Night of the Golden Witch

[TheSequelReturns]

~ Cainhurst Manor - Grand Foyer 1st Floor ~

"Well, this is just tragic..." Bianca said somberly. "The thought that somebody has been murdered is absolutely dreadful! Who would do such a thing?"

Gregory was only vaguely aware of her words, or even her presence, as Bianca strode over to his side. She grabbed his arm, but he barely felt it. Her touch felt a million miles away. She was saying something now, introducing herself or some such. Probably her way of offering emotional support. Everyone dealt with shock in their own way. If denial was hers, who was he to judge?

Though she was a bit annoying right now, and though Saizo, his friend and mentor, lay still and cold on the marble floor, he couldn't bring himself to push her off of him. She was alive, and for whatever twisted or personal reasons, she was here with him right now. Human contact suddenly seemed so fragile a thing. So he stood there, jaw clenched, eyes distant. He stood still. And he let Bianca stand there with him as he tried to process all of this.

As Lucy sent Belle on her way, Orianna couldn't help but wonder just how many servants were here in the manor. There was Saizo, rest his poor soul, the two maids Lucy and Belle, the hunk of a butler Gregory, and now a "Yuri" who she could only assume was someone with some sort of medical knowledge. That made five... no, four now. Four strangers who could have been responsible foe this. If you included her father, as much as she was loathe to though she couldn't rule it out, it went back up to five suspects.

Somehow, Orianna managed to force a few words out through her swallowed panic. "How many others are here on the island?" she asked Lucy. "Who could have done this?"

Lucy took a moment to let the question sink in before blinking some of the tears out of her eyes and answering the woman. "Saizo, Gregory, myself, Belle, and Katrina are the only housekeepers here at the moment. Then there's Yuri, our MD, and Violetta, our head chef. Master Kieran sent everyone else away a few days before you arrived."

"Sent home?" Orianna asked. "Why?"

The maid shook her head. "I don't know. We didn't know you all were coming until this morning."

"I see." was all Orianna could think to say. She stepped away, to allow Lucy some privacy while they waited for Yuri to arrive, though what a doctor could do at this point to help poor Saizo was beyond her. This whole situation was just... just... royally screwed up. Why had they help been sent away with such an important visit going on? Just what was going on in her father's head right now?

Sybil approached Lucy now. If Lucy cared one way or another about the pestering given the circumstances, she didn't show it. Not one hint. Either she was as cold as ice, or the best damn maid in London. Maybe both. Her eyes never left Saizo's body, even as Sybil talked.

"Lucy," Sybil began, her voice calm and measured. "Was Saizo well liked by the other staff here at Cainhurst? Would anyone here have possibly considered doing this to him?" Sybil spoke as comfortingly as she could, something Lucy was silently grateful for.

The raven-haired maid slowly shook her head. Her tears were starting to win the fight, but she was holding on so far. "No. I'm sure no one here would do such a thing. Not to Saizo. He was... he was like a father to me. To all of us. He was the first butler the Master ever hired. No one here has ever donned a uniform without going through his training first. He..." her smooth voice cracked and she stopped to compose herself. "I'm sorry. We've been so understaffed... I should have been here with him. I could have..." her hands were balled into fits, but she didn't say anything else.

---

CLUE FOUND!

 

[Monster Guy]

Bianca Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor; Grand Foyer

Gregory hadn't said or done anything to acknowledge Bianca's presence. His eyes remained focus on the lifeless body lying on the floor in front of them. Under normal circumstances, she would have scolded him for being rude, but these weren't normal circumstances.

The pieces fit together after another one of her cousins she hadn't met before, whose name she heard was Sybil, asked the maid Lucy if Sazio was well liked amongst the other members of the staff. Lucy's words suggested that Sazio was like a mentor to all the other servants at the manor. She had a hard time getting the words out without bursting into tears. If that was how Lucy was feeling, Bianca understood why Gregory would be so stoic at a time like this.

"Ah, I see. So, if what Lucy said is true, then the two of you must have been close as father and son..." Bianca said to him in the most comforting tone she could pull off. "I don't know what I could do or say that would be of any help to you but... If it's of any comfort, I understand what it's like to lose a loved one so suddenly like this..." Bianca bit her lip nervously. The only people she ever talked to about Alistair's passing were her mother and brother. She didn't think she would ever talk about this to anyone else about this, let alone someone who was a complete stranger. "You know, it's perfectly normal to be upset about something like this. You don't have to be so stoic about it. Crying isn't just for women after all. Regardless of what other men would have you believe. I was grieving for days when I got the news about Alistair's passing..." She decided it best not to mention exactly what her relation to Alistair was. It was usually a bad idea to talk about past romantic relationships to potential new suitors, but this occasion seemed appropriate to do so.

Her mother also asked Lucy about how many people were on this island, and in the process of naming the other staff members, she also explained that her grandfather had sent the other staff members away. They also apparently didn't know they were coming until this morning. Which was odd, because Bianca would believe that he would have given his staff more notice of their arrival. And why only have seven staff members, and only those seven here in the first place. Was grandfather just getting senile, or was there something else at work here? Bianca was both nervous, and excited at the same time. This whole situation really was like something she'd seen in a book. (Contrary to what her brother thinks, She does read books herself once in a while. Though, not as often as he does, and her choices of literature were usually fantasies, romance novels, or a combination of the two.)

She let go of Gregory's arm to give the man a moment to greive by himself, and walked over to her brother. "I'm sure you've noticed, but something very strange is going on here."

 

[Schade]

=-------------------~♚~-------------------=
Callaway Gilbrand Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor​

Things went about pretty uneventful for a few minutes as Callaway just enjoyed the view, more or less ignoring the people around him. He was ripped out of his train of thoughts by a high pitch scream coming from the other room, and he, as well as everyone else in there, turned to wards the sound, slightly confused. They soon found that Belle was on her knees on the floor, crying over the apparently dead body of the butler Saizo. It took a few moments before it hit Callaway that he had been murdured, and though he was internally panicking, he kept his cool. It looked like he had been stabbed, and he was laying under that creepy painting of the supposed Witch, Beatrice. Callaway kept a bit behind the others to overlook the situation. What would happen now? Or even more importantly, was there a psycho killer amongst them?

"Well, this is just tragic... The thought that somebody has been murdered is absolutely dreadful! Who would do such a thing?", his sister said in a distressed tone. He wanted to offer her support, but she quickly noticed the other butler, Gregory, and went over to him instead. "Oh, hello! I'm Bianca Leonhart. It's unfortunate that our second meeting had to be under such horrific circumstances... But now is as good a time as any to meet each other properly." she said. Well, one had to hand it to her. Even when someone literally died, she use the oppurtunity to hit on someone. He didn't take too kindly of her approach though, and though he didn't push her off him, one could clearly see he was very distressed. Cal was just confused at this point. did this really happen?

"How many others are here on the island?" his mother asked one of the maids. "Who could have done this?".

"Saizo, Gregory, myself, Belle, and Katrina are the only housekeepers here at the moment. Then there's Yuri, our MD, and Violetta, our head chef. Master Kieran sent everyone else away a few days before you arrived.", she answered. his mother seemed to think this through before continuing to speak.

His mother just asked why the others was sent away, to which the maid couldn't give a proper answer. after that, his mother left her alone. Cal took this oppurtunity and walked over to her. "So, no idea how, or why this happened, not to mention by whom, I assume?". He then sighed. "I know you dislike... Well.. Me. Though in this case I refer to my habit of complaining. But I do not feel safe here, and would like for us to return home at the earliest convinience.". He kept his cool, but he did kind of want to just panic instead. The storm was acting up, so it would be difficult to get home anyway. Gotta love remote islands.

His sister then arrived and started talking to him. "I'm sure you've noticed, but something very strange is going on here.", she said. It could have been his imagination, but Cal was sure he heard a faint tone of excitement in her voice. She really was one of the weirder ones. "You don't say? I thought random murder was routine around here." he answered sarcastically. He then softened up a bit before continuing. "This is freaky, indeed. We should be on high alert, just in case we're next on the potential list of a killing spree." The family was well known, and had a few enemies here and there. It wasn't too hard to believe someone had tailed them there with grim intends.

 

[Vern]

Haze Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor.

Haze saw little of the chaos that no doubt was surrounding her, instead looking at Saizo’s dead body with a calmness that frightened herself. An examination of the chest wound revealed nothing. She was just about to look up from the body when her eyes caught something written on the ground - the word ‘look’, complete with a little exclamation mark. It was also written in blood. The warmth that was slowly returning to her body was immediately dissipated.

Haze stared at the letters for a while before pulling out a permanent marker from one of the numerous pockets on her jacket and drawing a small circle around where the word ‘look’ had been drawn. Since the word was written in blood, it would probably smudge the instant someone touched it, and the servants would probably clean it up later, after they were done grieving. Something in her thought that the location of the word would be of importance later. More important, however, was the condition of Saizo’s eyes. They seemed… damaged. The eyelids seemed to cave inwards slightly. Haze reached forwards with her hands to lift the eyelids, but stopped dead when she realised what eyelids that caved inwards meant - namely, lack of eyes. She quickly withdrew her hand, almost like withdrawing her hand from a fire, and stood up, backing away from the body.

By now, Haze had gotten used to the dead body, and quickly looked around to see how the others were holding up. She wasn’t particularly impressed with what she saw - the first thing she laid her eyes on was the enthusiastic girl from earlier, who she still did not know the name of, latching onto Gregory’s arm. The butler had entered the room a while ago, and was noticeably upset by this sudden turn of events. Haze quickly turned away before the more principled part of her found the need to make some sort of comment about her actions.

