Much to my relief, my brother and friend weren’t causing chaos like I imagined and instead were patiently waiting for us at a private room where Yvon was placating Toini with dessert.

  Seeing us enter the room, my brother asked. “Hey, how’d your fitting go?”

  I smiled sarcastically and sat down. Seeing the expression on my face, Yvon didn’t need to hear an answer come out of my mouth because that much was enough.

  “Wonderful,” He said, sighing. “Now we can go home.”

  It turns out that Toini’s anger was in fact not placated in the slightest—evidenced by the *flevoire she crushed mercilessly in her fist.

  “Poor flevoire…” Yvon muttered.

  Hearing this, she hit Yvon who was caught off guard. “Poor flevoire?! You’re worried about the dessert?! How about poor Firn?! Your twin sister who is about to become the center of attention for all the wrong reasons, Iy!”

  “It’s not like she’s panicking,” He retorted, pointing at me, “Just look at her! She’s calm! You’re the one who’s going hysterical here! If anything, you should be worried for her husband! Just look at her! She’s obviously got something cooking up! The poor guy doesn’t know what he’s being tied to! Somebody really ought to warn the guy! And what are you hitting me for?! I am your boss for crying out loud!”

  She hit him again this time with more force. “Before you’re my boss you’re my best friend who’s like a little brother to me! And right now, you’re the former rather than the latter! So how dare you raise your voice at me! I am older than you by two years!”

  I smirked, enjoying the beautiful scene of my brother being scolded. Serves you right, you prick.

  I grabbed Yvon’s hot chocolate, amusement evident on my face. “Jokes on you, my fiancé doesn’t care about that since according to him my values, principles, and competency are all that really matters”

  Toini and Eugen looked at me shocked, confused, and highly concerned.

  “I am genuinely grateful that this is a private room on our private floor in a cafe owned by your girlfriend…” Yvon remarked as he refilled the already empty cup of hot chocolate I was holding.

  “... Firn be straight with us,” Toini began, “Did you get engaged or enter a business partnership?”

  Eugen, all fidgety, fixed me up a slice of seryn cake and asked, “Young Miss… Are you really going to wear one of those gowns for your wedding? I know it’s obvious but I’ll say it anyway, doing so is problematic socially and might even cause your fiancé’$ family to see you in an awful light.”

  He looked so concerned and worried, something I never thought I’d see on his face when talking about me.

  I chuckled, giving him a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, it’s not my intention to have my intended’s family see me badly. I’ll think of something, I always do.”

  After swallowing the flevoire Yvon stuffed in her mouth, Toini asked, “And how exactly do you plan to do that?”

  “Well for starters…” I said, turning to Yvon, “I’ll be having a chat with Marleigh.”

  ?

  After about an hour and a half later we decided it was time to go home.

  Yvon wanted to stay longer but he was overruled by the three of us—there’s no point in lingering around here anyway especially since we’d be going back to Yugen later tonight. I don’t want there to be even a speck of suspicion.

  We headed downstairs and as we were leaving the cafe suddenly all the curtains were drawn simultaneously. The entire floor was plunged into darkness.

  “What’s going on?” Eugen asked, confused.

  Yvon started sniffing the air subtly but he reminded me of a furpaw.

  “Yvie,” He called.

  “Yeah,” I answered, my stomach twisting. “I can smell it too.”

  “Why does that smell familiar?” Asked Eugen.

  “Something’s afoot…” Toini commented.

  Then all of a sudden there was a loud thud and after a few seconds it was followed by the stench of something familiar. Rustic. Metallic.

  “What was that?” A customer said referring to the thud.

  While most were murmuring about the noise, the all to familiar smell that clung in the air, to my skin, and the back of my throat like something alive.

  “Yvie,” Yvon called again this time with more urgency.

  “Yeah, I know!” I said as we walked through the darkness, realizing what the smell was.

  Blood.

  “Will somebody please open the curtains!” Another customer complained, “I can’t see what I’m eating here!”

  “R-Right away, sir!” Said a staff member.

  “Judging by how flustered the staff seems, I’m guessing this isn’t a special event prepared by the cafe,” Toini commented.

  When sunlight entered the cafe, most froze in fear. There was a brief silence and then, chaos ensued.

  “AAAHHHHHH!”

  Customers screamed in horror at the sight of a woman’s body on the floor, grabbing her bloody neck, looking as though she was struggling to breathe, twitching.

  “Neither is that!” Yvon said before running towards her with Eugen.

  Panic erupted. Customers screamed. Voices overlapped in horror.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Though we were as shocked as the other customers, we knew that we had to act fast, because the woman’s life depended on it.

  “EVERYONE STAY RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE!” I shouted commandingly. “ONLY THE DOCTOR AND MY BROTHER GETS TO APPROACH HER! IF ANYONE INTERFERES, I WILL NOT HESTITATE TO HAVE YOU RESTRAINED.”

  Eugen dropped on his knees besides the woman, his hands immediately pressed against the gushing wound. His fingers slick with blood within a matter of seconds.

  He feels for her pulse, muttering to himself, “Rapid. Frantic. Fading.”

  This woman was losing blood too much and too fast.

  He turns toward Yvon, “Press here! Hard! And DO NOT LET GO, NO MATTER WHAT! IF YOU LET UP SHE DIES FASTER!”

  My brother didn’t even respond but just did exactly as he was told.

  “Allister!” I called the cafe’s manager, “Seal the exits. No one leaves, secure the area. And Toy—”

  “Way ahead of you,” She interjected. “I already sent out he *skyeire. Help is on the way.”

  (Skyeire - resembling a falcon, with a wingspan of nearly three meters and a streamlined body built for speed and agility. Its plumage is a mix of dark greys and striking whites, providing excellent camouflage against the sky and clouds. Used as a messenger bird.)

