From the moment Lucas woke up, he was excited and anxious about visiting the innkeeper's daughters, whom he considered like sisters. He bounced around the house, calling out, "Grandpa, Uncle Meluis, let's get going! We can have breakfast at the inn!"

Meluis, slightly annoyed, sighed, "Calm down, kid. I thought you were smarter than this, but you're acting like a child."

Lucas, pouting, replied, "But I am a kid, Uncle."

Meluis gave up, shaking his head in mock defeat. Shortly after, Lucas, accompanied by Silas, Meluis, and some guards from Marona, set off for the inn. The morning was still chilly, and as they neared the inn, Lucas noticed a small crowd gathered outside. Several city guards were keeping people at bay.

Medieval Guards by fsbo on DeviantArt [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/b8b77db2-ef1c-4586-a5d0-cbe760f2ff14/dhbf7gm-24f6f9ff-a936-4754-ad15-17f7d5195126.jpg/v1/fit/w_375,h_375,q_70,strp/a_group_of_towns_guards_armed_with_pikes_and_shiel_by_r3dfacti0n_dhbf7gm-375w.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTAyNCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2I4Yjc3ZGIyLWVmMWMtNDU4Ni1hNWQwLWNiZTc2MGYyZmYxNFwvZGhiZjdnbS0yNGY2ZjlmZi1hOTM2LTQ3NTQtYWQxNS0xN2Y3ZDUxOTUxMjYuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.RxL4KV4GxYbNceNH3uN5Zu8WD5-tdUR-mjITl4MV6D4]

A sinking feeling hit Lucas as his heart raced. Something was wrong.

Without thinking, he rushed forward, calling out, "What happened? Why are the city guards here?"

"Wait!" Meluis called, trying to catch up with the anxious boy.

One of the guards, annoyed by the interruption, snapped, "Beat it, kid, or I'll make you."

But before the guard could finish his threat, Meluis's large frame appeared behind Lucas. "What did you say to him?" Meluis growled, towering over the guard.

Ksenia Kim - medieval guard [https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/029/383/877/large/ksenia-kim-city-guard20.jpg?1597356570]

The guard's expression changed quickly. "Oh, I didn't realize it was you, old Meluis. I thought it was just some nosy brat." He glanced back at Lucas, softening his tone. "The inn was attacked last night. Everyone staying here... they're gone. Only the innkeeper survived."

Lucas's face went pale, his voice shaking. "What about the innkeeper's daughters?"

The guard hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "The younger one... she passed away quietly. But the older girl..." He paused, struggling for words. "She... she suffered. It was... brutal."

Lucas's eyes filled with tears as the weight of the words hit him. He took a deep breath, trying to hold himself together. "What... what happened to her?"

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The guard shook his head, unwilling to give the full details. "Kid, you shouldn't know about these things."

But Lucas, his voice firmer now, demanded, "I want to know. Tell me who did this."

The guard, sighing deeply, finally relented. "We don't know who did it yet. But whoever it was a aura knight... he was ruthless. The girl was defiled brutally by him. Every bone in her body was broken"

Meluis put a hand on Lucas's shoulder, trying to steady him as the boy's heart broke.

Lucus slumped to the ground, barely holding back his tears. Sadness morphed into anger. The person responsible for this would pay—he would make sure of it. They would pay a thousand times over. He spoke to the guardsman, his voice cold and sharp, "I want to see the innkeeper."

The guard, taken aback by Lucus's steely expression, nodded. "She hasn't said a word since we arrived. Maybe she'll talk to you." He called over a slender guard, who led Lucus and Meluis inside. From afar, Silas watched, confused and worried about the boy.

As they entered the inn, the stench of blood filled the air. The guard led them directly to the innkeeper's room. There she sat, drenched in the blood of her children. The younger daughter lay in her arms, while the older one was wrapped in a blanket. Her eyes were empty, lifeless, like she'd already given up on living.

An empty old room in very poor condition with blood splattered on the floor generative ai | Premium AI-generated image [https://img.freepik.com/premium-photo/empty-old-room-very-poor-condition-with-blood-splattered-floor-generative-ai_325083-4.jpg]

Lucus's heart shattered at the sight. Rage and sorrow welled up, threatening to explode. Trembling, he asked, "Wh-who did this?"

For the first time since the attack, the innkeeper responded. The guard was shocked—she hadn't reacted when they'd untied her earlier. She hadn't let go of her daughters. Her deadened gaze suddenly burned with fury. "You... How dare you come here and ask who did this?" she spat. "It's you! You killed my daughters!"

Lucus staggered back, confused. "No, please... you're mistaken. I-I would never..."

The innkeeper stood up, her bloodstained hands lunging for his throat. "Mistaken? It's because of you that my daughters are dead!" Blood smeared Lucus's neck and shirt as her fingers tightened. Meluis and the guard pulled her off. "Let me go!" she screamed, "I'll kill this boy! I'll kill him and that old man too!"

Meluis's deep voice rumbled, "Lady, you've lost your mind from grief. This boy loved your daughters like sisters. He would never hurt them."

The innkeeper slumped back to the floor, her anger replaced by bitter sobs. "Yes, he loved them. And that love got them killed."

Meluis and Lucus exchanged confused glances. "What do you mean?" Meluis asked cautiously.

Her voice cracked as anger surged back. "Two swordsmen came here for revenge. They killed my girls because of him—because the girls loved this boy. They killed my darlings because of that boy and his grandfather." Her eyes burned into Lucus. "They're dead because of him."

Lucus felt the weight of her words crash down on him. It was as if the entire sky had collapsed. He wanted to cry, but no tears came. His chest ached with guilt. This was his fault.

The innkeeper's curses echoed in the room. "I hope you and your grandfather die the worst death imaginable!"

Meluis's face darkened as he scooped Lucus up and carried him out of the room. The boy was silent, unresponsive, but the innkeeper's words still rang in his ears, distant yet sharp. Outside, Silas was about to enter when he saw Lucus's blank expression. "What happened?" Silas demanded, his concern obvious.

As they walked past the crowd outside the inn, Meluis explained everything. Silas's face tightened with anger. "Are you a fool? Why did you take him inside after hearing what happened?" he scolded.

Meluis said nothing, realizing his mistake. Meanwhile, something had shifted in Lucus. The softness in his heart, once full of kindness, was now hardening. The heart of rose had turned into a heart of thorns