Haze then watched as Sybil and another, older woman began asking Lucy about the number of servants present on the island and whether any of them would have been disposed to kill Saizo. The answer to the first question was ‘not a lot’, and the answer to the second was ‘definitely not’. As she listened to their conversations, Haze took out three of the many rocks she kept on her person as well as her permanent marker, writing down three messages, one for each rock. On the first rock, she wrote ‘The word is ‘look!’’, on the second, ‘the circle (she drew a large oval here instead of writing ‘circle’) marks the spot’, and on the third, ‘he’s missing his eyes’. She had already made up her mind not to tell any of the others about the conditions of Saizo’s body for now, to avoid causing more panic or drawing undue attention to herself. However, she wanted to make sure that if needed, someone could access this information, even if she… wasn’t around. The killer of Saizo hadn’t been found yet, and he or she (Haze chose to ignore the possibility of the killer being an ‘it’, due to how disturbing that was), and he/she could very well be disposed to kill anyone else he/she found convenient.

She was just about to walk towards Lucy and ask her when they would be able to leave the island when the man who had been sitting down on a couch reading books earlier did what amounted to the same thing. After receiving his answer, which Haze did not hear, she saw the enthusiastic girl approach him, and walked a bit closer to them to hear what they were saying. From the way they regarded each other, Haze managed to deduce that they were probably close relatives, or perhaps close friends.

"I'm sure you've noticed, but something very strange is going on here." the girl from earlier said, and Haze detected a strange sort of excitement in her voice, but dismissed it as just her imagination. The man responded in a way that made Haze feel rather uncomfortable.

"You don't say? I thought random murder was routine around here." he replied, his voice laced with sarcasm. "This is freaky, indeed. We should be on high alert, just in case we're next on the potential list of a killing spree." Haze didn’t like the way they talked so casually about murder and death, but that would be something she kept to herself. Perhaps it was because they were raised with this type of stuff happening all around them, being in a large, well known family and all. It was quite likely that the Leonharts had made quite a few enemies without her knowledge, some of which would probably be more than happy to kill some of these people stranded on a remote island cut off from the rest of the world.

For the umpteenth time that day, Haze wondered what the hell she was getting herself into.

 

[Minteh]

Sybil Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor

Before answering Sybil's question, the raven-haired maid responded to a similar question asked by the mother of Bianca, who wanted to know how many more servants were on the island. The answered she gave surprised Sybil; according to her, there were only 8 members of the staff still on the island and the rest had been sent home. The latter was what had surprised (and confused) Sybil the most. Cainhurst manor was quite large, and though the staff presumably only tended to one person, Sybil thought it would have made more sense to keep them around, what with the influx of Leonhart's that had been invited here.

Once Lucy had finished her explanation to the older woman, she went on to answer Sybil's earlier question. "No. I'm sure no one here would do such a thing. Not to Saizo. He was... he was like a father to me. To all of us. He was the first butler the Master ever hired. No one here has ever donned a uniform without going through his training first. He..." Her voice cracked, and though she was swift to regain her composure, Sybil could see that Saizo's passing had hit her hard. "I'm sorry. We've been so understaffed... I should have been here with him. I could have..."

Her hands balled into fists and she didn't speak afterwards which was understandable. It was only then that she noticed something had changed about Lucy's appearance. The soot that marked her uniform had disappeared, making it appear as though she had changed dresses; but, it seemed impossible she would have even had the time to change, given that she had been carrying teacups indicating she had still been working. Another thing which seemed off was that it seemed she had managed to apply fresh perfume, too. Sybil couldn't recall if she had been wearing perfume earlier. Then again, the scent - though new to Sybil's senses - wasn't overly powerful. She decided against drawing attention to the changes, deciding that it wasn't that important for everyone to know.

"Thank you, Lucy." She said, resting a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. She considered offering a hug too, but decided against it, feeling that she would be over-stepping her boundaries by doing so. Removing her hand, and taking a few steps away from Lucy, she swiftly added in a quieter voice, "I'm sorry for your loss."

It was then that one of her relatives, the boy whom Sybil believed to be Bianca's brother, asked when they would be able to leave the island. She didn't hear the answer which Lucy gave to him, but her train of thoughts were soon directed to Bianca who came over to brother and started talking. "I'm sure you've noticed, but something very strange is going on here." She said to him. Sybil couldn't tell if it was her imagination or not, but it sounded like there was a hint of excitement in her voice.

"You don't say? I thought random murder was routine around here." Her brother responded sarcastically. "This is freaky, indeed. We should be on high alert, just in case we're next on the potential list of a killing spree."

Sybil felt a little uncomfortable at how nonchalantly they discussed the matter of death and murder. The name Leonhart was bound to attract a few enemies, that much Sybil knew. She wondered if her other relatives had been raised with this kind of thing happening all around them. Personally, Sybil had never been raised with the imminent threat of danger, having lived a rather modest life in the country. However, if there had to be a member of her family who could contend for the title of most enemies, her father could have certainly fit the bill.

 

[TheSequelReturns]

~ Cainhurst Manor - Grand Foyer 1st Floor ~

"So, no idea how, or why this happened, not to mention by whom, I assume?" Callaway sighed. Orianna didn't have to be his mother to read to look on his face. It practically screamed I am so done with this crap. "I know you dislike... Well.. Me. Though in this case I refer to my habit of complaining. But I do not feel safe here, and would like for us to return home at the earliest convenience."

"Unfortunately, Saizo was our most experienced sailor." Lucy said softly. "And with this storm..." As if on cue, a crack of thunder shook the windows. The storm wasn't going anywhere soon. "It would be impossible to sail."

"We're truly trapped here then." Jules sighed. The older gentleman was rubbing his temples, the stress of all of this starting to give him a headache.

A shadow settled in over the raven-haired maid's eyes. "...Yes."

Bianca wandered over at that point, done providing "emotional support" for Gregory, and made a comment about the strange circumstances afoot.

"You don't say? I thought random murder was routine around here." Callaway paused for a moment. "This is freaky, indeed. We should be on high alert, just in case we're next on the potential list of a killing spree."

"Killing spree? What is this about killing?" A heavily Russian-accented voice called out. The group turned to see a thin and pasty looking man emerging from the Anteroom doorway, Belle tailing along behind him. The man had a sort of youthful air about him, but at the same time his well worn stubble and the haggard look in his eyes suggested he was older than he looked. His long and messy hair was a dusty gray all over, only adding to the mystery of placing his age. A white doctor's coat, almost like a something a scientist would wear complete with a clipped on ID badge, was draped over his narrow shoulders and looked about a size too big. Underneath, he wore only a matching set of dark gray sweats, top and bottom, and a pair of boots.

The man, who must have been Yuri, casually walked into the room ignoring everyone present as he made his way towards Saizo's body. He carefully stopped down, his face an unreadable mask, and placed one hand to Saizo's neck as though checking for a pulse. Next, he carefully examined the body, up and down, even going through his pockets (which were oddly enough empty). The key embedded in the poor butler's chest seemed to draw special attention from him, but still he said nothing. Not until he had examined every single inch of the butler's body did he finally stop and allow a frown to appear on his otherwise stoic face. By this time, several long silent minutes had passed.

"Ah, I see." Yuri said. "It does seem that Saizo is, shall we say, deceased."

The lack of a response from the maids indicated that this behavior was par the course for the strange Russian doctor.

At long last, the pale man stood up and cracked his neck loud enough to make Belle jump. "Cause of his dying not, in fact, the key in his chest. Rather, impalement by sharp object right in the sockets of his eyes." he made a small pointing motion at his own eyes. "His eyes also are, how do you say... missing. Any possessions he may have been having on his person are, also, missing."

The frown vanished from Yuri's face, returning it to his default neutral expression. "A clue is found though." he pointed down, next to Saizo's head. There was a smudged bloodstain there with a black marker circle drawn around it. "Somebody has written a circle on the floor, next to the head of the victim. I am thinking that maybe killer is leaving clue."

He placed his thumb and index finger on his chin in a dramatic thinking pose. A pause. The doctor reached down and casually pulled the key from Saizo's chest with a small wet sound. He wiped the key off on his own lab coat, leaving a large red stain. "Hm. It is as expected. This is key to Master's chambers."

The color drained from the faces of every maid and butler in the room.

"Is Master Kieran in danger?" Belle asked.

"His room is at the end of the upstairs hallway..." Lucy said, worry starting to replace the grief in her still smooth voice. She looked up the stairs that climbed upwards on either side of the room, leading up to the balcony above. "If whoever did this to Saizo went after Kieran next, then-"

Gregory took off up the stairs without a word, headed for the hallway doors at the top of the Foyer's stairs. Lucy took the key from Yuri, who still seemed rather bored with all of this, and took off after him followed by Jules. Orianna stayed behind with Belle, who looked like she could yet faint at any moment.

 

[*Jean Grey*]

Alena Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor

"Well, I'm afraid I won't have much to tell dear," her father began, shaking his head. Alena leaned forward, placing an elbow on the table and resting her chin on her hand, eating as she listened. Heh, I think I know what's to blame for that...damn behavioural expectations, she thought to herself. "I only got to stay in the guest house here on the island back when father first commissioned this place. It was to be our families private estate. A little retreat from the hustle and bustle of London." Her father continued, and she could have sworn that she saw his violet eyes - eyes so much like her own - mist over, though he quickly took a moment to wipe his glasses on his sleeve. "Alas, mother passed on shortly before the manor was to be completed. It broke father's heart. After that, your aunt and I were sent to the family home in London where we stayed until we went and acquired our own homes," he spoke, his tone bearing a hint of sadness. Oh, right...he did tell me that Gran died when he wasn't even a teenager, she remembered as she recalled Saizo mentioning the year 1953 while they were still outside. She was going to have to find out those secrets for herself, after all.

