The two guys crawling in the secret passage underground are nearing the secret door. At long last, they were able to stand tall after they arrived at the opening.

They finally reached the secret door! They immediately opened it and entered the room. ​​

In the early days, they would come here to check the coffin, and the black body inside was still lying in the same position, nothing new. The coffin was covered with black liquid, and the corpse was submerged on it.

Through the years they stopped looking inside the coffin, and then stop entering the secret door inside the basement.

They grew tired of checking the secret door months after months, year after year.

But they kept accepting the monthly payment they received from the old caretaker couple until now.

The first guy glanced at his companion and asked, "Since when we last entered this secret room?"

The second guy pondered the question for a moment and scratched his head. "Um...two years ago? I'm no longer sure!"

The first guy hit his companion's head.

"Ouch! Why did you hit me?" he protested.

"Your memory is indeed poor! It was five years ago since we last entered this secret room! All we do is crawl in this secret passage once a month, reach the secret door without opening it, and then go back to where we come from. Then we report to the old couple that everything is fine here beneath the castle and the coffin is still intact, then get our money, and go home. That's what we've been doing through the years," the first guy reminded him.

"Yeah, that's right!" the second guy said.

"And sometimes you're acting like a lazy asshole and leave me crawling here alone, yet you are shameless to collect the pay even if you don't accompany me here in the secret passage!" the first guy accused him.

The second guy scratched his head in shame and grinned. "I thought you have already forgotten about it! It only happens five times!" he protested.

"Not five times! Ten times! You lazy bone!" said the first guy.

The second guy chuckled. "Cousin, let's stop fighting! Let's go back and report to the couple that the castle caught fire and turned into ashes. But the good thing is... the secret room is intact along with the coffin!" he said.

"Okay, let's go. Wait, shouldn't we check the corpse inside the coffin first?" the first guy said.

"No need! If you open the coffin, the awful smell will evaporate, and I don't like it! It makes me nauseous!" the second guy protested.

"Alright, let's go back to where we come from!" the first guy said.

The two men crawled in the ground going back to where they have come from.

A few minutes later.

They finally emerged at the end of the tunnel that was hidden at the back of a big tree.

They inhaled fresh air in their lungs and continue walking towards the old couple's hut located near the stream, about three hundred meters away from the castle.

After walking for a few minutes, they finally reached their destination.

The couple was already waiting for them at the foot of the stairs.

"What is that black smoke we saw one hour ago near the castle?" the old man asked worriedly.

"Uncle, Auntie... that was the castle burning!" the first guy answered.

The couple looked at each other in shock.

"Are you sure?" the old woman asked.

"Yes! When we arrived there, the castle was no longer standing. We saw a hole in the ground where the castle used to stand. It's filled with ashes!" the second guy narrated what he saw.

"D-did you enter the secret passage? How about the secret door? The coffin? What happened to them?" the old woman asked.

"We arrived at the secret door, and the coffin was still there. The whole room was not affected by the fire!" the first guy replied.

"Excellent!" the old man said.

The couple smiled at each other, feeling relieved.

The old man picked up twenty gold coins from the pocket of his pants and handed it to the first guy. "Here's your payment! You can leave now," he said.

"Thank you, Uncle...Auntie!" the men said in unison. They turned around and walked on the path leading to the next mountain, going home.

The old man looked at his wife. "Let's send a message to the couple and inform them that the castle caught fire and was destroyed, but the secret room and the coffin were intact and not affected by the fire," he said.

"Okay, you do that!" the old woman replied.

The old man climbed the wooden stairs and went to the room. He took a pen and small paper from the drawer of the table and wrote the short message on the paper.

A few minutes later, he finished his letter and folded the paper. He whistled for a few seconds, and a black raven bird entered the room through the window and landed on the table.

The old man tied the paper on the raven's feet and picked it up, he chanted a spell to speed up the journey of the bird. Done, he walked towards the window and released the bird into the air.

The bird flew away and vanished behind the tallest tree in the area.

The couple looked at each other.

The old man exited the bedroom and went back downstairs to join his wife outside the house.

Half an hour later.

A thousand miles away from the location of the obliterated castle.

The messenger bird landed in the window of the vampire couple's room.

Sylvia was combing her hair in front of the mirror when the messenger bird arrived. She glanced at the window and saw the bird. She stood up and went to the window and removed the piece of paper that was attached to the bird's feet. Then she released the bird in the air.

She went back to the dresser table and read the message.

The short letter came from the vampire couple that she hired as her caretaker. Their job is to report to her anything that is happening in the castle, including the condition of the secret passage and door. The letter mentioned that the castle caught fire and burned into ashes, but the secret door and the coffin were intact.

Sylvia closed her eyes for a moment. "Thank goodness!" she murmured to herself.

Her brows knitted together. How come the castle caught fire all of a sudden? Maybe, some people got lost in the forest and take shelter in the ruined castle, afterward left the place without putting down the fire which causes the castle to burn into ashes. Or it's a deliberate act and intentional by other parties. But who could it be? The castle is not worthy of anybody's attention and interest, why would anyone go through the hassle of destroying a useless castle?

Questions are piling up in her mind. She should investigate to find out the truth!

The secret room is where the coffin lies, inside is the corpse of her great-great-grandfather who died a thousand years ago. The castle is already ruined and the secret room will be exposed soon. It's only proper that she should remove the coffin and brought it here to her residence, then put it in another room, next to her youngest son's room.

Now that she has already decided on bringing the coffin home. She should not waste her time and just go there right away before anyone will discover the secret room and destroy the coffin. It would be a hard blow on her great grandfather's legacy.

She exited the bedroom and went downstairs to inform her men that they will teleport to the old castle to retrieve the coffin from the secret room.

Outside the manor, in the backyard.

Sylvia instructed the leader of her men. "I need a dozen men to come with me to the castle. Instruct them to bring a shovel and digging bar. The castle was destroyed by a fire and we need to retrieve my grandfather's coffin from the basement and bring it home," she said.

"Aye, Madam!" the leader said. He walked away going to the men's quarter to get the group ready.

Sylvia looked heavenward, it's going to get dark soon!

The evening is coming.

Sylvia saw her husband approaching her location.

Zalvo went to her side. "Are you going somewhere?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm going to our former home, the old castle in the forest..." she replied.

"Are you going to visit the old castle? But why?" he asked.

"Yes. I received a message from the caretaker informing me that the castle was destroyed by the fire..."

Zalvo's eyes widened in shock. "What-t? Why? How did it happen?" he asked in bewilderment.

"That's why I'm going there right now to investigate what is the cause of the fire. Maybe it's accidental or intentional, we will find out soon enough!" she said.

"Okay, I'll go with you!" Zalvo offered.

Sylvia looked at his husband. "Any news from your men about Laura and Rebecca's whereabouts?" she inquired.

Zalvo released a deep sigh. "Until now, there's still no sighting of the two women yet. It seemed they vanished from the face of the earth without a trace!" he snarled.

Sylvia took a deep breath, her eyes gleaming. "They're still here on earth. But someone powerful people are hiding and protecting them. Sooner or later a window of opportunity will rise and we will be able to locate their whereabouts!" she said confidently. "But for now, let's investigate what causes the castle to catch fire and burn into the ground!"

"Okay," Zalvo said.

Fifteen minutes later, more than a dozen men arrived, holding excavation tools and lanterns in their hands.

"We're ready to teleport to the castle, my lady!" the leader of the men announced.

Sylvia nodded her head. "Let's go!"

The vampire couple and the men vanished from the backyard of the manor.