System Discord

Evan has no idea why he woke up from the nap.

One moment, he was asleep, and the next, his eyes were open.

He's alert and somehow, his gut was telling him to not move and listen in with his surroundings.

There are light footsteps somewhere outside the door. Not towards Evan's room in particular, just... footsteps walking around.

It is much too slow for someone normally walking, which made Evan narrow his eyes as he stared at the ceiling.

Someone is sneaking right outside, and he has no idea who it was and what that person wants.

'Iva?' Evan called, mentally. He knew that he could talk to Ivan with his thoughts, just that it had felt weird beforehand.

Now, his need to be quiet meant he cannot speak his own thoughts out loud.

'Yes?' Iva replied. 

There was a small pause before a gasp echoed in Evan's head.

'Oh... That's very bad.'

Evan wanted to sigh in relief at hearing the voice, but upon hearing the next words, he stopped.

The tone that Iva is using, still uncannily person-like, but it isn't like the one it had used earlier. It was a tone of worry.

'What is it?' Evan asked, but did not dare move from his wooden bed, for fear of making even a single noise.

'I'm sorry, Evan. Good luck.' Iva says, before immediately going quiet.

'Iva?' Evan called out mentally again, bone deep fear starting to get through him. 

No response.

Evan tried to calm his breathing. It's fine, whoever was outside, it's just one person. They would leave once they found out that there is no expensive things in their house that they could take with them.

Two sets.

Three...

Four...

...oh no.

Five sets of footsteps were what Evan immediately registered the moment those people stopped sneaking outside. There are five men outside his door and they're here doing something Evan didn't know what.

Despite the fear, Evan moved slowly from the bed, biting his lip to stop himself from making a sound.

He made his way towards the door, pressing his ear against it so he can properly hear what is happening from beyond it.

"Blast it. We lost the kid." Said one.

There was a scoff reply. "That kid couldn't be here. She's a pampered little shit. No way she's heading in this tiny, old, dirty place."

"We checked the only bedroom here. Looks like it's just a couple living here, no other room."

A loud sigh from another person. "Fine. You two go to the left side of town. You, you're coming with me to the field outside through the forest. She might be running there. You, go back to the carriage. Make sure the servant isn't going to suspect you. Whatever you do, capture that young lady Spire so we can do the ransom exchange. Go now."

There was some footsteps from outside that were going away. It didn't seem like they noticed Evan's room.

To be fair, his door was angled weirdly to the side, since the house was supposedly just a one bedroom that his parents bought way back in the day. His room is a late addition that just looked like a weird wall.

Once all footsteps disappeared that Evan had counted, he sighs in relief.

Now that he feels like he wasn't in danger, Evan hums, wondering where he had heard the name Spire before.

"Young Lady Spire... huh? Where did I hear that?" Evan asked himself.

"Maybe you'll recognize my name if you help me up from here!" An unfamiliar voice called out from the foot of Evan's bed.

Evan's eyes widened at the voice. "What-"

He walks towards the foot-box, noticing that it's usual padlock wasn't there, so it was unlocked. But because it has a heavy topper from an old chest, it is slightly heavy to lift.

Evan opens the box and inside is a young girl, around his age. She's wearing a small, purple puffy dress, which looked messy and dirty. There's a small tiara on top of her head while her red hair is in a messy bun. Her green eyes were staring at Evan with a small glare, as if annoyed at not being known. She looked dirty and bruised, as if she had been on the run for a while.

She has fox-like ears on top of her head, drooping down a little. While there is a low, wagging tail behind her that started warping around her own, left leg.

Evan's eyesight followed the appendage.

"I'm the young lady Spire!" She announced, standing up from the box and stepping out immediately. "And I require your help, commoner child from the village of wood!"

Evan looked back up from the tail and to her face, raising an eyebrow at her. "Help you with what? Escaping my foot-box? I already did."

"What? No!" Spire looked even more annoyed. Her tail raising up a little as if agitated. "Hide me from the men trying to kidnap me! My father will reward you handsomely, as long as you keep me safe until my father's guard find me."

There's sound of rustling outside that made the hair on his arm stand at attention.

He turns a little from the door before placing a finger on top of his lips to shush her. "Quiet! I just heard them enter here earlier, you might alert them back." He whispered at her, looking at the door in worry.

Did they come back? Evan hopes that they didn't.

There's no way he can help Spire other than hide her or telling her to rub. He can't fight two full adult kidnappers, let alone five if they all come back.

Spire immediately covered her mouth when she heard what he said. Her bravado dropping quickly as she walks towards Evan to hide behind him. She grips the back of his shirt, trembling.

There is a sound of the door opening from outside. Not sudden at all, but there are two pairs of footsteps.

Evan's breathing hitched while Spire behind him stiffened, her hand gripping his shirt tightly as the footsteps get closer and closer to their door before the door knobs gets turned to the left.