Inside Cara's house, Douzen sat quietly on a chair as Cara walked in and handed him a glass of water.
He took it with a slight nod and sipped. Cara stood nearby, watching him, and he finally spoke.
"Thanks."
"Um… no need, sir…" Cara started to say, but Douzen interrupted softly before she could finish .
"And I'm sorry about what happened earlier this morning. " he said.
"About what?" Cara asked, confused.
"I mean… about you not being assigned to this investigation. I could've asked them to let you handle it as well , but honestly, I think it's better if you stay away from this one. It doesn't feel right. Something about it… feels dangerous. Like something bad is coming," Douzen explained, his calm voice but serious.
"I understand, sir. I didn't take it personally," she replied with a small smile.
Douzen nodded. "Actually, the reason I came here… it's something personal."
"Personal?" Cara blinked. A thought crossed her mind. "Wait… did Doulong tell him about his feelings for me? Is that what this is about?"
"Yeah…" Douzen stood up slowly. "Can you come to my house in a little while? There's something I need your help with...personally."
"Um… sure, sir. You mean at your house?" Cara asked, a little surprised.
Later, at Douzen's house ( where he lived with Selay, Diana, and Doulong), Nikola stood in front of Diana's door. She stood in the doorway as he bowed his head slightly, his cheeks red with embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry for what happened earlier. I didn't mean to embarrass you. Please forgive me," he said quickly.
Diana looked at him, a little unsure. "What are you talking about? I never asked for an apology. It's not like it was your fault."
"Still… I feel bad," Nikola said sincerely.
"Stop it, seriously," Diana replied, rolling her eyes a bit. "I wasn't even that mad. And if it's anyone's fault, it's Selay's."
She pointed toward Selay, who was a few meters away, munching on a baked potato.
"Come on, it wasn't anyone's fault," Selay called out casually. "And it's not like we actually saw anything, okay? Don't be so angry ."
"Trust me, I didn't see a thing! I hid my eyes before I even looked," Nikola insisted, flustered.
"What kind of bullshit is happening here?" a voice called out.
Everyone turned to see Doulong climbing over the fence and entering the yard.
Diana crossed her arms and called out, "Where have you been all this time? Don't you remember we're supposed to be getting ready to leave for Walls Village?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Doulong said as he walked in. "I just needed to do something. I also visited Mom's grave before coming back."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Something felt… off there."
"Off? What do you mean?" Selay asked, his tone turning serious.
"I'm not sure," Doulong said, frowning. "The soil didn't look the same as before. Like someone had moved it. And there were fresh horse tracks in the graveyard. It felt… wrong."
Just then, the sound of a horse came from the distance. They all turned to see Douzen arriving on his orange horse. He stopped just outside the fence, climbed down, and looked at the group.
"Good... everyone's here," he said to himself.
Diana walked up to him eagerly. "Dad, when are we leaving?"
Douzen led his horse to the small shelter nearby and answered, "After lunch." As she reached him, he handed her a bag.
When he returned, he glanced at Doulong. "You look like you just came from outside. Go freshen up. Take a quick bath."
Doulong didn't respond. Without saying a word, he turned and walked toward his room.
Douzen watched him go, a little hurt. "He's still mad at me…" he thought, sighing quietly. He turned and walked slowly to his own room house .
Just as he reached close to the door to open it, Selay called out softly, "Uncle…"
Douzen paused as he heard Selay's voice behind him.
"Yeah, Selay?" he asked, turning back.
"Can I talk to you about something?" Selay said, a bit nervous. "Something… personal."
Douzen raised an eyebrow, curious. "Personal? Yeah, sure. What's it about?"
Selay looked down and hesitated. "Can we… talk inside? Just the two of us?"
Douzen gave a small smile. "Why not? Come on in," he said, stepping into the room and removing his cloak.
Selay followed him inside as Douzen began taking off his boots. "Yah... what is it?"
Selay looked a bit unsure as he spoke. "Did you notice that boy who was with us outside? The one with black and white hair?"
"Yeah? What about him?" Douzen asked, pulling off the second boot.
"Well… we became friends," Selay said, his tone softer now. "And I wanted to ask if he could come with us to the evaluation test."
Douzen paused for a moment. "He's new around here, isn't he? You should be careful making friends so quickly," he said. "But if he has a pass to attend, I don't see any problem with him going along."
"He does have a pass. And… I just have this feeling he's a good person," Selay replied with a small smile.
Douzen stood up, now barefoot, and looked at him. "This was the personal thing you wanted to talk about?"
"Well… not really," Selay admitted, walking to the door and gently closing it.
Douzen raised an eyebrow. "Why are you closing the door? Is it really that personal? No one's listening, you know."
Selay turned to him and said quietly, "There's something I want to show you."
Without waiting, Selay began unbuttoning his shirt.
Douzen looked at him, confused. "Hey...why are you taking off your shirt?"
Selay didn't stop. "Because I saw this mark… on my mom, on my dad… and I think I've seen something similar on your back too."
"What is he talking about? " Douzen wondered, his expression turning serious.
Selay fully removed his shirt and turned around, revealing the strange wing mark that etched into his skin.
"I want to know what this symbol means," Selay said firmly. "And I think you might have the answer."
Douzen's eyes widened as he stepped closer, staring at the mark in disbelief. His breath caught in his throat.
"That symbol…" he whispered. "Is that… a Divine Wing Mark?"
Meanwhile...
Behind the cave, in the bathing area, Doulong stood in the water, his body submerged while only his head remained above water . He looked up at the sky, his eyes closed, and his body slightly trembling as small bubbles rose from the water.
He was touching his reproductive organ masturbating under the water and lost in a moment of desire. In his mind, vivid images from the dream he had last night with Cara played again scenes of intimacy and passion. The thoughts overwhelmed him, and he continued until it was over.
