After Saintess Lumiel left to attend to her saintess duties, I didn't follow.
She said it herself—diplomatic matters.
Only the holy knights would accompany her.
That should've been fine.
It wasn't.
I stood alone in the corridor long after her presence faded, staring at the spot where she'd turned the corner. The air still felt warm. Heavy. Like sunlight trapped in stone.
I told myself I stayed behind because following her might cause problems.
Because one wrong word from me could spiral into something bigger.
That was the excuse.
The truth?
I didn't trust it.
She'd gone back to her facade too easily. The saintess smile. The calm voice. The distance. Like armor snapping back into place.
All alone, I thought.
The feeling hit harder than I expected.
It reminded me of when I thought I'd lost Rua and Flin. That hollow, suffocating quiet where your mind fills in the worst possibilities on its own.
I exhaled slowly.
Get a grip.
The rest of Class 1-S finally woke up around two in the afternoon.
Chaos followed immediately.
"RAIN—!"
"WHERE'S THE SAINTESS?"
"WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE US UP?"
I held up a hand before the noise got worse.
"She left earlier," I said. "Urgent matters. Said the holy knights would escort her."
That stopped them.
Just barely.
Liam frowned. "You're sure?"
I nodded. "Her words."
They exchanged looks. No one liked it—but no one could argue with it either.
"…So what now?" Arion asked. "We wait?"
I didn't answer right away.
Because the silence was already stretching too long.
Hours passed.
Too many.
No word.
No movement.
No holy knights rotating shifts.
No servants. No guards.
Nothing.
My instincts started screaming.
By the time I finally spoke again, everyone could hear it in my voice.
"Something's wrong."
The mood snapped instantly.
If anything happened to the Saintess of Luminaran on Okrith soil—
There was only one outcome.
War.
I turned to the class, already moving. "Split up."
They straightened immediately.
"Upper levels," I said. "Me, Kazen, Varein, Liraeth, Arion."
I pointed to the others. "Lower levels. Liam, Kai, Seraphyne, Aelira, Theon. Sir Aldred—lead them."
Sir Aldred nodded once. No hesitation.
"If we find nothing," I continued, "we regroup at the throne room."
No one argued.
We moved.
The castle was wrong.
Too quiet.
Our footsteps echoed farther than they should've. Doors opened to empty rooms. Corridors stretched on with no guards, no servants, no signs of life.
I checked corners. Balconies. Roof access. Storage chambers.
Nothing.
Not even signs of struggle.
Forty minutes later, we regrouped.
Everyone had the same look.
"There's no one," Kazen said quietly.
"No knights," Kai added.
"No maids," Seraphyne said.
"No holy knights," Varein finished.
I swore under my breath.
"God damn it," I muttered. "What is going on in this place?"
I pushed open the throne room doors.
Ready for anything.
Silence.
Light filtered in through the high windows, illuminating the vast chamber.
Empty.
The thrones sat untouched.
"What the—" Arion whispered.
I moved forward quickly, scanning everything.
"Where are the king and queen?" Liam said.
No one answered.
Because no one could.
My pulse spiked.
This isn't normal.
Then Kazen stopped.
"Rain."
I turned.
He was pointing behind the king's throne.
Blood.
Dark. Dried.
The room went cold.
"…Why is there blood here?" Kai asked.
"That's not ceremonial," Seraphyne said flatly.
Aelira knelt, inspecting it. "It's real. And not old."
I followed the trail instinctively.
That's when I felt it.
A faint catch in the stone.
I pressed down.
Click.
A lever.
Blood-stained.
"…Found something," I said.
I pulled it.
The floor shifted.
Stone groaned as the center of the throne room rose, revealing a hidden staircase descending into darkness.
No torches. No markings.
Just a hole in the world.
My stomach sank.
"This just keeps getting better," Varein muttered.
I turned to Liam. "Send a distress signal. Knight captains. Anyone."
He nodded and activated the device.
"…So what do we do?" Theon asked.
I clenched my fists.
This was dangerous.
This was stupid.
This was exactly how people died.
Then I remembered.
The Swordmaster's Seventh Commandment.
Do not abandon the helpless.
I spoke before doubt could catch up.
"We go down."
Arion swallowed. "Rain… what if this is a trap?"
"It probably is."
Sir Aldred smiled faintly.
"So you remember," he said.
I nodded. "The commandments aren't suggestions."
Everyone straightened.
"We don't leave people behind," I continued. "Not the Saintess. Not anyone."
I looked down the stairs.
"Whatever's brewing down there—"
My aura stirred, water humming low beneath my skin.
"—it picked the wrong place."
I stepped forward.
"Let's move."