Chapter 6
Neither of them spoke again that night.
The paintings had returned to complete stillness, as though the ghost had never emerged from them.
Even so, neither Saeroyx nor Kyrth truly believed the room was safe.
They extinguished the lamps one by one.
Darkness settled over the chamber.
Outside, the palace remained unnaturally quiet.
Sleep came slowly.
…
A sharp clap of thunder echoed through the palace.
Saeroyx’s eyes opened.
For a moment, he remained still, listening.
Rain.
A relentless downpour hammered against the windows, each drop striking the glass like impatient fingers.
The room was dim.
Only the pale gray light filtering through the curtains revealed the outlines of the furniture.
The paintings remained on the walls.
Their smiles were exactly as they had been the previous night.
Unmoving.
Watching.
Saeroyx sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
Across the bed, Kyrth was already awake.
He stood beside the window in silence, staring outside.
“You wake up too early,” Saeroyx muttered.
“I didn’t sleep much.”
Saeroyx slipped out of bed and walked over.
The moment he reached the window, his expression grew serious.
Beyond the glass, the palace looked completely different.
Heavy rain poured from a sky swallowed by black clouds.
The gardens were buried beneath drifting sheets of mist.
Ancient trees bent under the weight of the storm, their twisted branches scraping against one another with a dry, grating sound.
The once-grand palace grounds felt abandoned.
Not a single attendant.
Not a single guard.
Not even the distant songs of birds.
Only rain.
Endless rain.
The air itself seemed heavier, carrying a faint chill that seeped through the stone walls.
For reasons neither of them could explain, the morning felt… wrong.
Not dangerous.
Not yet.
Just as though the palace had quietly become a place where daylight no longer belonged.
Saeroyx rested a hand against the cold window.
“The weather changed quickly.”
Kyrth’s gaze never left the rain.
“It isn’t the weather that concerns me.”
Saeroyx glanced at him.
“What, then?”
Kyrth watched the empty courtyard below.
“The palace is awake.”
A flash of lightning split the sky.
For an instant, the entire courtyard was illuminated in stark white.
Then darkness returned.
Neither of them noticed the figure standing motionless beneath the dead tree until the light had already faded.
The rain showed no sign of stopping.
After washing and changing into fresh clothes, Saeroyx and Kyrth left their chamber and followed the silent corridors toward the royal dining hall.
Unlike the previous day, the palace felt lifeless.
Conversations were hushed.
Many seats remained empty.
The missing participants were never mentioned.
It was as though the palace had already forgotten they had ever existed.
Saeroyx glanced around the hall.
“So everyone still has an appetite.”
“They’re pretending,” Kyrth replied.
“They’re pretending to be normal.”
Saeroyx chuckled softly.
“You notice too much.”
“I survive because I do.”
The two took seats near the end of one of the long tables.
Far enough from the royal family to avoid unnecessary attention.
Or so they thought.
At the head of the hall, the second prince was already present.
The bandages around his shoulder were visible beneath his dark robe, and faint traces of dried blood still marked the edge of his sleeve.
Despite his injuries, he carried himself with the same composed elegance as before.
His eyes wandered across the hall…
…until they settled on Saeroyx.
He smiled.
Without a word, he rose from his seat.
The entire hall instinctively followed him with their eyes.
Even the servants paused.
The prince ignored everyone.
He walked past nobles, attendants, and participants alike before stopping beside Saeroyx.
“May I?”
Before either of them answered, he pulled out the chair beside Saeroyx and sat down as though it had always belonged to him.
The hall fell into an uneasy silence.
Saeroyx blinked.
“I thought princes preferred grand seats.”
“I do.”
“Then?”
The second prince rested his chin against one hand, smiling.
“But this seat seems much more interesting.”
Saeroyx laughed quietly.
“I didn’t know I was furniture.”
“No.”
The prince’s smile deepened.
“I simply prefer good company.”
Across the table, Kyrth watched every movement.
The prince’s posture.
The distance between him and Saeroyx.
Even the placement of his hands.
Nothing escaped his notice.
Something was wrong.
Royalty did not casually abandon their place at the head of the table.
Not in front of hundreds of eyes.
Not unless they wanted everyone to notice.
Or…
Unless they wanted something.
The prince accepted a cup of tea from a servant without taking his eyes off Saeroyx.
“You slept well?”
Saeroyx leaned back lazily.
“I’ve had better nights.”
“I can imagine.”
For the briefest moment, something unreadable crossed the prince’s face.
Almost… guilt.
It vanished before anyone else could notice.
Anyone except Kyrth.
His fingers tightened around his cup.
