After Magnus fainted,
The masked man suddenly regained some of his consciousness. He saw a man in front of him; it was Count Mapisto.
The masked man shouted, "If it isn't Count Mapisto, Did you defeat everyone outside?"
"Why does that matter?" thundered Count Mapisto. He looked furious. He was ready to take down everyone on his path. Alina went to her dad and said hesitantly, "Dad."
Suddenly, the masked man sprung on Count Mapisto with his sword. But Count Mapisto was an ace on the battlefield; he swiftly pushed back the man with a slight swing of his sword.
Count Mapisto, showing an intimidating aura, addressed the masked man, "Who are you, and what are you doing to my kids?"
The masked man chuckled; he was mocking the count. "Your kids? They were the ones who intruded on this place. I was just disciplining them.
Suddenly, Count Mapisto released his swordsman aura, and his sword became enhanced. A golden glow surrounded him as he swiftly approached the masked man, disarming him.
Count Mapisto pointed the sword toward the masked man and replied, "Regulus must have sent you. It looks like he has never changed.
The masked man, showing signs of frustration, tried to pull another knife, but Count Mapisto, with his bare hands, pushed him towards the wall. The masked man fainted.
Count Mapisto turned towards Alina, who stood next to the fallen Magnus. He said furiously, "Just what were you doing here? Do you realize how worried I was when the maid informed me that you were in danger?"
Alina took her stand and said, "But Dad, I wanted to help you."
The count put his hand on his face and said, "We will talk about this later."
Count Mapisto kneeled and carried Magnus, then asked Alina to hold him. He chanted in ancient language, and they teleported to the Mapisto Mansion.
He called for the priest as he placed Magnus on the bed. The priest came in two minutes using a teleporting device. The count said scarily, "Heal him fast."
The priest felt an overbearing aura as he placed his hand above Magnus' abdomen. There was a golden glow emitting from his hands as he chanted some texts. Magnus' internal injuries were healed, but the external ones took some time. The priest, despite being exhausted said, "I have healed all the major injuries; only some minor ones are left."
Count Mapisto breathed a sigh of relief and signaled the priest to leave.
He then asked Alina to follow him to his office.
Count Mapisto, whose expression was stern and scary, stood in his office. Alina, nervously twirling a strand of her hair, entered as her father's gaze fell upon her.
Count Mapisto spoke, as he felt angry and sad: "Alina, do you realize the danger you put yourself and Magnus in? Sneaking into Regulus' stronghold was reckless."
Alina bit her lip, avoiding eye contact. "I couldn't stand by while he planned to harm our families. I had to do something."
Count Mapisto sighed; his eyes began softening. "I understand your intentions, but you must learn to consider the consequences of your actions. I can't bear to lose you, Alina."
Feeling a pang of guilt, Alina nodded. "I know, Dad. I'm sorry. But we succeeded. Magnus and I found the evidence we needed to expose Regulus."
Count Mapisto became surprised. "You found evidence?"
Alina reached into her bag and handed a set of documents to her father. "Everything we need to prove Regulus' wrongdoings is in there. We can bring him to justice."
Count Mapisto examined the evidence, his gaze intense. "This is more than I could have hoped for. You both took a great risk, but you've accomplished something significant."
Alina proudly replied, "Magnus was brave. We faced a Crimson Hand assassin, but he held his ground. We're a team, Dad."
Count Mapisto couldn't help but smile. "You've certainly inherited your mother's determination. I'm proud of you, Alina. Just promise me you'll be more cautious in the future."
Alina nodded earnestly. "I promise, Dad. And I'll make sure Magnus does too."
Count Mapisto, placing a hand on Alina's shoulder, says, "Good."
Suddenly, the office door banged open; it was Duke Thaddeus. He looked shocked, and fear was flowing through his body.
Duke Thaddeus, James, struggled to catch his breath, his voice shaky. "Where is my son? Adrian. Where is Magnus?"
Adrian was the name of Count Mapisto.
Adrian's expression shifted to one of solemnity. "James, Magnus is safe, but there's been an incident. Let's sit down and talk. Alina, go to Magnus' room."
Alina replied, "Yes, Dad."
James's anxiety was increasing as he spoke with impatience, "No more talking, Adrian. Just tell me where my son is."
Adrian motioned for James to take a seat. "Magnus is in the guest room, recovering. He faced danger, but Alina and Magnus managed to expose Regulus' plans. They're both alive."