When it ended, Doulong slowly lay back on the rocky ground near the lake, breathing heavily. He stared at his hand, guilt and confusion filling his expression.
"What's wrong with me?... Why did I do that?" he thought to himself, unable to shake the feeling.
.
.
.
.
After a while, inside Douzen's house, the dining room stood quietly lit. A large table sat in the corner, surrounded by several chairs. On the table were several plates and they looked like they were made of bread. In the center was a large, fried fish, freshly placed by Selay.
Nikola was already seated at the table, and Selay sat down beside him, asking, "Why are you looking so upset?"
"No... I'm not," Nikola replied, his voice low.
Just then, Doulong entered the room, adjusting his clothes. "Where's Dad?" he asked.
"I don't know, he said…" Diana began to answer, but at that moment, Douzen walked in.
"Why are you looking for me?" he said, "Aren't you still angry with me?"
Doulong sat down at the table and glanced at Nikola, then at the plates. He frowned slightly. "There are six plates here. But we're only five people. What's this sixth plate doing here?"
"That's for Cara. She'll be here soon," Douzen replied.
"Cara?" Doulong thought in shock. Then aloud, he stammered, "Wh-Why Cara?"
"You call her by her name?" Douzen asked, narrowing his eyes a little.
"Ah… I mean...yeah, I do. Any problem with that?" Doulong said, trying to sound casual.
"I call her Ms. Cara. Even Selay calls her Ms. Cara," Diana chimed in as she took a seat beside Doulong.
Douzen turned to Nikola. "So, Nikola, what's your special ability? If you don't mind me asking?" realizing Nikola felt uncomfortable in this situation.
Nikola looked a little awkward but answered, "I can move objects without touching them… and I can appear in places nearby by just looking at them and thinking about going there."
"Oh, telekinesis and teleportation...if I'm not wrong?" Douzen asked.
"I don't really know the names of these abilities," Nikola admitted. "I guess you're right. And… thank you for inviting me to lunch."
"I'd say your ability is more related to space itself," Douzen replied thoughtfully. "The composition of your power suggests that. But you'll learn more as you grow. By the way, where are you staying right now?"
"In the shelter..." Nikola began to answer when a knock suddenly came at the door.
Selay stood up. "I got this," he said, walking toward the door.
As he opened it, he saw Cara standing there, wearing strong leather armor and black pants. Her sword was strapped to her back.
"Oh... Hi, Ms. Cara," Selay greeted politely.
Cara looked toward the dining room and first thing she thought was "What are they doing? she wondered. It feels like a family meeting or something. Don't tell me... is he going to ask me to marry Doulong or something?
"I'm sorry I'm late, sir," she said.
"Don't worry. Come in," Douzen replied, trying to act normal as his eyes briefly scanned her armor.
She walked over and took her seat. With a mix of quiet anticipation and subtle greed, everyone began to eat.
Before they started, Nikola quietly held one hand with the other and, in his mind, said, Thank you for the meal.
As they began eating, Douzen spoke up. "Cara... I know that, as a Knight... especially in the Investigation rank, this job might not be really odd at this point. But I want you to stay with them while they travel to the walls village. You know the risks, and honestly, I can't trust anyone more than you."
"Yes, sir. I have no problem," Cara replied calmly.
"We don't need protection," Doulong interjected. "It's not like we're going to be attacked by monsters. Those kinds of creatures don't exist in this area."
"I didn't ask for your opinion," Douzen said sharply. "I'm doing what I must."
Later, outside the house, the group gathered. Diana held a small bag in her hand. A horse-drawn carriage stood waiting with one black horse, one white. Cara took the bag from Diana and placed it inside the carriage.
"I'll be driving," she said. "Inside, manage your seats. I'm not very experienced with carriages, so hold tight." She fixed her sword across her back and climbed onto the driver's seat.
Doulong entered the cabin first and took a seat. Selay followed. As Diana tried to climb in, she almost slipped, but Nikola caught her in time, blushing slightly as he let go of her hand.
"Thanks…" Diana said with a soft smile, then hopped into the cabin.
Nikola entered last and shut the door behind them.
From outside, Douzen waved. "Alright, be careful, kids."
Cara glanced back through the small rear window. She caught Doulong looking at her but ignored it.
"Alright, I'm starting," she said, then snapped the reins.
The carriage began moving slowly, passing through the village and entering the edge of the forest.
Inside the cabin, Doulong looked at Nikola and said, "You became Selay's friend so quickly… even though I don't really know you yet." He reached out his hand. "I'm Doulong. Hope we can be friends."
Nikola smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."
Conversation gradually picked up. Selay and Diana joined and four of them talked among themselves as the carriage rolled on.
Cara continued to drive through the jungle path. It was already late afternoon. Suddenly, she felt something… off.
A strange energy was existing in the air that felt strange.
She brought the carriage to a sharp halt.
The sudden stop shook the cabin. Everyone inside jolted, nearly losing balance.
"What happened?" Diana asked, confused.
Cara didn't respond. Her eyes scanned the trees ahead. Then she closed them, focusing. She could hear the distant sound of hooves… but something wasn't right.
The energy felt closer now . Cara opened her eyes, narrowed her gaze, and then she saw something .
Two creatures emerged from the path ahead. At first glance, they looked like horses but not normal horse, they were far from normal.
Their bodies were equine, but their faces were disturbingly human that was twisted, with grotesque features. Each had a satanic symbol etched into its head , glowing faintly. Their eyes were empty, soulless.
Worse yet, each creature had four arms, and in each hand was a spear, pulsing with mana and dripping with dark blood.
Cara's hand instinctively moved to her sword.