Auhor Note: This chapter will have 4 parts between it. Each showing different scenario.
1. Chaos Upstairs
The big mansion woke up to pure madness that morning. Screams cut through the air like knives. Maids dashed down the long hallways, their faces pale and twisted with fear. "Oh gods, the young master! He hasn't closed his eyes all night!" one yelled, her voice breaking as she ran. Another maid bumped into her, dropping a silver tray with a loud crash. Cups and plates scattered across the polished floor, rolling under tables and chairs.
Feet pounded everywhere. Heavy boots from guards, quick slippers from servants. Doors slammed open and shut so hard the walls shook a little. "Call the doctors! Hurry!" a deep voice boomed from the upper floor. It was the butler, old and usually calm, but now his words came out fast and shaky. Servants crashed into each other in the narrow halls. "Watch where you're going!" one snapped, but no one stopped. Buckets of water tipped over, spilling cold puddles that people slipped in. "My dress!" a girl cried, but she kept running anyway.
Down in the basement, the noise leaked through the thick stone ceiling. At first, it was just a low rumble, like distant thunder. But it grew louder with every passing minute. Elves chained to the walls lifted their heads, eyes wide in the dim light. "What is that?" an elf woman whispered, her voice rough from years of silence. Another elf, a young girl, pressed her ear to the cold floor. "Sounds like the whole house is falling apart."
Verra sat in the corner, her arm around Loreth. The girl trembled, hugging her knees tight. "Mother, I'm scared," Loreth said while shaking. Verra pulled her closer, but her own heart was also racing. Elsa paced back and forth, biting her nails subconsciously. "They sound angry up there, don't they? What if they blame us?"
The screams kept coming. "He's dying! Look at his eyes, they won't close! He's been staring at the ceiling since midnight!" A woman's sob echoed down. Pots and pans clattered in the kitchen above, like someone had knocked over a whole shelf. "Find the count! Tell him his son is going mad!" the butler's voice roared again. More cries filled the air, mixing with the stomp of feet. The whole mansion felt alive with panic, like a beehive kicked over.
2. Eon Wakes Up
Eon stirred in his spot on the dirty straw. He had slept so deep, like he was lost in a warm dream that wouldn't let him go.
Thanks to the sleep potion and some healing potions he had taken, his body felt rested and strong again.
He opened his eyes slow, blinking at the faint light sneaking through a crack in the wall. For the first time in this horrible place, the straw didn't poke him like needles. It felt almost soft. He sat up, stretched his arms over his head, and let out a quiet and long sigh. A small smile was visible on his lips.
He looked around the dim basement. Elsa, Verra, and Loreth were all staring at him. Their faces showed confusion mixed with worry. Elsa's eyes were wide, her hands twisted together. "How can you sleep through all that?" she asked, her voice shaking a bit. She pointed up at the ceiling, where the noise still thundered. Verra held Loreth close, the girl's body tense like a bowstring ready to snap. "Something really bad is happening up there," Verra said, her words low and full of fear. "They sound so angry. So afraid. It's like the end of the world."
Eon just shrugged his shoulders. "I needed the rest," he said simple, standing up and brushing bits of straw and dirt from his torn shirt. The noise boomed again, more feet running, a woman sobbing loud enough to echo down here. But Eon didn't flinch. He looked calm, like it was just another day.
He reached under the pile of straw he used as a bed and dragged out Carla's black cloth bag, the same one she had smuggled down last night. It still smelled of herbs and earth. Inside were five small clay vials.
He pulled them out one by one and lined them up on the floor.
"These five," he said, pushing the first group toward Elsa, "are low-healing. One sip makes the body stronger and heals faster. Cuts close in hours instead of days, bruises fade quick, fever drops. You still need food and rest for new flesh to grow, but it gives the body a big push. Skin gets smoother too, colour comes back. Share them with everyone."
Elsa took the clay vials carefully, turning one in her fingers.
"And these three," Eon continued, sliding the smaller ones to Verra, "are pain-block. Drink only if the hurt is too much. One sip and you feel almost nothing for hours. Use them only in emergency."