"The guest house wasn't much to look at I'm afraid so I can't even think of a good story for that one. Other than the wine cellar of course, but I don't recall any wine actually being stored there. Either way, it was only for a short time and that was many years ago. Sorry I don't have a tale for you this time." Her father recalled, apologising for not having much to tell and at this, Alena smirked a bit. Of course, she never pictured her presumably hard-nosed grandfather allowing wine to be placed where her father could conveniently discover it! An empty cellar didn't make much sense, however. She definitely had to go take a look at it after the rain stopped!

"Wine cellar, huh? Damn, isn't it obvious that good ol' Gramps would rather hang himself than see ten-year-old you get drunk off your ass?" Alena wagged her eyebrows and grinned before finishing her pastry. "Besides, Pops, maybe Aunt Orianna got there before you. Bianca's taste in alcohol doesn't come from nowhere," she joked in her usual crass manner before selecting another pastry to eat, this one drizzled with what looked to be mint-flavoured icing. She was already getting antsy. What was taking Saizo so long anyway?

"Its been quite some time since Saizo went to inform father of our arrival. Do you think everything is alright?" Aunt Orianna commented, echoing Alena's thoughts. The words were directed at a pretty new maid, whom Alena had noticed while she was carrying the pastries for her father and sister.

"I- I'm not sure. I can go and check for you if you would like," the maid replied, evidently taken aback by the realization. Aunt Orianna instructed her to do so, and the maid left, carefully making her way out of the room. Alena looked at her father and noticed his changed expression, evidently at the realization that quite some time had indeed passed. The silver-haired young woman got up, unable to bear it any longer. If she wasn't going to get answers, she was going to have to look for and march up to her grandfather, propriety be damned. It wasn't as if she had much to lose anyway.

A scream pierced the air, coming from the half-closed door that was supposed to lead to the grand foyer. A crash soon followed, and Alena instinctively strode towards the door. Her father had leapt out of his chair and took off with a speed that most would not expect from a slender, scholarly man in his mid-forties, leaving a broken teacup in his wake. The whole family gathered in the foyer to witness a scene right out of a horror novel.

Belle was on her knees on the floor, her face wet with tears. At the other end of the room, Lucy was standing in the opposite doorway as if she had just arrived, her face ghostly white, and smashed porcelain at her feet. In the center of the room, positioned right under the painting of Beatrice, was Saizo's body, a metal object that looked oddly like an old iron key sticking out of his chest. Strangely, nothing else in the room had been disturbed. While there was blood, it was only present on and under Saizo's body. It was almost too clean a job. Gregory stepped in a few moments later and he allowed his trembling hand to rest on Lucy's shoulder. The maid brushed him off dismissively, however, and walked slowly to the centre of the room as she tried to keep a straight face, despite her misty eyes saying otherwise. Alena turned to Mira, a conspirational look on her face.

"Mira, take a shot of this, now...before any of those morons lift the body," she muttered under her breath. It sounded insensitive, yes, but since when did Alena Alcyone Leonhart have a filter anyway? Unexplained murder right under their noses...now that was something she did not expect. She remembered how Gregory and Lucy chose not to join them and remained in the grand foyer...had one or both of them done it? Their expressions said otherwise, and both were clean, or at least their hands were...but could she be so sure?

"Belle, go and get Yuri," Lucy instructed, taking control of the situation. The younger, blonde maid did not reply, as if still in shock. Lucy repeated the command, which snapped Belle out of whatever it was that had paralyzed her. Yuri? A Russian man in Gramps' staff? It was a surprising thing for Alena, in all honesty, considering the scandal that had been her mother. She thought that her grandfather would've been more...cautious, if his old-fashioned ways were to be believed. Then again, there was herself, acknowledged and legitimized with Russian blood in her.

"What is the meaning of all this? Just what is going on here? Is Saizo..." her father demanded. Alena's lips were set in a grim line as she drew her finger across her neck in response to her father's unfinished question.

"Dead? No shit, Pops," she mumbled. Insensitive, yes, but the facts were right there, in front of them. The man wasn't breathing, judging from what she saw, and there was no use softening something that had already been done. One of her supposed cousins - one she never knew was related to the family until today - knelt beside the body and started examining the wound, although she did not move the key.

Well, this is just tragic...the thought that somebody has been murdered is absolutely dreadful! Who would do such a thing?" Bianca commented, her voice somber, her expression matching her words. Gregory's presence, however, did not go unnoticed, and she did a complete one-eighty, breaking away from the family in order to girlishly flirt with Gregory once more. The valet, however, didn't seem to reciprocate. He just stood there quietly, even after Bianca had slipped her arm under his.

"How many others are here on the island? Who could have done this?" Aunt Orianna chimed in. Surely there had to be a lot more of them, considering how large the estate was? It surely didn't take just five people to keep things running smoothly in such a big house.

"Saizo, Gregory, myself, Belle, and Katrina are the only housekeepers here at the moment. Then there's Yuri, our MD, and Violetta, our head chef. Master Kieran sent everyone else away a few days before you arrived." Lucy enumerated, and Alena's blood momentarily froze at the mention of Yuri being a doctor. Even years after the Cisrian incident, she never got over the trauma, and still had more than a few problems with hospitals and being around medical professionals in general...not that she let anyone know of it other than Mira and her parents, of course. The words "sent away", however, snapped her out of her thoughts. Why the hell would Kieran send most of the staff away before the day that more people happened to be coming for an important visit? Surely he had much better foresight than that! It all seemed very strange to her...as if something wasn't quite right, underneath the veneer of opulence.

"Lucy, was Saizo well liked by the other staff here at Cainhurst? Would anyone here have possibly considered doing this to him?" Another one of Alena's supposed cousins asked. This one had hair very much like own, before she had dyed it. If she recalled correctly, her cousin's name was...Sybil? At least that was what she remembered her father telling her. The maid confirmed that Saizo was indeed loyal and fatherly, clearly stricken by grief that was difficult to fake, considering her composed demeanour just minutes ago. Sybil tried to comfort her with a reassuring touch. Cal complained that he didn't feel safe and wanted out, of course in the calmest way he could muster. Lucy, however, mentioned that Saizo was their most experienced sailor, and that the storm wasn't going anywhere for a while. This caused Alena's father to rub his temples, something he did while he was under stress, as he affirmed that they were indeed stranded.

"I'm sure you've noticed, but something very strange is going on here," Bianca commented as she left Gregory alone, walking towards Cal. Her voice held a faint tone of excitement underneath its nervousness. Alena knew that it was the real Bianca, just barely smothered by the need to speak appropriately. The Bianca who probably read too many romance novel plots. Alena, though, thought it more closely resembled some of the more macabre things that she preferred.

"You don't say? I thought random murder was routine around here. This is freaky, indeed. We should be on high alert, just in case we're next on the potential list of a killing spree," Cal replied, sarcastically at first, before softening up and advising caution. Alena knew that there was a killer in their midst, and there was always the chance that someone had followed them and slipped into the house. The name Leonhart was enough to make worst enemies out of anyone, just as it was enough to create allies. Still, whoever the murderer was, they wanted fear and caution, and needed people precisely to back off into a corner so that they could easily prey on everyone. Too much caution was acting like a victim did, which only would make victims out of everyone in the end. Alena...well, she hated being the victim; the one who couldn't do anything but sit in a corner out of fear and a need for caution. Looking at the staff - if any of them was responsible - she knew she could take them on in a fight if she needed to.

"Caution? Bah, that motherfucker probably just wants to scare us so that they could actually go on that killing spree you speak of," Alena protested, cracking her knuckles. "I say we go look for that damn twat, whoever the hell they are. Might just scare them enough," she suggested, before taking a look at the portrait of Beatrice once more. Was it possible that there was a door behind it? After all, it was more than large enough for anyone to pass through. If defacing it as a last resort was going to give her answers, she wasn't going to have any qualms doing it.

"Killing spree? What is this about killing?" A new voice called out. It was a man's voice, with a heavy Russian accent. Alena looked over her black-clad shoulder to see a thin, pale man emerging from the Anteroom doorway, with Belle on his heels. The man didn't look that old, yet he had gray hair and a rather worn, haggard look to him. He could have been anywhere between thirty to a figure older than her father. Alena was inclined to put his age somewhere close to her father's. He wasn't bad-looking, but the fact that he wore a white medical coat made her reluctant to trust him, or grill him for that matter. The man casually walked into the room, ignoring everyone, and made his way straight to Saizo's body. He examined it for what seemed like hours before getting up and cracking his neck.

"Cause of his dying not, in fact, the key in his chest. Rather, impalement by sharp object right in the sockets of his eyes." he made a small pointing motion at his own eyes. "His eyes also are, how do you say... missing. Any possessions he may have been having on his person are, also, missing." Alena, upon hearing that Saizo's eyes were missing, couldn't help but take a look for herself. Indeed, Yuri had turned the body so that the bloody sockets were in full view. Now, Saizo was not a slightly-built man despite being old; whoever did it had to have at least, considerable strength. She couldn't imagine it being someone frail unless Saizo was taken by surprise.

