Once Irene shut the door to the library, she ensured no one was present to hear the discussion they were about to have. She turned to face Mikael - whose blue eyes wavered in terror, but soon snapped back into reality when she faced him.

"I-Irene, I'm sorry for stealing your necklace..." He apologised, and the girl flinched for a moment. He's taking responsibility? He was clearly oblivious about the necklace until he tripped. She thought, shaking her head as he continued to try making some sort of excuse. "I-I just wanted to-"

"Mikael, I already know you didn't do it," she sighed, her golden eyes focusing on him with an air of straightforwardness about her. Irene's strangely stern demeanour left him speechless for a moment, before she continued. "I know it was Ms Cather who took the necklace and planted it on you. Can you tell me why she would do something like that?"

He froze.

For a moment, his eyes turned so dark she thought they were black. As if his pupils dilated so much - they took up his entire irises. Mikael's face turned white in horror to the point it looked like he stopped breathing.

Seeing him this way caused Irene's heart to race with an unsettling feeling. What's with that look...? He's never made such a horrified expression before.

"Why..." His voice was barely audible. "How... How do you know that?"

...What's with this reaction?

"...A maid happened to see her enter my room, and told me about it because she found it unusual," Irene lied, since Snow was still a secret to everyone except River. Her expression softened when she realised how scared he looked, and so she leaned toward Mikael with a gentle gaze. "Mikael... You can talk to me. Please, why would she do something like that to you?"

Irene then gently took Mikael's hand, but was startled when she felt it was ice cold. He didn't say anything for a moment - before his lips opened slightly.

"...It's none of your business."

Irene held him by the shoulders, trying to get him to snap out of the trance he seemed to be stuck in. Mikael was acting strangely - as if he was about to fall into a state of uncontrollable panic. As if he had seen a ghost. It pained her to see him that way - and it made Irene all the more worried. This was the first time he ever showed so much emotion all at once.

The face hes making right now...

This isn't normal.

Irene gulped.

Is there something that I'm missing...?

"Don't give me that! Mikael, has she been hurting you? Did she force you to let her join you when you came here?" Irene questioned him, her storm of words swirling through his mind, but he only stared down at the floor in silence. "Please tell me! I want to help you. I made you a promise to be by your side, didn't I?"

"You don't understand!"

Suddenly, Irene felt herself being shoved backwards, a sudden wave of pain being sent through her body as she landed on the floor with a thud. Mikael stared forward — horrified at what he had just done. He gazed at his quivering hands, which pushed Irene without hesitation.

"I-I'm sorry... I-" He became lost for words, so wrapped up in his state of anxiety he could feel himself becoming fragmented by the emotions in his chest.

Irene wasn't too hurt and didn't think too much of this action - she knew Mikael only pushed her away on impulse because she was overwhelming him. But it pained her to feel him shove her away like that.

It seemed this situation was far more dire than she anticipated, considering he reacted like this. Irene struggled to keep her own composure, a disheartened feeling sinking into her chest.

"...Don't say anything. Don't try anything," Mikael breathed, trying to calm himself down. His hands were balled into fists so tight, his fingers drew blood from his palms. "That woman... You don't understand. She's dangerous, there's nothing you can do..."

Mikael faced Irene with tears swelling in his eyes. "She'll kill you... Just like how she killed the others who were nice to me," Mikael's voice broke, and Irene stared at him in total awe. "I-I can't lose you as well."

This was the first time she ever saw him cry. Mikael always seemed so strong, but he was close to hysterical over the fact that Irene could get hurt. Although he was a child, seeing such a mature boy lose himself like that pained her.

She realised in that moment that her doubt towards him never should have existed. A feeling of immense regret seized her chest, mixed with the confusion of his broken words. Irene couldn't help but want to cry as well.

"Mikael... I won't die," she tried to say, standing up. "I won't... So please tell me how I can help you out of this. I'll have that maid kicked—"

"You can't! She's not a normal human being!" He exclaimed, raising his voice and wiping his tears off his face. "Don't you get it?! If it was that easy, she wouldn't be here right now! Just drop it, Irene! Forget all about what you saw and don't ever approach that maid, do you understand?"

He didn't leave any room for negotiation. Irene was about to protest, her eyes tearing up, but Mikael swiftly walked away and headed toward the door of the library before she could say anything else.

"Mikael!" She called out to him, but the boy only increased his pace. It wasn't long until his head of blonde hair disappeared from her vision - leaving her in a state of bewilderment. Soon, silence was ringing in her ears, and Irene lost her balance as she collapsed onto the plush, carpeted floor.