Verra's hands shook as she closed her fingers around the tiny bottles. "Thank you," she whispered, voice thick. Loreth reached out and touched one of the clay vials like it was something holy.
"Why are you giving these now?" Elsa asked, voice full of questions. Verra looked at him too, her eyes mixing fear and a bit of trust. "Is something going to happen?"
Eon nodded simple. "In case things go wrong up there." He patted Loreth's silver head gently. "Don't worry too much."
Just as he said that, a heavy bang came from the basement door. It swung open with a creak. A guard stood there, face red and sweaty. "Oi, Eon. Get up and come with me. Countess wants you upstairs right now! Move!"
Elsa and Verra froze in place. Their faces went even paler. Loreth grabbed Eon's hand quick, squeezing tight.
Eon didn't show much worry in his face. He was scared inside, Even though he had been expecting something like this.
Before he followed the guard, he took out another small vial from the bag. Pain-block. He swallowed it fast, no taste at all. Now, if things got rough, pain wouldn't slow him down.
A maid waited at the top of the stairs, young and shaking like a leaf. "Follow me," her voice barely above a whisper. They walked fast through the twisting halls. Servants ran past them, not even looking, lost in their own panic.
3. Julius's Room
They finally reached Julius's big bedroom at the end of a long hall. The door stood wide open, letting out a wave of bad smells, sweat, and something like sickness.
Inside, it was a total mess. Sheets twisted and tangled on the huge bed, pillows thrown to the floor. Empty cups and bottles scattered around, some tipped over with dark stains on the carpet.
Three doctors hovered around the bed like shadows. They were old men in fine black coats, with serious faces and one even had small a glass perched on his noses. One sat close to Julius on a stool, holding the boy's wrist to feel his pulse.
He shook his head slow, letting out a deep sigh. "Nothing is working," he muttered to the others. "He hasn't slept a single minute all night. Although I don't understand how can one night not sleeping cause this much trouble, but the truth is, his body can't take much more."
The other two doctors stood nearby, whispering low. "His heart is racing too fast," one said, adjusting his glasses. "Eyes red like fresh blood. If this keeps up, he'll go completely mad."
Teressa sat right on the edge of the bed, her hand clutching Julius's tight. Her face was pale as milk, eyes red and swollen from hours of crying. She looked like she hadn't slept either, her hair messy and falling out of its usual neat style. But she held strong, stroking her son's hand gently.
Julius lay there in the middle of it all, like a broken doll someone forgot to fix. His eyes were wide open, staring up at nothing. Veins bulged out on his neck and forehead, thick and blue, pulsing like they might burst any second. His skin was clammy and white, sweat soaking through his nightshirt. A bit of foam gathered at the corners of his mouth. He mumbled words over and over, voice weak and cracked. "Mother... please... sleep... make it stop... elves... no more..." It didn't make sense, just mad rambling.
Teressa spotted Eon in the doorway. She jumped up fast, letting go of Julius's hand. She crossed the room in quick steps, grabbed Eon's hand hard, and pulled him into the far corner, away from the bed and the doctors.
"Was it you?" her whisper was fierce, her voice low but full of fire. Tears welled up in her eyes again, spilling over onto her cheeks. "Tell me the truth. I'll do anything, anything at all, if you just undo this. Please.", she was practically begging.
Eon kept his face calm, like stone. "Why me, my lady?" he asked soft. "I don't even know what happened. I'm just a slave from the basement."
She squeezed his hand tighter, nails digging in a little. "Don't lie to me," she said, voice shaking now. "Two days ago, when you came to my room... you were so different. Like a wild beast, not the scared, timid elf they dragged in before. You changed overnight, like someone else took over your body. And now this happens to my son? It's not a coincidence. I see things others miss."
Eon blinked, surprised inside. She was really smart, piecing it together so fast. No blind anger, just sharp thinking. He respected that. But he shook his head slow. "I sleep down in the basement every night. How could I do anything to him?"
Teressa let go of his hand slow, wiping a fresh tear from her face. "He can't sleep," she started sobbing, her voice breaking. "Not even one minute since last night. The doctors say his body will break down soon, heart giving out, mind shattering. His father is out there right now, searching for the cause of this. He might beat the slaves, yell at everyone. But I know in my heart you know something about this."
