The moment Vivian's scream tore through the hallway, Elliot bolted into the room without hesitation.

Gia, Barbados, and I remained at the door, tense and on edge. Gia clutched my sleeve, her fingers digging into the fabric, while Barbados let out a troubled sigh, his usually jovial demeanor completely gone.

A few agonizing moments later, Elliot reappeared, guiding Vivian out of the room. Her face was pale, her body trembling. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, and her hands were shaking so badly that she had to clutch Elliot's arm for support.

"We shouldn't go in there," Elliot said firmly, his voice grave.

Barbados stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Elliot turned to him. "Lord Barbados, I need your staff to gather our belongings from that room. We won't be staying there tonight." His tone left no room for argument.

Barbados nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "Very well. I'll have my staff take care of it immediately. In the meantime, follow me. You can stay in another room while my staff finishes organizing your things." He gestured for us to follow, leading us into a room before disappearing down the corridor to handle the matter personally.

Only when we were alone again did Gia dare to ask, her voice hushed with fear. "El… what happened?"

Elliot exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Someone left a package inside the room," he said, his tone edged with anger. "Inside were several severed rat heads… and a threat letter."

Gia's breath hitched.

Vivian, who had been trying to steady herself, wiped her eyes and added in a shaky voice, "And the worst part? That room was locked. I had the supposedly only key. No one should have been able to get inside."

A heavy silence fell over us.

Gia's face paled. "So that means…?"

"It means we have a serious problem," I said grimly. "Whoever did this knows our movements. And they want us to know that they're watching."

Gia wrapped her arms around herself, visibly shaken. "Can't we just… cancel the performance?" she asked, her voice small.

Elliot shook his head. "Impossible. We're contractually bound. Canceling now would mean paying a massive penalty. We don't have that option."

Vivian straightened, regaining some of her usual composure. "Then we'll stay somewhere else. I'll make the arrangements."

"Where?" Elliot asked immediately, his sharp gaze locking onto her.

I watched him closely, studying his reaction.

"The fewer people who know, the safer we'll be," I answered before Vivian could respond.

Elliot's expression darkened. "So you don't trust me?"

I met his glare head-on. "That's not it," I said, keeping my voice steady. "But my job as Gia's bodyguard is to be cautious. With everyone. And we shouldn't be discussing this here. For all we know, someone is listening to us right now."

Elliot held my gaze for a long moment before letting out a short, resigned sigh. "Fine," he muttered, relenting. "You did save Gia before. I'll trust you on this."

***

After an exhausting day, we finally arrived at our new lodging. It wasn't nearly as luxurious as the suite at Crystal Crescendo, but at the very least, it should be safer.

This time, we were staying in three separate rooms. Gia in 302, myself in 303, and Vivian in 304.

Vivian and I accompanied Gia into her room, making sure she was comfortable.

"I'll be right next door," Vivian reassured her, squeezing Gia's shoulder gently. "Just knock if you need anything, okay?"

Gia nodded. "Thanks, Vivi."

Vivian gave me a glance before turning to leave. "You too, Eryndor. Get some rest."

I nodded and said goodbye before turning back to Gia.

"Let me check the room first," I said.

She sighed but didn't protest, simply sitting on the edge of the bed and watching as I moved.

I examined the windows, the door, the furniture, any potential entry points. I ran my fingers along the locks, pressed against the wooden panels, even checked under the bed. Everything seemed fine.

After a while, I finally let out a breath.

"I will stay in this room, if you don't mind," I said. "I'll sleep on the sofa."

Gia looked hesitant but nodded.

"And there were a few things I wanted to ask."

"Alright, I'll answer as best as I can," Gia replied.

"So we have a few people who could be potential suspects. The first and most suspicious one is the fanatic fan who frequently sends threat letters. But the problem is, there's no way they would know your rehearsal schedule, so we can rule them out."

Gia nodded in agreement. "Besides, anyone could be pretending and sending those threats."

"Next is Barbados. As you said, he's obsessed with you and has tried to get close to you despite being rejected multiple times," I said, deep in thought.

"And he tied me down with a contract just to stay near me. He even threatened to destroy my career," Gia sighed. "I think he's afraid I'll expose him after this performance, which marks the end of our contract."

"But I still don't understand the severed rat head incident. If he wanted to silence you or get close to you, that act contradicts his motive. But… aside from the intruder earlier, he's the only one who could have had access to the suite at Crystal Crescendo. Not to mention, the timing of that horrifying package was perfect. Arriving right when we were having dinner, which was hosted by him. If we hadn't left the room, they couldn't have placed that package."

"So the staff could also be suspects?" Gia asked hesitantly.

