RSTUM 105

105: Annabelle

*Bang*

*Bang*

*Thud*

*Crush*

The eyes were opened and the sleep was long long gone. The golems were having a party and it seemed a new victim had fallen into the trap.

Rebecca walked out of her room wearing her nightgown and walked through the servant's hallway to the music room where the noises were the loudest. There, she saw some young men and women gathered around the windows.

"Have you taken permission to be out of your beds?" Rebecca spoke sternly, causing the young men and women to turn towards her with fear.

As soon as they saw it was Rebecca, they started explaining themselves immediately.

"Mrs. Rebecca, another one has entered the garden. It has been ages since last time." A young butler spoke.

"Yes, Mrs. Rebecca. We don't get out that often." A young maid added.

It was one of the few fun moments they can enjoy in this quiet palace, the arrival of a new assassin.

"You do realize how dangerous it is if something comes flying through the windows?" Rebecca shouted at them, "Back to your beds now!"

The young men and women looked at each other and seemed disheartened but just then, a man walked down the stairway.

"Another assassin, eh? It has been a while." Lestrade said and looked through the window, "Oh, the lady is asking for you, Rebecca."

"The lady has woken up?" Rebecca asked.

"She couldn't sleep and spent the night on the balcony." Lestrade said and gestured for her to get moving.

"Yes, sir." The man started moving right away and Lestrade remained behind as he turned to the young men, "Keep the girls safe, boys."

"Yes, Sir Lestrade." The boys replied in unison as every one of them showed that they have a weapon concealed in their butler suits.

This was no ordinary household and none of the servants was an ordinary person. They turned to the window and started watching how this assassin would fare against the golems.

***

Leon wanted to avoid battle, still, he was forced by the two golems into a corner very quickly. Still…

"I tried to act politely, I really did… but if that's how it will keep going, I'll have to go all out."

Leon's shambles drone could pick up a few life signals gathered around the walls of the palace. He wanted to wait for any security guard to come and he would surrender and reveal his identity but it seemed those who were watching only waited for his demise.

Leon's combat mode activated!

The Boulder Golem and the Pottery Golem, certainly very unique things but he has already read their moveset. Their moves were explosive but their intelligence was very simple.

Leon immediately jumped high using "Leap" and used "Double Jump" to change his trajectory midair and landed on the head of the pottery golem.

The Boulder Golem swung its arm and aimed for Leon but the latter jumped away and landed on the Boulder Golem's head. The result of that was the Boulder Golem completely wrecking the head of the Pottery Golem.

Sand started to pour down from the head of the Pottery Golem but it seemed to not mind it and directed a hit towards Leon on the head of the Boulder Golem but Leon jumped back on the Pottery Golem.

This kept going back and forth until the Pottery Golem was no more.

The Boulder Golem was still too hard to damage but it was way too slow so Leon decided to ditch it and run deeper into the garden. There, more golems started to appear and he somewhat expected it.

What he failed to expect however was the creativity of the woman who made those golems.

The first one he met was a Ceramic Golem made of beautiful artistic ceramic pottery. The Ceramic Golem would shatter itself then use its hollow body like a cannon to shoot ceramic shrapnels and then recover them using the Mold Earth.

Leon had to battle that golem head-on and used Earth Magic to create covers for himself to hide behind then he used Fire Magic to melt the Ceramic Golem through intense heat.

Midway through the fight with the Ceramic Golem, another one joined the fray and it was called the Garden Golem. Unlike the heavy Boulder Golem, the rolling Pottery Golem, and the ranger Ceramic Golem, the Garden Golem would grow many sharp roots from the ground and use them to hinder Leon's movement and battle him.

The Garden Golem was so impossible to deal with that Leon relayed on the Boulder Golem that finally reached up to destroy the Garden Golem to the core.

But there was still one more golem which made the Stone Golem completely useless and it was the Sand Golem.

This golem had the ability to turn into a sandstorm and completely wear down its opponent with its sand partials before hardening and delivering a blow against its opponent.

Leon was hit twice by the Sand Golem which sent him flying every time. The second time he managed to land near an artificial bond which immediately gave him the idea of how to deal with the two golems.

The Boulder Golem followed Leon who used his "Shadow Cloak" to phase across the bond. The Golems would usually pursue their targets via the shortest path they took and the Stone Golem easily walked into the bond.

Leon could then manipulate the mud beneath the bond and make the Boulder Golem get stuck until he gets to deal with the Sand Golem.

The Sand Golem was rather easy. What Leon needed was to immediately use one of his signature spells on the golem as it tries to fly over the water and…

"Vacuum Blast!"

As the Sand Golem was using the same principle of Air Magic to float, Leon just needed to take the air around it away and it completely crumpled into the water and became unable to reform again since it got wet.

Leon was half drained so far since he had to battle those insane golems but something within him told him that this is not the end of it and these Golems were too easy if Annabelle Dark was truly on the level of Vadim and the others.

He walked towards the palace again and kept a very low profile and double-checked everything that may turn into a Golem before finally passing a fountain where the statue of a horseman was standing amidst the water.

