Bro, I'm not an Undead!

"Welcome back," they all said in unison. In light of Setkh\'s presence, it seemed like they expressed this welcome as vaguely as possible in order to not offend everyone or openly express their disapproval.

This was the Head Maid\'s idea.

She stood between the two rows of maids and bowed as well, her hearty smile and attitude as she welcomed Stylla who was in the lead, depicting how much she cared for this lady.

The fiery haired woman patted the maid\'s shoulder with a cheery smile.

"It hasn\'t been that long Arisa," Stylla said with muffled laugh.

Setkh would have loved to scoff at this too, but that wouldn\'t do him any good.

Ever since he returned to the Estate, many months after his father was cursed, he had been met with the most basic of care. Unfeeling care. While Stylla accepted him back in father\'s stead, none of the auxiliary staff ever showed him the warmth they had portrayed before.

There were no accolades for deserters, as he was seen.

Ed led the way into the house while everyone including Arisa followed.

The dark red carpet with black streaks travelling along its length gave the procession a majestic feel to it.

The large, winding staircase to the right that led to other floors, the massive chandeliers decorated with red gems that would light up with a golden glow when needed, the spacious halls and multiple closed rooms...

All this was the basics where a Family house was concerned.

Skullius, allowing himself to be distracted from the gnawing feeling of tension just now, appreciated the lavishness of this home.

Sadly, there was no time for that.

As Stylla had said, she wanted to see her father first and that was where Ed lead everyone as per her request.

The mansion was mostly empty.

It was hard to say but the little family Stylla had, had deserted when her father was said to be incurable by normal means. Most of them at least. Some went off to find a better living elsewhere because of the decline that followed while others just couldn\'t bear to stay in the silence.

It was disheartening.

This why Stylla opted to take only the weaker combatants within the Family with her to Genhuis and left the rest to protect the estate, and her father.

The silence made her feel that perhaps... all was lost.

The echo of steps was brutally vibrant in an hollow house.

How crippling.

The group was led to the end of one of the many hallways where a plain wall could be seen.

The tension grew even thicker.

Tens of guards patrolled this area and when the group arrived, they joined in as Ed gestured towards Stylla who stepped forward.

If her father was to be kept safe, then where he was hidden wasn\'t to be obvious.

This wall was the entrance to the protected space and it could only be opened by someone of Bryne blood.

A lot of resources were expended to make it as well as the space within as keeping her father safe from concurrent attacks from whoever had cursed him had been her goal.

Setkh\'s eyes gave a sheen of displeasure. Only his blood wasn\'t registered on this mechanism. If he wanted to see father, he needed to beg Stylla, the only one who entertained him quite a bit after his return, to help him.

Stylla walked up to the white wall decorated with picture frames as well as pedestals where vases with flowers could be seen leaning against it.

She touched the wall and a ripple of mana ran through it with a nigh imperceptible light. A small puncture appeared on her palm as a bit of blood was drawn which revealed runes that swam through the solid wall to create... the shape of a door!

Indeed.

Runes.

Stylla took a breath and walked through the shape, her figure sinking in seamlessly.

Ed followed.

Skullius hesitated a bit before walking through.

It was like passing through cool shade.

A very interesting experience, especially for someone as sensitive as Skullius.

​ The Hybrid Luman\'s senses expanded and he felt a rather massive space all around with his expansive Machi.

A stretch of steps leading downwards appeared and he found Ed and Stylla already scaling down them.

Weird.

There also seemed to be a foggy darkness. It wasn\'t effective on him but to others, it obscured the view very efficiently, showing only bits of structures all around and the immediate surroundings.

Setkh emerged from outside, his eyes still showing a weird mix of emotion. He hadn\'t been to this place often but it\'s creation... sigh.

The group scaled down and up as the stairway shifted in direction.

With more time passing, Skullius found that this place lacked the presence of mana.

On top of that, there were multiple stairways criss-crossing against each other everywhere as if to misdirect any who didn\'t know the way. Following Stylla seemed to be only way to reach the destination or more aptly, following the one who opened the mechanism to this place.

The clop of the tens of combatants as well as the main group was all that could be heard and once again, the Luman felt tension rising.

\'This must have cost an outrageous amount to build. There are runes everywhere,\' he thought.

Of course arrays wouldn\'t have been enough if you thought someone was trying to kill your father, their means of doing it so powerful that they didn\'t leave traces that could be found by powerful Diviners.

Skullius wondered.

\'If this person is so powerful or at least so resourceful that they can fling a curse like this... why not finish the job? I don\'t think even runes can protect against the means he is using if every source Stylla has tried to secure hasn\'t worked Maybe that wasn\'t the goal?\'

Peculiar.

Peculiar indeed.

Soon, the group arrived at another end.

This time, there was a door.

A rather plain door over an expansive wall masked by the foggy darkness.

Once again, Stylla stepped forward, took a breath and placed her hand on it.

A pulse of mana ran through the door and Stylla\'s palm was pinched once again for a sample of her blood. It seemed her hand was required as well to verify if it was really her opening the door.

In this dark space, the door creaked open, revealing a very small room where a large bed was laid.

Asides from a small table where several picture frames of Stylla\'s mother and father were displayed and a chair set beside the bed, nothing else could be seen.

Skullius narrowed his blind eyes.

A wafting dread brushed against his Koten.

A curse.

The sensation such a thing gave out was something he could pick up on, despite the nature of the curse being different from what he knew.

This spoke to one thing. It was a powerful curse.

This curse latched onto a man laying on the bed while dressed up in casual shirt and pants, his feet bare and his body motionless.

He had medium length fiery red hair and a stubble, the remains of a beard that looked to have been shaved recently.

A cylindrical wall of light covered his bed, nurturing his body with an absurd amount of mana while also guarding him from any potential harm.

Skullius could tell, thousands of runes made up this light, their source being the bed the man laid on which was some sort if magical artefact. He didn\'t have much interest in studying it though. At least not now.

Stylla held herself from succumbing to emotion at this sight.

Hope deluded her into thinking that if she just stood here and watched long enough, she might just see her father open his eyes and rise.

Sadly...

Head Maid, Arisa wore a solemn and sullen expression.

"Lady Marie was here to tend to him a few days ago..." she explained.

"I see. Explains the stubble..." Stylla said with brief smile. Her father\'s sister had come by.

Setkh gave his father a lifeless gaze, as did Karrun beside him.

Skullius merely remained silent. This felt like latest his experience with Serenity where she allowed Somanda to tempt him with the image of the missing part of his soul.

He felt he had no right to say anything here.

"Lady Stylla, we will leave you to—"

"No need," Stylla interrupted the Head Maid as she was about to exit the room and wait outside. Ed who had walked in with everyone was about to do the same but stopped as well at the lady\'s words.

Why though?

"There\'s no need for all of you to leave," Stylla said as she walked over to stand by the bed. She gave her father a loving gaze before her eyes turned cold, turning to everyone in the room.

There was a vicious murderous intent in her eyes!

Everyone tensed.

What was it?

The redhead\'s eyes locked onto one person and one person only, giving off an unfeeling and deadly air as she did.

"Did you find pleasure in it, Setkh?!" she asked as her teeth gnashed together, their prints nearly showing from her cheeks.

Setkh\'s expression turned dark.

"Did you find pleasure in cursing our father?!" Stylla barked as unconsciously, Aura burned from her body in a malicious explosion!