"Come quickly, baby Amara is hungry. Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere! Weren't you told to stay in the baby's room? Hurry!" The midwife urged, impatiently gesturing for the nanny to follow.
The midwife hastily opened the nursery door, expecting to find the baby safely in the cradle. But the moment her eyes landed on it, her heart froze.
"Gasped, Where's the baby?"
In the darkness
The weight of the child in its arms felt heavier than it should have. The baby was still asleep, unaware of the cruel fate waiting for her.
A voice echoed in the shadow's mind, cold and emotionless: "Get rid of the baby." The baby stirred softly, her finger twitching, and the warmth of her small body pressed at the shadow's chest. "Why am I hesitating?" unbidden thoughts slip in.
A gust of wind suddenly slammed the door shut behind them, causing the wet nurse to shriek. The midwife's heart leaped as she let out a piercing scream.
While in the baby's room
The panicking midwife screamed, "Aaahhhhh! Baby Amara is missing!" Her voice trembled as she frantically tore through every corner of the room. "Where's the baby?! Where's the baby?!"
But the cradle remained empty, and the baby was nowhere to be found.
In a distant part of the mansion, the shadow paused, hearing the commotion behind them. The lurking shadow whispered, "I need to get out of here!"
As the shadow moved through the dim corridors of the mansion, the weight of the baby in its arms seemed to grow heavier with each step. The voice from earlier echoed in its mind—a command from the higher-ups that had been etched into memory.
"Get rid of the baby. You know what must be done." A cold and emotionless order, as if it were so easy.
But now, cradling the warm and innocent child, the shadow's thoughts twisted. Why was I hesitating?The shadow shook its head, the internal argument intensifying. "I have my bottom line. I don't kill children." The words were a whisper, barely audible, but they rang with finality. "I only take jobs for money."
The weight of the baby pressed against the shadow's chest, reminding it of the impossible choice ahead. With a swift flick, the shadow sprinkled a fine black powder over the baby in its arms, ensuring she stayed asleep.
"Ugghh! I should have never accepted this assignment!" Regret slipped into the shadow's voice, "But I need the money."The shadow's steps quickened.
"What if I just disappeared with her? Nah, that won't do. They would come for me," while shaking his head, "but I can't do what they want. I am greedy. Yes. I am. But not this! "What kind of monster would do this?" The thought slipped through like a confession, unbidden but true.
For the first time, it didn't seem to matter. The weight of the baby in its arms was too much to ignore, too much to simply let go.
"I know!" and the shadow suddenly thought of something and finally reached a decision. Without glancing back, it slipped through a hidden door, vanishing into the darkness.
In the master bedroom, Datu Arvyn jolted upright at the sound of a scream. Confusion and shock gripped him as he realized something was wrong.
Datu Arvyn shouted, "Guards!" His voice thundered through the room. "What's happening? Where is the midwife? What happened to my daughter?!"
Caleb, Datu Arvyn's young son, tugged at his father's sleeve, his face still wet with tears from their mother's passing.
"Father, what is happening? Where is my sister?"
Datu Arvyn, struggling to maintain his composure, lifted Caleb into his arms.
"Don't worry, Caleb. We'll find your sister." His voice was tight with fear, but he tried to offer reassurance.
Just then, the midwife burst into the room, pale and trembling.
The midwife stammers, "M-my Lord, Baby Amara is gone! I—I just left her in her cradle to fetch the wet nurse, but when I returned, she was gone! I've searched everywhere, but I can't find her!"
Datu Arvyn's face darkened with anger, and his mind raced with panic.
With a firm voice, Datu Arvyn barked, "Search the grounds! Leave no stone unturned! I want my daughter found!"
His urgent commands filled the room as the knights scrambled to carry out their orders. The air in the mansion thickened with fear and desperation as they moved swiftly, knowing the stakes were high.
Far from the chaos, the shadow moved swiftly through the dark forest, the baby still fast asleep in its arms. The path ahead was clear, and no one had seen them leave.
For now, the plan had gone unnoticed.
Datu Arvyn's eyes hardened as he handed Caleb to a maid. The weight of grief hung heavily on him, but he couldn't afford to lose focus now. His daughter was gone. Stolen.
