[Meanwhile]
Lucius Malfoy stood on the cliffs of rock, Clagmar Coast, the windy salt air whipping through his hair as he stared over the violent sea, looking out into the darkness—a reflection of the turmoil raging within. The legacy of his family was at stake, and the task before him wasn't that easy. Ryan Lance's name has once again resurfaced. The Dark Lord's orders were clear: Ryan Lance must be brought in, alive.
The wand was gripped tightly in his hand as Lucius replayed in his mind the events that had brought him to this forsaken place. For that matter, the Goyle family wizards he had dispatched to deal with Ryan had disappeared without a trace. It was inconceivable that mere incompetence could have led to them disappearing.
Lucius smelled treachery, a hidden hand guiding the Goyles to betray him and further undermine his House. He had no room for further failures; the Dark Lord's patience was notoriously thin. Lucius glanced back, where some of his trusted followers were waiting for his word. Each one was picked for their loyalty, and then there was the matter of professionalism. He couldn't risk another botched mission. His mind raced as he formulated a plan, drawing upon every scrap of information he had on Ryan Lance. The man was a ghost, a shadow slipping through the cracks of reality, yet he had to be found.
The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the landscape. The sea looks dangerous tonight, Lucius thought to himself, swirling waves crashing against the rocks below. He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves.
"Report," He ordered one of his followers, a Death Eater.
"We have scoured the entire coastline and found nothing, sir," The man replied solemnly. "But the second team heard some rumors. Two people, a man and a woman, arrived at Cragcroftshire. They stayed there for two days before leaving. The woman from what we can tell was Bellatrix. So, that man must be Ryan Lance. One of the villagers said that they headed south towards Borehamwood."
Lucius narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin thoughtfully. Borehamwood...
"Do you really think a man of his caliber would leave a clue like that?" Lucius turned around and walked to the camp. He sat down on a fallen tree trunk and poured himself a cup of wine from a bottle sitting beside it.
"Sir... We are out of leads." The Death Eater lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly. "What else should we do? Should we return?"
Lucius took a sip of wine and nodded slowly. "Returning empty-handed is not an option. Ryan Lance may be a genius, but he is still human. And with that lunatic woman beside him, all we need to do is follow the dead bodies. Send out teams to the surrounding villages and towns. Find out if there are any recent disturbances. If they find anything, report back to me immediately. I don't care if it's a single rumor or a hunch; I want to know about it."
The Death Eater bowed and left the campsite.
Lucius lit his pipe and gazed into the distance, contemplating the situation. Ryan Lance was elusive, but he couldn't hide forever.
Suddenly, there was a pop, and Dobby appeared beside him, eyes wide with fear and urgency. His clothes were nothing but a dirty rag barely covering his emaciated body.
"Dobby," Lucius sneered, his grip tightening on his wand. "What brings you here, you wretched creature?"
Dobby bowed low, his ears drooping. "Master Malfoy, Dobby has news—terrible news! The Malfoy manor—"
"Speak quickly, elf," Lucius snapped, his patience wearing thin.
"The manor has been attacked, Master," Dobby said, his voice trembling.
Lucius' eyes widened. "What? When?"
"Just hours ago, Master. They killed everyone in the manor and Miss Bellatrix—she looted the treasury."
Lucius' face contorted with rage. He had underestimated Lance's audacity. The man had struck directly at his home, taking advantage of his absence and the lack of guards. The thought of Bellatrix siding with that bastard only fueled his fury.
"Is Narcissa safe?" Lucius demanded, his voice shaking with a mix of fear and anger.
"Mistress went missing and everyone was preparing to search for her when they attacked. Big skeletons using curses... All dead. They burned down the village and everything. Dobby saw it with his own eyes." The elf began to sob uncontrollably, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Lucius clenched his fists tightly as he struggled to control his emotions. He kicked Dobby hard, sending the elf flying into the bushes. "Begone, you useless thing!" He shouted furiously. "What were you doing? Why are you even alive? Didn't I order you to protect Narcissa?!"
Dobby scrambled to his feet, his ears twitching nervously. "Please forgive Dobby, Master Malfoy," He pleaded. "Mistress was gone by the time Dobby returned from the market. Dobby didn't know what to do. Then the attack..." He trailed off as Lucius raised his wand, pointing it directly at his chest.
