Chapter 29: Chapter 27

“It's Clarissa. She's been kidnapped!”

Astoria's words surprised Rinaldo. He was sure he hadn't heard her right. Why would someone kidnap a common maid like her? It made no sense. Unless… Rinaldo thought hard, trying to come up with an explanation, only to arrive at one conclusion.

Someone must have wanted her for a purpose. He had a feeling about what that purpose was. Whatever it was, it must have something to do with her ability to sense spirits. Rinaldo heard stories about people with similar abilities in the past, most of whom didn't live long.

“Kidnapped?” Rinaldo looked over Astoria's battered form. “By who?”

“Ricardo!” Astoria snapped. “I saw him take her! I saw it with my own eyes!”

Rinaldo took a deep breath. This couldn't be happening. Was Ricardo capable of something like this? He had never thought so, but he needed time to think things over. Rinaldo knew Ricardo. Ricardo was a good man with a strong sense of justice. He could never have been involved in something like this.

He knew Ricardo well enough to know he was incapable of such a crime. It had to be some other man disguised as Ricardo to frame him, but who could it be? At least Rinaldo was sure of one thing: if Ricardo was innocent, he would find the real culprit.

“Calm down.” Rinaldo stroked Astoria's face. The bruise on her face stood out clearly against her pale face. “Tell me what happened.”

“I went to the kitchen to get some food. I was going to eat, but then I saw Ricardo. He had Clarissa wrapped in a sack. He was carrying her outside.”

Astoria was speaking so fast that Rinaldo could hardly keep up with her. He let her go on, as he tried to piece everything together.

“I tried to stop him, but he pushed me away and told me to mind my business. I followed him, but then he started running. He got away from me. I tried to run, too, but I fell down and couldn't get up.”

Astoria fell silent after that, her eyelids drooping closed. She had no more energy left to speak. It had been a long day for her, and it was tiring  for her. She only had enough strength to tell them what had happened.

“You will get some rest now,” Rinaldo put his hands on Astoria's shoulders. She didn't wake up.

“Is she alright?” Olivia looked worried, kneeling in front of Astoria.

“She is tired, but she's fine.” Rinaldo's tone was firm. “Take Astoria to her room.”

Rinaldo had to think, he had to find the true reason for this kidnapping. He had to find out who was responsible, but who could best Astoria?

“I'll take care of her.” Olivia nodded and pulled Astoria's unconscious body up.

“Wait.” Rinaldo put his arm around Astoria, helping Olivia. “I'll come with you.”

They left the great hall together, carrying Astoria up the stairs, and laid her down on the soft bed in her room. The room was simple and neat, but one could see a hint of Astoria's personality in the things she had there.

Her quilted bedcover, the colourful pillows, and the various pictures she'd pinned to her walls made the room stand out. A flower-patterned cloth covered the top of the bed, and a small mirror hung on the wall. Beside the bed were two cushions and a small boot.

Rinaldo stood by the bed and looked at Astoria. Astoria looked asleep, but he could see worry slightly creasing her forehead. Her left eye was swollen and red. There were dark spots on her face, a sign of her rough day. Rinaldo sighed, hoping she'd get better soon.

“What are we going to do?” Olivia's eyes looked sad, and worried.

“She'll be fine,” Rinaldo reassured her. “Astoria is a strong girl. She'll pull through.”

“What about the kidnapping? Who could do something like that?” Olivia didn't seem reassured.

Rinaldo sighed. “Ricardo is a good person. Someone must have set him up. I just have to think about this. We can't afford to make any mistakes now.”

The room was quiet, and Astoria seemed to have already slipped into a deep sleep. Rinaldo wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he felt his eyelids grow heavy. He sat on Astoria's bed, leaning his elbows on his knees and closing his eyes.

“Rinaldo?” Olivia's soft voice spoke from beside the bed. “Rinaldo?”

“Mmm?” He mumbled, barely opening his eyes.

“I'm sorry, Rinaldo. I think I know what's going on.”

Rinaldo slowly opened his eyes and looked over at Olivia. He felt heavy and sleepy, and it took him a moment to understand what Olivia was saying. “What do you mean?”

Olivia said nothing. She just shook her head. Rinaldo looked around the room, trying to figure out what she meant. What was he missing?

“Come on, Rinaldo. I know who it is. I know who is behind this whole thing. He's…” Olivia paused and leaned over him, whispering something in his ear.

Rinaldo was still sleepy, so he felt like his head would sink into the pillow. He felt Olivia's hand stroke his forehead, and her voice went through his ears like a gentle breeze, gently nudging him awake.

“Don't you get it? It's him. It's Ricardo. He did it. Ricardo is behind everything that's happening.”

Rinaldo snapped out of his sleep. He sat up, looking into Olivia's tired eyes. She was serious. He knew she was serious.

“No, Olivia. Ricardo wouldn't do anything like that.” He stood up, trying to get out of bed. “You're wrong. Ricardo is a good man. He's not capable of this.”

Olivia shook her head and sat down next to him. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the dim light of the lamp, and her eyes were a bright blue. “He did it, Rinaldo. I'm sure of it. I know this has to do with the Black Sun.”

Rinaldo didn't know how to react. Olivia was right. That was the only thing he could think of. The Black Sun could be behind this. That was it. Ricardo was not himself when he committed the crime. It was the Black Sun, taking control of his mind.

“Do you think the Black Sun is controlling Ricardo?”