  I nodded, “Good. Do not let anyone out under any circumstance. Am I understood?!”

  “Yes, Young Miss!” They answered, already moving, their eyes darting towards the crowd.

  I could here the skyeire being sent off, disappearing towards the nearest emergency outpost.

  Help is on the way. The carriage wouldn’t be long.

  The hospital wasn’t that far either and I know that as soon as the outpost shots out a flare they’d be sending trained medics.

  Now it was only a matter of she could just hold on and if they could keep her from bleeding out.

  But there’s just so much blood—No. I can’t think like this.

  I should be scanning the room, tracking every movement. I can’t afford to waste time!

  My mind was racing, I had to force myself to see past the blood, past the panic, and past the horror. I had to think. And think fast.

  I need to focus.

  Think logically, Yvette.

  Look for clues.

  Find answers.

  I was desperately trying to focus when all of a sudden a choking sound pulls my attention away.

  A young man bumped into me, his face ashen, pupils blown wide in shock. His breathing was erratic, shallow, then… a wet gag.

  “Oh—there’s too much—b-blood…” A woman to my left said before fainting.

  “Ma’am!” I said as I lunged, barely catching her as her body collapsed.

  She wasn’t light. I stumbled under her weight, my arms straining as I lowered her carefully as I could but I wasn’t even fully steady when the young man doubled over, violently vomiting on the polished floor. The acidic stench of bile mixed with the bloodied air. His knees buckled, vomiting drained the remaining strength from him. It was obvious he tried to stay on his feet but he slowly slumped forward, straight toward a marble table.

  His temple was about to slam into solid stone!

  “HEY! SOMEBODY HELP HIM!” I shouted trying to hold the woman while rushing towards him.

  I won’t be able to reach him in time—!

  And just when I thought we’d have another medical emergency, out f nowhere a hand shot out, grabbing the young man by the collar, yanking him just before his skull could crack open.

  He was breathless from rushing in and though I couldn’t see his face, I knew him from his voice alone.

  “I’ve got him.”

  I caught my breath and my eyes snapped up—meeting his gaze.

  Lev.

  We stared at each other for no more than a second but it felt longer. Like as though time had stopped in that brief moment. Something straight out of a novel. But now wasn’t the time to check my romance cliché bingo. I immediately shifted my focus back to the woman, laying her carefully, positioning her properly.

  Focusing back on the woman, I adjusted her position, tilting her head slightly to the side to keep her from choking should she vomit. Her dress was too tight, the embroidered bodice was constricting her ribs so I yanked the laces, loosening them enough to ease her breathing while keeping her covered.

  She was slowly regaining her senses so I talked to her, speaking softly.

  “Easy now, you’re going to be fine,” I said, then turned to her companions, “Help her up slowly.”

  Behind me the young man coughed weakly, his breath uneven, but thankfully he was conscious. Lev murmured something to him—calm, steady—but I wasn’t listening anymore as my attention shifted two the two people running towards us

  Toini came back with Allister and was flustered to see Lev at the scene. It was also only then that I noticed that my fiancé didn’t come alone and with him was another familiar face, one that I haven’t seen since my older sister’s wedding—Egor.

  “What happened here?!” Egor demanded.

  “We’re entirely sure,” She answered. “The entire floor went dark all of a sudden, Young Master Yvon noticed some strange smell in the air and the next thing we knew we could smell blood and when the curtains were drawn she was like that.”

  “Has the culprit been apprehended?” Lev asked without looking as he was still preoccupied with the man.

  “No, Young Master,” Toini answered.

  “Any suspects?”

  “None,” I answered.

  I curled my fists in frustration.

  “Darn it!” I muttered. “I lost time!”

  In the near distance I could hear Yvon and Eugen frantically trying to save the woman. They were still fighting for her life. Their hands were buried in blood, pressing desperately against the wound.

  “PUT YOUR WEIGHT INTO IT!” Eugen shouted at Yvon, desperate.

  They were still fighting.

  Still clinging to whatever fragile thread of life remained in that woman’s body.

  Then—

  Yvon flinched.

  The woman’s body, once trembling, went eerily still.

  “H-Hey D-Doc…” Said one customer. “S-She’s not moving anymore!”

  “She’s slipping! No pulse!” Yvon reported.

  “PRESS HARDER!” Eugen shouted, “I NEED SOMEONE TO ELEVATE HER LEGS SLIGHTLY!”

  “We’re on it,” Lev replied, moving into action all while grabbing my hand and pulling me along.

  As instructed, Lev and I held her leg up to maintain blood flow while Eugen started chest compressions without hesitation, his hands pressed on her chest rhythmically pressing with a steady breath as he counted compressions, not wasting any time.

  He and Yvon traded places every 2 minutes, continuously, giving rescue breaths in between sets.

  He desperately tried to save her.

  One minute.

  Two.

  Five.

  Then came seven.

  And then ten.

  Nothing.

  Eugen’s jaw tightened. I could see a vein pop out in his temple from frustration. His lip was bleeding from him biting too hard.

  Then, he pulled back, his voice firm and heavy as he looked at his pocket watch.

  He exhaled sharply, his voice loud and clear for all to hear.

  “Time of death… 17:59.”

  There was nothing but a deafening silence.

  We failed.

  We lost her.

  The weight of it pressed down on my chest.

  That’s when I noticed the note on her table that sent shivers down my spine and promted my brain to start working again.

  It was a small note with only a few numbers written on it.

  ‘17:59’

  What?

  Then, a shriek ripped through the air, clanging of stainless steel rattling against each other and another loud thud.

  “SOMEBODY HELP!”

  The six of us all looked at each other.

  Whatever we got roped into was far from over.