2 The Young Master is missing!

A thunderstorm was wreaking havoc in the countryside. The haunting howl of a gale and the torrential downpour made the residents of the small village of Cerefina fall into a deep sleep and wander into dreamland. 

However, at a manor located at the foot of a mountain, overlooking the village below, a lit candle could be seen in one of its windows.

"Atticus sir!"

A hurried knock on the door from the room where the candle was still lit despite the late hours, reverberated, followed by a scream of panic, before a female servant flung it open.

"Atticus sir! Young Master Nolan is not in his room! H-he's not in his room! He's gone!"

Atticus, the hard-working butler serving the Loic family, paused his work and cast a calm glance at the panting female servant from his desk. His gray eyes scanned her stout frame, her face contorted in horror as she gasped for breath from dashing to his office. His short white hair, streaked with gray, was neatly slicked back, exposing his forehead.

"H-his window… And his window is left open! There's a strong storm outside, dear God, what could've happened to him? We have to do something! What if some dark and evil entity has finally abducted him because he might have gone too far and learned something he shouldn't?"

The stout female servant nearly fainted from what she had heard. Her right hand, which was holding an oil lamp, seemed to lose its strength as it trembled, almost dropping the candle, while her other hand clenched her chest. She began pacing back and forth as worry took hold of her sanity.

"Atticus sir, what are we supposed to do?"

The short, white-haired butler removed his reading glasses, his hand covered in a black glove gently massaged his forehead, visibly tired from his work.

"First, you have to calm down, Sofia, and lower down your voice. You are disturbing the other servant's rest. I'll take care of it myself; I know where to find the Young Master, so don't worry. Take your rest, we have another long day tomorrow."

Sofia looked at Atticus with disbelief. The Young Master was gone. Where could he have gone in the middle of the night and in that stormy weather? The matter shouldn't be regarded complacently yet, the Butler was telling her just to calm down and go to sleep?

Calmed down? Sofia almost fainted. The Young Master, God forbid, could have died in the storm.

As if reading her thoughts, Atticus sighed and stood up from his seat.

"Ready two raincoats and prepare an umbrella. I'll head outside to look for him. I need you to stay vigilant while I'm gone outside and make sure no one will know about this. We cannot afford to cause ruckus and unnecessary commotions to the others."

The servant's eyes lit up and stood straight as she nodded her head at the instructions. Not wasting any seconds, she immediately dashed towards the door and exited the Butler's quarter.

The Young Master, as she has speculated for a long while now, was studying forbidden knowledge. She cared for her Master and despite the awareness of such a dangerous act, she couldn't bring herself to tell her Master to stop. She hurriedly made her way through the hallways to prepare the things the Butler had asked her, making a sign of the cross and whispering prayers for the Young Master along the way.

Meanwhile, Atticus arrived at his master's spacious bedroom. His eyes drifted toward the open oriel window. The heavy downpour blurred the view outside, and the howling wind echoed through the room as if wailing in agony. Despite the violent storm, the butler remained oddly calm, showing no hint of panic or alarm. Standing by the entrance, he made his way to his master's study table. Open books and scattered notes covered the surface, while papers mingled with the trash on the floor. 

Atticus picked up the trash and threw it in the trash bin, while the other that he deemed important he placed it back on the table. He proceeded to clean the table and organize the books and notes, however, a rather different book from his Master's usual textbook for his studies caught his attention. It was thick, its cover the color of a tree trunk. He stroked the hard cover with his gloved hand, feeling its rough texture through the black gloves he was wearing.

"Path to the Underworld"

He turned pensive as he read the title, but he didn't open the book. Instead, he placed it back on the table and continued organizing his young master's books and notes. He didn't linger, hearing Sofia's footsteps echoing outside. Without delay, he proceeded to exit the room.

"Shouldn't we call the cops, sir?"

Sofia's nervous voice trembled as she spoke in a hushed tone and handed him the two raincoats and umbrella.

Atticus glanced at the servant, he had to at least alleviate her worries and calm her down.

"Call the cops if there's no sign of us after an hour." He simply stated.

Sofia nodded in acknowledgment before hurrying off to where the family telephone was located, leaving the butler behind. Left alone, Atticus glanced at the umbrella in his hand. After a moment of contemplation, he put the umbrella back to the umbrella stand that stood next to the main double door. He donned the other raincoat on himself before opening the door.

The whistling howl of the gale immediately filled his ears, attacking anyone foolish enough to venture outside in the storm. However, Atticus remained unfazed. Clutching his raincoat, he descended the doorstep.