CHAPTER 19: THE PRICE OF POWER – PART II

"Diego," Envoy Egnatius called out.

The head guard stepped forward and asked, "Grant your order, sir?"

"Whip the girl’s legs so hard that—forget running—she won’t even want to walk again!" Egnatius barked.

Bowing slightly, the head guard approached the girl sitting on the ground.

Anneliese watched the man draw nearer with the whip in hand. She looked at Egnatius and protested, "I didn’t try to run away. You can ask the other prisoners—they saw what happened!"

Before she could finish, the whip lashed across her left side, forcing her to the ground. She tried to speak again, but the guard continued lashing her legs, her voice twisting into screams. Her cries echoed through the dungeon walls.

"P-Please... stop! I... I didn’t try to run. He’s lying! Please believe me!" she sobbed desperately, unable to bear the pain.

Ignoring her pleas, Egnatius demanded, "What connection do you have with Vincenzo? Speak now!"

Anneliese, still unaware that the pure-blooded vampire she had made a deal with was named Vincenzo, cried, "I don’t know who you’re talking about! I don’t know any Vincenzo!"

Another sharp whip cracked across her back.

Tears finally broke free from her blue eyes. She had tried to stay strong, but the pain was unbearable.

"You’ll die in this dungeon, and no one will ever know," the Envoy sneered. "Everyone will assume you vanished with the other townsfolk. If you don’t want that, then tell me—what connection do you have with the Book of Spells? Why was Vincenzo defending you?"

Anneliese no longer trusted the man before her. She knew what he was capable of, and she couldn’t reveal that she possessed the spellbook. She had no idea what he would do if he found out.

She bit her lip and endured the pain. Her dress was torn, her skin raw and bleeding, bruises forming across her body.

"That’s enough for tonight, Diego," Egnatius finally said. "We don’t want the girl to die just yet."

The head guard stepped back reluctantly, as if disappointed that the punishment had ended.

Ann heard the retreating footsteps. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to move from the pain. With no strength left, exhaustion overcame her, and she drifted into unconsciousness.

In Haselburg, the black cat attempted to cross into the town, but every time he neared the border, he was repelled—like an invisible wall blocked the way. Oscar decided to wait and try again at dawn. He curled up near the boundary for a nap.

By morning, he was able to cross the threshold. He padded through the quiet streets to the home of the blue-eyed girl who had once offered him a blanket. With feline pride, he thought, Even the mystic girl couldn’t resist my charm.

Ain’t I the cutest cat? he huffed to himself.

Reaching her house, Oscar climbed to her window—but she wasn’t in her room. Jumping down, he entered through another window and searched the home, but found no trace of the girl—or her family.

Something was wrong. The town felt... empty.

He walked through the streets, sensing the eerie silence, and began sending signals to his master.

Just then, as Oscar approached something brown lying in the road, Vincenzo appeared.

"Why did you call me here, Oscar?" he asked.

Through their master-slave bond, Vincenzo could read the cat’s thoughts.

His eyes followed Oscar’s gaze to the object on the ground—a familiar brown shoe.

Picking it up, Vincenzo’s frown deepened. The girl who had met him by the river yesterday had worn the same footwear. He sniffed the air—the faint scent of her lingered.

He muttered, "The people of Haselburg vanished... just like the ones in Windborn. And it happened while the girl was with me."

His sharp eyes scanned the street and caught the tracks of a carriage. He clenched his jaw.

"Lightwood," he growled under his breath.

He turned to Oscar. "Why weren’t you with the girl like I ordered?"

Oscar replied through thought, The town rejected me. I couldn’t enter until morning, Master.

Vincenzo’s gaze darkened. "So... the dark witches used some kind of spell to seal off the town, blocking supernatural beings from entering."

He gestured for Oscar to leap onto his shoulder, and in a flash, he vanished.

Arriving at the Royal Castle of Versimoil, Vincenzo summoned his most loyal knight.

"Adomas. Leave for the capital city of the Sicilian Empire with royal guards. In the dungeon there, you’ll find a blue-eyed, brown-haired girl. Bring her back to the castle. If anyone interferes—kill them."

"Yes, milord," Adomas replied.

"I’m leaving for the Conclave meeting. When I return, the girl must be here," Vincenzo ordered, disappearing from sight.

Back in the dungeon, Envoy Regina looked down at the bruised girl curled on the floor.

She turned to the man beside her and snapped, "What the hell did you do to her? She falls under the Conclave’s jurisdiction!"

Egnatius brushed it off. "Don’t worry, Regina. I’ll kill her after I get my answers. No one will know. It’ll be just another disappearance."

Regina’s eyes narrowed. "If you’re right about her and Vincenzo, then he’ll find out. And when he does, he’ll burn this empire to ashes and tear you apart."

She added coldly, "And if you’re wrong? Then the Conclave will know soon enough. Either way, you’ll be thrown out of the High Conclave. And with you gone, the last thread of power we humans hold will vanish—just like the townsfolk."

Egnatius didn’t respond, simply saying, "I’m leaving for the Conclave meeting."

Regina frowned. "Then at least inform the Conclave about the town and this girl. Lie if you have to—but let them handle it."

Egnatius knew she was right. Though reluctant, he decided he would tell the Conclave—shaped with his own version of the truth.

Curled up on the cold stone floor, Anneliese listened silently, one question echoing in her head:

Who is Vincenzo?