"A clue is found though," Yuri continued as he pointed on the floor next to Saizo's head. There was a smudged bloodstain there with a black marker circle drawn around it. "Somebody has written a circle on the floor, next to the head of the victim. I am thinking that maybe killer is leaving clue." Alena thought that clues were probably the most stupid things a would-be killer would leave, if he wanted to get away with anything. This of course, meant that the killer somehow wanted to be found.

"So, does this mean that the idiot wants to be found? Oh, game on, dude. Game on," she voiced out, her voice bearing an edge to it, as Yuri plucked the key out of the butler's chest. He then confirmed that it was the key to her grandfather's chambers. This caused every maid and butler in the room to grow pale. Belle asked if Grandfather was in fact, in danger, while Lucy mentioned that the room was at the end of the upstairs hallway, voicing the possibility that the patriarch could be next with dread. Gregory began to head up the stairs, followed by Lucy, and then her father. Alena looked both ways, before choosing to sprint up the stairs for herself, fast enough so that she could reach the group and get away from Yuri as soon as possible, not exactly being comfortable in the presence of the doctor. She had a thought. If there was only one key, as Yuri implied, then could she start off by finding out who was responsible for holding said key?

She caught up with Lucy, thanks to her more comfortable boots, and grabbed her by the arm.

"Hey, you," she began, trying to get the maid's attention, a tiny smirk momentarily gracing her face before it grew hard again, given the situation. "Tell me, who the hell's responsible for holding the key to Gramps' rooms?"

 

[REAL DADS]

Callum Leonhart
Grand Foyer

Belle responded eagerly to Callum’s inquiry about the white roses. It seems his uncle had bred this strain of roses himself, and they were native only to the isle. Who would have known ole Uncle Kieran was such a talented botanist? Belle continued with her explanation of the flowers, albeit a bit hesitantly. She informed him of a bush out back of red flowers that she swore used to be white.

“Curious,” was all Callum said in response. Flowers turning from white to red rang a bell with Callum. As a child, he recalled his father taking his siblings and him to the cinema to see Alice in Wonderland. There was a scene he remembered where some of the Queen’s henchmen were painting the white roses red. The Queen prefered red, but they planted white by mistake. It didn’t fool her, of course, and the henchmen’s heads were ordered off.

Callum hoped no one would be losing their heads here.

It was then that a loud scream echoed through the hall.

Everyone rushed out to see what had happened. Callum filed out after all the children, and found himself in the back of the group. He was too short to see over his younger but taller relatives, so it took him a minute to see what everyone was getting on about. When he did, it was a shock. Saizo, the butler, was lying dead on the floor. There was blood and a strange object protruding from his chest. Probably what killed him, Callum figured.

Callum was no stranger to death. He had seen scenes much worse than this in his previous profession. However, he had hoped that chapter of his life had closed. And you never do get used to seeing such gruesome things. He stood there, unblinking and unmoving, as he relatives chittered back and forth. Some went straight into detective mode, trying to solve the murder, others went to… was she flirting? Callum was surprised how well his family was handling the bloody mess. He would have expected them to have been far removed from anything so ghastly. They led such pampered and privileged lives, after all.

“Did anyone try ringing the police?” He said to no one in particular. There was so much going on, and no one paid him any mind. He wasn’t sure how much that would even help. They were so far from civilization that it would take hours for law enforcement to reach them. Besides, Callum wasn’t a fan of most cops. He let the idea drop.

Information came streaming in from the many conversations happening around him. Much of the help was sent home prior to their arrival, leaving only a handful to help with what Callum guessed was the largest gathering of guests to visit the manor in decades. Saizo was well liked by the staff, and trained most of them. Gregory viewed him as a father figure. Bianca knew some guy who died once.

About that time, a doctor strolled into the room. The only indication of this was his white coat and ID badge. His sweats and boots made him look far from doctorly, but Callum knew not to judge people on the quality of their clothes. He was, after all, wearing his painting jeans to this party. He might have worn something nicer, like jeans without holes, but that pair was dirty.

Anyway, the doctor began examining the body. He did for what felt like a very long time. In reality only a few minutes, probably. In a situation like this, though, those minutes stretched out agonizingly long. When the doctor finally spoke, he confirmed that the bloody butler with a gaping hole in his chest was dead. Thankfully, the Russian did have some more information to share with them, although he took his time sharing it. Saizo died from being impaled in his eyes, which were now missing along with all his possessions he had on him. Callum shuddered. He left Colombia for a reason.

The doctor then pulled the key from Saizo’s chest. Callum heard a small, wet noise as the key gave way. It was a disgusting noise. He found it fascinating.

"Hm. It is as expected. This is key to Master's chambers," the doctor announced. Everyone realized what that could mean. Without hesitation, Gregory bolted from the room for Kieran’s quarters. Lucy quickly followed after him with the key, and then Alena after her. Callum hesitated for a moment, then decided to follow as well. His uncle could be in grave danger. Safety in numbers.

As he hurried after his niece, he realized he still had the Alice in Wonderland song stuck in his head.

Oh, painting the roses red
And many a tear we shed
Because we know
They'll cease to grow
In fact, they'll soon be dead
And yet we go ahead
Painting the roses red

 

[Monster Guy]

Bianca Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor; Grand Foyer

"You don't say? I thought random murder was routine around here." Callaway responded sarcastically.

"I don't think the sarcasm wasn't necessary..." Bianca replied

Callaway then got serious. "This is freaky, indeed. We should be on high alert, just in case we're next on the potential list of a killing spree."

Before Bianca could reply, A heavily Russian-accented voice called out. "Killing spree? What is this about killing?" A man that looked like a doctor followed by Belle walked into the room. The white lab coat, and the ID badge were the only things signalling his profession. Bianca supposed it probably wasn't necessary for a doctor to dress too fancy, considering what their job entailed. Still, with his heavy Russian accent, and casual manner of dress, he looked almost comical. After several long minutes examining the body, he pointed out what everyone else could already see. That Sazio was dead. Bianca would have bursted out laughing if the doctor hadn't followed up with some actual new information.

"Cause of his dying not, in fact, the key in his chest. Rather, impalement by sharp object right in the sockets of his eyes." he made a small pointing motion at his own eyes. "His eyes also are, how do you say... missing. Any possessions he may have been having on his person are, also, missing."

Bianca made a disgusted face at the mention of that. The image of somebody gouging another person's eyes out was not something she wanted to think about.

"A clue is found though." The doctor pointed next to Saizo's head. There was a smudged bloodstain there with a black marker circle drawn around it. "Somebody has written a circle on the floor, next to the head of the victim. I am thinking that maybe killer is leaving clue."

This becoming more and more like something out of a novel by the minute. Bianca thought, Only the fictional killers leave a clue to their identity. He's either bragging, or wants to be found...

The doctor then pulled the key out of the deceased butler's chest. "Hm. It is as expected. This is key to Master's chambers."

And once again, everything got quiet. Was her grandfather in danger?

"Is Master Kieran in danger?" Belle asked.

"His room is at the end of the upstairs hallway..." Lucy said. She looked up the stairs that climbed upwards on either side of the room, leading up to the balcony above. "If whoever did this to Saizo went after Kieran next, then-"

Gregory took off up the stairs without a word, Lucy took the key from the doctor, and took off after him followed by her uncle, them Alena, and finally Callum. Her mother stayed behind with the distraught maid.

Bianca had considered going with the rest of them, but due to her choice of footwear, she knew she wasn't going to catch up with them, especially since running up a flight of stairs was going to be involved. Not to mention the awful possibility of what could happen if heaven forbid they find the killer in her grandfather's room. Bianca shuddered from the thought of it. She decided to stay behind in the foyer with her mother, where it was hopefully safer. "Let us hope they return with good news..." Bianca said.

 

[Minteh]

Sybil Leonhart
Cainhurst manor

Whilst many of her relatives seemed to be discussing the possibility of there being another murder, one of her relatives - a distant cousin who Sybil guessed was Alena - seemed to be less worried, and even seemed as though she wished to take on the assailant herself. "I say we go look for that damn twat, whoever the hell they are. Might just scare them enough," She suggested. Sybil looked at her with widened eyes. She was surprised that she was so willing to want to face a killer, and yet, at the same time, she was oddly impressed at her courage.

"Killing spree? What is this about killing?" A heavily Russian-accented voice called out. Sybil turned to see a thin and pasty looking man emerging from the Anteroom doorway, Belle trailing behind him. Ah, this must be Yuri Sybil thought to herself, as she examined the man from where she was stood. He had a sort of youthful air to him, but at the same time his well worn beard and haggard expression gave the impression he was older than he seemed. Despite his odd and dishevelled appearance, Sybil had to admit he certainly looked the part, especially because the white lab coat he wore. He casually strode across the room, ignoring everyone else, and crouched down beside the body and began examining it. After several minutes of examining the body, he announced what everyone else already knew...Saizo was dead. However, he did reveal some new information.

"Cause of his dying not, in fact, the key in his chest. Rather, impalement by sharp object right in the sockets of his eyes." he made a gesture towards his own eyes. "His eyes also are, how do you say... missing. Any possessions he may have been having on his person are, also, missing."

Sybil made a disgusted face at that; the thought of having one's eyes gouged out, was not something that she found particularly pleasant.

"A clue is found though." Yuri said, pointing next to Saizo's head. There was a smudged bloodstain there with a black circle drawn around it. "Somebody has written a circle on the floor, next to the head of the victim. I am thinking that maybe killer is leaving clue."

Sybil frowned at this. Though the threat of there being another murder loomed over their heads, this whole situation was beginning to seem more and more like something from one of her novels...

The doctor then proceeded to pull the key out of Saizo's chest with a small wet sound. "Hm. It is as expected. This is key to Master's chambers."

