Aryk’s eyes reflected the crimson hue smeared across the kitchen knife he held in his trembling hands. Terror invaded his mind as a chill coursed through his fingers gripping the blade.

“It’s blood,” Aryk whispered in horror.

Both Lilia and Ragnar fell silent, their small bodies trembling with fear. Ragnar, possessing a strong instinct, sensed they had been intruded upon from the forest, yet he could not discern the intruder’s nature—beast or human.

However, the red color settled the matter. The beasts and monsters lurking in the nearby forest were known for their ferocity, prompting the village leaders to conduct extensive hunts and purges throughout the woods. This had driven the larger wolves and three-headed serpents, along with various monsters, from the region.

These creatures were distinguished by their strange blood, a mix of red and green. Despite the village’s efforts to secure the forest, its inhabitants still heard the howls of wolves and the hissing of snakes each night, alongside other mysterious sounds emanating from the depths of the woods.

“Aryk, perhaps we mistook the blood for that of a human. It could be bird blood or something of that nature,” Lilia suggested sharply, masking her deep fear.

Despite Lilia’s intelligence, in that moment she cast aside all prior knowledge, fervently hoping she was mistaken. Yet it was indeed human blood, not that of an animal.

The realization that they were being watched by someone, not a ghost or monster, was the worst possibility at that moment. Their mother was absent, and Mr. Roger’s home was far away. Even if they reached him, the intruder could have fled or, worse, might still be watching them from the shadows!

“I don’t think so, Lilia. I’ve searched the area and found nothing, and my sense of smell couldn’t even detect the scent of blood from a beast or bird. Oddly, I didn’t catch that scent either,” Ragnar replied to Lilia in a firm tone.

Despite his confident demeanor, Ragnar’s left hand, which had thrown the knife, was trembling—a detail Lilia noted and understood.

Aryk remained silent, pondering all possibilities. “Maybe it was indeed a bird, yet if it were, Ragnar would have found the carcass on the ground. The knife moved with tremendous speed, akin to an inescapable death. Finding only the blood means the thing has escaped .

On the other hand, if it were an animal, we would have discovered tracks or evidence of its flight. The only remaining possibility is that a skilled stalker was watching us and did not expect Ragnar to find him.”

Aryk glanced at his sister and Ragnar, clarifying, “Ragnar, Lilia, we must prepare for tonight. We need to close the windows and secure ourselves. My mother left me the cellar key; I’ll unlock it once we’re inside the house and ensure whoever was watching us has vanished.”

Surprised, Lilia inquired, “Why did your mother leave you the cellar key?”

Ragnar displayed the same astonishment, fixing his gaze on Aryk, searching for an answer.

“Before she left, she handed me the key and told me that if we encountered any trouble or if she was delayed in returning, we should unlock the cellar to find supplies to protect ourselves,” Aryk explained.

Ragnar and Lilia found this matter suspicious. Why had their mother only informed Aryk and not them? Why give him the key in the first place? Despite their many questions, they set them aside to focus on their immediate situation.

After their discussion, the siblings hurried home, closing all the windows and securing the door. They then sat silently at the kitchen table, waiting.

“Ragnar, do you sense anything?” Aryk asked quietly while observing their surroundings.

“No. It seems the one who was watching us has indeed fled. Yet I still feel as if millions of eyes are watching me from the forest. Aryk, we must open the cellar before he returns. Don’t forget to ask Mr. Roger for help tonight; this situation is dire,” Ragnar explained, keeping his eyes fixed on the kitchen window.

Lilia sat between her brothers, quietly watching the front door.

Aryk nodded in agreement with Ragnar, rising from his seat and casting a quick glance around in fear before walking toward the cellar located in front of the fireplace.

Before him stood a square wooden door on the opposite side of the kitchen, covered by an intricately embroidered red rug that concealed its presence.

Aryk slowly pulled back the rug to reveal the full appearance of the ancient wooden door. Quickly, he took out the key and inserted it into the lock.

After a few turns, the door creaked open, releasing a strong gust of wind that forced Aryk to close his eyes. The breeze carried an odd scent of dust and dampness. Aryk opened his eyes slowly to reveal a small staircase leading down into darkness.

Returning to the kitchen, Aryk grabbed a wooden stick, broke off a sufficient piece, and ignited it in the fireplace to create a small flame to guide him through the darkness.

He then rushed to the cellar, his heart racing as he gazed into the pitch blackness before him in sheer terror. He had no idea what lay below, and the thought of abandoning his siblings at such a moment troubled him deeply.

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“Should we come with you? Going alone is dangerous in this darkness,” Lilia suggested, inching closer to him to peer into the abyss.

“No, you must keep watch over the house. Ragnar, you’ll monitor the outside while Lilia stays inside. I’ll be quick. Remember your task: just watch. If you notice anything, hurry to close the door and hide in the house,” Aryk instructed his sister. After taking a deep breath, he began descending the stairs.

In the midst of the wooden staircase, Aryk listened to the sound of the wood creaking underfoot and felt the increasing dampness and cold. Darkness enveloped the space entirely, causing Aryk to feel claustrophobic as the small staircase confined him. The flame struggled to stay lit due to the lack of oxygen, making it hard for him to breathe.

After a few minutes, Aryk finally saw a rocky floor at the bottom of the stairs, signaling his arrival at the cellar! Cautiously, he approached the door before him and entered the room.

Darkness pervaded every corner of the chamber. Aryk struggled to find the light switch, waving his torch left and right, but he found nothing. While searching, he stumbled upon a metal plate on one of the walls. Hesitating, Aryk pressed on and approached it, feeling around. Upon touching the plate, he discovered a candle within it.