What in the world...

Just happened...?

She gulped, her head swirling with discordant thoughts - and nothing seemed to be lining together. Mikael showed a side of himself she never thought even existed, realising there was something far worse going on than her initial thoughts.

But the most vital part of it all — was that Ms Cather was confirmed dangerous from what he just said. Snow observed the whole scene from a safe distance, and he too, was now confident that the maid was a threat to Mikael.

However, the way Mikael warned Irene so adamantly about exposing the evil woman was definitely puzzling. He was so frightened, it looked like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. If anyone saw that - they would surmise the boy went crazy. Even his pupils dilated so much - his eyes looked pitch-black for a transient moment.

What could he have been through to react that way...? Irene swallowed, a painful lump in her throat and the feeling of dread settling in her stomach. She felt sick - as if all the food she had eaten before was about to come spilling out of her any moment now.

I've been too confident... I let my guard down when he's been hurting all this time...

But he said she's not a normal human being...?

"Irene, are you alright?" Snow asked, approaching her and trying to help her up with his large wings. "What was that...?"

"I... Don't know," Irene heaved a sigh, trying to regain her balance as she stood up and held on to Snow for support. "Snow... I'm exhausted."

"Go to bed, Sprout," Snow suggested, speaking in a calm manner. "I'll take care of Mikael. I'll keep an eye on him and that Cather hag, to make sure nothing happens to him, and we can figure this all out later."

This logical side of Snow was a great comfort to Irene at times like this. The adult inside her was aware she needed to calm down now more than anything. If she couldn't think with a clear head, things would be difficult to handle. She couldn't let go of her rationality no matter what.

Snow gently helped Irene back up with his feathered wings, and guided Irene back to her room, where her nanny Joanne was waiting to prepare her for bed. Irene's somber demeanour didn't escape the maid's view, but she just played it off as if she had a fight with Mikael - as kids often did. Irene became comforted by Joanne's kind words as she helped her out of her clothes, and got the princess of Cherliann ready for bed.

The phoenix watched over Irene, realising she was a lot more pained by this than he thought. Which was understandable - considering how serious her conversation with Mikael ended up becoming. Once Joanne tucked her into bed, Irene fell asleep almost instantly.

Snow then took his leave, going to pay a visit to Mikael in his chamber. Sophia Cather was nowhere to be seen, and the prince was safely asleep in his own bed. He didn't look hurt, but there were red puffs under his eyes.

These kids... They look like a couple who got into a fight. Snow sighed softly, channelling his energy into a strong spell, to create a protective charm in the prince's body. He then proceeded to do this a few more times, imbuing each spell with slightly different functions. That way, Mikael would be protected for a longer amount of time.

Once he was done, Snow flapped his wings and swiftly made his way to the window of Mikael's room. Now then, let's find that old hag.

Cold night air slid past Snow's lean body as he darted through the sky, following the direction of his senses. He could make out the vague presence of the old hag through the darkness, realising she was no longer even in the estate.

Snow noticed a cheap wagon - akin to the ones commoners used, parked somewhat near the front gates of the Cherliann's home. A couple of figures loitered nearby it. He moved closer, reaching the peak of a nearby building, from where he had a clear view of Ms Cather - concealed by a cloak, entering the carriage discreetly.

Wondering why the maid was going out in such a suspicious manner, Snow followed the carriage as it jolted into motion. It was driven by a regular-looking man, who seemed to be a late-night horseman. Snow noticed the man's belly, thinking it would do him well to walk instead of give rides on carriages all the time.

He perched upon the roof of the carriage, and waited until it had arrived at its destination.

Just what is she doing out at this time of night...?The streets of Laydel were almost completely empty. Nothing but the sound of the wheels and horseshoes on the cobblestone roads to break the silence. The only sources of light being the tall lampposts lining the streets with their warm glows.

As time passed, the carriage soon stopped — and Snow gazed around at his surroundings with a slight sense of dread. Something about the worn-out, darkly painted and horribly maintained buildings felt eerie to the Phoenix. Not only was the atmosphere a gloomy, dismal and grimy place - but it was so isolated, it felt like this street was forgotten to the people of Laydel.

The woman promptly alighted the wagon, paying the driver his respective fee, before heading toward the nearby buildings. As Snow sat on top of Ms Cather's head, he waited as she walked silently down some sort of drab, dingy alleyway.