This seemed to quieten the room down a bit, and Sybil noticed that a few worried glances were exchanged between her relatives, likely concerned over Kieran's well-being. Sybil was slower to react because unlike many of the people here she wasn't a direct descendant of Kieran's, however that was not to say she didn't share their worry because she did.

After a moment, the servants raced upstairs, fear over their master potentially having met the same fate causing them to leave. Alena, Callum, and one of Sybil's older relatives took off after them. Sybil followed close behind, too, her choice in footwear easily allowing her to catch up to her relatives.

 

[Vern]

Haze Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor.

Haze, after checking that she was far enough from the body not to draw attention to herself, began to watch as the others began to talk amongst themselves. Belle had already left, presumably to fetch some sort of medic, and everyone else was working themselves into some sort of frenzy, asking questions, talking to other people, acting excited. Strangely, nobody appeared to be scared. That was peculiar, considering there had been a murder, and most of these people were probably kept well enough away from all this gory stuff. Haze did not question her own calmness, it only because it might fall apart if she did question it. One person in particular - she looked more like a thug than a noble - seemed more than ready to go and beat the living daylights out of whoever did the deed. Haze didn’t feel the need to question that either. She could already tell she’d be in for an extremely rough ride.

A Russian man - identified by his accent - walked into the room. “Killing spree?” he asked, almost as if he was taking a walk in the park and chatting with friends. There was no hint of stress in his voice. “What is this about killing?” He was obviously the one with medical training here, and he dressed the part, with a white doctor’s coat, but if he hadn’t been wearing it, with all of the IDs and whatnot pinned on, Haze might have mistaken him for just another servant.

He knelt down by Saizo’s body and placed a hand to his neck, probably to check for a pulse. It was unnecessary - the man was quite obviously dead. Haze had to say that his composure was somewhat unsettling. While doctors probably had to be trained to work with dead bodies and such, Haze still found the casual way in which he did so, like rearranging books on a bookshelf, somewhat unnerving. It was probably just her imagination. The man - presumably the ‘Yuri’ Bell had went to call - examined the body, even going through the pockets, which seemed to be empty. A frown appeared on his face.

"Ah, I see." Yuri said. "It does seem that Saizo is, shall we say, deceased." This caused Haze to roll her eyes - any man could tell the poor guy was dead. However, he continued onwards. "Cause of his dying not, in fact, the key in his chest. Rather, impalement by sharp object right in the sockets of his eyes." he made a small pointing motion at his own eyes. "His eyes also are, how do you say... missing. Any possessions he may have been having on his person are, also, missing." Haze grimaced slightly - that wasn’t a pretty sight for her imagination. Perhaps worse, it also meant that the killer presumably looted Saizo’s body after doing him in, which meant that Haze would probably do well to get those stones with precious clues written on them to someone else, quickly, just in case… what happened to Saizo also happens to her.

Yuri also said something that surprised her, albeit pleasantly. "A clue is found though." he pointed down, next to Saizo's head. There was a smudged bloodstain there with a black marker circle drawn around it. "Somebody has written a circle on the floor, next to the head of the victim. I am thinking that maybe killer is leaving clue." Haze let out a mental sigh of relief. That meant that, if the worst happened, people would at least know of the mark she made. She wondered for a moment why she was being so pessimistic about her chances of survival, but waved that thought aside. People knew. That’s what mattered. Then, he said something that made Haze almost jump.

"Hm. It is as expected. This is key to Master's chambers." Haze could see the blood visibly drain out of the faces of everyone in the room.

“Is Master Kieran in danger?” Belle asked, trembling. This seemed to galvanise the people in the room into action, and they began sprinting up the stairs, following Gregory and Lucy. Haze looked around for a moment, debating whether to follow. Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her, and she broke into a sprint, running after her relatives.

 

[GoldenHouou]

Miraela Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor

Miraela hadn't seen the need to speak much during their visit so far. It's not that she hadn't been paying attention to everything going on - quite the contrary, really, as the many pictures she'd taken proved - but that she simply didn't see it necessary to try and contribute to the discussions going on around her. She still wasn't entirely sure what her other relatives thought of her and her newly acquired style of clothing, or how exactly she should carry herself when having a discussion with them, and not knowing either unnerved her enough to make her bite back each and every word she wanted to speak. She had met her cousins before and certainly enough, she'd seen pictures and heard tales of many of the others relatives she found present today, but that was quite unfortunately it. And, as she knew better than most, tales and rumours were hardly an appropriate way to judge a person. Oh, she had of course introduced herself back when they'd boarded the boat together as well, but had quickly withdrawn to taking pictures of their surroundings to avoid any further chitchat she wasn't quite prepared for.

Even now, as they sat in the anteroom and waited, Miraela's presence was marked by silence. While many of the other people present used the opportunity to talk - her sister and father included, of course - Miraela took the time to go through the pictures she'd taken so far, instead. She had quite a few shots of the outdoors before they'd entered the mansion itself, from the beautiful flowers pointed out to them to the trail they had walked and the rest of the flora that had framed their advance. Once inside, she'd taken a picture of the large painting among other things and ah, of course, she had not passed the opportunity to photograph the very... inviting servants that had greeted them upon arrival. Too bad that she apparently hadn't been the only one to notice the handsome butler - Bianca had as well, and she wasn't sure if she could compete with her innocent cuteness and youthfulness. But then, she didn't at all mind the maid, either. Ohh, but would the rest of the family accept an affair like that? Ah, no, wait, it's not like she was after an affair-! How preposterous a thought, she simply wanted to... to look, never touch. That would not be appropriate.

Miraela stole a peek at her father and sister as they discussed the manor's history. Her sister, at the very least, would understand her even if she did... ever want to enter a relationship though, yes? She always did after all, without a care for appearances or reputation. It was... admirable as much as it was completely unacceptable, but she would not have had her sister any other way. A small smile on her lips, Mira reached to carefully pick up one of the offered pastries, preparing to eat it with one hand underneath her jaw to collect any crumbs that might try and stain her dress.

The pastry had barely touched her lips, however, when all hell broke loose.

It started with a scream, shrilling and so sudden that Miraela felt the entire room tremble with collective shock. The delicious pastry slipped past her fingers but she barely noticed; instead, her attention was immediately stolen by the chaos that ensued around her. The sound of a half a dozen people shuffling to get up, the shattering of a fine porcelain tea cup on the floor and the subsequent ricochet of footsteps surrounded Miraela, her hands flying to her ears almost out of sheer reflex. Wh-what in the world was happening?! She had never seen anything like this before, save for that one time someone broke their leg in front of her and her maids rushed to get her out of there scene before she could see the damage. B-but this, this was different, it had everyone panicked and that scream, it... it was unlike anything she'd heard before.

Even with everyone else having exited the room, Mira didn't move right away. She merely sat in the fine antique chair she'd taken earlier, her hands still lightly clasped over her ears - not that it helped much in blocking out the commotion from behind the open door only a few meters from her, mind. She could still make out bits and pieces of the conversations going on and even in her alarmed, shocked state, it didn't take long for her to piece the information together to form a horrifying picture of what had happened in the adjacent room. Someone... someone had passed away. N-no, been murdered. Right in... in the room next to her.

The many discussions that followed after that were a blur, merely a string of empty sounds that she could not tie to any meaning. Mira's eyes were wide, heart beating so hard that she could hear the drumming inside her skull, could feel it in her throat. And yet, it... wasn't only because she was scared. Yes, she was terrified, shocked and appalled, unable to believe any of it to be true! ... But part of what she felt was something else, something akin to what she'd felt when she'd first caught a sight of exactly what two lovers did when the lights turned off and they slipped into bed together. It wasn't quite excitement, as that word carried too positive a connotation, yet it wasn't anything inherently negative either. It was simply new. Curious.

And so, against any better judgement, the young girl rose to her feet, slowly making her way towards her extended family with her camera held at ready in her pale, trembling hands. Whatever had happened, she wanted to see it. Not only now, but later as well - she wanted to hold proof of it in her hands in the form of a picture, so that she might always be able to return to this moment, this feeling of discovering something foreign and previously forbidden. And the deeper into the room she sneaked, the louder hear beat, part of her eager, part of her terrified to see what she knew to lay in wait. Now, under normal circumstances, she would have likely given a disapproving glance at her cousin for flirting with the fine butler at a time like this the second she entered the room, especially because Bianca had done so without even giving her a proper glance prior! Or, indeed, hidden behind her father or sister in hopes of being shielded from whatever had caused the ruckus in the first place, but... these were not normal circumstances. No, they were anything but.

... There it was, she could see it from past the backs and shoulders of her relatives. ... No! No, no, rather, there he was. The peculiar man from earlier, Saizo, laid on the floor, covered partly a crimson liquid. Blood. It... it was odd. He was dead, yet not much was different from before, save for the blood and the weapon piercing him. His color was still the same, and there was nothing missing. Nothing --- except his life. He was gone, although he'd just been here --- although, in a way, he was still here even now, right in front of them. Miraela couldn't comprehend it, and she couldn't help but wonder... if he was gone this fast, then what was preventing anyone else from going as well? Nobody here thought they were going to die, but surely, neither did this poor man. Was death really--

"Killing spree? What is this about killing?" The familiar, heavy accent broke Miraela out of her hazy state, prompting her to quickly take the photos she'd yearned for before anyone could prevent her from doing so. After that, however, she turned around quickly, her curiosity slowly waning and giving room to a need of comfort - which this strange new man's familiar accent was able to provide her with, even if just a little. It was a shame he wasn't speaking in Russian. .... Of course, by the time she'd turned around completely and noticed what the man was wearing, every inch of comfort she might have been able to derive from him previously was quick to vanish as quickly as it had come. He had on a labcoat, white as snow, just like Cisrian, when he---

Miraela let out the tiniest of yelps as the man marched towards the body, prompting her to finally scurry behind her sister's back. Once there, she allowed herself to steal peeks at what the man was doing. He--- he had to be the culprit! Simply had to! He was a doctor, after all! Miraela was puffing out her cheeks unconsciously, even though she did listen to every word the man spoke if for no other reason than that she was curious. And as she did, she realized that she had apparently been wrong. Something... was indeed missing from Saizo. His... his eyes. Wh-why would anyone do that?! What manner of monster would steal from a person their eyes?

