Lynette’s Diary Entry

  It’s already been a week. Today, we leave.

  Strangely… it feels like everything happened just yesterday, yet at the same time—as if an entire month has passed. The air has changed. Mornings are colder, and the wind carries the scent of dampness and fallen leaves. Autumn arrived unnoticed—one day I just woke up and realized: summer was over.

  The garden around the estate has turned yellow. The paths are covered in leaves that quietly rustle under my feet when I go out for my morning run.

  A run…

  I still can’t believe I’m writing this. Every event that has occurred since the moment I first stepped into this mansion is recorded.

  It feels like my hand could fall off any second…

  At Dorian’s insistence, I started training. He said that for our work, knowledge and a cool head are important, but without endurance, I wouldn’t survive the next task.

  At first, I thought he was exaggerating.

  Now… I don’t.

  I run around the estate every morning. On the first day, I barely made it back—my lungs were burning, my legs trembling, my heart pounding as if it were trying to break out of my chest. I even seriously wondered… if I might die right there on the path.

  He just said:

  “That’s normal. Tomorrow will be a bit easier.”

  And he was right.

  Sometimes I train with a wooden stick—he calls it “minimal defense.” I’ve never once managed to hit him. Not once.

  He doesn’t even fully dodge. He just… shifts half a step.

  It’s frustrating.

  Yet at the same time… somehow relieving.

  Since the day I chose this profession, my life has completely changed. I’ve seen death. I’ve seen fear. I’ve seen things ordinary people should never witness.

  And yet…

  I have no regrets.

  I remember the faces of the people near the estate when it was over. Relief. Tears. Smiles. For the first time, I felt that I had truly helped someone.

  Since that day, I’ve begun to understand Dorian a little better.

  He’s strange. Sometimes cold, sometimes too calm. He says things a normal person would never say… yet, he’s good.

  And that’s why…

  I’ve decided to stay.

  I want to understand him and find out what his real goal is…

  I think that’s enough for today — it’s time to get ready.

  ***

  Lynette slowly closed the diary and held her palm over the cover for a few more seconds, as if afraid that the words might vanish.

  I really lived this…

  She stood up and walked to the wardrobe. Taking her work clothes, Lynette calmly changed into a dark, comfortable outfit without any unnecessary adornments. She quickly tied her hair back so it wouldn’t get in the way while moving.

  Before leaving, her gaze unconsciously fell on her wrist.

  The silver watch.

  She lightly touched the cold metal with her fingers. The hands ticked quietly, measuring seconds.

  I haven’t even taken it off once…

  Lynette shook her head slightly and left the room.

  Dorian was already waiting in the corridor, leaning his shoulder against the wall. It seemed he had been there for a long time—almost like he knew exactly when she would come out.

  “Ready?” he asked calmly.

  “Yes. Are we leaving right now?”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “We’d better start sooner.”

  He stepped forward, and she walked beside him. Dorian quickly glanced at her hand.

  “You’re wearing it.”

  “I’m used to it,” she said, brushing her hair back.

  “It suits you,” he nodded.

  They stepped out into the yard, where a carriage was already waiting. The coachman silently opened the door.

  Once inside, Dorian took a folded letter from his inner pocket and handed it to her.

  “Take a look.”

  Lynette unfolded the paper. It was adorned with a seal — a complex crest with two gryphons standing opposite each other, their wings half-spread.

  “Royal…?” she asked, looking up at the detective.

  “Yes,” he nodded. “The house is under the jurisdiction of the Adelwein royal family.”

  “So… this is one of those places you planned to get into. But they issue it as an official invitation just to avoid panic?”

  “Formally, it’s a ‘review.’ Unofficially… yes, it’s a problem that requires attention.”

  The royal family…

  Lynette straightened instinctively.

  “Is it dangerous there?”

  Dorian fell silent for a moment.

  “If I’ve been leaving this until the end… then yes.”

  Her heart tightened.

  Okay… everything’s good. Dorian’s strong, and I’m confident he’ll manage.

  “You’re nervous,” he said suddenly.

  “No!” she answered too quickly.

  The detective smiled faintly.

  The carriage moved. The wheels clattered dully along the road, and the estate quickly disappeared behind the trees. For a while, they rode in silence.

  Lynette stared out the window, watching as the autumn fields slowly changed the landscape.

  “Thinking about the case?” Dorian asked quietly.

  “About everything at once.”

  He leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.

  “That’s good.”

  “What’s good?”

  “You’ve started accepting this as reality, not an adventure.

  She looked at him silently.