"Possibly, but there's no strong motive. At least, not one that we know of yet," I answered firmly.

"What about Luna and Lila? You said they held a grudge against you?" I inquired further.

"Not exactly a grudge, but I could sense their jealousy. Vivi once told me that they were the ones spreading bad rumors about me to the press. It makes sense. They were famous long before I was, as the main stars of Crystal Crescendo, and then suddenly had to become my backup singers," Gia explained.

"That gives them a solid motive. If you were out of the picture, they could reclaim the spotlight. But they shouldn't have any information about this hotel," I pondered. "Still, I'll add them to the suspect list," I said while jotting down notes.

"And lastly, there's Elliot. Just like Barbados, he has enough connections and power to pull this off. He also knows your entire schedule, including our move to this hotel, though he shouldn't know the exact location," I continued. "In my opinion, he's the strongest suspect."

Stolen story; please report.

"And he has a solid motive," Gia said eagerly.

"That's the problem. You said no one knew except Vivian, right?" I asked again.

"That's right. El shouldn't know that I've realized he's been stealing from me. Or that I planned to expose him at the press conference after the show," Gia mused.

I glanced down at my notes again. Barbados Crescendo, Elliot Grey, and the Nightingale sisters, Luna and Lila. These were the prime suspects.

I was deep in thought when something suddenly clicked in my mind.

"Gia, I think I'm starting to piece this puzzle together!" I exclaimed.

"So, who was the mastermind behind all of this?" she asked.

Before I could answer, a faint hissing sound reached my ears.

A thin, almost invisible mist was seeping into the room.

"Do you smell that?" Gia asked, frowning. "It smells... rotten."

My eyes widened. "Get down! Cover your mouth! Now!"

But it was too late. My limbs began to feel heavy, my vision blurring at the edges. Gia staggered beside me, trying to stay upright.

"It's dangerous," I murmured, choking back panic. "Paralyzing gas."

The staff I had just drawn slipped from my fingers as I dropped to my knees.

The last thing I saw before I was completely paralyzed... was a shadow entering the room.

Phase. I was absolutely certain the moment I saw the intruder slip into the room, passing through the wall on the right side. The faint shimmer of distortion around them, followed by the telltale transparent mist of Basilisk's Breath, made it unmistakably clear: this wasn't just any assassin. This one was highly specialized. An elite infiltrator trained to incapacitate and kill before their target even knew they were being hunted.

"Shit," I muttered through clenched teeth. The intruder must have gotten Ghost Step and Lethal Precision too.

My eyes locked onto the faint, glimmering outline of their figure, a barely visible shadow wrapped in the sticky trail of Viscous Goo, which clung to them despite the active Ghost Step cloak. That passive ability allowed the assassin to vanish from sight and move with inhuman speed right after using Phase.

We were in trouble.

Luckily, I had just enough time to summon Gorgroth, my last line of defense. The towering beast burst forth from the floor with a roar, unaffected by the paralyzing effects of Basilisk's Breath. I, on the other hand, lay helpless on the floor, every limb like stone, my breaths shallow. All I could do was watch… and hope.

The intruder, clearly frustrated, moved swiftly to eliminate Gia. Flames from Spitfire crackled across the intruder's suit, but they didn't slow him down. Knife after knife flew with deadly accuracy, aimed straight at Gia.

Gorgroth bellowed and slammed its head into the air, intercepting the attacks mid-flight with frightening precision. But even it wasn't invincible. Lethal Precision left its mark. Deep, ragged wounds that oozed thick green liquid. I could see Gorgroth's movements growing sluggish. Its breathing turned into low, guttural growls of pain.

The enemy tried to end this quickly. He only had 2 minutes before the paralyzing effect fades…

The first minute was brutal. Gorgroth and the assassin, whose form had become clearer with each second, clashed like wild beasts. Blade met sharp teeths. Sparks flew. Blood, green and red, spattered the marble floors.

Now more visible, the assassin wore a sleek black suit, tight and functional. A mask covered most of his face, with only a narrow slit for the eyes and a custom respirator over his mouth, clearly designed to channel Basilisk's Breath. Every movement he made was deliberate, focused, and deadly.

Gia remained frozen nearby, wide-eyed, her lips trembling.

"Hang on, Gia," I muttered, forcing every ounce of will into my fingertips. Just a few more seconds…

And then, Gorgroth stumbled. The assassin's blade cut across its bark-like hide in a perfect arc, and the creature roared, staggering backward before vanishing entirely. Banished back to wherever it had come from.

The assassin stood over me, victorious. "Keh-heh… You're dead now," he hissed coldly, stepping forward. His voice was low, mocking, confident. He had managed to take down Gorgroth in less than two minutes, just before the paralysis effect from Basilisk's Breath wore off.

