The sun was dipping low, spilling bands of amber light through the tall windows of the study. Dust motes floated lazily in the warm glow, and the faint sound of servants preparing dinner echoed faintly through the hall.

Noel sat with the four girls gathered around the small circular table. Noir rested beside his chair, her tail swishing quietly as her ears flicked toward every sound.

He exhaled slowly. "Alright… since we've got some time before dinner, I need to tell you what's really going on."

The air shifted immediately—Elyra straightened, Charlotte's cheerful face softened, Selene's eyes sharpened, and Elena set her cup down gently.

"This territory," Noel began, "isn't just some ancestral land. There's something beneath it—something our family has guarded for generations."

He hesitated. The truth pressed at the back of his mind, heavy and dangerous. He knew what would happen if he pushed too far. Still, he tried.

A sharp pulse struck through his skull—like mana backlash, raw and familiar. It wasn't new, but it still made his breath catch. His fingers twitched slightly as he steadied himself against the chair.

Charlotte leaned forward immediately. "Noel?"

Elyra frowned. "Again?"

Elena reached toward him, voice gentle. "It's happening like before, isn't it?"

Selene blinked, caught off guard. "Before? What's going on?"

Noel forced a steady breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose until the tension eased. "It's… nothing. Sometimes when I try to talk about certain things, it just… happens."

Selene's brows furrowed. She had never seen him react like that, and for once, a flicker of worry crossed her usually calm face.

"I'm fine," Noel added, managing a faint smile. "But I'll keep it simple. There's an object under the Thorne estate—something that draws monsters. And recently, it's drawn more than just them."

Elyra's eyes narrowed. "You mean—"

Noel nodded once. "The Third and Fourth Pillars. Noir saw them."

The room fell silent. The last streaks of sunset faded beyond the horizon, and Noir's tail stilled.

Elyra's eyes sharpened the moment Noel finished. "So—this could end up like the Holy Capital, or Tharvaldur?" she asked, voice low and clipped. There was no teasing now; she was all focus.

"No," Noel said, then corrected himself. "Yes. Bigger than a raid. It could be catastrophic if they want the same kind of domino." He rubbed his temple, feeling the familiar ache whisper at the edge of his thoughts. 'Say less, or the system will sting me again,' he reminded himself internally.

Elyra didn't need the whole explanation. "So it's not just a horde you're dealing with. You have two… people—two Pillars—moving in the shadows." She folded her arms. "We need to find them. Figure out what they want."

"Noir saw them," Noel replied. "A man and a woman more or less about our age—something off with their mana and smell. If they're setting up whatever the Pillars do, we have to stop them before the horde hits. If both events happen at once, it gets messy—too messy. I have to be with my father to handle the horde. I can't be in two places." He met Elyra's gaze, blunt and honest. "I'll go with him. That's non-negotiable."

Elyra leaned forward, fingers steepled. "Then we'll handle the other problem. If you let Noir move, I can coordinate with Charlotte—stealth, information. Charlotte can provide blessings and cover. Elena can handle healing and wards. Selene—" Her gaze flicked to Selene, "—will be the battlefield anchor if it comes to confrontation."

Selene lifted an eyebrow. "You assume I won't be in the front?"

"You'll be in the front," Elyra said, flat. "But I mean: we'll keep you where you're most effective. Control and disruption. You won't be alone."

Noel blinked, surprised at the calm efficiency of their voices. "You'd really do that? Put yourselves in—"

"We came," Charlotte cut in, stern now. "That means we stay. Don't ask us to run if things get hard."

Noel felt warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the tea. "All right. If Noir can get eyes on them, and you three set up a net, we might pin down who they are and where they'll strike." He hesitated, careful with words. "If it gets too dangerous, promise me you'll fall back."

Elyra smirked but nodded. "You worry too much. I'll plan for us to not get killed."

Noel let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Noir padded up onto his knee and nudged his hand; the mental tug of her voice brushed his mind, bright and certain. 'I'll find them, Dad.'

He smiled despite himself. "Okay. Then let's get started. Dinner's coming up, but after that—we map, we listen, we move. Quietly."

The conversation settled, leaving a strange calm in its wake. Outside the windows, the last traces of daylight slipped into indigo, and the faint hum of mana lamps flickered to life along the walls.

Charlotte leaned back in her seat, stretching her arms above her head. "You know, I didn't expect our reunion to turn into another crisis planning session," she said, her voice half-teasing, half-resigned.

Elyra smirked. "You should know by now that anywhere Noel goes, trouble follows."

"Hey," Noel muttered, shooting her a look.

"It's true," Selene said dryly, sipping from her cup. "Holy Capital, Tharvaldur, now here. I'm starting to see a pattern."

Noel sighed. "Yeah, well, I'd rather this one not end with a city on fire."

Charlotte's smile faded a little. "You think it could really get that bad?"

He hesitated before answering. "If the Third and Fourth Pillars are here, it means they're preparing something. And they don't move without reason. If I had to guess, the horde is just a distraction—or maybe part of whatever they're planning."

Elyra rested her chin on her hand, eyes narrowed. "Then we'll stop them before it starts. We already have Noir's eyes nad Charlotte's nose. Between that, they won't get far."

'You forgot me, Miss Elyra,' Noir's voice echoed softly in their minds, her tail swishing. 'I can bite them if that helps.'

Selene raised an eyebrow. "She's serious?"

Noel chuckled. "Completely."

A faint laugh rippled around the room—quiet, tired, but genuine. For a brief moment, the tension eased, replaced by something lighter.

Elena finally spoke up, her tone calm. "Then it's settled. After dinner, we rest. At dawn, Noir starts her search, and we stay alert."

Noel nodded, leaning back against his chair. "Good. Just one more thing…" His gaze drifted to the door, where footsteps echoed faintly in the corridor. "Dinner's in five minutes. My father doesn't like waiting."

The room fell silent again. Charlotte glanced between them. "So… what are the odds he's going to like us?"

Elyra smirked. "Judging by his reputation?"

Selene finished for her. "Low."

Noel sighed quietly. "That's what I thought."

Noir tilted her head, tail wagging once. 'Then I'll sit next to you, Dad. You'll need emotional support.'

He smiled faintly. "Yeah… I probably will."

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.