Eon glanced over at Julius on the bed. The boy was gagging now, bubbles of spit forming at his lips. He twisted a little, mumbling louder. "mother….I want to…sleep…no elves ….anymore…." He was going mad already, eyes darting around like he saw ghosts.
A wave of pity hit Eon, not for Julius, but for Teressa. She looked so broken, like a mother losing her only child. Begging with tears in her eyes. But he still won't go outside of his plan, cause everything rides on this now.
"I didn't do it," Eon said softly, still denying to her face. "But... I might know a remedy. Something that could help."
Her eyes lit up with sudden hope, like a light in the dark. "Then make it," she said quick. "Please. Save him."
She turned sharp to the doctors. "Out. All of you. Leave us alone."
The old men looked surprised but didn't argue. They gathered their bags and left quick, heads down, closing the door behind them.
Now the room was quiet, just the three of them: Eon, Teressa, and the mumbling Julius.
"Bring me these things," Eon made her a list of things, fresh herbs from the garden, clean water, a wooden bowl, some honey, a few roots. Teressa called servants and gave them the list. They ran off and came back fast, hands full.
Eon worked right there on a small table by the window. He crushed the leaves with a stone, green juice staining his fingers. Added water drop by drop, stirring slow with a spoon. It looked real, like a normal medicine brew. Teressa watched every move, her eyes flicking between him and her son.
When she turned to check on Julius, wiping his forehead with a cloth, Eon slipped a tiny drop from his pocket into the mix. The real antidote. He stirred it in secret, no trace should be found.
"Help him drink this," Eon said, handing her the cup.
Teressa nodded, hands steady now. She lifted Julius's head gentle and held the cup to his lips. He drank slow, gulping down half the liquid, coughing a little.
4. Down to the Basement
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from downstairs. Then screams, high and sharp. Thuds like bodies hitting walls. It sounded like a full fight breaking out.
Teressa and Eon locked eyes, both full of worry.
"The basement," she said, voice shaking hard. "My husband... he went down there earlier. Said he would find the cause of this, no matter what."
Eon shoved the rest of the cup into her hands. "Make him finish it." He turned and stormed out the door, heart pounding in his chest.
He ran down the stairs fast, his feet flying. Halls blurred past him, paintings on walls. Servants jumped out of his way, all eyes wide.
He reached the basement door. It was wide open. A crowd packed inside, all humans, shoulder to shoulder. Guards in armor, maids in aprons, even some visiting nobles in fancy clothes. They pushed and shoved, yelling.
Eon forced his way through. "Move! Get out of the way!"
Inside, it was pure hell.
The count stood in the middle, a middle-aged man with a round belly and a red face twisted in rage. He held a long whip in one hand, cracking it hard across Verra's back. She cried out sharp, falling to her knees on the cold stone. Blood seeped through her thin dress, dark red spots growing.
His other hand was gripping Elsa by her silver hair, yanking hard. "Tell me now!" he roared, spit flying. "Which one of you elves did this to my son? Poison? Magic? Speak!"
Elsa screamed, her face twisted in pain, tears streaming down.
In the far corner, something worse was about to happen. Two big guards had Loreth pinned against the rough wall. One ripped at her dress, tearing the fabric with a loud rip. The other held down another elf woman, a young one with dark hair, pressing her to the floor. They laughed low and mean, starting to undo their belts. The girls fought back, kicking and scratching, but they were too weak from years of chains and hunger.
Eon saw it all in a flash. Red anger boiled up inside him, hot and unstoppable. He didn't know why, but seeing them suffer like that made his hurt ache, as if they were his family, even though he only just arrived in this world couple of days ago.
He grabbed the strength-booster potion from his pocket without thinking. Swallowed it in one quick gulp.
Power hit him like a wave. Muscles swelled under his skin, strong as ten men combined. Veins popped out on his arms. He felt invincible all of a sudden.
He charged forward, fast as wind.
