The sound of running water filled the room, a steady rhythm against stone. Steam rolled across the marble floor as Noel leaned forward, resting both hands against the wall of the shower.

He exhaled slowly, the heat tracing over the scars that lined his back—marks of monsters, battles, and mistakes. The mansion had been quiet these past days.

'Everyone's changed,' he thought, closing his eyes. 'Damon and Kael finally shut their mouths. Sylvette's… different. Even Father looks at me differently now.'

Water streamed down his face, mixing with the faint scent of soap and steel. But one name cut through his thoughts. Mirelle.

'She hasn't changed at all. Still cold. Still pretending I'm something she has to tolerate.' He frowned slightly, tilting his head back under the spray. 'But lately… she's worse. Nervous. Like she's hiding something.'

He shut off the water and grabbed a towel, running it through his hair. A drop fell from his jaw onto the floor. "Maybe I'm overthinking," he muttered, but even as he said it, he didn't believe it.

As he dressed, he caught his reflection in the mirror—tired eyes, sharper features. Different from the boy who'd first stepped into this world. "Another problem to solve…" he said under his breath, slipping on his shirt halfway before pausing.

Four faces crossed his mind—Elyra, Charlotte, Elena, Selene. Each of them traveling toward the Thorne Territory right now. He could almost hear Charlotte's chatter already, or Elyra's teasing.

Noel smirked faintly. "Four of them under one roof. What could possibly go wrong?"

He shook his head, fastening the last button. The quiet room gave no answer, but deep down, he knew the peace wouldn't last long.

Noel stepped out of the bathroom, towel draped loosely around his neck, water still dripping from his hair. The air in his room felt cooler now, carrying the faint scent of soap and metal.

A ripple stirred in the corner—then Noir emerged from the shadows near his desk, small paws touching the floor soundlessly. Her eyes glowed that soft, violet hue that always seemed to see through him.

'You look less miserable than usual,' she teased, tail swishing lazily.

Noel smirked faintly. "Appreciate the compliment." He rubbed the towel through his hair once more before tossing it aside. "Actually, I need you to do something."

'A mission?' she asked, ears perking.

"Mirelle," Noel said, his tone flattening. "Follow her for me. Quietly. See what she's been doing lately."

Noir blinked once, her joking tone fading. 'Why her?'

"She's… off. Something about her mana feels strange, like it doesn't match her body. If the fall of this house is really coming, I think she's tied to it somehow."

The little wolf padded closer, looking up at him. 'You think she's dangerous, Dad?'

Noel met her eyes in the mirror. "Not sure yet. But if she is, I want to know before she moves."

Noir's expression sharpened. Shadows coiled gently around her paws like smoke. 'Got it. I'll follow her and stay hidden. You'll know the second I find something.'

"Be careful," Noel said quietly, buttoning his shirt halfway. "If something feels wrong, pull back. Understood?"

'Yes, Dad,' Noir replied with a grin audible in her voice. 'Try not to miss me too much.'

Her body shimmered and dissolved into the floor, swallowed by her own shadow until the room fell silent again.

Noel stared at the spot she'd disappeared, his reflection watching him back from the mirror.

"Don't get caught," he murmured, more to himself than to her.

Noir glided silently through the corridors, her dark fur blending into every patch of shadow. She followed the faint sound of footsteps and quiet conversation until she reached the back garden. There—under the soft glow of the lanterns—stood Mirelle.

She looked… normal. Calm, composed, her expression polite as always. Beside her, however, were two figures dressed in dark coats, their posture too casual, too confident for simple guests. They seemed about Noel's age, maybe a little older.

Noir crouched low behind a stone planter, observing. 'Mirelle's mana feels clean,' she thought. 'No corruption. No distortion. But those two…' Her nose twitched. 'They reek.'

The scent hit her harder the longer she stayed—an acrid mix of burnt iron and spoiled earth. It wasn't human. Whatever they were, they wore the shape well, their laughter sounding perfectly ordinary. Too ordinary.

One of them leaned closer to Mirelle, whispering something that made her chuckle softly. Noir's tail flicked once. 'She doesn't even know,' she realized. 'She's talking to monsters wearing human skin.'

Then—one of the strangers stopped mid-sentence. His head tilted, eyes scanning the garden slowly… directly toward Noir's hiding spot.

Her pulse spiked. 'No.'

Before his gaze could focus, her body dissolved into smoke. Shadow Step. The world blurred into streaks of black and silver, and she reappeared high up on a terrace beam, invisible against the dark ceiling.

The man frowned, turning back to Mirelle a moment later, his suspicion fading. They continued talking, their voices too low to catch.

Noir waited until they finally walked toward the gate and disappeared beyond the walls.

Landing softly, she exhaled, fur still bristling. 'Not good,' she thought, eyes narrowing. 'They smelled like death… and they knew something was watching.'

Her body sank into the floor again, vanishing into a swirl of violet mist. 'Dad needs to know. Now.'

Noel sat on the edge of his bed, half-dressed, rubbing a towel through his hair. The quiet of his room was only broken by the soft hum of the night wind sneaking through the window.

Then, a ripple crossed the floor. Noir emerged from his shadow, landing lightly on the rug. Her fur was puffed up, ears flat, eyes still glowing faintly violet.

"You're back," Noel said, setting the towel aside. "What did you find?"

'Mirelle's clean,' Noir replied quickly. 'She's fine. But she met with two people outside the mansion. They smelled… wrong. Like rot and iron. And one of them almost saw me.'

Noel's expression hardened. "Two of them… about my age?"

She nodded, tail lowering. 'Yes.'

Noel leaned back, exhaling slowly through his nose. His mind raced. 'Rot and iron… two working together…' He closed his eyes for a moment, piecing it together. "The Third and Fourth Pillars. The twins."

'The Pillars?' Noir asked softly, tilting her head.

"Yeah," Noel muttered. "They shouldn't be here, not this soon. In the novel, the fall of House Thorne was mentioned—but never explained. No details, no reason why it happened." His gaze darkened. "Now I know. It was them. The twins."

He clenched his fist, the realization sinking deep. "If what you saw is true, Noir… you just gave me the answer no one ever had."

The wolf's ears drooped slightly. 'I'm sorry I couldn't get closer… I wasn't enough—'

"Hey," Noel cut her off, his tone steady but soft. "Don't apologize. You've done more in one night than I've managed all week."

Noir blinked, surprised, then smiled faintly, her tail wagging once. 'Still… I'll do better next time, Dad.'

Noel exhaled, giving her a faint smile in return. "I know you will."

He turned toward the moonlit window, eyes narrowing with quiet resolve.

'The twins,' he thought grimly. 'So that's why the House Thorne fell, now the question is how?'

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