Adrian held them close for a few moments longer, allowing the silence to fill the space. It was the calm before the storm.
He gently pulled away, looking down at Chris and Christine. "Now, you both need to stay strong. Your mother will need your strength, and I'll need you to trust me," he said, his voice firm but warm.
Chris wiped her eyes and nodded, a steely determination beginning to replace her earlier fear. "I will, Adrian. For my mother."
Christine, ever the hopeful one, smiled up at him with a mixture of admiration and love. "You're the best, big brother. I'll be brave, too."
Adrian smiled back at them. "Good. Now, take care of your mother. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything."
With that, he turned and left the room, his mind already racing with thoughts of the next steps. He needed to prepare himself for the confrontation with Chris's father—if indeed he was the one responsible for this curse.
If not, there was someone out there who had targeted this family, and Adrian would uncover them no matter what.
As he walked through the hallway, his thoughts shifted back to the system's warning about curses, souls, and spirits.
He had to be careful, more than ever. This world's magic and dangers were unlike anything he had faced before in his world, where such things were only fantasies. He was also, still in the growing phase, so he needed to be careful.
Arriving at his study, Adrian sat down, waiting for word from the patrol force. His fingers drummed lightly on the wooden table, and his gaze drifted toward the window, where the sky was turning dark.
He then closed his eyes as he waited for news about Chris's father. He slowly drifted to sleep on his chair, tired from the day's events.
Time passed, and he was jolted awake when a knock came at the door. He looked at the sky, now completely dark, and then one of the maids entered, bowing respectfully.
"My lord, the patrol captain has returned with news."
Adrian straightened in his chair, his pulse quickening. "Bring him in."
The maid nodded and quickly left, returning moments later with the captain of the patrol force, a stern and grizzled man who looked like he had seen his share of battles.
The captain bowed deeply. "Lord Everhart, we've located the father of the sisters. He was not that difficult to find, as he was a known gambler throughout. When we apprehended him, he resisted. But we've managed to bring him into custody. He's being held in the dungeons now, awaiting your orders."
Adrian's eyes darkened as he leaned back in his chair. "Did he say anything? Did he admit to cursing his wife?"
The captain shook his head. "No, my lord. He denied everything, but the way he reacted when we mentioned the curse… it was strange. He looked terrified, more than guilty. There may be more to this than we initially thought."
Adrian nodded slowly, digesting the information. "Good work, captain. I'll deal with him personally. Keep him in the dungeon under tight watch. No one sees him until I give the word."
The captain bowed again. "As you wish, my lord."
As the door closed behind the captain, Adrian's thoughts churned. The father was hiding something—whether it was guilt or fear of something worse, Adrian would soon find out.
He stood, his decision made. It was time to visit the dungeons.
The dungeon was cold and damp, the sound of dripping water echoing in the dark stone halls. Adrian descended the stairs with purpose, his shadow flickering under the dim torchlight.
As he reached the bottom, he could hear the faint sound of a man's ragged breathing coming from one of the cells.
Adrian approached, his eyes locking onto the figure sitting on the floor, chained to the wall. Chris's father—disheveled, dirty, and clearly shaken—looked up with wide eyes as Adrian stopped before him.
"Lord Everhart…" the man stammered, his voice trembling. "I… I didn't curse her, I swear it. You have to believe me!"
Adrian stared at him, his expression cold and unyielding. "Whether you did or didn't, you know something. And you're going to tell me the truth. Now."
The man's face paled, and he shook his head violently. "I don't know! I don't know anything!"
Adrian crouched down, his voice dangerously low. "Lies won't save you. The curse on your wife is real, and someone cast it. You either did it, or you know who did. If you're hiding something, now's the time to confess."
Tears began to form in the man's eyes as he shuddered in fear.
"Please… I didn't curse her… but… but I know who did." His voice dropped to a whisper.
"I was in debt. I owed a lot of money… to the wrong people. They… they offered to clear my debt if I agreed to let them cast a spell on her. I didn't know it was a curse! They said it would only make her… more obedient."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Who are these people?"
The man swallowed hard, fear etched into every line of his face. "I don't know their names. They were from a… a guild. A dark one. I just know they're involved in curses, soul magic… terrible things."
"Besides, I am the not the only one whom they made do such thing, there are others as well. Yes, it's all that guild's fault. They made me do this, otherwise I would have been killed."
Adrian stood, his mind racing. This was worse than he thought. If a dark guild was involved, this wasn't just a simple curse out of spite—it could be part of something much bigger.
"You've made a grave mistake," Adrian said, his voice like ice. "And now your family is paying for it."
The man screamed, begging for mercy, denying any responsibility and putting all the blame on the guild.
Adrian turned and left the dungeon, his mood turning worse, as he already had lots on his plate due to the upcoming war and matters regarding army as well as his leveling up.
The addition of the dark guild added further to his burdens, and the timing could not have been worse.