Machination

*Knocks!!* This time it was harder than before. Who could this be and why now of all times? We opened as swiftly as we could, and indeed it was an unknown person, definitely not Michael. It happened to be that there was another meal on our plate at that very moment. The Royal Family will have to be kept on hold for now. But what could warrant an issue this midnight?

"Please help me!! Come help me" the person cried out to me, Angel who was still inside rushed forward to see what was happening, it was a man looking in his late thirties on the footing to our door begging.

I and Angel rushed out to him as he questioned him in concern, "What is the issue? Help you with what?" He picked up his face as he looked at us, with so many tears in his eyes, he replied, "My Daughter!!! Can... Is... Can you..."

" Slow down, we will listen," I said as I looked at Angel and Callista from our door pathway. "Take in deep breaths, then breath out, do this for three seconds then speak," he started shivering, I could tell that with each second he wasted, he became even more scared and worried but we need him to do that because he's currently not being clear enough.

He quickly did as I told him to do, he held on to his breath to calm down and he then released it all at once to become stable, though he was still crying... He was in a state to communicate.

"My daughter, *SOBS* My daughter was dragged into a cave by a monster, I couldn't help her out... Please come help me out!! "

" By a monster? But monsters don't roam the village, which cave are you speaking of?" I inquired, and he left that part out and it was also strange.

" The Shanji Cave close to the waterside, PLEASE WOULD YOU AND YOUR CREW HELP ME OUT? Please say 'Yes' " he bowed his head as he began to beg us.

The Shanji Cave he said, by the waterside he said, but something doesn't add up, firstly we know that cave is devoid of harmful creatures to them talk about monsters, monsters don't even roam the village even at night due to how fast they get eliminated by the adventurers and Village guardians or have monsters been hiding there since? I know that place is hardly checked because it's already known for being void of monsters... If it's true then we have to hurry, the Cave isn't large so it would be quick, he would just have to get there on time before the daughter is digested by the monster, come to think of it, Which Monster?

"Which Monster dragged in your daughter?" I questioned him

" It was too quick, I could barely... ARE YOU JUST GOING TO QUESTION ME THROUGHOUT UNTIL SHE IS EATEN?" With all the tears in his eyes and pleading, he still managed to angrily ask me that, I couldn't blame him, but with the time he used to come here and the time already wasted here... I doubt she would be alive but let me not reveal that to him yet, I will be positive.

"Angel, Looks like we will have to check this out... Today just have to keep getting more and more stressful" Before I even completed that statement, while I was conversing with the crying man, Angel had gone ahead and grabbed some needed items and materials making us ready for the short trip to the Cave.

"I will be coming along, I can't leave Miss Angela with you if it's a cave you are going to," Callista said as he got up and got ready with her blade.

"I see no problem with that" I replied, "good then" she added.

"I didn't pack much, just some necessities in case with run into another or more monsters, Yes I know Shanji has rarely had monsters and this is strange also but if his daughter's life is at stake, then let's start going"

We told the man to show us exactly where it happened right in Shanji, along the way we passed Dorothy's and Michael's house which we didn't hesitate to approach to call out, it was late, they were already asleep but Dorothy rushed as soon as she heard battle might be involved while Michael did it just to see Angel once again.

The whole team was around plus Callista by our side as I moved towards the cave, it was very late, very very late, Hmmm... The stars shining brightly into my eyes... Something was off but I have not placed my finger on what that could be.

We all walked for a while before reaching the cave and he then pointed into it.

"It happened right here... Just like three meters into the cave, my sister was dragged deeper and so fast I couldn't even see the monster well to know which it was, all I know is that it was massive"

"Hmmm... "

Then I finally placed my finger on what was wrong, it was too late, what could they be doing inside a cave this late at night, this was very suspicious, why was no one even saying anything? I looked at Angel whose mind was barely present I could tell why, Michael and Dorothy were barely Awake, and Callista was just there, I don't know if she was trying to impersonate a statue, I have been left to all the thinking, I will just have to ask him myself.

"Wait!! Hope you do know we weren't adventurers, well not anymore and why or what were you and your daugh... " before I had the chance to finish that question and investigate more concerning that strange setting, we heard it, something scary.

It was a sudden ferocious high high-pitched note coming from the cave, a female scream, it was frightening to hear,

(SCREAM!!)

it startled the whole team as we rushed in, Angel would put on the torch as we entered running around the cave to find this monster, we searched every nook and cranny of the cave, and the end of the cave wasn't even far for a monster, come to think of it, it would have to take the dumbest of all monsters to hide in a cave like this, so exposed and barely deep, it was barely even 35 meters deep and wide, so it would have been easy to spot the monster or the girl but to our surprise, we couldn't even find a single animal or monster nor even the cause of the scream, the daughter or wait!! I could have sworn he just said sister now, something is wrong.

I grabbed the flashlight as he quickly focused it on the crying and that's where our eyes saw it, we all saw it and can't unseen it for sure.

If I could express my thoughts, what lay before us was undeniably the epitome of sinister; a chilling wicked smile that sent shivers down our spines, imprinting itself as the most terrifying visage we had ever encountered, he was waving at us as I realized that we had jumped ourselves into a problem we could have easily avoided.

Dropped the torch as we started racing back towards the entrance to exit but we were, even Callista wasn't fast enough as the next thing that happened was the entirety of the entrance dropping down on itself as it shot close locking us in.

] SFX::- BOOM!!! [