We made our way down to the prison with urgency, the weight of Heaven's story still fresh in our minds. Sir Denise had promised to keep the assailants locked up for questioning, and we were eager to get answers. I could feel the tension in the air as we descended into the damp, cold corridors of the prison. The stone walls seemed to close in around us, and the flickering torchlight cast long shadows that stretched down the hall.As we approached the cells, Sir Denise was waiting for us, looking more serious than I had ever seen him. His brow was furrowed, and there was a sharpness to his eyes that suggested something was amiss."Sir Denise, what's the situation?" I asked, unable to mask the concern in my voice.He gave a grim shake of his head. "I'm afraid you won't get the answers you were hoping for."We stopped in front of the cells where the masked assailants had been held. To my shock, the cells were empty. No prisoners. Just... blood. A lot of it."What happened?" Nine asked, his voice low and controlled, though there was an unmistakable edge of confusion in it.Sir Denise sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "When we went to check on them this morning, they were all dead. No sign of a struggle, no obvious wounds. Just... dead. Almost like someone came in and finished them off without making a sound.""Wait," Eli interjected, looking around the empty cells, "you're saying they were all killed? By who?""That's the problem," Sir Denise replied. "We don't know. The bodies are... well, they're gone now. It's like they were taken right out of the cells, but there's no trace of whoever did it."I frowned, glancing at the bloodstains on the floor. This didn't feel like a simple murder. It was too clean, too controlled. Whoever had done this had a purpose. A message.I thought about that for a moment. "Whoever's behind this isn't just targeting random people. They have connections, power. It would make sense if they didn't want the assailants talking.""Exactly," Nine added, his voice gruff. "And killing them this quickly—leaving no clues—that's not something just anyone can pull off. We're dealing with someone organized, with resources."I could feel my mind racing. We had no leads, no answers, and the situation was getting worse by the second. We were running out of time, and now, we had to deal with the fact that whoever was behind these kidnappings wasn't just a threat to the victims—they were a threat to everyone in Frasha. And beyond."Do you think the others are still in Frasha?" I asked, trying to focus my thoughts. "Could they have left already?"Sir Denise shook his head. "I don't think so. The gates are locked down, and there's no sign of anyone sneaking out. Whoever did this had to have some help. Someone inside the walls."The silence that followed felt heavy, like a storm waiting to break. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were in over our heads.-The atmosphere in the Lord's hall was tense but filled with a sense of relief as we all gathered around. Mathilda, Heaven's family mage, had arrived just in time to hear about the rescue. Her face was a mixture of exhaustion and gratitude, but as soon as she saw Heaven, her entire expression softened.Heaven was sitting on a chair near me, looking nervous but relieved to finally be out of harm's way. She hadn't stopped clutching onto my sleeve since we got back, and now she was fidgeting with her fingers, clearly still shaken from everything that had happened.Mathilda took a slow step forward, her gaze locking onto Heaven. When she saw the little girl, her eyes filled with a mix of surprise and intense relief. "Heaven?" she called softly, her voice breaking slightly.Heaven looked up and blinked, her emerald green eyes locking with Mathilda's. For a moment, neither of them moved, and it felt like the whole room was holding its breath. Then, Heaven's face cracked into a smile that lit up the entire space."Mathilda!" she cried out, jumping up from her seat and running straight into her arms.Mathilda caught her with a laugh, her arms enveloping the girl tightly. "I thought I lost you," she whispered, her voice full of emotion. "I was so worried.""I-I'm so sorry, Mathilda," Heaven said, her voice a little shaky as she hugged her back. "I didn't mean for this to happen."Mathilda shook her head, holding the girl even tighter. "Don't apologize, Heaven. You're safe now. That's all that matters."I stood off to the side, watching the reunion, my heart a little lighter than it had been in the past few hours. It was nice to see Heaven back with someone who truly cared for her, especially after all the chaos she'd been through. But I couldn't help but overhear Mathilda's quiet mutterings, which had a slight comedic edge to them."The Duke's and the Duchess are going to have my head when I tell her how I lost you..." Mathilda said, giving Heaven a gentle squeeze. Heaven giggled softly, pulling back just enough to look up at her mage. "I think she was just worried."Mathilda chuckled, wiping a tear from her cheek. "You think? That's the understatement of the year." She looked over at us then, her eyes softening in gratitude. "I can't thank you enough for bringing her back. I don't know what I would've done without her.""You're welcome," I said with a smile, stepping closer. "We just did what anyone would do.""Speak for yourself," Rhian added from the corner, his tone a little dry. "Anya here made it look like a walk in the park."I raised an eyebrow at him, though I couldn't stop myself from grinning. "Someone had to save the day."Mathilda smiled at me, though her eyes were still wet with unshed tears. "I don't know how to thank you enough. You have no idea what it means to me that Heaven is safe. I'll make sure you're rewarded properly."Heaven turned to me then, her face