For a split second, Leon treated this as a normal statue on a normal fountain but he suddenly looked once again at the statue that was no longer there anymore.

His instincts screamed and he immediately jumped ahead then looked back to see that the statue was standing just behind the spot he was in while taking a different pose than the one from the fountain.

Leon immediately read the Golem in front of him and it almost got him killed.

"Statue Golem!"

Leon managed to take a look at the reading and he saw an ability called "Unseen Actions". Apparently, this Golem can move when it is not looked at and it strikes from any blind spot with extreme speed as long as it is unseen.

During the reading, Leon's eyes were no longer fixed on the statue and he almost had the statue's spear pierce his chest.

Leon started to sweat splendidly but he kept eye contact and backed away slowly not knowing where he was going. He even took out his Hand Ballista, the Goodnight, and shot the Statue Golem with it but it barely made any damage.

After all, the level of that Golem was ???.

"I surrender!" Leon called out, "I know I am being watched right now so I very much surrender."

Still, nobody responded to his call.

"Fine!"

Leon seemed a bit hesitant but he was now very close to the palace. Either he runs in or he deals with that statue first.

He had an idea…

He walked to the Statue Golem and rather than attacking it, Leon took out a piece of clothes and climbed the statue before covering its head with his clothes. He then backed away to a safe distance, looked away then looked back at the Statue Golem immediately.

It…

It didn't move!

"Fucking hell!" Leon let out a sigh of relief and wanted to fall on the ground from all the stress he piled up against those crazy golems.

"You managed to take care of that much, huh?"

A voice spoke and as he looked back, Leon saw a group of young men and women walk out from the palace.

They were all Butlers and Maids.

"I want to speak to the lady of the…" Leon spoke but he was interrupted.

"And I want to get the richest man in Amber." The young butler who spoke just now walked ahead.

He seemed older than Leon by 2 to 3 years and had neat black hair and a well-shaped face. Without any introductions, the young man raised his fists, which were covered with clean white gloves, and rushed at Leon with the pose of a boxer.

Leon narrowed his eyes and evaded the first punch coming from the young butler with minimum movements.

"Don't dodge, you dirty assassin." The young butler was agitated by how unamused Leon was before attempting to kick Leon with a high kick.

"Your kicking form is bad despite the fact that your boxing form is pretty good." Leon evaded the kick then held up the young butler's calf with his hand and put his foot right beside the one the butler was standing on. He then started to lower the butler down to the ground.

"I advise you to work on your splits!" Leon said and immediately let the young butler fall into a full split.

"AAAARGH!"

"Shit!"

"Maximilian!"

"Holy Mother's mercy!"

The girls cried for the young butler's name and the young men looked away as the feeling of pain was transmitted to their groins.

"Let go of him!"

A young woman in a maid uniform rushed at Leon with a short blade but Leon disarmed her with a single move and flicked her head with his finger bones.

"I don't have time to play with kids." He said.

"Don't underestimate me!" The young maid shouted as she threw a bunch at him which he stopped with his bare hand.

"Alright, equal rights equal fights then!" Leon immediately jabbed the young woman so hard she flew back and never stood up for the coming half hour.

Still, this was extremely strange.

The young servants were all armed with various unusual weapons. They seemed like they were trained for combat and had a wide range of skills.

It reminded him of his first few years in the Medjay's boot camp.

Even the Golems in the gardens were not overly strong but rather very specific in what they do and versatile in their abilities.

It felt like a training center for young operatives.

Leon then looked at the door that they came out from and asked.

"The Duchess is this way?" He asked.

"No." A maid replied, "She is resting by the western balcony. Follow that path and you will be there."

Leon looked at the path beside the palace's main building then looked back at the maid again.

"No more golems?" He asked.

"None." She replied.

Leon didn't ask any more questions and walked right away. He wasn't here for fighting and they wouldn't lie to him if they weren't planning to stop him. He still didn't let his guard down until he ran into a pair of a man and a woman.

"Ah! The kids didn't manage to stop him… I guess it is a special one this time." Rebecca said but her appearance has shifted radically from a few minutes ago.

The head maid in her nightgown was now wearing her normal housework dress but had a longsword resting on her shoulder.

"We will make sure you are no threat as you proceed from this point onward." Butler Lestrade said as he cracked his knuckles.

"I am not a threat." Leon said and he took off the hood of his Chameleon Cloak.

"Says the…" Lestrade was about to retort but just as he looked at the face in front of him, he felt like his words became stuck in his throat.

Flashes, memories, resemblances… It was as if he saw a ghost that he could barely recognize and all that he could do was look at that ghost with his mouth agape and his eyes wide.

"It can't be." Lestrade said, "How?"

"Who?" Rebecca looked closely at the young man but couldn't recognize him, "Who is that, Lestrade?"

The shocked middle-aged man remained frozen like a statue but once he managed to get his wits together, Leon took the initiative to speak.

"I apologize for the way I intruded but I would like to meet the Duchess." Leon said.

