KIDNAPPED!

ARGENT'S suspicion just grew worse when she noticed the constantly reducing number of buildings as the carriage continued to move. She has no doubt that by the end of this ride, they'd end up some place abandoned. She had to prevent that no matter what. Because nothing good would certainly come out if this carriage reached its destination.

"Aurum, can you read the coachman's thoughts?" she whispered to her sister in a very low voice so the coachman wouldn't hear them. Because she's pretty sure this coachman was trying to kidnap them. "Whisper your answer back."

Although Aurum was somewhat confused by her brother's request, she still did it. "No, I'm sorry. I still couldn't remove the bracelet you gave me. I'm not confident that my Mana would not go out of control if I even tried," she whispered back. "Is something wrong, Brother?"

"There might be." Argent leaned towards Finn. "Can you stop this carriage?" she asked in a very low voice.

"Why? And why are you talking so weakly?" Ruby asked before Finn could speak.

"Shut up for a moment, Ruby," Finn scolded his sister. He turned to Argent. He certainly understood why he asked that. Finn already felt that something was wrong since the carriage made that turn earlier. He's been travelling the same road for four years since he enrolled at Starlight Academy. It's stupid how this coachman didn't even think about that before deciding to change their course. Heck, even Argent noticed that something was wrong. "I could. But what will happen after that?" he answered Argent's question in an equally low voice.

"Once you stop the carriage, attack the coachman. Throw him as far away as possible. Then we'll drive the carriage back to the mansion ourselves." That's the best plan Argent could think of under the circumstance. "Do you agree?"

"Well, it's not as if I have a choice, do I?" Finn sighed. Doing what Argent asked was better than doing nothing at all.

"Wait- what the heck is happening?" Ruby asked, also making her voice down.

"Brother," Aurum called to Argent with a questioning look on her face.

"I think we're being kidnapped." Both girls showed a shocked expression once Argent said that. "So I want the two of you to stay here and not panic once Finn stopped the carriage. Okay?"

"I understand, Brother," Aurum immediately agreed. Though she's still not clear as to what's happening, she trust her brother. She would do anything she asked.

"Ruby," Finn chided when his sister didn't immediately answered.

"Fine. But be fast about it," Ruby grumbled.

Argent turned to Finn. "Do it now."

The carriage immediately stopped once she said that. She and Finn moved as fast as they could. They both went out the carriage. Finn pointed his palm towards the surprised coachman. The coachman probably flew a few kilometers away from them. Argent immediately sat on the coachman's seat and held the horses' reins.

She turned to Finn. "Come on." Finn sat beside her and she immediately drove the carriage. "Do you know the way?"

"Just turn the carriage, then I'll guide you along the way."

Argent turned the carriage with great effort. But they haven't even gotten that far when they suddenly heard a hard thump behind them. They both turned and to their utter surprise, they saw the coachman squatting on the carriage's roof. The usual amiable expression on his face was gone, replaced by a sinister smile.

"Naughty children should be punished." Then he blew some kind of powder towards them.

Argent felt a sudden dizziness. As if her conciousness was slowly being swallowed. And then everything turned dark.

----------

Argent slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a barely visible ceiling. She started to rise and she immediately saw her three companions. The three were wearing some kind of metal handcuff. She looked down at her wrist and noticed that she didn't have one. Their kidnapper probably didn't think that she needed one. Which meant this handcuff probably prevented anyone from using their Gifts. That's the only reason she could think of why she didn't have one. After all, she's a NoGift. And therefore, considered to be not dangerous. He didn't even bother to take her space ring.

She looked at the handcuffs. It probably has a different characteristics than the bracelet she made. Hers directly prevents the flow of Mana. This handcuff could probably just only seal it for a time. Because if they have the same properties, then her Mother have long used it for Aurum. The fact that she didn't meant that the two were vastly different.

Argent looked around. They were in some sort of prison cell, as expected. It was damp and dark. The only light was coming from a lamp attached to the wall opposite the prison cell. Done with her observation, she woke up her three companions. The first one who gained conciousness was Finn, followed by Ruby, then Aurum.

"Are you alright?" she immediately asked her sister.

"I- I'm fine," Aurum answered and slowly sat up. "Where are we?"

"Some kind of prison." She turned and saw Finn helping Ruby sat up.

"Looks like he still got us," Finn comented looking around the cell. He looked down at his wrists bounded by handcuff. "And we can't use our Gift."

"I thought the two of you are going to handle things?" Ruby complained. "Now what are we going to do?"

"We're going to get out." Argent was about to take her sword from her space ring when she heard footsteps.

Soon, a man stood in front of the prison cell. He was wearing the same clothes as the coachman but a different face completely. He was bald. Half of his face was covered with black swirling tattoos.

"I see that my prisoners are awake," he said in that same voice when he was acting as the coachman.

Because this man in front of them was definitely the coachman who picked them up from the academy. The only reason his face was different was because he was now using his original face. And he only used a human skin mask to impersonate the real coachman.

Wait- human skin mask?

"You're from Dreich Gallere," Argent said, quite sure of her suspicion. Using human skin mask was one of the characteristics of an assassin from Dreich Gallere. Take Viper for example. That's why her master immediately knew he was from Dreich Gallere when he noticed Viper was wearing a human skin mask.

The man was clearly surprised by what she said. But soon, he just showed them his sinister smile. "That's right. I'm from Dreich Gallere. Code name; Gecko."