  You knew it from the very beginning…

  The journey took several hours. The sun was already high when the carriage turned from the main track onto a narrow forest road. Trees on both sides closed in, and the light dimmed noticeably.

  Finally, the carriage slowed and stopped.

  “We’re here,” the coachman said.

  Dorian opened the door and stepped out first. Lynette carefully followed.

  Before them stood a large, old house.

  Its tall walls were darkened by time, and the roof sagged slightly under the weight of many years. The windows stared out into the yard like silent eyes, their glass dim and lifeless.

  Ivy crept along the cracked stone, wrapping the house in a quiet, forgotten embrace. The whole place stood in heavy silence, as if it had been waiting there for a very long time.

  And somehow… it felt like someone was already watching them from inside.

  Four people stood near the house.

  Each of them wore something unique, their styles sharply contrasting with one another. All four immediately turned their gaze toward them, remaining still and silent as they waited for them to approach.

  “Five more participants will join us,” Dorian said confidently, without stopping.

  Lynette glanced around. The carriage that had just stood behind them was already gone around a bend in the forest road.

  So… there’s no turning back.

  She felt a slight tension in her chest but took a step forward behind him.

  The first to step forward was a tall man. He wore a charcoal coat over a soft cream shirt. The colors gave him a clean, authoritative appearance.

  A long sword in dark scabbards hung at his waist. The hilt was slightly worn—clearly often held in hand.

  “Captain Eric Walden. Anomalies Security Unit.”

  His voice was steady and calm, like that of someone accustomed to giving orders and wasting no words.

  Next to him was a second man.

  At first, Lynette thought he was just observing. But in a second, she realized—he was assessing.

  He was thin and moved almost lazily, yet there was a hidden tension in his posture. His gaze swept over Dorian, then Lynette.

  Thin metal gloves covered his hands, fitting tightly over his fingers. Dark hair fell nearly to his eyes.

  No other weapons were visible.

  “Rein,” he said with a faint smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  He slowly clenched his fingers, and the metal clicked quietly.

  “You’re far too friendly,” the girl beside him added dryly.

  She was shorter than the others, yet carried herself as if height were irrelevant. Her dark, fitted gothic clothes — high collar, leather straps, intricate embroidery — only heightened her presence.

  On her back, she bore a heavy black coffin that towered over her entire frame, the leather harnesses creaking softly with every movement.

  “My name is Zera,” she said, stretching her neck. “Let’s get this over with quickly—I'm starving.”

  Lynette shifted her gaze to the fourth person.

  At first, she didn’t understand what was unusual. Then she noticed.

  Her eyes were completely pale, unfocused. They seemed to look past everything around her. Blind.

  And yet, she held a long rifle on her shoulder with the confidence of someone who could see better than anyone else there.

  She slightly turned her head toward Lynette.

  “Don’t worry about me. I know where you are.”

  Lynette froze instinctively.

  Rein exhaled quietly.

  “Trust me, Mia doesn’t miss.”

  Linette stood up next to Dorian.

  “You said five participants would join us. Where’s the fifth?”

  Eric slightly tilted his head, as if not understanding immediately.

  “Five?” Eric glanced at his team. “There are only four of us.”

  For a moment, silence fell.

  “He’s not from your unit,” the detective said calmly. “He’s an acquaintance of mine.”

  Zera scowled slightly.

  “How long will we be waiting for him?”

  At that moment, Linette suddenly felt something. A heavy, foreign presence. It pressed on her mind, but didn’t take her breath away. A chill ran down her spine, and her legs trembled slightly.

  All four of the unit members suddenly shifted.

  Captain’s hand rested near the hilt. Rein lowered his shoulders slightly, fingers in the thin gloves relaxing, preparing to strike. Zera half-turned, ready to open her case. Mia… just raised her rifle.

  Their aggression was directed at one target. Behind Lynette.

  Or more precisely… at someone behind her.

  Her heart thumped violently. But seeing Dorian’s calm face, she pulled herself together and turned around.

  A man stood behind her.

  When did he appear?

  His figure was shrouded in a long dark cloak that fell from his shoulders to the ground, revealing only his head, where dark blue eyes absorbed foreign light and pale skin radiated cold.

  Taller than her, he loomed over Linette, silent and imposing.

  Rein quietly hissed.

  “Damn, what a monster…”

  At that moment, Dorian stepped forward and positioned himself between them.

  “Hey, hey, calm down.”

  His voice was firm and confident.

  “This is Nox. My friend, and another member of the expedition.”

  The man in the cloak tilted his head slightly, as if greeting everyone present.

  The tension eased, and the atmosphere became friendly once more.

  “Well,” Dorian continued, “let me reveal why we’ve really come.”