“Strange. Is this how one used to light a room? Isn’t that a bit outdated?” he wondered, a boy accustomed to gas lamps in his home.

He held the flaming torch close to the candle, igniting it, which in turn illuminated the room.

The walls were made of ancient gray marble. In the right corner sat a pile of old books covered in dust, while in the left corner lay various objects concealed under a white sheet, also coated in dust and spiderwebs.

Struggling against the lack of oxygen, dust, and the peculiar dampness, Aryk hurried to search for the weapons his mother had mentioned while groping through the items before him, one after another.

At one moment, as he approached the wall, his eyes caught sight of a wooden window embedded in the wall, positioned in the middle of it. Aryk noticed it was shut.

He stepped closer and examined the window. Upon touching it, he felt it vibrate. In a moment of astonishment and curiosity, he opened the window, and a strong gust of wind swept into the room, causing Aryk to fall back in shock; he had not expected it to actually open!

Startled, he sprang up and leaned out of the window. Amidst the intense darkness and the occasional drops of water falling from time to time, Aryk’s eyes reflected a glowing blue hue. His eyes widened as a shiver coursed through him; before him lay a lake amidst rocky surroundings, glowing with a blue light!

“What is happening? Is this a cave? Under our house? But how…!” Questions multiplied in the boy’s mind, and in a moment, he felt his heartbeat steady. The cave allowed fresh air to enter the room, which helped Aryk relax and continue his search.

He did not wish to explore the cave further due to the peril above; his priority was the safety of his siblings. Aryk approached the wall ahead and lifted the white cover in the left corner, only to be astonished by what he saw.

“Four swords. Three shields. And a wooden chest. Why on earth does my mother keep this stash of armor and swords here?”

Aryk averted his gaze from the swords and inspected the wooden chest, crafted from high-quality wood and bearing a strange emblem, though it was marred with dust. To his surprise, when he placed his hands on the lock, he found it was open, enabling him to easily lift the lid of the wooden chest.

Aryk froze in place as a golden light gleamed in his eyes. The chest was filled with gold coins and jewels.

“Rubies? Gold coins—all of them golden decimal coins! This vast amount of wealth, what on earth is going on here?!”

Aryk fell silent, feeling a chill invade his heart. He recalled his mother, feeling as if he no longer recognized her.

"Did my mother steal this gold? Or is it hers? But if it is hers, why did she hide it from us? And why did she exhaust herself working?"

This question was filled with confusion and disappointment.

Aryk forced himself to stop thinking. He grabbed two swords, closed the wooden window, and hurried to the stairs to go up to the roof, leaving behind a multitude of questions.

At the basement door, Aryk found Lilia waiting for him with eager eyes. However, her enthusiasm faded when she saw the weapons in Aryk's hands.

"Aryk, where did you get these swords?" Lilia asked, her tone surprised yet serious, taking a step back.

"From the basement. I think these are the supplies Mom mentioned. There are plenty of them. By the way, where is Ragnar? Did anything happen while I was gone?" Aryk replied, quickly scanning the room.

"Supplies? These are weapons used in wars! Could Dad have left them in the basement? Oh, and Ragnar is outside. Nothing has happened since you left," Lilia said, focusing her gaze on the weapons, eager to touch one.

Aryk nodded and started to head toward Ragnar, but Lilia stopped him.

"Aryk, why are you carrying only two swords?" she asked, her tone strict and annoyed.

Aryk turned to face his sister and replied, "I brought one for myself and one for Ragnar. They are really heavy, by the way."

Lilia focused on the weapons and muttered, "What about me?" She responded angrily.

"Lilia, you can’t swing that thing. It’s way too heavy. Even I can’t swing it more than ten times," Aryk provided a convincing argument to silence her.

Lilia couldn't contain her anger until Ragnar entered the house.

"I heard noise here, and since Lilia didn’t scream, I figured you must be back," he explained. As he spoke, he glanced at the weapons and broke into a wide smile. "Is that a sword? I’ve always wanted one! Where did you get it?"

Surprised by his brother's excitement, Aryk handed Ragnar the second sword. "It’s from the basement. Just be careful; it's very heavy."

Ragnar grabbed the sword and started to swing it as if it were a small stick, laughing as he imagined himself defeating villains.

An awkward silence fell over Lilia and Aryk as Lilia asked, "Didn't you say it was heavy?"

Aryk, with a vacant yet astonished expression, replied, "It really is heavy."

After securing the house, the siblings sat in their room discussing the frightening events of the day.

"But who would want to watch us? We aren’t wealthy or influential in the village," Lilia wondered.

Aryk remembered the box of gold in the basement and the eerie cave with the lake, but he chose not to say anything today. His siblings had already had their fill of fear for the night.

Ragnar looked at his siblings with a serious tone and said, "Maybe they wanted to take one of us? I heard from Zack that there’s a group of people stealing children for magical rituals to get closer to demons!"

Aryk looked at his brother, incredulous at his foolishness. "Ragnar, if they were really who you think they are, they could just break into the house and kidnap us without even watching us. We're just a group of kids; they could easily take us without resistance!"

Embarrassed, Ragnar agreed with Aryk while Lilia laughed.

As the siblings continued their discussion, they noticed the sunset.

"Aryk, it's time to get ready," Lilia reminded him.

"Yes, Mrs. Cecilia is waiting for us for dinner," he replied as he got up and headed toward the wardrobe.

After getting ready and leaving the house, the siblings approached Mrs. Cecilia’s home.