Tales of the four rings...

The footsteps had stopped. The street outside remained eerily quite,but the feeling of being watched still lingered. I stood froze by the window,my fingers clenched around the dagger's hilt. Every shadow outside seemed alive, shifting in the dim moonlight.

Lillian's voice,low and cautions, broke the silence.

"Everly?"

I turned. She stood at the doorway,her nightgown brushing the floor, her face tight with unease.

"I heard something," I whispered.

She nodded. "Me too."

I exhaled slowly, trying to steady my pulse. "We can't stay here."

Lillian stepped forward. "You think they have found us?"

I wasn't sure. Maybe it was paranoia,maybe it was real. But Carter's warning played in my mind. They don't Just kill.

They erase.

"We leave now,"I said firmly. "Before we become another name on that list".

A Dangerous journey

It didn't take long to gather what little we had. A small satchel with essentials, the dagger tucked safely against my side,and the piece of paper with Mike Langley's address carefully hidden in my bodice.

Carter was already waiting outside when we stepped into the cool night air.

His silhovette was barely visible, learning against a lampost.

"You're late,"he murmured.

"Change of plans", i said my voice barely above a whisper. "Someone was watching us".

His expression darkened. "Did you see them?"

"No. But they were there".

Carter glanced around, eyes scanning the darkened street. "Then we leave now. It's not safe".

We climbed into the carriage without another word. Carter took the reins, urging the horses into motion . The city blurred past us, it's familiar streets slipping away into the unknown.

Lillian shinered beside me , pulling her shawl tighter. "Where are we going ?"

"To find Mike langely," I said. "And get some real answers".

Mike Langely's Estate

Dawn was breaking by the time we reached the outskirts of the city. Langley's estate was an imposing structure, tall iron gates ,stone walls covered in ivy and a looming Mansion beyond.

It was the kind of place that reeked of wealth and secrecy.

Carter pulled the carriage to a stop a safe distance away. "We don't go in through the front."

Lillian frowned. "So what do we do? Knock politely at the back door and ask if Mike Langley is free for tea?"

Carter shot her a dry look. "There's a servants' entrance,less guarded."

I studied the house. "If Langley really has second thoughts about all this,he might be willing to talk. But if he's still loyal to them..."

Lillian finished my thought grimly. " Then we are walking straight into a trap."

We exchanged a look. None of us were willing to back down.

" Let's go," I said.

The servants'entrance was unlocked. A bad sign or an invitation.

Carter led the way, moving like someone who had done this before. The halls were silent,the air thick with the scent of old books and candle wax

We moved deeper into the house, passing rows of portraits - stern men, elegant women,faces frozen in time. Their painted eyes seemed to follow us.

Finally,we reached a study. The door was slightly ajar, candle light flickering from within.

Carter motioned for us to stay back as he pushed the door open.

Mike Langley stood inside. He was an older man, silver-haired,dressed in a deep-blue robe. He didn't look suprised to see us.

"I was wondering when you'd come,"he said, voice smooth, almost amused.

Carter's jaw tightened. "Then you know why we're here.".

Langley exhaled, rubbing his temple. "You're in deeper than you realize."

I stepped forward. "Then help us understand. Who are they?"

Langley studied me for a long moment. Then,he walked to his desk and opened a drawer. For a tense second, I thought he might pull a weapon. Instead,he took out a worn leather journal and placed it on the desk.

"This is everything,"he said. "Names. Connectios. Deals made in the shadows. If you want the truth, it's all here."

I hesitated before reaching for it. "Why are you giving it to me?"

Langley let out a tired chuckle. "Because I'm old. And tired. And because I know what happens to those who stand in their way." His eyes darkened. "If they find out I've helped you,I won't live to see the end of the week."

A chill ran down my spine."Then why risk it?"

Langley's gaze was steady"because I once knew a man named Daniel Lancaster. And he deserved better."

The air grew heavy.my chest tightened.

Daniel.

I gripped the journal tightly." Thank you."

Langley signed. "Don't thank me yet. Just take it and go before it's too late."

We turned to leave, but the moment we stepped into the hallway, I knew something was wrong.

The air had changed-thick with tension, like a storm about to break

Then I heard it.

Footsteps.

Many of them.

" Run," Carter ordered.

We didn't hesitate.

We bolted down the corridor, the sound of pursuing footsteps growing louder behind us.A gunshot rang out, splintering a portrait on the wall Lillian screamed.

We rounded a corner, Carter leading the way toward a side exit.I clutched the journal against my chest, knowing it was the most dangerous thing I had ever possessed.

"Faster!"Carter shouted.

We burst through the door into the open air.

The carriage was just ahead.

More shouts.more gunfire bullets struck the cobble stone as we ran.

Carter leapt onto the driver's seat, grabbing the reins Lillian and I scrambled inside.

The moment we hit the seats, the horses bolted forward.

The estate faded behind us, swallowed by distance and shadows.

For a long time while, none of us spoke Lillian sat beside me, shaking Carter focused on the road ahead, his jaw tight.

I slowly opened the journal.pages upon pages of names, transaction,coded messages.

Then, my breath caught.

At the bottom of one page, written in neat script, was a single sentence.

"Eliminate Everly Lancaster before she uncover the truth."

My hands shook.

I looked at Carter and Lillian.

"They know."

Carter's expression was grim."Then we move faster."

I stared at the words again, my heart pounding.

I was no longer just searching for the truth

I, was running out of time.