serious despite the smile she was still trying to hold. "Thank you... really," she said, her voice so sincere it made me pause for a second. "You saved my life... twice." She paused, then added, "And I was kind of scared of you at first, but you're... you're really nice."The mood was light now, but I could tell that the relief was only temporary. For the moment, though, I let myself enjoy the warmth of the reunion. Mathilda had Heaven back, and that was enough to make me feel like we'd done something right."Alright," Mathilda said, standing up straighter and wiping her eyes. "I'll report everything to the Duke. Thank you again, all of you. You've no idea how much this means to me." She turned to Heaven, giving her a soft smile. "Come on, Heaven, let's get you settled. You've had a long day."Heaven nodded, but before they could leave, she turned back to me with a serious expression."Anya," she said, voice surprisingly firm, "I won't forget this. I promise."I raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you won't. And try to stay out of trouble next time, alright?"She grinned. "I will!"As Mathilda led her out, I couldn't help but feel a little proud. Heaven might have been through a lot, but she had the heart of a fighter. And now, she had someone looking out for her.But as Mathilda turned to go, I noticed her expression shift slightly, a thoughtful frown crossing her face. She glanced back at me."Actually," she began, "there's something I've been meaning to mention. When we arrived here earlier, it was... strange."I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What do you mean?"Mathilda looked over her shoulder, making sure no one else was within earshot. "When we went through the entrance inspection, it took way longer than usual. It was... unusually meticulous. They were asking us all sorts of odd questions, almost like they were stalling. It felt like they were buying time, and I've never experienced anything like it. It was almost like they knew something was going to happen, and they were making sure everything was in place before we could go in."My mind raced. That didn't sit right with me. It wasn't just the kidnappers that were suspicious; the whole situation seemed off."You think someone inside the city knew?" I asked quietly."I don't know," Mathilda replied, shaking her head. "But it's been bothering me ever since. There's something more to this than just the kidnapping. Someone's pulling strings, and I think they've been planning this for a while."I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. This was far from over. The danger was closer than we realized, and it was clear that things were more complicated than a simple kidnapping ring. The pieces were beginning to fall into place, but I had a feeling that the truth would be much darker than we expected.-The next morning, we gathered around the table in the inn, and Mathilda, looking more relaxed than she had the previous day, filled us in on the next part of our journey."Heaven's Mother, The Duchess wants to hire you as her guards," Mathilda began, her voice a little more formal than usual. "She's incredibly grateful for what you did and wants to make sure she gets to the capital safely. And she's willing to reward you handsomely for your services."I sighed, my fingers tapping the edge of my mug. "I wasn't planning on going anywhere," I admitted. "Our work here isn't done yet, and the boys still need their training."Nine, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, suddenly spoke. His appearance had shifted back to that of the fragile old man he sometimes pretended to be. He chuckled softly, his voice raspy. "Training can happen on the road, dear. There's no rush for me to head home either. Besides..." He paused, his eyes softening. "Heaven reminds me of my own children. My youngest was her age when I lost him."I gave him a sympathetic glance, understanding the weight of his words. He didn't often talk about his past, and when he did, it was never easy to hear.Tafi, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly huffed. "I'm not going," he muttered, crossing his arms. "Heaven's just gonna steal you from me, I can already tell." He pouted dramatically, and I couldn't help but chuckle at his possessiveness.I raised an eyebrow at him. "You really think she's stealing me from you?" I teased, but Tafi just shot me a glare.Rhian, sitting across from me, shrugged nonchalantly. "If you're going, we're going," he said, his voice calm and steady, as always. Eli nodded in agreement. "Same here. If you go, we go."I looked around the table, feeling a sense of responsibility wash over me. As much as I didn't want to get involved in another journey, it was hard to ignore the importance of this one. Heaven's safety, and the possibility of finding more clues about the shadowy forces at play, tugged at my curiosity.After a long silence, I finally sighed and leaned back in my chair. "Alright," I said, looking at Mathilda. "We'll go. But only because Heaven needs us, and because it sounds like there's more going on than meets the eye."Tafi groaned but couldn't argue, and Nine smiled softly, his usual stern demeanor softened by the weight of his memories. "I knew I could count on you."Mathilda, relieved, nodded. "I'll make sure Heaven's father knows you'll be accompanying us. And trust me, he'll be happy to have such skilled mercenaries by his side."I gave her a half-smile. "We're just here to make sure she gets there safely. But hey, I'd appreciate it if Heaven didn't hog too much of my attention on the way," I said with a wink at Mathilda. She just chuckled, shaking her head.Tafi shot me a look so sharp it could cut stone. "Yeah, she better not," he grumbled, crossing his arms like he was trying to protect his favorite snack from being stolen.