"So, does this mean that the idiot wants to be found? Oh, game on, dude. Game on." She heard her sister announce all of a sudden, once again snapping Miraela back to the cruel reality of the present. And the second those words registered, she gasped.

"Sister!" She insisted, "You mustn't-!" But Alena had already brushed past her and decided to run up the stairs and out of her reach far before Miraela could wrap her hands around her arm. Ohh, she always did that! And as if that was not worrisome enough, in that same breath, her father had dashed off as well, leaving her standing alone with the few people who still remained on the ground floor - a number which seemed to diminish with each passing heartbeat, as most of her relatives sprinted up the stairs one by one. Bianca remained still, and while Miraela did think she could have used the opportunity to exchange a few words with her, she simply couldn't fight her curiosity - or her worry.

And so, she turned to her cousin with a smile and a small nod. "I'm truly sorry, but I simply must check up on my sister and father!" She sounded almost apologetic, her hands rolled into tiny, loose fists against her chest. Despite that, however, she forced her smile to widen, a very carefully crafted hint of cheer and optimism in her voice as she continued: "I will be sure to try and bring back good news!"

With that, she glanced at the doctor, her brows furrowing as she gave the man something resembling a timid yet somewhat defiant glare before she dashed up the stairs as well. She was wearing heels, true, but they hadn't slowed her down during their trek here; she doubted she couldn't handle a few stairs.

 

[Schade]

=-------------------~♚~-------------------=
Callaway Gilbrand Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor​

"Killing spree? What is this about killing?" A heavily Russian-accented voice called out in reply to Callaway's earlier comment. The voice belonged to a man walking into the room with Belle. The guy had one of those youtuhful looks, though it was apparent he was older than he seemed. He had long, messy grey hair, and was wearing a Doctor's lab coat, allthough Callaway suspected he wasn't one of those regular doctor-types. He assumed this must be that Yuri character they briefly talked about earlier, much to his surprise, since he always thought Yuri was a girls name.

The man, Yuri, walked over to the body to inspect it, as well as trying to find a pulse, to no avail. "Ah, I see." Yuri said. "It does seem that Saizo is, shall we say, deceased.". Cal sighed. Well, if this guy was going to tag along just in case more people decide to be killed, their odds didn't really seem too good. Nobody replied to his obvious comment either. "Cause of his dying not, in fact, the key in his chest. Rather, impalement by sharp object right in the sockets of his eyes." Yuri made a small pointing motion at his own eyes. "His eyes also are, how do you say... missing. Any possessions he may have been having on his person are, also, missing.", he finished. "Well that's creepy..." Cal mumbled to himself.

"A clue is found though," Yuri continued as he pointed on the floor next to Saizo's head. There was a smudged bloodstain with a black marker circle drawn around it there. "Somebody has written a circle on the floor, next to the head of the victim. I am thinking that maybe killer is leaving clue.". Yuri finished, sounding deep in thought. "Greeat... just great.." Cal mumbled in a slightly worried tone, this was starting to be really creepy, and he felt at unease.

"So, does this mean that the idiot wants to be found? Oh, game on, dude. Game on," Alena then said out loud into the room, probably assuming one of the people present was the killer, like in a weird crime drama. He opened his mouth as if to say anything, but quickly decided otherwise. No need to be a smarta** here anyway, not until they can get home. The doctor then identified the key tot he bedroom key belonging to his grandfather, which seemed to cause great concern in the maids, and the older family members there. Some of the maids, as well as some of the adults rushed upstairs. Alena, Callum, Sybil, Haze and Miraela followed, one after one. Cal contemplated on wether to follow, or to stay behind with his mother and sister. Though it was tempting to stay behind and being the coward he really felt like right now, he threw a quick glance at his mom and sister. "Don't you dare leaving us here by ourselves, Callaway!" His mother said, quite stern. He sighed and rolled his eyes, before turning around, sprinting after his extended family.

 

[TheSequelReturns]

~ Cainhurst Manor - 2nd Floor Hallway ~

The group of assorted Leonharts and manor staff made a mad dash up the grand staircase of the foyer. At the top of the stairs, Gregory burst through the two large doors opposite the balcony and disappeared into the hallway beyond. The rest of the group, led by Lucy and Jules, followed closely behind. The second floor of the foyer was much like the first, richly decorated and lavishly built, and the following hallway was likewise. Gold light fixtures were mounted on the walls, like candles but with electric light bulbs. The walls and flooring were as grand as the foyer and the rugs were heavy and durable enough to make slipping no concern for the group as they ran down the long hall.

"Hey, you," Alena said as she looked towards Lucy, a tiny smirk momentarily gracing her face before it grew hard again. "Tell me, who the hell's responsible for holding the key to Gramps' rooms?"

"Saizo had the only copy. No one else except Kieran himself had a key to this room." the raven-haired maid responded.

Doors were closed on either side, about six in all, but Gregory ignored them. Instead, the butler ran straight for the double doors at the end of the hall, each marked with a golden lion head engraving. He reached the doors and tried with all his might to pull them open, but the doors wold not budge.

"Its locked!" he called back, his banging of the doors ceasing.

Lucy wordlessly held up the key in her right hand, breathing a bit heavy from the run. As calmly as she could manage, Lucy unlocked the doors with a heavy click of the old tumblers. She and Gregory pushed the doors open together, revealing Kieran's room.

The Master Suite of the manor was only sparely decorated. Shelves lined the walls, some filled with books others with priceless antiques or family heirlooms. A fireplace, fire still burning, was the only source of light in the room. Lucy quickly found the light switch and flicked it on, illuminating the rest of the room. A large bed sat directly in the center of the room, purple silken sheets exuding luxury. A large wardrobe sat against the wall opposite the fireplace. A very nice red armchair sat near the fireplace. Next to the chair rested a single side table upon which rested, if Saizo was to be believed, the only phone on the entire island. Huge white curtains blocked the view of the large windows in the back of the room. Despite the luxury with which it, like the rest of the manor, was decorated, the room itself seemed very spartan.

There was no trace of Kieran Leonhart anywhere.

Instead, something far more ominous rested inside the room. Another message, again written in a red liquid that very much looked like blood.

"Can you see them?" was written out across the curtains in the back of the room. There was no wind, which meant the windows were closed, so the message was easy to read.

Lucy placed a hand to her mouth, clearly shocked, but quickly assisted Gregory in searching through out the room for any other clues. The butler walked straight to the curtains and pulled them open, revealing the view of the courtyard below with its expertly pruned bushes and elaborate water fountain, but he saw nothing out of place. Lucy went over as well, but the maid too could find nothing. Everyone pitched in then, trying to see if they could discover what fate had befallen Kieran. But no matter how hard they looked, they found nothing else out of place. Even Jules, ever the mystery enthusiast, went about checking the bookshelves and knocking on wall panels looking for any sort of secret passageway. He too could find nothing. Even the phone line was dead, and he let out an exasperated sigh at the silence on the line.

After about an hour, hearts weary from the days events and stomachs rumbling from hunger, the group finally had t concede defeat. Lucy carefully put the curtains back into place, revealing the message once more.

"Can we see... what exactly?" she pondered aloud as the group left the room to return to the foyer.

They made their way back downstairs to find that someone had carted Saizo's body off, though the small bloodstains were still on the floor. Yuri and Belle were once again missing, but They found Orianna and Bianca in the company of another maid who looked to be there primary for emotional support as Orianna tried to keep her composure. You could see the tension leave her body as she spotted the group descending the stairs.

The maid standing with the two women in the foyer was a bit older than Lucy or Belle, but still couldn't be in her thirties. Her hair was cut shorter in the back, but longer in the front, and was a rich reddish orange color like the leaves in fall. Her eyes were a golden brown, like warm honey, and her skin had the radiant glow of someone born and raised in a tropical climate far from the dusky chill of this island.

"Oh, I'm so glad you all are okay." Orianna called out. "You were gone so long I..."

"Its okay." Jules said, shaking his head. "Father wasn't there, so he might yet be unharmed."

The maid looked visibly relieved. "Oh, that's good news." she said in a nearly flawless British accent. Wherever she was really from, she had hidden the accent well. "My name is Katrina. Belle and Yuri told me what happened, and they were the ones who took Saizo's..." her voice chocked a bit here, obviously it was hard for her to get these particular words out, "Saizo's body down to the infirmary. I took it upon myself to stay here with the ladies Leonhart in case anything happened."

"Thank you Katrina." Lucy said with a nod. They spent a few minutes telling the ladies about what they found in the master suite, including the second blood message.

"This is horrible." Orianna said softly. "Who could be doing all of this? And why?"

Jules was making sure to stay with Miraela. There was no clue what was going through the poor girls head right now. Her mother did her best to keep her sheltered, perhaps a bit too much so, but her mother wasn't here right now. And as much as he loved his daughter, Jules needed her to know what was going on. Her safety, all of their safeties, were at stake here. He wanted her to be prepared in case the killer came for her. Or in case something happened to himself of Alena, heaven forbid.

