The Verican Estate stood like a silent sentinel against the dawn, its white marble walls gleaming with a deceptive purity. To the Guild, this was a high-profile protection contract: guard a "delicate" family heirloom of Lord Verican until it could be transported to the capital.
As the group approached the massive iron gates, Marin felt a prickle at the base of her neck. "This place... it gives me chills," Jessica muttered, but her voice sounded unusually flat.
Malric, usually the first to complain about the cold or the lack of research material, simply nodded. "We have a duty, Jessica. The Guild expects us to be vigilant."
The Presentation of the Gem
Lord Verican was a man of sharp angles and even sharper eyes. He met them in a room lined with heavy velvet curtains that stifled all sound. In the center, resting on a pedestal of obsidian, was the Black-Red Gem.
It didn't glow with the warmth of the sun or the rhythm of the sea. It pulsed with a heavy, oily vibration that seemed to slow the very heartbeat of the room.
"You have been highly recommended," Verican said, his voice a smooth, chilling baritone. "The gem is sensitive. It requires... a certain level of dedication to protect."
He stepped aside, allowing them to view the artifact. Jessica and Malric stepped forward, drawn to it like moths to a flame. As they looked into the depths of the stone, a violent crimson spark flared at its core.
Marin watched as Jessica’s silver eyes and Malric’s dark ones shifted. Their pupils didn't dilate; instead, a tiny, pin-prick red dot appeared in the center of their eyes. It was subtle, nearly invisible to anyone not looking for it, but the change in their demeanor was instant.
They stood perfectly straight. Their hands dropped to their sides.
"We understand, My Lord," they said in chilling unison.
Marin frowned, her hand resting on her hilt. "Jessica? Malric? You two okay?"
Jessica turned to her, her face a mask of perfect, eerie calm. "I am focused on the mission, Marin. You should be as well."
Marley, standing beside Marin, gripped her healer’s satchel until her knuckles turned white. She leaned in, whispering so only the knight could hear. "The air is wrong here. Their auras... they've gone quiet. It's like they've been put to sleep while they're still awake."
The Watchful Night
The first night in the mansion was suffocating. Marin paced the room she shared with Jessica. Jessica sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the wall with unblinking eyes. She didn't move, didn't speak, and didn't even adjust her position for hours.
"Jessica, go to sleep," Marin urged, her heart pounding.
"The gem must be guarded," Jessica replied, her voice devoid of its usual playful spark.
Marin left the room to find Malric, but he was no better. He stood in the hallway outside the vault, his staff held like a spear. He didn't even acknowledge Marin as she walked past. He looked like a statue—a puppet waiting for a string to be pulled.
The Shadow in the Courtyard
Unable to rest, Marin retreated to a balcony overlooking the courtyard. The moon was a sliver of ice in the sky. As she scanned the grounds, she saw a flicker of movement near the western wall.
It was a shadow—liquid and fast.
Marin’s instincts flared. She didn't call out; she knew the mansion guards, with their own strange, silent obedience, would only cause chaos. She leapt from the balcony, landing silently in the grass, and pursued the intruder into the darkness of the garden.
She cornered the figure near a fountain. With a flare of steel, she leveled her sword at the intruder's throat. "One move and I'll—"
The man looked up, his hood falling back.
"Robert?" Marin breathed, her sword wavering.
Robert Atten didn't smirk this time. His face was etched with a grim, hollowed-out pain. "Marin. You're the only one left who still looks like themselves."
"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "This is a Guild mission!"
"It’s a trap, Marin," Robert said, his eyes darting toward the mansion windows. "That gem... it's the 'Montcalier Heart.' My uncle murdered my parents to get it, and now he’s using it to build an army that can’t say no. He’s not looking for guards. He’s looking for more puppets."
Marin felt a cold dread sink into her stomach as she thought of the tiny red dots in Jessica and Malric's eyes. "My friends... they're already changing."
"Then we have to move fast," Robert said, his hand tightening on his dagger. "Before they're gone for good."
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