As the children followed Yasushi back to the palace, they entered the grand hall where a lively party was in full swing. The lavish room was awash with color and sound, the air heavy with the scent of rich food and flowing wine.
The children paused at the entrance, their eyes widening at the spectacle before them. Kaito and Izimaru, shirts discarded and faces flushed, were dancing atop a long banquet table, beer sloshing from the mugs in their hands. Masahiko stood nearby, his face a picture of exasperation scolding the two kings. Mari, in contrast, seemed to be enjoying the show, snapping photos with barely contained glee.
Across the room, the queens huddled in conversation, their elegant gowns a stark contrast to the rowdy behavior of their husbands. Airi stood slightly apart, maintaining a polite but noticeable distance from the other women.
Musicians in the corner played festive tunes, the music so loud it seemed to vibrate through the very walls of the palace. The cacophony of laughter, clinking glasses, and boisterous conversation created an almost dizzying atmosphere.
While the children attempted to weave their way through the crowd, a familiar voice cut through the noise, stopping them in their tracks.
"Where do you think you kids are going?" Captain Haru's suspicious tone made them freeze. "I hope you're not intending on leaving the palace's grounds again."
Caught off guard, the children began to babble incoherently, their panic only serving to deepen Haru's suspicions.
Suddenly, Yasushi's voice rang out above the others. "BATHROOM!" His face red with a mix of embarrassment and desperation. "We're going to the bathroom."
Megumi, Koba, Taichi, and Sachiko nodded vigorously in agreement, their faces a picture of innocence.
Captain Haru's skepticism deepened, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Bathroom, aye? Hmm...that's strange because isn't the closest bathroom in the opposite direction? Also, I'm certain that you passed two on your way to the grand hall. Captain Haru's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing each child in turn. "Now, tell me... where are you really going?"
Panic flashed across the children's faces as they scrambled for answers.
"Library," Taichi blurted out. "Training Room!" Koba uttered almost simultaneously. "Bathhouse!" Sachiko exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly. Megumi, overwhelmed by the situation, could only manage to break out in a nervous sweat.
The festive chaos around them seemed to fade into the background as they waited, hearts pounding, for Haru's response. The moment stretched on, fraught with tension, as the children silently prayed their hasty excuse would be enough to throw the astute captain off their trail.
Before Haru could press further, a loud crash from behind drew everyone's attention. Kaito had fallen off the table, his beer spilling directly onto Masahiko's head. The sound of the impact reverberated through the hall, momentarily silencing the festive atmosphere and diverting his attention from the children.
"You Bastard! You got my clothes soaked!!" Masahiko yelled, his face reddening with a combination of embarrassment and anger.
Kaito, struggling to his feet, hiccupped before replying with a lopsided grin, "Well, at leas ya don't smell lik a cheap prostitute anymore."
Captain Haru exhaled in frustration, irritated by the King's drunken and childish behavior. Shit! It's going to be a long night.
He turned his attention back to the children, his harsh expression intensifying. "You kids, just stay out of trouble. I'm already dealing with enough troublemakers as it is." With that, he rushed towards the commotion. "Your majesty, APOLOGIZE! That's no way to speak to your guests."
Kaito's head lolled towards Captain Haru, his eyes unfocused. "But Hiccup I did Hiko a favor. He shuda apol Hiccup ogize to me for being Hiccup so ungrateful."
"UNGRATEFUL!! WHY I ADDA..." Masahiko roared, rolling up his sleeve as guards struggled to hold him back.
Seizing their opportunity, the children swiftly slipped away from the chaos. They exited the grand hall, hearts pounding with excitement and trepidation. Making a series of right and left turns, they deftly navigated the palace corridors, ducking past stationed guards with practiced ease.
The luscious hallways gave way to less frequented areas, the sounds of the raucous party fading behind them. Shadows danced on the walls from flickering lightning as they moved deeper into the palace's hidden recesses.
Finally, they arrived at the staircase above the Library, slightly out of breath from their hurried escape. The air here was cooler, filled with the musty scent of old books and secrets.
The children stood at the bottom of the staircase with anticipation, pausing to catch their breath. Yasushi, his eyes gleaming with determination, turned to his friends. "Up these stairs is Kaname's room. It's not too late, so she should still be up waiting for me."
Megumi's face contorted into a pout, her thoughts almost audible. Why is she even waiting up for him! It's late! Doesn't she have a bedtime or something?!
Koba, ever observant, snickered at Megumi's reaction. "Someone's jealous..."
"SHUDDA UP," Megumi snapped back, her irritation evident in her voice.
The children began their ascent up the staircase. The wooden stairs creaked beneath their feet, each step bringing them closer to the truth about the mysterious Kaname. As they reached the top, they found themselves in a dark, dimly lit hallway. At its end stood imposing double doors, their presence somehow ominous in the weak light. Suddenly, without warning, the already feeble illumination flickered and died, plunging them into darkness.
The hallway grew cold, the temperature dropping noticeably. An eerie silence fell over them, so profound that it seemed to press against their eardrums. In this void of sound, each child could hear the thunderous beating of their own heart and those of their companions.
The excitement of moments ago gave way to a creeping unease. The darkness seemed to close in around them, the silence broken only by their shallow breaths. Yasushi, at the front of the group, hesitated. This wasn't normal. Even in the late hours, the hallway to Kaname's room had never felt so... forbidding.
An eerie voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once, sending chills down the children's spines. "Young Master?" its words surrounded in the frigid air. "You shouldn't be here. The King would be very displeased if he found out you came here... especially with guests."
The children huddled closer together, their eyes darting around in the darkness, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. They could see their breath misting in front of them, a testament to the unnatural cold that had settled over the hallway.
Yasushi, his voice tinged with a mix of confusion and defiance, stepped forward. "I just came to see Kaname. I have a present for her."
Several tense moments passed before the voice responded, its tone flat and emotionless. "Kaname...? Young Master, you must be confused. There is no Kaname here."
Yasushi's jaw dropped, anger seeping into his jumbled emotions. "What are you talking about? She lives here! I come to her room every day!"
The other children exchanged worried glances, their earlier skepticism giving way to genuine concern. The situation had taken an unexpected and unsettling turn.
Taichi placed a hand on Yasushi's shoulder, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yasushi... maybe we should go back. This doesn't feel right."
But Yasushi shrugged off his friend's hand, taking another step towards the double doors. "No! I know she's here. I'll prove it to all of you!"
The children could feel the cold seeping into their bones, a physical manifestation of the growing unease that surrounded them.
The voice's cryptic presence only served to heighten the tension in the hallway. "There is no Kaname in this palace, Young Master. Surely you are mistaken." Its tone unchanged despite Yasushi's growing frustration.
"I JUST SAW HER A FEW HOURS AGO!" Yasushi shouted, his voice echoing in the dark corridor. "Her room... It's right up ahead."
The other children flinched at Yasushi's outburst, the sudden noise shattering the eerie silence.
"The room you see in front of you is vacant. It is undergoing repairs and has been placed on restriction by the King." The voice paused, its words measured and deliberate.
"As you are very much aware of..."
- -