James' eyes widened. "Danger? Regulus? What happened? Explain yourself, Adrian!"
Adrian explained the events that happened, detailing Alina and Magnus's daring mission into Regulus' stronghold. He spared no details, recounting the encounter with the Crimson Hand, the fight in the office, and Magnus's courageous stand against the masked man.
James, relieved by the news of Magnus' safety, found his anger intensifying as he absorbed the tale. "My son was in danger. Why was he caught between you and Regulus?"
Adrian's gaze remained steady. "James, Even my daughter was there. Alina and Magnus acted on their own accord. They found evidence against Regulus, and we can defeat him again."
James retorted, "We should have dealt with Regulus long ago. He almost killed our kids."
Adrian nodded solemnly. "You're right. Regulus has gone too far. We need to put an end to his schemes. We must act swiftly."
James took a deep breath and said, "You are right. So, should we interrogate the masked man for more details for the next event?"
Adrian started smirking, "Yes. I have been holding myself from killing him."
"Well, let's go to your basement," replied James. "You read my mind again, James," laughed Adrian.
As they stood up from their seats, they heard a voice say, "Dad, I am here." It was Alina.
Adrian replied sweetly, "Come in."
The door opened, and I saw my dad and Count Mapisto conversing with each other. I ran to my dad and hugged him. "Dad."
My dad lifted me and said, "Why did you go there? It was dangerous."
I replied, trying not to look suspicious, "Well, I heard rumors saying that he wanted to destroy our house. So, I went with Alina to find evidence."
Count Mapisto chuckled at this answer and said, "My daughter said the same thing. It looks like the kids did something we couldn't do. Let's forgive them for now."
"Right. You are too kind." My dad laughed. The atmosphere became calm again.
I looked at Alina, and we winked at each other before laughing again.
What a day! I have to rest now because there are more villains to beat.
They had their small conversation, and Adrain and James headed towards the basement.
The basement plunged into darkness as they descended the stairs, with the only light emanating from a flickering bulb casting eerie shadows on the damp walls. The masked man from the Crimson Hand sat bound to a chair in the center of the room.
Count Mapisto, Adrian, and Duke Thaddeus, James, approached the captive with determination in their eyes. The masked man looked up, a sly smile playing on his lips.
Adrian, his voice stern, demanded, "Who are you, and what is Regulus planning?"
The masked man chuckled. "You may call me Shade, but that's all you'll get from me."
James, unable to contain his anger, grabbed Shade by the collar and said, "You threaten our children, endanger their lives, and expect us to play games? Tell us everything!"
Shade, unimpressed, smirked, "I'll tell you nothing. Regulus has plans—plans that will change everything. You can't stop him."
Adrian, maintaining his composure, leaned in closer. "We can make you talk, one way or another. It's in your best interest to cooperate."
Shade's defiance wavered for a moment, but he quickly recovered. "You can't intimidate me. Regulus is more powerful than you can imagine."
James, frustrated, slammed his fist on the table and said, "Enough games! What is Regulus planning? Speak!"
Shade laughed and said, "You're too late. By now, his plan is in motion, and you can't stop it."
Adrian exchanged a glance with James, realizing the urgency of the situation. "Tell us, Shade. Lives are at stake. What is Regulus' final scheme?"
Shade's grin widened. "I'll enjoy watching everything crumble. But I suppose I can give you a hint. A grand event, a convergence of power. But good luck trying to find it."
And on saying that, he bit something in his mouth, and foam started coming from his mouth. James ran towards the masked man, attempting to save him, but it was too late. The masked man was dead.
James slammed his hand against the wall angrily and said, "He is dead. Now, how will we find the grand event?"
Adrian replied, "I guess we need to review the evidence our kids acquired."
Back in the guest room, Alina managed to get a recording of what happened in the basement and showed it to me. She said as she pointed to the screen, "Look, the man is dead."
I started thinking hard as I rewatched the recording. What grand event?
Then it struck me that in the original novel, there was a time when Ariana, the female lead, was kidnapped, causing the whole kingdom to go upside down. It was done by Regulus Mapisto. I thought.
What if the big event was the female lead's kidnapping? But there is something weird; why did Regulus do it? Did he want to frame Count Mapisto? But if the female lead was a genius, she would have figured out his plan and the novel's villain would have been Regulus Mapisto. Was she working with him?
This thought scared me.