Datu Arvyn mused, "This wasn't an accident." A chill snaked down his spine. "Something isn't right."
The midwife stood trembling, her face pale as she watched the furious Datu. She had failed in her duty, and she knew the consequences would be severe.
The midwife said while trembling, "My Lord, I—I didn't mean for this to happen."
Her words trailed off into tense silence, the weight of the situation suffocating her.
Datu Arvyn didn't take his eyes off the door, the thought of his missing daughter gnawing at him. Every second counted.
With a merciless and cold voice, "Lock down the entire estate. Search every corner. No one leaves until my daughter is found," Datu Arvyn ordered.
The guards hurried to obey, spreading out in all directions. There was a rising fear in Datu Arvyn's chest. How had someone slipped through the estate's defenses without him noticing? The possibilities of what could happen next terrified him.
The captain of the guards, standing nearby, wore a grim expression. His heart raced under the weight of responsibility. The estate had been considered secure, so how had this happened?
The captain clenched his jaw while saying, "We'll find her, Sire."
But as he walked down the hallway, his mind churned with anxiety. "Who could have done this? And how?
In the courtyard, the captain issued rapid orders to his men. The guards moved swiftly, their armor clanking as they checked each room, interrogated the staff, and searched the grounds with grim determination. The tension hung thick in the air, but their resolve was clear.
Inside the mansion, Datu Arvyn sat in his study, head cradled in his hands. Guilt gnawed at him, heavy and sharp. He blamed himself for neglecting his daughter. Caleb sat nearby, his face etched with confusion and distress. Arvyn kept him close, afraid that his son, too, might disappear.
A sudden knock on the door broke the heavy silence. The captain of the guards entered, his face drawn and grim.
The Captain of the Guard reported, "My Lord, we've searched everywhere. Every nook and cranny of the estate has been examined, and each person questioned." He hesitated, his tone darkening. "Unfortunately, we haven't found baby Amara within the grounds. We did, however, find a secret door that the criminal most likely used to flee. It seems that baby Amara is no longer on the estate."
Datu Arvyn stood abruptly, "Bang!" slamming his fist on the table. The sound echoed through the room like thunder. Caleb, startled, clung to the maid, his wide eyes filling with fear.
Caleb asked her father, "Father, what's happening? Father, where is my sister? Why can't they find her?"
Datu Arvyn knelt beside his son, his hands trembling as he cupped Caleb's small face.
Datu replied to his son, "Don't worry, son. We will find her. I promise you."
Straightening, Datu Arvyn's expression hardened. His gaze shifted to the guards standing by.
He said in a firm voice, "Expand the search. Cover every inch of the surrounding cities and villages. Offer a handsome reward. No one leaves or enters the estate without my explicit permission."
The guards bowed and rushed out, their footsteps echoing through the corridors. Time was running out, and his daughter's fate remained terrifyingly uncertain.
As the guards rushed to follow his orders, Datu Arvyn's mind raced. The estate was vast, and whoever had taken his daughter was still out there. He needed more than just manpower to secure the estate.
With a swift motion, he turned to the portrait of his grandfather hanging on the wall. Behind it, hidden for generations, lay the agimat, an ancient artifact barrier. His hand hovered over the smooth, engraved surface, knowing the power it held.
Datu Arvyn took a deep breath and began the invocation, his voice low and steady.
Datu Arvyn, imbuing the spell with his earth power, "Pang Salaknib, Tanggol ti Angkan."
The air around him shifted, the temperature dropping as the spell took hold. A pulse of energy rippled outward from the Agimat, spreading through the estate. Outside, the walls shimmered faintly as the barrier formed, sealing every entrance and exit with an unseen force.
"The estate is sealed. No one enters or leaves without my command."
The guards outside paused momentarily, feeling the surge of magic as it wrapped around the estate. The shimmering barrier glowed for a brief second before fading, leaving an invisible shield around the grounds.
Datu Arvyn is already an Earth Sage Rank, just two rank lower to become an Elemental Avatar and ascend. Yet, the burden of wielding the Agimat still weighed heavily on him. Despite the estate's newfound security, his daughter's fate remained unknown, and the clock was ticking.