"There's nothing else we can do right now." Lucy said. Gregory looked absolutely defeated, as though he had personally failed Kieran and Saizo. Katrina placed a hand on his shoulder and this time he didn't shake it off.

"I know its not the best time for it," Lucy started, "But I know you all must be hungry. Violetta has been working all day to prepare a meal for your arrival and she would be very cross if all her work went to waste." Her thinly veiled attempt to lighten the mood went over surprisingly well as everyone realized they were, indeed, starving. Together, Lucy and Katrina led the group through the left doorway in the foyer.


~ Cainhurst Manor - Dining Room ~

After navigating down a long hallway, past a few closed doors and around a corner, the group stopped at another set of double doors. The smells of tasty food were already in the air. "Most of the important rooms in the manor, like the dining room for example have double doors." Katrina said as she and Gregory opened the doors for everyone to enter. "Helps you remember where the main rooms are so you don't get lost."

Inside the dining hall, a long table was set up with more than enough chairs for everyone. Filling the table were a whole collection of covered metal dishes. The maids went about removing the lids, revealing delicious looking item after delicious looking item. Meats both grilled and fried, vegetables cooked a dozen different ways, at least twenty different side items. It must have taken Violeta all day long to prepare this feast. And though the portions of each were probably smaller than what most present were used to, the quality was out of this world.

"I think you'll find Violetta is the best chef in all of Europe." Gregory said, clearly having to restrain himself from grabbing a chair and digging in with the rest of them.

"You're damn right I am." a french accented voice called out from the kitchen doors. The door burst open to reveal Voletta herself. They say to never trust a skinny chef, and if that was the case then Violetta was certainly trustworthy. She was a good two or three sizes larger than Orianna, not exactly overweight but certainly plump. This gave her amble curves and a large presence. Her skin was the color of rich dark chocolate and her hazel eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement. What really made her stand out though, even above everything else, was her mop of neon purple hair done up in a beehive hairdo. "I'm not here because I'm the second best chef in Europe, I'll tell you that. There's nothing you all have tried that can hold a candle to my cooking, not a damn thing."

"Vi, manners." Lucy said through her teeth. "We have guests."

"You can shove your manners up your-"

"Vi." Lucy said sternly. "We have guests."

"Fine, but they should know who it is that cooked for them." she said. "The name's Vi. Best chef all of you will ever find, I promise you that."

Lucy gave her another look as if to say: And remember your manners from now on. Vi sent one back that very clearly elaborated on precisely where she could shove those manners before ducking back into the kitchen. Gregory was trying very hard not to laugh. Katrina was softly shaking her head, a thin smile on her face.

"My sincerest apologies." Lucy said with an apologetic bow, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Kieran tolerates her... attitude because she truly is a culinary genius. Please, help yourselves." She and the other two staff members went about pulling out chairs for the guests and doing their best to act as servers though the mood was anything but festive. The events so far that night weighed heavily on all present.

---

CLUE FOUND!

 

[Schade]

=-------------------~♚~-------------------=
Callaway Gilbrand Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor​

The adventure to grampa Kierans bed-chamber was a surprisingly long one. Though, since Cal was younger than most of the others of his family, he quickly caught up. He did hope his sister didn't get murdured in his abscence. He didn't see if anyone else besides his mother stayed back. If his mother was murdered though.. Eh, it would probably be sad too.
"Hey, you,", He heard Alana say to one of the maids after he caught up. "Tell me, who the hell's responsible for holding the key to Gramps' rooms?"

"Well, whoever did, most likely doesn't anymore." Cal said in response, before he heard the maid also responded right after him. "Saizo had the only copy. No one else except Kieran himself had a key to this room.". this only made it more suspicious. Did his Grandfather murder that butler? It was a weird though, but Cal had heard stories of nobles killing their servants before. It wasn't unusual if they were somewhat mentally challenged. Maybe his grandfather went mad after his isolation?. He shook his head. No, Gramps would never do something like that. He had met him once when he was young, and though he didn't remember much, he remembered Kieran was the one to inspire Cal to study law, even from an early age. He was seriously worried about what they would find in his bedchamber.

As the group of Leonharts enared the end of the hall, the handsome butler, Gregory took charge, and tried to burst the doors open by his own physical (very impressive) strength. "Its locked!" he called back, his banging of the doors ceasing. "Don't worry, you did your best" Cal responded in a worried tone as he sprinted towards the doors himself.
Lucy, the dark-haired maid then stepped foreward with the key. It wasn't difficult to read the tension in her face. Cal stepped back from the door, and casually landed besides Gregory.
Being one of the lucky ones, Cal was also one of the first ones to see inside the bedchambers, seeing as he had darted in front of everyone else. The room was flashy, yet old-fashioned, after his own taste, Bookshelves with books and heirloom, some of which he recognized. The room was lit by the eerie glare from the still lit fireplace, centered in the room.

It was very obvious the room wa sempty, whic really worried Cal. Yeah, sure. Orianna could die for all he cared, but he always had a soft-spot for his Grandfather. He used to be s nice to him in his earliest years, unlike his mother. Though, seeing the eerie empty room really creeped him out. It was obvious Kieran wasn't there. Instead, there was some sort of scribbling on the curtains. "Can you see them?", the text said, and in the shady glare from the fireplace, it looked like it was written in.. blood? Cal felt sick. By now, he was cetain his grandfather was the second victom of this weird scheme. He tried keeping a straight face, but failed miserably.

"Hey. It's gonna be okay." Gregory told him after noticing his legs slightly shaking. His words were drenched in insecurity though, and it was pretty obvious he was thinking the same as Cal was. He then scurried ahead to search the room with a visibly shocked Lucy. Gregory walked towards the windows and pulled them open, revealing the fancy courtyard below. It also seemed the staff couldn't find anything to locate Kieran, maybe besides the eerie sentence on the curtains, whatever that meant. Everyone else also joined in, checking every inch of the room for other clues. Cal wanted to help out, but he was somewhat stuck in his position at the door. Sure, he wasn't the bravest of men around, but right now he was really scared. Scared for hus Grandpa, scared for his sister, scared for himself.

This search went on for a full hour, and after that, Lucy pulled the curtains back, and signaled for everyone to leave the room. The group then returned to the foyer, in silence. Cal was sure everyone had a lot to think about right now, and though he wanted to play off as the "cool guy" he was known to be, he didn't really feel up for it.

As they came back downstairs, Saizo's body had been removed. His mother and sister were standing with another maid, probably very confused. Though the grim faces on everyone really gave away what was expected.

"Oh, I'm so glad you all are okay." Orianna called out. "You were gone so long I...". Cal walked over to them, and stood close by them. Sure, he hated his mother down to his guts, but right now, he needed her support. He grabbed her arm like he used to do when he was young, and stood close by her.

"Its okay." Jules said, shaking his head. "Father wasn't there, so he might yet be unharmed.". That was a somewhat grim reminder. To Cal, it was obvious they would just encounter Kierans body somewhere. Maybe in the kitchen, somewhere disgraceful. But it was almost admirable to see the hop in Jules' face. almost.
Another maid accompanying his mother and sister seemed somewhat relieved, and introduced herself as Katrina. She had a pretty nice british accent, and Cal wondered why she kept up the formality in this situation. She also revealed that Belle and Yuri took care of Saizo's body.

"This is horrible." Orianna said softly. "Who could be doing all of this? And why?". Cal sighed to himself, though he remained at her side. "We have a lot of enemies in the upper class. Maybe it was one of them, hiring someone to set us astray." he said.

"There's nothing else we can do right now.", Lucy said, trying to comfort the family, though it worked on few. Gregory was standing besides her, and looked like he was about to faint with grief. Their gazes met briefly, But Gregory, probably trying to maintain his prefesional composure, looked away. Cal sighed. Luckily, the other maids tried comforting him. Not that Cal would try anything daring like his sister had done before. Unlike her affection with men, Cal's own wasn't really a family knowledge yet, and he still wanted to keep that up.

"I know its not the best time for it," Lucy started, "But I know you all must be hungry. Violetta has been working all day to prepare a meal for your arrival and she would be very cross if all her work went to waste.". This seemed to somehow lighten up the atmosphere in the room, which annoyed Cal. Sure, let us enjoy a meal the working-class can only dream of, while a butler is dead, my grandpa is missing, and an eerie blood-message is up there. he thought. He now distanced himself more from his mother, having caught up to the circumstances.


The smell of tasty food came quickly as the group ventured deeper into the mansion. This slightly lightened Cal's mood. Sure, he wasn't really comfortable with anything at all anymore, but he could use a proper meal. The second he thought this, he thought of himself as a hypocrite, considering his thoughts from just before. "Most of the important rooms in the manor, like the dining room for example have double doors.", Katrina said as she and Gregory opened the doors to the room. It was apparent that they were both still distraight, but Cal couldn't do anything but admire their effort to uphold the normal routine in the building, despite everything. "Helps you remember where the main rooms are so you don't get lost.", she continued.

It was very quiet, understandably, and he didin't want to be the one to break the ice. Not this time. The maids reveaed the food, looking nothing more than delicious, as he was used to throughout his entire life. He sighed, feeling like a stuck-up snob. The maids then went on to praise the chef, some Violetta character. Cal didn't bother paying attention. He was raised to view servants as nothing more than tools, and though he hated doing so, this time he really didn't care for what they tried to pull. As the servants withdres the chairs for the Leonharts to sit, Cal sat down next to his sister.