He had trusted the prince even less after the events of the previous night.
Now the prince was deliberately approaching the one person who had already drawn too much attention.
Kyrth disliked coincidences.
And this…
This felt far too deliberate.
Saeroyx, however, remained completely at ease.
He smiled as if they were discussing nothing more serious than the weather.
Completely unaware…
—or perhaps completely unconcerned—
that he was steadily becoming the center of attention for someone who might be the most dangerous person in the entire palace.
The rain showed no sign of stopping.
After washing and changing into fresh clothes, Saeroyx and Kyrth left their chamber and followed the silent corridors toward the royal dining hall.
Unlike the previous day, the palace felt lifeless.
Conversations were hushed.
Many seats remained empty.
The missing participants were never mentioned.
It was as though the palace had already forgotten they had ever existed.
Saeroyx glanced around the hall.
“So everyone still has an appetite.”
“They’re pretending,” Kyrth replied.
“They’re pretending to be normal.”
Saeroyx chuckled softly.
“You notice too much.”
“I survive because I do.”
The two took seats near the end of one of the long tables.
Far enough from the royal family to avoid unnecessary attention.
Or so they thought.
At the head of the hall, the second prince was already present.
The bandages around his shoulder were visible beneath his dark robe, and faint traces of dried blood still marked the edge of his sleeve.
Despite his injuries, he carried himself with the same composed elegance as before.
His eyes wandered across the hall…
…until they settled on Saeroyx.
He smiled.
Without a word, he rose from his seat.
The entire hall instinctively followed him with their eyes.
Even the servants paused.
The prince ignored everyone.
He walked past nobles, attendants, and participants alike before stopping beside Saeroyx.
“May I?”
Before either of them answered, he pulled out the chair beside Saeroyx and sat down as though it had always belonged to him.
The hall fell into an uneasy silence.
Saeroyx blinked.
“I thought princes preferred grand seats.”
“I do.”
“Then?”
The second prince rested his chin against one hand, smiling.
“But this seat seems much more interesting.”
Saeroyx laughed quietly.
“I didn’t know I was furniture.”
“No.”
The prince’s smile deepened.
“I simply prefer good company.”
Across the table, Kyrth watched every movement.
The prince’s posture.
The distance between him and Saeroyx.
Even the placement of his hands.
Nothing escaped his notice.
Something was wrong.
Royalty did not casually abandon their place at the head of the table.
Not in front of hundreds of eyes.
Not unless they wanted everyone to notice.
Or…
Unless they wanted something.
The prince accepted a cup of tea from a servant without taking his eyes off Saeroyx.
“You slept well?”
Saeroyx leaned back lazily.
“I’ve had better nights.”
“I can imagine.”
For the briefest moment, something unreadable crossed the prince’s face.
Almost… guilt.
It vanished before anyone else could notice.
Anyone except Kyrth.
His fingers tightened around his cup.
He had trusted the prince even less after the events of the previous night.
Now the prince was deliberately approaching the one person who had already drawn too much attention.
Kyrth disliked coincidences.
And this…
This felt far too deliberate.
Saeroyx, however, remained completely at ease.
He smiled as if they were discussing nothing more serious than the weather.
Completely unaware…
—or perhaps completely unconcerned—
that he was steadily becoming the center of attention for someone who might be the most dangerous person in the entire palace.
Breakfast ended shortly after.
One by one, the participants rose from their seats and quietly left the dining hall. The rain outside still poured relentlessly, casting the palace into a dull gray gloom.
The second prince stood as well.
He looked at Saeroyx with the same easy smile.
“It seems our meal ends here.”
Saeroyx stretched lazily.
“Looks like it.”
“I hope we’ll meet again before dinner.”
“I have a feeling you won’t have much trouble finding me.”
The prince chuckled.
“I’ll take that as permission.”
Saeroyx merely waved a hand.
“Safe recovery, Your Highness.”
The prince’s eyes lingered on him for a brief moment before he turned and walked back toward the royal family’s table.
Only after he disappeared from sight did Kyrth speak.
“Let’s go.”
His voice was flat.
Saeroyx blinked.
“You’re unusually quiet.”
There was no reply.
The two walked through the long corridor in silence.
Rain drummed against the tall stained-glass windows.
Servants passed by with lowered heads, carefully avoiding eye contact.
The silence between them stretched longer than usual.
Saeroyx glanced sideways.
Kyrth walked with the same composed expression as always.
But something felt… colder.
Not anger.
Not exactly.
Distance.
Saeroyx slipped his hands into his pockets.
“Did someone steal your tongue during breakfast?”
