Storyverse

Chapter 3: Actors

–Oliver, don't make things up. According to Arai scientists, only 7 out of 10 abandoned estates have the evil lurking inside. We've got a 30% chance there's nothing there!

With an intelligent look and a satisfied smile, Cirael voiced the statistics she had just made up as the four looked at the building in front of them. The moss-covered stonewalls, broken windows, and ajar front doors beckoned for a peek – that's what Clain and company were looking at. The only thing missing was a thunderstorm with lightning in the background. The winged one approached the door and raised the index finger of her right hand, and a beam of light shone on it. Cirael opened the door with her other hand and stepped inside, gesturing for everyone to follow. The light from her hand illuminated a large hall with a red carpet leading to a two-way staircase. But it turned out that this magical "lantern" created by the girl was not necessary – candle-lights began to light up one by one along the walls of the hall, soon illuminating the room completely.

–Apparently, we don't have that 30% chance, Ciri, – Oliver said with a shrug.

–Yeah, someone was... clearly waiting for us here, – Sean said in a shaky voice, looking around.

–And by the looks of it, – Ciel said, running her finger across the floor and finding a thick layer of dust on it, – stopped waiting a long time ago. Apparently, this greeting was prepared by some magic and forgotten after it. Nobody's cleaned this place in centuries... as a maid, I find it disgusting.

–As if it's not enough for you to clean our mansion...

After muttering that, Oliver walked forward, sidestepping his wife. He didn't even seem to mind that they were in such a place – it's even more interesting that way. Not giving his companions time to react, he ran up the stairs and turned around, waiting for the others to come up. Smiling slightly, Cirael extinguished the beam of light on her finger with a thought and followed her husband, while Sean and Ciel followed her. To Oliver's disappointment and the joy of the others, the hallways were empty – no sudden ambushes, traps, or trite jampscares usually found in such buildings. The dark, gloomy corridor, which the four of them walked down not like thieves and not on tiptoe, led them to a large room, at the end of which, as if on a podium, a man sat in a chair.

He was dressed in many layers of clothing, with a gray short-sleeved hoodie on top and a black robe adorned with several chains of precious metals underneath. The stranger removed strands of light blue hair from his right eye and glanced at the heroes who had entered the room without turning his head.

–I've been waiting for you, actors, – said the man in a benevolent voice. Only Ciel, with her sensitivity to emotions, caught the contempt.

–Just how long did you prepare for this? Or did you improvise on the spot? – Sean asked in response, realizing that this someone had probably been waiting here for them for a while.

However, the unknown man did not understand the joke, so his face, though for but a few seconds, crumpled up in anger, but he suppressed the negative feelings and replied:

–You know, I waited for a long time. Do you know how Deuses I had to pull out of Machinas to get you here? I know, Kai's influence is strong, but you could have stuck to the script.

Clain and company looked at each other in surprise. Ciel nodded to the others, and they prepared to fight, just in case. However, the unknown man was in no hurry to attack. He rose up from his chair and a cane appeared under his right arm, as if out of thin air, on which he leaned.

–Now, now, why fight right away? I just thought I'd introduce myself to the main cast. After all, those on stage should know the faces of the audience in the front rows. My name is Kayen... yes, I suppose that works.