"Leonardo, stop!"
Anna's voice rang out just as Leonardo turned, eyes sharp. His body tensed as he faced her.
"He tried to kill me?"
"It was a mistake..." Elara began, stepping in quickly. "He probably didn't mean it, right, Uncle Richard?"
Her eyes turned to the slightly obese man on the floor, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.
"Sorry, son," Richard muttered, slowly pushing himself upright. "Been… unusually cautious lately." He extended a hand awkwardly. "Didn't expect my nieces to show up, only the right star to take what's left of my goods."
He invited them inside with a huff, continuing his awkward apologies as Leonardo brushed the moment off with a shrug.
Inside, a grand fireplace dominated one wall, its flames crackling beneath a large portrait of a stern man in medieval attire—robes trimmed in gold, eyes like daggers.
Leonardo's gaze lingered on the fire, its heat kissing his skin, before Anna tugged his arm and led him forward. Fire. warm, soft, alluring and scary. Is there anything more contradictory?
Richard guided them through a series of lavish guest rooms, each more ornate than the last, until a tall figure appeared in the hall.
"Ah, Geoffrey!" Richard called out, surprising even himself with the warmth in his voice. He hurried over to the elderly man, clad in the unmistakable attire of a traditional butler.
"Would you be kind enough to patch the young man's face?" He gestured toward Leonardo, a fresh cut trailing blood down his cheek.
Geoffrey gave a small nod, already turning toward the medical room.
Since the scuffle, Elara had hovered like a worried bird, checking every inch of Leonardo with quiet concern.
"Are you okay?" she asked again, her fingers gently probing his arm.
Anna, less obvious but no less worried, narrowed her eyes at Richard. "What was that for?"
"I told you. I've been cautious," he replied flatly, then paused. A spark of alarm flickered in his eyes. "Don't tell me your father's here too?"
"He's not." Elara responds staring at Anna, who stood before an old painting.
It showed a noble couple—him, strong and proud in embroidered robes and crimson sash; her, serene in a flowing cream gown. Between them, their child wore a blend of both colors, a symbolic fusion of two houses.
Anna didn't move. "What happened to the Mortimers? Weren't they one of the noble families in the tower? How'd they end up reduced to a minor estate in the far east?"
Richard sighed. "Ah, well. Every story ends somehow." He turned away, continuing down the hall.
---
"Right this way, sir," Geoffrey said, leading Leonardo into a room filled with the scent of herbs and the gleam of steel instruments.
A large wooden table dominated the space, cluttered with scalpels, tinctures, and ceramic bowls of herbal concoctions.
As Geoffrey dabbed at the cut with practiced precision, Leonardo tried to cut the tension.
"So, Mr. Butler, sir—"
"You are?" Geoffrey asked without looking up.
"Tour Guide Practical Officer. Leonardo Salvius Nox."
The butler raised a brow. "Tour guide? Quite a title for someone so young." A dry smile touched his lips as he reached for a bandage.
Leonardo shrugged. He doesn't believe me. That's fine.
"What do you know about tour guides?" he asked.
Geoffrey paused. "Not much. Hard to remember their faces. Mysterious lot."
After another quiet moment, Geoffrey tied off the bandage and gestured to the door. "Done."
"Thanks," Leonardo murmured as he stepped out.
---
The halls stretched quiet before him. He didn't know where the girls had gone, but he picked up a familiar voice.
"Well, Leonardo is a tour guide. He should be able to help us," Elara said in an embarrassed tone.
"He couldn't even dodge a bow shot!" Richard's voice cut in, exasperated. He gestured toward Leonardo's stature. "And he's… well, look at him."
"I could find you a better one," he continued with a sigh. "This quest shouldn't be meant for children."
"You already have everything you could want in the Stem," he added bitterly. "Yet you could not ask your father for a guide?"
Anna's voice sharpened. "We've lived behind those walls our whole lives, Uncle. I don't think we could've found a better guide. And Father said the quest rules don't allow outside help."
Richard scowled. "You're not a baby—"
"Technically, I am," Anna cut in, voice like steel under velvet.
He fell silent, eyes narrowing. He remembered—however reluctantly—the ancient tradition: a once-in-500-years quest issued by a sage whose name he tried hard to forget.
_The Mortimers left the Stem for peace. A convenient cover for their true reasons. They were kicked out.
---
A sudden chime rang out through the walls. The right star's announcement echoed across the estate. Morning light spilled through the windows.
"We should go," Elara said, bowing politely. "Thank you."
"My blessings upon you both," Richard said solemnly, his voice hollow.
They made their way out. Leonardo trailed behind, rubbing his bandaged cheek.
"Sorry about Uncle," Elara murmured.
"It's alright. The butler fixed it up nicely."
"Is he your actual uncle?" Leonardo asked as they neared the platform.
"Distant," Elara said.
Leonardo frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Remember that painting—the man and his family?" she asked, just as another train chime sounded.
"Yeah?"
"The woman was from our family," Anna chimed in. "Think of it as… a trade."
"Wait—you guys _trade people—?" Leonardo blinked, recoiling as strange text shimmered into view.
> [Adaptive Evolution Taking Effect]
"Let's not talk about that right now," Elara said quickly, grabbing his arm. "We're almost at the stem."
The text blinked into existence. Leonardo whipped around, heart pounding, eyes sweeping every corner.
The right star loomed ahead—just a few paces away.
> [Threat Prediction (Minimal)]
Leonardo's eyes widened. An instant of clarity. One second was all he had.
Not enough to stop it. Just enough to brace.
The explosion hit.
Time slowed.
Glass and debris painted the air in a storm of motion, catching the sun's rays like cursed jewels. Leonardo lunged forward, grabbing Elara and Anna and throwing them to the ground.
The shockwave slammed into them—hot, violent, deafening.