“No.”
“Then why are you acting like I’ve committed a crime?”
“You attract unnecessary attention.”
Saeroyx laughed.
“I’ve been told that since I was a child.”
“It isn’t amusing.”
His tone remained even.
“If someone keeps approaching you despite the current situation, they either want something…”
A brief pause.
“…or they’re hiding something.”
Saeroyx tilted his head.
“So you’re suspicious of the prince.”
“I am suspicious of everyone.”
“Even me?”
Kyrth looked at him for a moment.
“You especially.”
Saeroyx stopped walking.
“Me?”
“You speak to strangers as if you’ve known them for years.”
“You call dangerous situations ‘interesting.'”
“And you trust people before understanding their intentions.”
Saeroyx folded his arms with an exaggerated sigh.
“I thought you were worried about me.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Really?”
“No.”
Saeroyx stepped closer until only a small distance separated them.
“Then why spend the entire breakfast watching him instead of eating?”
For the first time, Kyrth’s footsteps halted.
His dark eyes met Saeroyx’s.
“I wasn’t watching him.”
“Oh?”
“I was watching you.”
The words escaped before Kyrth could stop them.
Silence.
Even the sound of rain seemed distant.
Saeroyx’s teasing smile faltered for just a second.
“…Watching me?”
Kyrth realized what he had admitted.
He looked away first.
“To judge whether you had noticed anything.”
Saeroyx’s smile slowly returned.
“So you were paying attention to me the whole time.”
“…”
“You really are terrible at pretending you don’t care.”
Without another word, Kyrth resumed walking.
His pace was noticeably faster.
Saeroyx couldn’t help but grin as he followed.
“Wait for me.”
Kyrth didn’t slow down.
But he didn’t tell Saeroyx to stop following, either.
As the hours passed, the palace grew strangely peaceful.
The rain slowed to a gentle drizzle.
Gray clouds still blanketed the sky, but the suffocating feeling from the morning gradually faded.
Servants walked through the corridors as though nothing unusual had happened.
Fresh flowers replaced the withered ones.
The bloodstains outside the abandoned chamber had vanished.
Even the paintings from the previous night had disappeared.
It was as if the palace was desperately trying to erase every trace of horror.
The participants, however, could not.
Whispers filled every hallway.
“They’re gone…”
“I saw it with my own eyes…”
“There has to be a way out.”
Some barricaded their rooms with furniture.
Others gathered in large groups, convinced that numbers meant safety.
A few wandered the palace searching for clues, their exhausted faces betraying that none had slept.
Fear spread faster than any ghost.
Meanwhile…
Saeroyx yawned.
“I barely slept.”
Kyrth looked at him.
“You slept enough.”
“Not enough to deal with another ghost.”
A palace servant approached and bowed.
“Honored guests, your chamber has been changed.”
Neither of them questioned it.
Following the servant through several corridors, they arrived at a different wing of the palace.
The room was smaller than the previous one.
No paintings.
No strange decorations.
Only a neatly made bed, a bookshelf, and a large window overlooking the rain-soaked gardens.
The servant bowed once more before leaving.
The door clicked shut.
Saeroyx looked around before dropping onto the bed.
“Finally.”
Kyrth inspected the room out of habit.
The wardrobe.
The windows.
The ceiling.
Behind the curtains.
Under the bed.
Only after satisfying himself that nothing seemed out of place did he remove his coat.
Saeroyx watched with amusement.
“If I ever lose something, I’ll ask you to find it.”
Kyrth ignored him.
“Everything appears normal.”
“Good.”
Saeroyx stretched until his back cracked.
“I’m taking a nap.”
“You can sleep now?”
“I can sleep anywhere.”
Without waiting for a response, he flopped onto the bed and pulled one arm over his eyes.
Within minutes…
His breathing became slow and even.
Kyrth stood beside the window.
Outside, participants hurried through the courtyard in frightened groups.
Some argued with palace guards.
Others refused to enter their assigned rooms.
One woman broke down in tears, insisting she had heard scratching beneath her bed all morning.
Another participant claimed his reflection had smiled at him before disappearing from the mirror.
Panic continued to spread throughout the palace.
Yet inside this room…
Only quiet breathing could be heard.
Kyrth looked back at the sleeping Saeroyx.
“…How do you sleep at a time like this?”
Saeroyx mumbled something unintelligible without opening his eyes and rolled over, stealing most of the blanket.
Kyrth sighed almost imperceptibly.
After a long moment, he closed the curtains, dimming the room further.
Then he sat in the chair beside the bed.
He didn’t intend to sleep.
Someone had to remain awake.
