The atmosphere inside the great pavilion was taut, the air thick with incense and mana crystals glowing softly overhead. Patriarchs and matriarchs of every house had been summoned, their gazes fixed on the trembling overseer who stood in the center.

The man swallowed hard before speaking. "An incident occurred last night. While Selene von Iskandar and Noel Thorne were resting in one of the designated caves, the drone assigned to track them was destroyed. The last image captured showed a cave-in. Since then, we have had no further visual or magical contact."

A heavy silence fell across the chamber. Then Albrecht rose to his feet, his presence alone enough to chill the air. His voice cut through the tent like a blade.

"You waited until morning to report this?" His green eyes burned with fury. "You could have woken us the moment the signal failed. Do you understand what might have happened in those hours? What if they're already dead?"

The overseer stammered, bowing low, his palms pressed to the ground. "My lord, forgive me! I— I believed it would stabilize. We have seen drones lose signal before, only to recover—"

"Recover?" Albrecht's tone dripped with venom. "If they are gone, if their blood stains those ruins because of your hesitation, I swear you will pay for it. With your life."

The threat hung in the air, sharp and absolute. No one in the pavilion doubted he meant every word.

Across the table, Vaelora's composure cracked for the first time. Her crimson eyes narrowed, the faintest tremor in her voice. "Where exactly did the collapse occur?"

The overseer swallowed again, sweat dripping down his temple. "In the cave. A deep descent. It… it looked bottomless."

The room shifted into chaos—whispers, clenched fists, hard stares. The Hunt had taken a darker turn.

Mirelle's voice sliced through first, cold and sharp. "So it is Noel who has vanished? How typical. Always the troublesome one, always bringing disgrace on the Thorne name." She didn't bother lowering her tone. "Perhaps this is the price for allowing him back into the fold."

Serina gave a humorless laugh, leaning back in her chair. "I agree. Damon and Kael may not be perfect, but at least they haven't gone missing like some reckless fool. Why should we risk resources or reputation for a son who was never fit for this family in the first place?"

Albrecht's gaze darkened, his fists tightening on the armrest, but before he could respond, Vaelora's voice cut across the room like a blade of ice.

"Enough." Her eyes swept over the wives, burning with restrained fury. "You speak as if this is only about Noel, but my daughter is with him. Selene. She is not some pawn to dismiss with bitter words." Her tone sharpened, unflinching. "If she is harmed, you are not just risking your family's pride—you are inviting the wrath of Iskandar itself."

The pavilion fell silent. No one missed the weight of her threat.

Albrecht's voice came low, cold, and final. "Restrict access to the cave. Seal it off from the others and keep this quiet. The heirs still inside must not learn of this. If panic spreads, the Hunt collapses."

No one argued. Not even Mirelle or Serina.

Albrecht rose from his seat, the movement enough to draw every eye back to him. His expression was carved in stone, his voice iron. "Idle words accomplish nothing. If Noel and Selene fell, then we find where. I will see the cave myself."

Murmurs rippled across the pavilion. One patriarch shifted uneasily, then another. Few dared question Albrecht directly, but the thought hung heavy—if the head of House Thorne left, what chaos might follow in his absence?

Vaelora stood a moment later, calm but resolute. "Then I will go with you. My daughter's life is not a matter I will entrust to scouts or servants." Her eyes narrowed, daring anyone to challenge her. "If the fall was as deep as reported, we will need more than men with ropes. We will need to understand what lies beneath."

Albrecht gave a curt nod. "Then it is settled. We descend together."

One of the other lords finally spoke, cautious but firm. "And if you do not return?"

Albrecht's stare silenced him. "Then you will hold your tongues and keep the heirs focused on the Hunt. That is all that matters now."

Mirelle scoffed under her breath, though she didn't dare louder. Serina folded her arms, displeasure plain, but neither challenged the command.

The two houses—Thorne and Iskandar—stood aligned, however uneasy, bound by blood and circumstance.

Outside, the mountain winds howled against the pavilion walls, as if mocking the resolve within. Preparations began immediately: sealing off the cave, drawing maps, and gathering men who would follow Albrecht and Vaelora into the dark.

And though no one said it aloud, the thought lingered like smoke—what if the heirs were already gone?

The air inside the cave was damp, heavy with the scent of earth and stone. Torches crackled against the walls, their light barely reaching into the black void ahead. Albrecht and Vaelora stood at the edge of the massive chasm, their cloaks brushing against the dust-strewn ground.

"This is where they fell," one of the scouts muttered, keeping his distance.

Albrecht crouched, his eyes narrowing as he studied the jagged rim of the collapse. Fresh cracks spread outward like veins, proof of how violently the earth had given way. He picked up a loose stone and, without a word, cast it into the hole.

The rock vanished into the darkness. Seconds passed. Then more. The cavern remained silent.

"No impact," Vaelora said quietly, her gaze fixed downward. The faint torchlight traced across her face, revealing the tension hidden behind her calm tone. "It's deeper than we thought. Far deeper."

Albrecht straightened slowly, his expression grim. "A fall like this should have killed them." His eyes cut toward the abyss again, as if sheer force of will might pierce the dark. "But if they live…" He let the words hang, unfinished but heavy.

"We cannot rely on luck," Vaelora replied. "We need ropes, anchors, perhaps even an enchantment strong enough to slow descent. This is no simple cavern. Whatever lies beneath…" She trailed off, the weight of her unspoken suspicion colder than the cave air.

The torches flickered as if the darkness itself breathed. Albrecht's jaw tightened. "Then we prepare. No mistakes. If they survived, we'll bring them back. If not—" His voice faltered just for a heartbeat, but then it hardened again. "—we will learn why."

Behind them, the men shifted uneasily. None dared step closer to the edge.

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