Hansel and Gretel (2)

"What did you say? They disappeared?"

Arthur shot up from his seat and hurried to the Gaol, where Seon and Yunnie were supposed to be held.

He threw open the door, expecting to find some trace, some sign of their presence, but there was nothing—just a silence and an empty cell.

"Did you find any sign of a manhole or passage?"

The guard beside him shook his head. "No, sir. Not a thing."

"Strange... how did they escape then?" Arthur muttered, scanning the walls and floor.

The cell was sealed, with only a tiny window high up on the wall, too small to fit even a cat. The iron bars were perfectly intact, and the lock hadn't been tampered with either.

"From Fool's pathway?" Arthur murmured then shook his head. "No this place is protected with Judgement arcana, it wouldn't be easy to break the restraint... unless they are already ascended."

His gaze settled on a small statue in the corner of the cell—a fox, curled in a sleeping position.

Arthur was frozen in place as he whispered. "... The Fool's Order."

****

In the silent hours past midnight, Seon lay curled on her side, her figure taut beneath a thin blanket.

'Seon...'

Her hands were trembling as they clutched her blanket, fingers twisted tightly into the fabric.

'Seon... Seon...'

Her face grew pale, framed by hair clinging to her forehead, damp with a cold sweat that trickled down her cheeks. Her lips parted slightly, murmuring words that never fully escaped her throat.

'Seo.... Ma.... Madam...'

Her expression contorted, as her brows knitted tightly together, shadows cast under her closed eyes.

"MADAM PROPHET!"

The sudden voice jolted her awake, and her eyes shot open. She sat up abruptly, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to steady her breath. She turned around, meeting Yunnie's concerned face beside her.

"Madam Prophet, are you okay? You seem had a nightmare," he asked.

Seon's eyes blinked and darted around as she massaged her temples, before sighing.

"A dream?... I don't really remember what it is."

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Seon looked at Yunnie with a puzzled reaction.

"Why are you here?"

Yunnie grinned, pulling something from his pocket: a small bag filled with coins. "I managed to sell the cat for 50 gold!"

"That early?" Seon's brow furrowed suspiciously. "Let me see if it's real."

"Don't you trust me?"

"When did I ever trust you?"

"..."

Ignoring his expression, Seon took the bag, examining the coins with care, biting each one to confirm its authenticity. After checking all 50 gold pieces, she couldn't find any indication of forgery.

Though they seemed real, she still felt uneasy. 

"Are you sure you did not steal this?"

"Ei~ when did you even care about not stealing?" 

"Fair enough"

She slipped the coins into her bag, brushed the dust from her clothes, and straightened up.

"No point staying here any longer. Let's go."

"Alright!"

Securing her sword to her belt, Seon moved toward the door, hand outstretched to the knob when—

Swish!

Seon swung her sword mid arc attempting to slash Yunnie's neck in clean cut. However Yunnie was able to dodge it, but simply taking a step backward.

He jerked back just in time, blood seeping from a shallow graze on his neck. Startled, he pressed his hand to the wound.

"M-madam Prophet?"

Seon regarded him coldly, resting the sword on her shoulder.

"Drop the act. If you were the real Yunnie, that scratch would've healed already."

As her words lingered, a system notification blinked into her vision:

_____________

[ System: (Sudden Mission)

Kill the demon fox.

Reward: 500 arcana points ]

_____________

*****

Silence...

Yunnie felt something oppressive weighing down on his body, a suffocating pressure that made him ache all over.

He was certain that the bed the twins had provided was soft and comfortable, but now it felt tight, cramped, and hard. His limbs were stiff, and heavy, like they were bound to the surface beneath him.

Confused, he opened his eyes.

Only to see nothing.

'huh?...'

He blinked, hoping his eyes would adjust, that some sliver of light might break through. But it wasn't his vision that was clouded. This place was sealed in pitch blackness.

'Is it... midnight?' he asked himself.

He tried to sit up, but something heavy pressed against his chest, pinning him down. The weight seems unmovable as if it were pressing the air out of his lungs. His body felt drained, and lethargic, as though he'd been lying there, unmoving, for hours.

'Madam Prophet? Where is Madam prophet? Is she safe?'

Panicked, Yunnie reached up, trying to push away the weight trapping him. His fingers scraped against the solid wood. He pressed harder, desperate, but the surface wouldn't budge an inch. It held him in place like a vise, trapping him in a cold, narrow space.

And then he noticed the sound—a dull, hollow thud with each movement he made, echoing in the confined space around him.

He was lying in the wooden coffin,

under the soil below.