Rinaldo was feeling like this could be the truth. He remembered all the rumours about how they could make someone do something they wouldn't normally do, like joining a cult. Who in their right mind would join a cult?

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“It's a possibility, Rinaldo.”

“Then we have to find him and free him of their control. We have to.” Rinaldo had no more words to say. He knew what they needed to do now.

Olivia's eyes were wide. She looked like she was deep in thought. There was no other way. They need to find Ricardo before he could do anything more drastic, but where could Ricardo be? Where would he keep Clarissa hidden? In the cellar, perhaps?

“We need to find him before he hurts Clarissa, Rinaldo.”

“Yes, that's right. We have to free him of the mind control. But how can we do that? I don't know how the Black Sun works.”

“Let's start at the place where it all began. Ricardo might have a clue left there.” Olivia stood up. “I have a plan. Let's go.”

Olivia's gaze softened, and Rinaldo knew she had understood him. He had a feeling Olivia understood him better than most people. Rinaldo thought about it. He could trust Olivia. He knew he could trust her not to lie about something like this. Olivia had always been there for him when he needed her.

Olivia didn't wait for him to say anything. She left the room, leaving Rinaldo to follow her. Rinaldo felt empty as he followed her. He was feeling worried about what Olivia had told him. The Black Sun was behind this. Rinaldo just needed to find some proof. He hoped this time he would succeed.

“Olivia?” He stopped to look at her, but she had already left.

Rinaldo stood outside the door, breathing in the cool air, thinking about Olivia and what she had said. He would free Ricardo from the Black Sun and free Clarissa at the same time. The first step was to investigate the kitchen.

When Rinaldo caught up with Olivia in the hallway, she was already walking down the stairs. Olivia walked ahead of Rinaldo, and seeing how her hips swayed as she walked made Rinaldo feel like he had an out-of-body experience.

He loved the way she walked—so graceful and beautiful. Olivia was like a swaying flower being blown by the wind. Her long hair swung out in the wind, and he suddenly wanted to grab a handful of that long, beautiful, silky hair and kiss it.

Rinaldo didn't know how she did it, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. “Olivia, wait for me.”

“Are you still following me, Rinaldo?” Olivia turned her head and smiled at him. “I am never going to get rid of you, am I?”

“What about when we get married?” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop.

The sight of Olivia's hips moving back and forth, swaying from side to side with every step made Rinaldo feel like he was under a spell. She led Rinaldo down the hallway, turning left and right, until they came to a wooden door.

Olivia pushed the door open and disappeared inside. They walked in silence, neither one of them speaking. Olivia was just walking, her shoulders straight. She walked like she had done it a thousand times, like Olivia knew what she had to do, and there was nothing else she needed to think about.

“Here we are.” She stopped in front of the kitchen door.

Rinaldo nodded, staring at the wooden door. It appeared to be closed, but Olivia had other ideas. She walked towards the door and pushed it open. It opened quickly, revealing a small room with a table in the middle. There were chairs around the table, and a white-haired woman was sitting in one chair.

As she leaned back into the chair, the woman's features were hard to make out. She pulled her hair up in a neat bun on top of her head. Her dress was as white as the rest of her body, and an iridescent green necklace circled her neck. It looked a little like a chain, but Rinaldo couldn't make out the shape.

When Rinaldo looked over at the table, he realised a liquor bottle was on it. The woman lifted a cup from it and touched it to her lips. She took a long sip and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. Her eyes stayed on Rinaldo and Olivia for a few moments, and then she set the cup back.

She gave them a bow. “Good day, Lord Rinaldo. Lady Olivia. How are you today?”

Olivia nodded. “I'm fine. And you?”

“I'm fine, too.” The woman smiled, and Olivia sat down in the chair opposite the woman. Rinaldo remained standing.

Now that Rinaldo could clearly see the woman's face, he noticed she was pleasant to look at. She had cat-like golden eyes, contrasting with her pale skin and hair. Her face was quite pretty, but her eyes were her most fascinating feature.

She sipped her cup again and placed it back down on the table. Her eyes seemed to glow in the dim light, with flecks of emeralds appearing in her irises as she regarded Rinaldo and Olivia. The woman looked at each of them for a few moments before looking away.

After a few moments, Olivia leaned forward and rested her arms on the table. “Well, we'd like to ask you a few questions.”

The woman's eyes focused on Olivia again. “Go ahead, milady.”

Olivia seemed to find the woman's tone pleasant. “Thank you. Were you aware of what happened here today?”

The woman nodded. “I am.”

“Were you here when the kidnapping happened?”

The woman smiled at the question. “Yes, I did. I saw everything.”

Olivia made a gesture with her hand, urging the woman to continue. “What happened?”

The woman told them what had happened. Olivia listened intently, and Rinaldo leaned over the table, trying to follow what she said. The woman's voice was clear. Her eyes never left Olivia's, and Rinaldo watched her closely.

Rinaldo felt a chill in the air as he looked at her eyes. He didn't know how to react. It was like looking at the eyes of a barely leashed predator. He felt like he was the prey, but he felt curious and fascinated by her. Who was this woman?

“What else did you see?” Olivia wanted to know more. She wanted to hear everything.

“I saw the man saying something to the girl. Then he picked her up.”

Rinaldo could see in the woman's eyes that she was telling the truth, and he knew he could trust her. “What did the man say?”

“The white sun is already dead; the black sun will soon rise. I have been purified by its radiance.”