"End is Inevitable, especially for those who see it coming" The words scribbled there in crimson sent a shiver down my spine, What the hell, what does this mean? A threat of some sort? It can't be a prank, Even James wouldn't do something so creepy.

Is it a stalker, Is someone stalking Clara, I heard stories about how slave traders target beautiful women, and sell them to wealthy men or Nobles. My mind began to panic. It's obviously illegal for a long time, but Vane told me no one has the guts to target powerful nobles in the business, and it's still normal to have them as "maids" beyond the walls inside Imperial Gardens. Or is it some psychological tactic used by some robber, to make us panic and act irrationally, But why would anyone target us? It doesn't make sense.

"Wait a second….Did I even leave the gas lamp on? My legs felt weak almost paralyzed. My breathing became shallower. My mouth is getting drier by the second. Was someone trying to kill us? Burn us alive? If I hadn't come up to get my book, I might have left without ever noticing. Then, when we get back in together, It would've spread everywhere in the house, and...…"

First things first, I should investigate if anyone had broken into the room. I glanced at my study table, It was an old wooden, with a plain texture, and a cloth covering it to protect it from dust. The small gas lamp placed at the edge of it, which almost killed us today, and the book I was reading at the center of it all titled "The less I know the better", Huh? Where is it? I bent down to check under the table, then crawled on the cold wooden floor nearby, hoping it had somehow been misplaced by me or Clara. It was nowhere to be found. Did someone really break in... for a novel? It makes no sense. I quickly checked all of my room, every corner, every drawer, even Under the bed. No, Nothing else was stolen, Even this ring. I looked at the bright golden ring in my hand, It had Loin's head meticulously detailed as its top, every strand of beard, every feature of his jawline, eyes as sharp as a real lion, lips showing some of his sharp teeth, and a very intimidating reaction, like he was angry, No not angry, like he was looking at his prey, I quickly broke our eye contact. This was our Milford family's heirloom, Passed down from generation to generation. We all thought this was worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, due to the highly detailed lion head, and the quality of the gold. The gold was just so bright and shiny, that it was almost ominous.

I wore the ring on my middle finger to better care for it. This was not a robbery for money. I was almost finished reading the book, There was nothing special about it. Just that the story was one of the best, I have ever read. There are hundreds of copies available in the market, why this? My mind was a mess. The more I think, The more confused I become. The air was still slightly metallic, but I closed the windows shut anyway.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

I started looking around the house, to see if anything else had been stolen. I went inside Clara's room, and right after entering smell of flowers, no strong flowered perfume filled my nostrils. Her room was simple and clean, with a queen-sized bed—small for me or James, but perfect for Clara's size. A chair, and a small wooden table which had a copper jug filled with water on it, but no glass. Maybe because I noticed that she liked to drink water straight from this copper jug. And there were some novels I gave her after reading them placed neatly there. The room was rather small, So I quickly checked all her stuff for if anything looked suspicious. But I still don't know all her stuff, So I can't really confirm if anything small like my book was stolen from her.

I went downstairs and entered James's room this time. He also had a queen-sized bed in the room, But it was slightly taller than Clara's. On the wall, there were multiple newspapers of different dates, pasted on one side of his room. A sharp smell hit my nostrils. Tobacco? My chest tightened. As far as I know, James doesn't smoke. I checked his study table, There was a lit cigarette on it. I quickly unlighted it with my thumb. A chill went down my spine. My hands twitched. Was I right? A chill ran down my spine, and my breath caught in my throat. My mind raced—this cigarette… If it had fallen or burned long enough… The whole street shares the same gas pipeline. Hundreds of people could've died…

This. I should report this to the police. What a sneaky way to attack! Was the break-in just to cause the explosion, and my book was just that 'he' saw it, liked the cover, and took it. Why would someone go so out of their way to kill some average people, Or was it an assassination attempt on someone, and this would cover it up as an "accident"? Is there someone that important living here? No no, I am letting the crime novels take over me, this might just be a terrorist attack. In the current state of the world, they're common, especially in capital provinces like Wellington.

I should just report it to the police, or the church. They could evacuate everyone, and catch the culprit. This might be a terrorist attack, Holy Knights, and the Military will also get involved then.

Thud! A loud echo of something heavy falling reverberated through the house.

My eyes widened! Is someone….Is someone still inside the house? Is 'he' still watching me? A shiver ran through my whole, my palms started sweating. I rushed into the kitchen to grab something sharp for defense. I quickly grabbed a sharp butchering knife and forced myself to calm down. "Come out! I know someone's there. You can't hide—I'm reporting you to Goddess Aetheria's church!" I yelled with all my strength, My voice still shaky.

Their only response was silence.

The object fell upstairs, likely near my room. 'He' must be upstairs. "You can't escape me now!" I won't risk fighting, maybe 'he' has a revolver or some weapon. If someone came, I would just rush out to the nearest church. Then the Knights could deal with this mess.

Tap! Tap! Tap! The slow, deliberate echo of footsteps came from above, each one louder than the last. Clutching the knife tightly, I rushed to the door near the exit, still aiming my knife upstairs.

To Be Continued...….

Author's Note: No one loves me :( Well not my crush at least, Do you readers love me? I am going to start a sub reddit, to better connect with my readers. Name would be TO you: After the End or TYATY(whatever), So do join. there are none now, But there will be many in future, I belive in my work:)