The temple's main hall echoed with uncomfortable silence, broken only by the steady rhythm of boots on stone. A young man paced in slow, restless strides, his sharp features shadowed with weariness. Normally, his face was the kind that never failed to draw second glances. But tonight, tension stripped it bare, leaving only a haunted edge.
The serpent's temple was quiet, its vast halls smothered in incense and shadow. Gilded pillars coiled like scaled bodies, and mosaics of a thousand jeweled eyes glittered down from the vaulted ceiling.
His gaze slid over the grandeur but found no comfort there. The serpent's carved into every surface seemed to watch him, and doubt gnawed at his resolve.
Had he been right to come here? Not that it mattered anymore. He had no real choice.
This was about his sister.
Hunter should have been home three days ago, but she just… vanished.
She was not in the capital, not anywhere. The city guards can't find information about her, and the guild officials confirmed she had left their academy three days prior.
The mystery behind her absence had grown too heavy for him to ignore. Until, earlier today, he received an anonymous note from someone who claimed to have seen Hunter in the serpent's temple.
It wasn't much, but it was a lead, the only one he had.
'If anything happens to her-'
He stopped pacing, his fist curling tight at his side. The thought cut too deep to finish. And yet, beneath the painted ceiling and coiled stone serpents, he couldn't shake the feeling that the answer he feared most waited in this very temple.
But why?
Was it guilt?
His attention shifted when he heard incoming footsteps, and he turned, just as the priest entered the hall.
He tried to maintain some semblance of composure as he dipped his head slightly to greet the priest.
"Father Ivan."
The priest acknowledged his greeting, studying his face with quiet concern.
"Amon… it's nearly midnight. What are you doing out here at this hour? You look pale. Is something troubling you?"
Amon opened his mouth, then closed it again. He could not bring himself to look at the priest. Seconds dragged before heavy boots echoed behind him.
A city guard stepped into the temple, standing just beside Amon. He bowed briefly to the priest before holding out a folded parchment.
"A search warrant?"
Amon could hear the mild surprise, mixed with confusion in the priest's voice. He could feel the weight of his gaze pressing down on him.
"Forgive me, Father Ivan."
He forced himself to meet the man's shadowed gaze. "But this matter concerns my missing sister. I… I had no choice but to take this action. She could be in any danger for all we know. Maybe someone here might know where she is… or worse. I just want to find my sister."
He knew he wasn't thinking clearly, not with fear clawing at his chest. But reason didn't matter now. Hunter always hated this place, and his heart steered him here for a reason.
If nothing turned up, if the temple's honor was stained because of his suspicions, then he'd accepted whatever punishment followed.
Father Ivan was silent for a long moment, his expression hidden. Then, at last, he gave a slow nod.
"Go ahead."
The words left Amon stunned. Even the city guard seemed to exhale in relief.
"We promise we won't damage anything during the search," the lead guard assured him.
While he gestured for his men to begin the search, the priest laid a gentle hand on Amon's shoulder. His smile was kind, but his eyes remained hidden beneath the hood.
"I'm quite saddened you'd suspect me. But… I can't fault you for it."
He stepped forward, clasping his hands behind his back.
"Hunter never cared much for the serpent's temple, you know that. And after your parents' passing, your sisters are all you have left. So no– I'm not offended. If anything, I respect how far you're willing to go to find her. I'll pray she's brought home safely."
Amon only stared at him, before responding with a slow, but wary nod.
At this point, the residents in the temple had also gathered in the main hall, confusion on their faces as they wandered about what was to happen. Acolytes and attendants, drawn by the commotion, had formed a crowd at the edge of the hall.
"Listen well," Ivan announced. "The temple will be searched, room by room. Cooperate with these men, and you have nothing to fear."
The information sparked murmurs through the crowd, some fearful, and others indignant. A scribe clutched his scroll tighter, muttering under his breath about who would dare create a commotion by this hour. An acolyte standing nearby simply lowered his head, unbothered by the search happening.
"Why are they searching the temple?" someone whispered.
"I heard he thinks his sister is being kept here."
"His sister? Seriously?"
"Of course not! I know his sister– this is just a stunt. She's trying to drag the temple's name through the mud."
The young acolyte's gaze swept through the gossiping female attendees, and they fell silent the instant they caught his stare.
By then, the city guards were already five minutes into the search before Amon joined them. Ivan's words echoed in his head as he searched room after room, and his gut whispered a truth he didn't want to hear.
Why had the letter led him here?
And if it wasn't true… had he walked straight into a trap?
*****
Meanwhile, far below the polished halls, another sound lived.
The muffled struggle of a girl.
Hunter struggled with whatever little strength she could muster, her ribs aching as rough hands forced her down. A cloth bit between her teeth, choking her protests into pitiful sounds.
The two masked men hovered close, unsure of whether to knock her out or just leave her. They really couldn't take the risk of acting without any commands from the priest. Even worse, they had no idea what he was up to.
"What do you think will happen now?"
"I don't know."
Their voices echoed against the wall, carelessly, while Hunter's wide eyes flicked to the iron cart still waiting in the corner— glinting with the instrument meant to tear her apart.
She could hear the faintest stirring of boots descending down here… as if help was closer, but if only she could scream.
As though sensing her intent, one of the masked men slid a knife against her throat.
"If you make another sound, I promise you your head's coming off, do you understand me? Now shhhh."
Fear flickered across her face, but her hatred for them was plain. She'd rather take the risk than do nothing at all. She also knew he wouldn't kill her just yet. She had been under their torture long enough to know they only acted when the priest gave the order.
Summoning what little strength she had left, Hunter waited for the right moment, and in a single motion, she wrenched her wrist free and drove herself forward, slamming into the man holding the blade to her throat. Her elbow smashed into his abdomen with a sickening thud.
His balance faltered from that one hit, and he crashed into the iron cart behind him. The rattle of metal rang out like a scream in the silence.
Hunter tried to crawl for the door, but the other masked man had seized her and yanked her back, pinning her in place but with her stomach to the floor. Her chest heaved, and her vision swammed.
"What the hell, man?" The masked man who had Hunter pinned glared at his partner who angrily pushed himself off the cart.
"This little bitch—"
He stormed toward Hunter, infuriated by her actions. But before he could reach her, the door opened, and everyone froze.
Hunter looked up just in time to see a city guard framed in the doorway, his eyes wide with shock.
She could not describe the relief that flooded her chest in that moment, fierce and overwhelming. Her desperate gamble had worked. She never truly believed she'd be able to make it out that door, so her only hope had been to make some noise, to knock her captor into the metal cart and draw attention to this particular room.
And it worked.
She tried to speak, and her muffled cries tore against the cloth. So she let her eyes say what her lips couldn't.
Help me.
And the guard's gaze locked with hers.