Rosette's keen eyes locked onto the fleeing figure disappearing into the forest's shadows. Without hesitation, she darted after him, her boots soundless against the soft earth. The cold night air bit at her cheeks, but her focus was razor-sharp.

"He's fast."

Rosette muttered, pushing herself to move even faster.

The man ahead stumbled briefly but quickly regained his footing. His hooded form weaved through the dense trees with practiced agility, though his frantic glances over his shoulder betrayed growing panic.

"Running only makes this worse. Stop now, and you might live to see the next dawn."

Rosette yelled, but the figure she was running after refused to stop and listen to her. If anything, it ran even faster, causing Rosette to pick up her spell as well.

The figure didn't respond. Instead, he abruptly changed direction, heading toward a narrow, rocky trail. Rosette narrowed her eyes.

"You chose the hard way. Fine, be like that. You chose your own demise."

With a burst of speed, she closed the gap. The hooded figure must have sensed her gaining because he skidded to a halt and spun around, dagger flashing in the moonlight.

Rosette twisted gracefully, avoiding the slash with ease. Before he could react again, she caught his wrist, forcing him to drop the weapon with a sharp twist.

"Not so tough up close. Now, let's see who you are."

The man struggled wildly, desperation lending him strength. He wrenched himself free and lashed out with a brutal kick aimed at her ribs. Rosette blocked the blow with her forearm, countering with a strike to his abdomen that sent him sprawling.

Before he could scramble away, she pinned him down, her knee pressing into his back.

"Enough games. Who sent you? Are you here to cause trouble for me and Miss Layla? I will not allow you to-"

Rosette's words were caught halfway in her throat when she felt a sudden rise in magic around her. The figure in front of her was acting weird…well, weirder than a human normally did and it scared her.

His only response was a strained, gasping breath. Suspicious, Rosette yanked back his hood—

—and stumbled backward in shock.

The "man" she had been chasing was no man at all. Beneath the cloak lay a lifeless, human-like doll, its expression grotesquely blank.

A sudden, ominous click echoed through the quiet forest.

Rosette's eyes widened. Magic runes etched into the doll's chest blazed an angry red.

"Damn it!"

With a sharp incantation, she summoned a shimmering protective barrier just as the doll exploded in a violent blast of fire and concussive force. The protective spell held, shielding her from the worst of the impact, though she was thrown backward into a cluster of thorny bushes.

For a moment, the world spun.

Groaning, Rosette pushed herself up, her body aching but intact. She brushed dirt and ash from her tattered cloak, her mind already racing.

"I'm gonna kill the son-of-a-bitch who did this to me. Fuck, my hair are all charred. How will I be able to meet my lady like this?."

She staggered back toward the inn, her senses alert for any other threats lurking in the dark. Despite her appearance and the danger she was in, the only thought in Rosette's mind was about her appearance and how she would need to show herself to Lady Layla now.

______

This attack was not a big one, but it was not something that was easy to hide either.

News of the attack reached Layla by dawn. She listened in silence as the messenger relayed the details, her expression unreadable but her clenched fists betraying her rising anger.

"Rosette's injuries were minimal, but the method was... unusual. A life-sized doll enchanted to explode... it was clearly meant to kill. We are still investigating what happened, and we will let you know what happened."

Mary's tone did not betray any of her thoughts. Her smile did not even show how she was feeling at the moment.

But Layla knew her maid well and she could tell that Mary was pissed.

"Someone wanted to send a message. They didn't expect her to survive."

Layla's gaze darkened as she spoke these words. Speaking it made it feel real and it also made Layla's heart skip a beat.

Raziel, standing nearby, shifted. He looked away as he spoke, but his gaze was sharply focused on the report this whole time.

"We can't dismiss this as random. Whoever orchestrated this knows who we are."

Layla nodded sharply.

"Tell them both to return right now. We're too exposed while separated. I want the person targeting us to come to me of their own will. It will be better for us as well

Ah, don't look so worried about me. I have the best security available out there. Do you think I will get hurt with a dragon guarding me?"

Layla had every reason to be confident. Launa also chirped her agreement from the other side of the room where she was napping.

However, neither Mary nor Raziel looked happy with the outcome. Still, neither complained about her.

She strode toward the communication chamber, where a sleek, enchanted hawk rested on its perch. With practiced efficiency, she penned a sealed letter detailing her command and secured it to the bird's leg.

"Fly swiftly,"'

Layla whispered as she stroked the hawk's beak affectionately. She let go of the bird finally.

The hawk took off into the crisp morning sky, its wings cutting through the wind with purpose.

Minutes later, as the majestic bird soared over the sprawling estate, a faint whistling sound pierced the air. It was the fastest magical bird that money could buy at the moment and it had some basic protection against spells.

An arrow shot through the sky, striking the hawk mid-flight. Feathers scattered like falling snow as the bird tumbled lifelessly to the forest floor.

From the shadowed edge of the estate's grounds, a cloaked figure lowered a finely crafted bow, satisfaction gleaming in their piercing eyes.