With a sharp flick of his wrist, he raised his blade and swung it down, aiming straight for my neck. Expressionless and devoid of mercy, his sharp eyes narrowed with focus.

Clank!

The metallic clash of steel rang out through the room.

His eyes widened in disbelief. His blade had been blocked by my staff.

"W-What?!" he gasped, staggering back half a step. "There should've been twenty seconds left! How?!"

[Inner Beast cast]

Thud!

Before he could recover, I drove the end of my staff hard into his stomach. The impact made a sickening sound, and he crumpled instantly, coughing violently and vomiting as he fell to the ground.

He writhed on the floor, gasping for air. Whatever composure or arrogance he had was gone now.

Ooborosk's Mantle. That passive had kicked in again, saving me at the very edge of defeat, just like before.

I didn't waste a second.

With a snarl, I brought the staff down on him again. Once. Twice. Over and over, until his movements slowed, until I was sure he couldn't retaliate. Then, with a swift pull, I tore the black mask from his face.

He was young, maybe no older than thirty, with pale skin and a strange mark etched just behind his ear.

I didn't stop to ask questions.

From my pouch, I pulled out a vial filled with shimmering violet liquid. Void Essence Draught. I had asked Orin to brew this one specifically, along with a handful of other essential potions, just in case.

"For messing with the wrong people," I muttered, prying his mouth open and forcing the potion down his throat.

The fluid shimmered as it vanished past his lips.

Void Essence Draught. A rare counter-agent to Phase, one that nullified any space-altering buffs and sealed the ability entirely.

Whatever plan he had left, whatever tricks he was about to pull, it was over.

***

I barely had time to interrogate him. He remained silent, refusing to answer my questions, until, without warning, his body seizing up, blood spurted as he convulsed, and soon after, he went completely still.

"Darn it!" I hissed under my breath. He must have done something, realizing there was no way out.

A frantic banging on the door interrupted my thoughts, followed by Vivian's panicked voice. "Gianna! What happened?"

I quickly searched the intruder's body, my hands moving with practiced efficiency. No pulse. He was gone. My fingers found a small pouch tucked into his belt, and I took it before stepping back. Gia hesitated, then opened the door.

Vivian burst in, flanked by a few hotel staff. The tension in her face melted the moment she saw Gia unharmed. She pulled Gia into a tight hug.

Vivian's eyes fell on the lifeless body sprawled across the floor. Her breath hitched. "I-Is he… dead?"

Gia nodded solemnly. "He killed himself before we could get any answers." Her voice was quiet, laced with frustration. "He… tried to kill me."

Vivian exhaled, composing herself. "Well… at least that means you're safe now. Looks like hiring Eryndor as your bodyguard was the right decision."

I narrowed my eyes. "Safe?" I repeated sharply. "Not yet. We still don't know who sent him."

Vivian frowned. "How do you know he wasn't working alone?"

I crossed my arms. "For one, Gia has never seen him before. It's unlikely he had a personal motive to kill her. And more importantly, he couldn't have known our location. I triple-checked everything. There were no trackers on us."

I took a deep breath before continuing, "And the last one is, he is a professional assassin, not an ordinary person. He must have been hired by someone."

Gia chewed her lip, her fingers nervously picking at her nails. "S-So… what do we do now?"

I met her gaze, my voice firm. "Just stay close to me."

I continued to watch Gia closely after the incident, preventing anything bad from happening to her.

***

Today was the 150th anniversary of the Crystal Crescendo Opera House. A grand, glamorous celebration filled with music and echoes of history.

The air still held some tension, but it was mostly drowned out by the excitement of the evening.

"Rin-Rin, how do I look?" Gia's cheerful voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I turned toward her and froze.

She twirled in front of the mirror, her long pink gown blooming like a rose. The fabric shimmered in the soft chandelier light, her hair perfectly styled with loose curls framing her glowing face.

For a few seconds, I forgot how to breathe.

Gia smirked. "Hey! Wipe that drool off your mouth! You're starting to look like Lord Barbados."

"Wha—? I wasn't drooling!" I quickly wiped my mouth with the back of my hand out of sheer instinct.

"Hahaha! Got you!" she giggled, eyes sparkling with mischief. "You should've seen your face. So, tell me. Do you like it?"

I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice steady. "O-of course I do. You're the star of tonight's show, Gia. You have to look stunning."

She smiled, this time more softly. "Good. Then escort me to the backstage, my bodyguard. I'm ready."

We walked the hallway together, unaware of the shadows stirring behind us.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.