan's breath caught in his throat. Panic surged through him.
His foot shifted. A small sound.
Just enough to give himself away.
The two men snapped their heads toward him. Without hesitation, they began moving in his direction.
Jonan's mind spiraled into chaos.
I have to run! I have to run! They're going to kill me!
Damn it, damn it! Why is this happening to me?! I just wanted to read some books! And the maid…
Zilin… she's dead…
What am I supposed to do?
I'm going to die…
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Jonan's body froze. His mind screamed at him to run, but his limbs refused to obey.
The men were getting closer and closer. He wanted to scream, to call for help—but no sound came out.
And then—
A voice cut through the air.
"I'm right here! Come and catch me if you can."
Jonan's mother emerged from behind the bookshelves, her voice sharp and confident.
"You won't find a woman as beautiful as me anywhere else."
Jonan gasped.
He realized what she was doing.
She was deliberately drawing their attention away from him.
At the same time, she subtly gestured for him to hide.
But Jonan couldn't move.
One of the intruders chuckled darkly. "Tell me… are we allowed to use the merchandise? She's definitely not a virgin, after all. What do you say?"
The second intruder snickered. "You're right… but first, go grab the boy. I'll handle her."
"Hurry up—we don't want to wake the guards."
Realizing her plan had failed, Jonan's mother sprang into action.
She lunged forward, shoving the man in her way aside, and scooped Jonan into her arms.
She ran.
Her heart pounded as she sprinted through the aisles, searching for a safe place.
At least he'll be safe, she thought.
She knelt beside him, cupping his face with trembling hands.
She pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.
"Don't come out, no matter what happens. And don't make a sound, okay, my sweet boy?" she whispered.
Jonan nodded silently, his wide green eyes locked onto hers.
And then—
The intruders cornered her.
"You've got nowhere left to run, woman," one of them sneered. "I was going to wait, but it seems like you're begging to be punished."
Jonan's mother spun around, trying to dash toward the other side of the aisle—but crashed straight into the second intruder.
His hands clamped over her mouth, muffling her scream as he dragged her back.
"Well, well," he chuckled, pulling her toward the center of the library. "Let's see what we've got here."
With one swift motion, he tore at her clothing.
She fought. Thrashed. Kicked.
But she wasn't a warrior.
And they were stronger.
Time stretched endlessly. The minutes felt like an eternity as pain coursed through her body.
When will this end? she thought.
I can't take it anymore.
It hurts. It hurts so much.
But she wouldn't scream.
She couldn't scream.
Jonan must not see this.
Jonan must not hear this.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
Then—
The library doors slammed open.
The intruders barely had time to react before a shadow lunged toward them.
It was the Duke.
Still dressed in his nightclothes, his expression carved from pure fury.
Before either man could react, his fist crashed into the first intruder's face, sending him sprawling onto the floor.
In the same breath, he delivered a brutal kick to the other's stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.
The Duke moved too fast, too violently.
The intruders weren't prepared for this.
Desperate, one of them grabbed Jonan's mother, yanking her upright and pressing a blade to her throat.
"One more step, and your wife dies, Duke."
The room fell silent.
The Duke froze.
His muscles tensed, fists clenched. His face burned with fury, veins bulging in his forehead.
"How dare you lay a hand on my wife?" he growled, voice low and dangerous.
And yet, he didn't move. Not yet.
The intruder smirked.
"Hey," he called out to his accomplice, who was slowly getting back on his feet. "Finish him off."
At that moment—
Just as the second intruder brought his blade toward the Duke's throat—
The Duke moved.
Faster than the eye could follow, he caught the knife inches from his skin.
With a swift, deadly motion, he wrenched it away and hurled it across the room.
The blade struck true.
It buried itself deep between the first intruder's eyes.
His body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
But—
A wet, sickening sound filled the air.
The second intruder had already acted.
Jonan's mother gasped.
Cold steel slid across her throat.
Her hands flew to her neck, crimson spilling between her trembling fingers.
She staggered, her wide, disbelieving eyes locking onto the Duke's.
And then—
She fell.