Darkness pressed in around them, since the moon's light wasn't enough to illuminate the path properly. Snow couldn't comprehend why, but something felt sinister about the direction she was heading toward. As if something malevolent was lurking around the corner.

Ms Cather soon stopped at what seemed to be a rotting wooden door, at the side of the building she approached. She knocked on its splintering surface in a series of rhythmic hits - as if spelling out a code.

Snow tried to use his spirit form to go inside the building, but for some reason - something was blocking him from entering. Since he was a spirit, Snow was capable of moving between walls to get to places, and he had done so numerous times.

But this time - as if a magical barrier was placed around the building - he couldn't get inside.

This is unusual... Why can't I go in?

This magic... I can't sense it's presence at all...

The door soon opened with a creak. Snow flinched, noticing a figure concealed head-to-toe in a black shroud answered the maid's call. From the person's stature, they seemed to be a tall man. Snow clinically surveyed the man, when his beady eyes noticed some sort of crest sewn into the side of his cloak.

It resembled some sort of bird, similar to that of a black crow - with an arrow piercing through its body and wings spread widely as if it were in flight. One thing that stood out to him the most about it — was the fact that the beak of the crow was upturned instead of downwards.

What an ugly symbol... He thought, wondering what it was for. These people have questionable taste.

"Name." The figure demanded, and the maid sighed.

"Cather. I heard the master left something for me here." She stated, her words monotonous and straightforward. She then rummaged inside her pocket for something, before extending some sort of pocket watch. Snow glanced toward it, and was surprised to see the same crest was imprinted onto the case of her watch.

Are they a part of some sort of secret guild?

The man nodded once, before turning to allow Ms Cather entry inside the building. But of course - because of the barrier rejecting Snow from receiving access, he couldn't seem to follow her in.

Feeling frustrated, he jumped up and perched on one of the barrels outside the alleyway, trying to focus his energy into at least listening to what the two were saying inside. But the barrier drowned out all the noise - as if sound-proof magic had been implemented into the strange, undetectable wall. Thankfully though - he was able to somewhat make out a few words of their conversation.

Knife... Or was it night...?

And I'm sure she just said "kill"...

Are they plotting to murder someone?

Snow squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to heighten his senses, but to no avail. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fully make out the conversation they were having.

But, the moment Ms Cather approached the door to leave, he was sure he heard her a little clearer for a transient moment.

"The girl knows. The demon I planted on that little bastard alerted me."

Snow froze, his entire body frozen on the spot.

Did she just say demon?

"That's why I have to kill her."

Snow froze, his feathers standing on their ends after he heard those words. They were muffled and difficult to discern, but he was sure about what the woman said.

He didn't even flinch. Snow became so struck with realisation — that instead of spying on the woman for a second longer, he lifted his body into the air and glided out of the alleyway with the gust of wind sweeping through his feathers.

Crap! What should I do?! Darting through the flurry of clouds in the dead of night, Snow rushed back toward the Cherliann estate as quickly as he could. The more he replayed those words of hers'— the more things finally started to make sense.

The reason why Mikael was so ardent on Irene keeping her distance was because he knew Ms Cather was a dark magician, or at least capable of something others could never suspect her for. Dark magic was an extremely difficult type of magic to trace - as well as rare. To top it off, the maid even tethered a demon to him so that it would alert her if anyone ever found out about her malevolent capabilities.

Demons and guardian spirits were completely blind to one another - that was why Snow was unable to detect any mana coming from Ms Cather. But even so - it was completely unheard of for the taboo art to even still be around, considering it was completely eliminated several millennia ago — with the descent of the "First Saintess."

I don't understand, why are there dark magicians in the world now? How did these humans acquire something so sinister? Snow's mind was a hurricane of thoughts - but right now, his top priority was to get to Irene and keep guard. Since it seemed Ms Cather was going to target her, now that she was aware Irene was suspicious about Mikael's pains, Snow needed to protect his master no matter what. And who knew what kind of demons could be lurking around the girl right now?

I don't even know if my protective spells will be able to block off dark magic... I don't have any holy power, after all... He thought, as the Cherliann's estate finally came into view. But I have to try.

Once he made it back to Irene's room, he decided to stay by her side until she woke up — because he couldn't risk waking her and telling her about the situation in case a demon was watching her right now. As eager as he felt to wake her, he couldn't risk any little mistakes. And so, he waited the whole night — by her side, for Irene to get out of bed.

And the whole time, he couldn't help the strong feelings of dread beginning to fester inside him.

If dark magic really has returned to this world... Then Laydel may well be screwed.