"That's…" Rebecca was about to reply but Lestrade spoke.

"Of course." He said and stepped aside from the path, "Welcome back, young master."

Rebecca turned to Lestrade whose eyes were already moistened but she couldn't believe what she heard. All of the servants knew about the story of the duchess but other than Lestrade, not a single one of them was working for Duchess Annabelle Dark at that time.

The only young master there was Lance Dark but he was now being addressed as Master Lance. This means that the only young master that can be recognized by Lestrade alone is…

"Leon Dark…" Rebecca turned fully as taken aback as anyone would be but she immediately corrected herself and moved out of his way, "… Young Master Leon!"

There is no need to call this a bluff or some sort of an illusion. Those two are very sensitive to such magic since they spent their lives guarding the Duchess from hundreds of assassination attempts but this… the resemblance between this young man and Lance Dark is uncanny once his beard is shaven and his hair is long enough.

On the other side of this, Leon was standing with a complicated look on his face. He didn't want to meet the people in front of him with his eyes since he knew all their emotions weren't really for him… it is for someone he cannot be, someone who can't exist anymore.

It was at this moment when he felt truly hesitant to walk ahead or proceed with this meeting. He was cold and dismissive with the people who met him before but now, it is getting too real for him to handle.

But it was long since he crossed the point of no return.

"Lead me in…" Leon said.

"Of course." Lestrade said and turned for Leon to follow but that wasn't the way to handle a young master of this household.

He must walk behind him.

"After you, my lord." Lestrade said for Leon to start moving first and as he was almost past him, he spoke, "Welcome home, young master."

"…" Leon had no words to say and crossed ahead, not too fast or not too slow.

He surrendered to what will happen next and felt a strange void opening in his heart.

He didn't know what to do or what to say at this point and all his plans were already useless.

And as he was guided past the final turn into the last courtyard, he was greeted with a long walkway in the garden while surrounded by many statues of knights, lions, gargoyles, and many different forms of pottery and ceramics. It is safe to say that everything here is a Golem and they were nothing like the ones from outside.

Such a nasty hobby!

Leon didn't know Annabelle Dark personally but she seemed like a woman who takes security very seriously and even with his past life skills, he isn't sure how to get around all that.

But then, as they approached the main building from a different side, Lestrade and Rebecca halted their steps as they faced a pavilion gazebo built by carved stones. It was hugged by two large wings from the palace and surrounded by many beautiful flower beds and angelic statues.

She was there, Leon hadn't seen her just yet but he felt her presence.

"Oh, you've brought our guest." A soft voice spoke and it didn't take a second for Leon to feel his heart… melting.

He was so afraid of this feeling he wanted to turn and run but where? And why?

He was never the fearful sort, definitely not the kind who wouldn't dare to face a challenge head-on but suddenly… it all became too much.

"Excuse the rough greeting but I am sure you were told many things about me. I don't wish to harm you if you would at least listen to what I have to…"

And she came into sight, sitting on a chair that moved by its own wheels.

There… she also froze with a fading smile.

She was… and is… and will always be the most beautiful person Leon has ever seen and will ever see.

She was… just where to start?

It was possible for him to grasp all her features since all the time around him had frozen in his head as he took a look at her face very… very meaningfully.

She was a woman of a tall stature even though she was seated. She was dressed in a black sleek dress which showed how thin and underweight she has become but she still remained youthful and beautiful. She had medium to short black hair that barely reached the base of her long neck as it was all brought back neatly. Coming to think of it, Leon and Lance were really close in resemblance to their mother. Their faces were not that long but they have a similar wide jawline, which outlines their cheeks well. The smile on her face was symmetrical and with her clear steel eyes and the shape and length of her nose were just perfect with her facial features.

Everything about her was perfect even when time started to flow normally again and her eyes were letting down two streams of tears.

The rest happened quicker than they both could anticipate.

She called his name and extended her arm to him.

Her wheeled chair moved in his direction disregarding that the pavilion was two steps higher than ground level and the chair wasn't designed to go down the pavilion from this direction.

The chair fell down with her facing the ground.

Lestrade and Rebecca rushed at her but as they went past Leon, he zoomed past them like the wind and caught her before anyone.

After eight long and torturous years, Annabelle Dark was now holding Leon in her arms.

She didn't bother about the fall but seeing as how he came to catch her, there was nothing she could have hoped for more.

If this was a dream, she would never wake up. If this was an illusion, she would never walk out of it.

But if this is reality… Annabelle Dark would raise hell and let it loose if anyone was to come between her and her child ever again.

Leon saw that face looking closely at him and could only hold her tighter as she cried her heart out and hugged him tighter and tighter with all the power in her feeble arms.

He hugged her back and kept her head close to his chest. His face was stiff and his eyes were dry.

His feelings were all over the place, though. He was conflicted, burdened, pleased, and content.

All these emotions kept pushing against one another in his heart and he didn't know what to do with them all.

He only looked at the sky and saw its countless stars as the clouds were breaking from the city's horizon.