"Leave this place, and never show your face to me again," Lucius hissed through gritted teeth. He wanted to kill that useless elf before his eyes, but right now, he couldn't afford to lose any more. He clenched his fists, the reality of his family's peril sinking in. He had to act swiftly.
.
.
As Lucius apparated to the outskirts of Malfoy Manor, the sight that greeted him was one of utter devastation. The grand mansion, once a symbol of his family's power and prestige, now lay in ruins. Bodies of his loyal servants littered the grounds, and the stench of blood and ash hung heavy in the air.
He made his way through the destruction, his heart filled with grief and rage. He spotted a figure lying in the rubble and rushed over, hoping beyond hope that it might be Narcissa. But it was just a maid. He swished his wand, clearing the rubbles away.
There was a groan. A man crawled out of the debris, his face covered in blood. "Master..." He rasped weakly, reaching out to Lucius.
Lucius recognized him as one of the elders in charge of finance. He knelt beside the man and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What happened here?" He asked urgently. "Where is Narcissa?"
The man coughed up a mouthful of blood before answering.
"Bellatrix... Skeletons... Took everything..." He managed to choke out before collapsing onto the ground, lifeless.
'Fucking bitch! Kept one alive to tell me the news. I'll kill that insane whore!' He was barely holding on to his anger. But right now, he knew that being angry won't solve anything. He needs to think with a calm mind. Ryan did all this to make him angry. 'He must be thinking I'll burst out in rage and do something stupid again.' He took a deep breath, steadying himself as he prepared to assess the full extent of the damage.
As he walked towards the village, the scene was eerily silent. Burning embers still rose from the remains of the buildings, casting a haunting glow in the early morning light. The once bustling village was now a charred skeleton of its former self. Yet, amidst the destruction, there was a curious absence of bodies.
Lucius' eyes narrowed in suspicion. He walked carefully through the rubble, scanning the area for any signs of life. The silence was broken only by the occasional crackle of burning wood. As he walked deeper into the village, he heard faint whispers and hurried footsteps. Two figures emerged from the shadows, their clothes singed and faces covered in soot. They were the village's potion sellers, a middle-aged couple who had always been loyal to the Malfoy family. They approached Lucius hesitantly, eyes wide with fear and confusion.
"Speak," He glared at them.
"Master Malfoy," the man began, his voice trembling. "We were out in the forest last night, searching for herbs. When we returned, we found the village in flames. But... no one was killed."
Lucius' eyes widened in surprise. "No one?" He echoed, disbelief coloring his tone.
The woman nodded, her hands wringing nervously. "Yes, sir. They destroyed everything but spared the villagers. It was as if they wanted to send a message."
"You said you two were outside, right? Tell me, did you see anything suspicious?" Lucius demanded, his mind racing with possibilities.
The man took a deep breath before continuing. "We saw some people in a cave near the edge of the mountain. They were gathering around a fire, and it looked like they were planning something. They had cages with some weird human-like beasts. They looked dangerous so we didn't go near, but..." He was hesitating.
Lucius grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him close, his eyes blazing with anger. "But what?" He snarled. "Tell me everything, or I swear you both will be dead before sunset."
"This..." The man took out a handkerchief and held it before him.
Lucius snatched the handkerchief, unfolding it roughly to reveal the sign of the Mulciber family, embroidered into the corner. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at the familiar crest. "Those bastards! So, it has come to this, huh?!" He pushed the man away and clenched his fist. After the Dark Lord ordered the Malfoy family to take over the Mulciber family, those bastards attacked his territory taking advantage of his absence. But a sudden realization struck him like a thunderbolt, making his eyes widen.
"Ryan and Mulciber family are working together?!"
He apparated before the only cave he knew near the mountains and went inside. He found a camp, two cages with three Inferius, and a few dead Inferius stacked at the end of the cave. On the ground were Narcissa's torn clothes, wand, and traces of blood.
Beside that, he saw a little writing on the rocky ground, written with blood. [Mulciber Goyle]
Lucius bent on his knees and picked up the torn clothes.
"I'm going to kill them all! Mulciber and Goyle family. You must pay for this sin," He muttered with bloodshot eyes.
Right now, Lucius was so angry that for the moment, he could only think of Mulciber and Goyle.
****
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