The first guard spun, surprise freezing on his face as he registered the charging elf. Eon didn't pause; his hand, stiffened and honed by the strength potion, shot out like a piston. It wasn't a punch, but a horrifying, chop-like strike, a human blade, aimed straight at the windpipe. A sickening, CRACK! echoed in the panicked basement, loud and sharp like a snapping tree branch. The guard's eyes instantly bulged, veins on his neck popping, as he clawed desperately at his own ruined throat. He choked on a soundless gasp, his heavy body crumpling to the cold stone floor, dead before the dust settled around him.
The second guard looked up, his jaw dropping in startled disbelief. He saw his partner twitching dead on the floor and the elf standing over him, no blood was seen, as it was just pure strength display.
Eon was on him instantly. He didn't use any fighting move; he just used the crazy, sudden strength the potion gave him. One of his hands slammed over the guard's forehead, grabbing his upper skull. The other hand clamped like iron right under the guard's chin.
The elf twisted. He didn't just push, he yanked the head and the jaw in opposite, furious directions, using pure, animal power.
There was a horrible, bone-dry sound, a sickening CRACK! that was too loud, too terrifying too describe. It was the sound of something breaking that shouldn't break.
The guard's eyes went empty, wide open. His whole large body lost all tension from them, instantly turning into a heavy, dead weight. He slid straight down Eon's grasp and landed in a useless, unmoving pile on the stone.
Everyone just stared at him in disbelief. No one brave enough to say any word. It happened too fast for anyone to figure out what was happening. When they saw the second person fall after Eon had grabbed his neck.
For a second, total silence. No one moved.
Then panic exploded. Screams filled the air. "He killed the guard's! The elf killed them! Run for your lives!" People turned and fled, pushing and falling over each other. Maids hiked up skirts, the nobles tripped on their own feet. They trampled out the door, leaving dust and echoes.
The elves backed against the walls, scared and quiet. Some cried, others stared in shock.
There was just Eon, count, and the elves in the basement.
The count let go of Elsa, spinning around. His face, already purple with blind rage at the sight of his two dead guards, was twisted into a snarl. "You filthy elf! It was you, wasn't it? Who made my Julius like that?" he roared, yanking his heavy sword from his belt. The blade flashed menacingly in the little light the room had.
Eon did not move. He did not flinch. His eyes, completely calm, focused past the Count and onto the elf who the count had released just now.
Seeing Elsa with her disheveled hair and Verra's whipped back colored red with blood from the whip hit earlier, something broke inside Eon. His eyes had turned red with blood, veins popped, not from the strength booster potion, but from intense rage, seeing the elves suffer like some kind animal.
His mind stopped working suddenly. He stopped thinking anymore.
"WATER BLADE," he casually commanded the two words leaving his lips in a chilling, dead monotone.
Instantly, the heavy, humid air of the basement coalesced into a weapon. A thin, perfectly flat plane of water, compressed and vibrating into a state of translucent, crystalline sharpness, formed silently in the air before him. It was almost invisible, reflecting the light only in a fleeting, glassy sheen.
Before the Count could process that he was facing magic, before his sword swing had even begun its descent, the water blade was already in motion.
The blade passed through the Count's neck with no resistance, producing only a soft, wet SWISH sound.
The Count's head toppled from his shoulders, falling with a dull THUD. The shining sword, still clutched in his lifeless hand for a moment, dropped to the stone floor with a sharp Clink-Clink as the heavy body staggered backward and collapsed into a rapidly growing pool of red.
Just as Eon had spoken the words, Teressa had appeared at the basement doorway. She saw the whole thing, the shimmering blade, the effortless severing, and the Count's head rolling to a stop, all with wide, horrified eyes to say something.
She gazed at the dead guards twisted on the floor, her husband in a bloody heap, Eon standing in the middle with red hands, breathing hard.
Her face went white with shock. Mouth open, eyes huge.
"What... what have you done?" she whispered, voice barely there.
Eon wiped blood from his cheek with the back of his hand. He looked at her straight, calm as ever.
"I made you a widow, my lady," he said, with a warm smile. "You're welcome."
Author Note: I was listening to " Vortex[link click] song" non-stop while I was making this chapter. You can also listen to this while reading it. It makes Eon's calm and quick movements feel too much COOL.