 

[Monster Guy]

Bianca Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor; Grand Foyer

Just like that, all of her other members took off up the stairs. She was surprised to see even Miraela go with everyone else. Although her reasoning was to look after Alena and Uncle Jules, she knew both of them could handle themselves, and was sure Mira knew this is as well. It was strange to say the least, but Bianca didn't dwell on it too much. She was now alone in the foyer with her mother, a distraught maid, an eccentric Russian doctor, and a corpse, If she had known there was going to be running involved, she would have worn practical shoes. Oh well, it was probably for the best. In the amount of time the others had been gone, Yuri and Belle took off with Saizo's body. After they left, another maid appeared. She introduced herself as Katrina, and started talking to her mother. Bianca didn't pay much attention to what they were talking about, and just stared at the stairs, wondering what was going on up there.

Eventually, everyone returned down the stairs. Oh, I'm so glad you all are okay." Her mother called out. "You were gone so long I..."

"Its okay." Her uncle said, shaking his head. "Father wasn't there, so he might yet be unharmed."

Bianca nodded. "Well, that's good to know."

They then spent a few minutes telling the ladies about what they found in the master suite, including the second blood message. Bianca was actually relieved she hadn't gone up there with everyone else. The fact that somebody would put their fingers in someone's blood just to leave a message was absolutely disgusting.

"This is horrible." Her mother said softly. "Who could be doing all of this? And why?"

"We have a lot of enemies in the upper class. Maybe it was one of them, hiring someone to set us astray." Cal replied.

Bianca wondered if that were true. They would have to go through a lot of trouble just to mess with us. "The drama continues..." Bianca mumbled to herself.

"There's nothing else we can do right now.", Lucy said, trying to comfort the family.

Gregory was standing besides her, and looked like he was distraught with grief. Which was to be expected. The other maids were around comforting him. While it sounded bad to think about, this whole ordeal was seriously getting in the way of a potential romance with the handsome butler. She hoped whoever was responsible would be brought to justice immediately.

"I know its not the best time for it," Lucy started, "But I know you all must be hungry. Violetta has been working all day to prepare a meal for your arrival and she would be very cross if all her work went to waste." Finally, an opportunity to get away from the subject of death.

After navigating down a long hallway, past a few closed doors and around a corner, the group stopped at another set of double doors. The smells of tasty food were already in the air. "Most of the important rooms in the manor, like the dining room for example have double doors." Katrina said as she and Gregory opened the doors for everyone to enter. "Helps you remember where the main rooms are so you don't get lost."

Once they were in the dining room, there was a table set with a bunch of dishes. The maids went about removing the lids, to reveal a bunch of perfectly cooked meals.

"I think you'll find Violetta is the best chef in all of Europe." Gregory said.

At that point, Violetta herself had to chime in, and actually agree with that statement. Bianca couldn't help giggling at the exchange between her and the other servants. If she truly was the best, then why on earth would she work for someone else? She could open open up her own restaurant if she truly had that kind of skill. Bianca was in Culinary Arts school herself, and she planned on opening her own restaurant herself one day. While she knew how to handle herself in the kitchen, she certainly didn't have the credentials to call herself the best chef in all of Europe.

As the servants withdrew the chairs for everyone to sit in, Bianca took the chair that Gregory had pulled out. The seat conveniently happened to be in between her brother, and her cousin Miraela. With everything that had occured, the mood in the dining room was somber. It was a rather tense situation to be in.

 

[Minteh]

Sybil Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor

Once they had reached the top of the stairs, Gregory burst through the double doors opposite the balcony and disappeared into the hallway beyond. The assembled Leonhart's, lead by Lucy and one of Sybil's older relatives, all followed close behind. Much like the foyer downstairs, the upper foyer was lavishly built and richly decorated, and the same could be said for the hallway beyond too. As they swiftly moved down the hall, Sybil didn't note anything of particular interest, in regards to furniture. There were doors on both sides of the hallway, about six in total; Sybil wondered if they should check any of them out, but as Gregory walked past all of them, she deemed it was likely unimportant for them to look in there. Instead, he went straight for the double doors at the end of the hallway, each marked with a golden lion head engraving. Once head had reached them, he attempted to open them, but, try as he might, they would not budge.

"Its locked!" he called back to the group, his banging ceasing.

Wordlessly Lucy retrieved the key from earlier and unlocked the doors, and then opened them up to reveal Kieran's suite.

There was a fireplace in one corner of the room, which acted as the only source of light in the room, until Lucy switched the light on. In comparison to the rest of the manor - or at least what they had seen of the manor - the room was sparsely decorated. However, despite the simplicity of the room, there were certain aspects of it that gave it an heir of grandeur.

Unfortunately, there was no sign of Kieran anywhere.

In fact, the only thing that greeted them in the room, was a very ominous message written in a similar red liquid to before.

"Can you see them?" was written across the curtains in the back of the room. Sybil's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand, visibly shocked at what she saw. This visit to discuss inheritance was certainly turning out differently than she had expected. When the shock had worn off, Sybil went on to help Gregory search the room. Whilst that had been her intentions, by the time they left the room an hour later having found nothing out of the ordinary, Sybil began to suspect she had become far too interested in the family heirlooms on display.

When they returned downstairs, there was someone new waiting with Bianca and her mother. Judging by her complexion, it seemed unlikely she was from around here, but she spoke English flawlessly, so it was difficult to tell where she was actually from. Her name was Katrina and after Belle and Yuri had taken Saizo's body away, she had taken it upon herself to keep watch over the Leonhart's who had remained downstairs.

After deciding there was nothing more they could do, Lucy noted that they must've all been hungry by now, and mentioned how it would seem a waste if their chef Violetta's food all went to waste.

~~

Dining Room

They had yet to enter the dining room, when Sybil picked up on the delicious aromas in the air. She didn't know what Violetta had prepared for them, but whatever it was, it smelled delicious. And when she finally laid eyes on what had been prepared - it certainly did not disappoint.

"I think you'll find Violetta is the best chef in all of Europe." Gregory explained, clearly having to restrain himself from digging in like the rest of them.

"You're damn right I am." A French accented voice called out from the kitchen doors. The doors then burst open revealing the aforementioned Violetta in all her glory. She was a large woman, being a bit on the chubby side, but was no means overweight. Her skin was the colour of rich dark chocolate and she had hazel eyes which seemed full of life and excitement. The most striking thing about her was hair: it was a bright neon purple hair.

Violetta then went on to have a bit of a spar in regards to manners with Lucy, before she ducked back into the kitchen. Gregory and Katrina seemed to be attempting to find little humour in what had happened, but they were evidently failing.

"My sincerest apologies." Lucy said with an apologetic bow, cheeks slightly flushed from her conversation with Violetta. "Kieran tolerates her... attitude because she truly is a culinary genius. Please, help yourselves."

She and the other two staff members went about pulling chairs out for the guests, and attempting to keep the mood somewhat festive. Sybil wasn't sure if everyone felt the same way, but the events of the night weighed heavy on her mind. And though Kieran was presumably unharmed, it still made her uncomfortable to know there was a murderer on the loose, and could still be lingering. Still, for the sake of keeping the mood light - mostly for herself than the rest of her relatives - Sybil remained quiet, and put on a warm smile as she picked at the meat and vegetables Violetta had prepared for them.

"This is delicious." Sybil said to no-on in particular, after she had managed a few mouthfuls of food. "My compliments to Violetta for preparing such wonderful food." She chuckled at that last remark, before returning to her meal.

 

[REAL DADS]

Callum Leonhart
All over the mansion

Gregory bursted into Kieran’s suite as soon as the lock clicked. As Callum caught up with Greg and Lucy, it was clear his uncle was not in the room.

“Kieran?!” Callum called out. “Uncle Kieran!” There was no reply.

It was then that Callum noticed the message in what appeared to be blood. It was written on the curtains, plain as day: Can you see them?

Greg pulled the curtains open, revealing the courtyard below. The pouring rain made it hard to see anything, but everyone gave it a try regardless. Callum looked carefully to see if he could locate the rose bushes. It was too dark to tell their color, however. Giving up on looking out the window, he turned his attention to the curtains.

“This looks like blood,” he said, stating the obvious. “But whose blood... “

That is what frightened him the most. Had the killer used some of the blood he had gotten from Saizo? That would mean he would have had to kill Saizo, then get upstairs with his blood, paint the message, then lock the door behind him. All before the rest of the house discovered the dead butler. Also add in the potential that the killer had kidnapped Kieran. The plan must have been put together perfectly. The issue Callum had with this, though, is where was the blood. Transporting blood from the foyer to the suite without spilling a drop? That’s impressive.

However, the alternative could be that the blood on the curtain was Kieran’s. Where was Kieran? Callum hoped that the lack of evidence of a struggle in the room meant that Kieran had not been harmed. Not yet.

Everyone searched the room thoroughly, and yet nothing of substance was revealed. When Greg finally gave up searching, Callum knew it was useless. They all retreated from the room, the question burning on all their minds being: Can they see who?

"Can we see... what exactly,” asked Lucy. Was it a 'what' or a 'who,' wondered Callum.

They returned to the foyer to reunite with the rest of their family. Although Greg mentioned the staff being much smaller than normal, it seemed every time Callum turned around there was a new maid helping out. This new maid looked like someone he was involved with for a bit during his time in Miami. Luckily for him, it wasn’t the same woman. Had it been, he may have been the next victim for that Russian doctor to examine.

"Oh, I'm so glad you all are okay." Orianna called out. "You were gone so long I..."

"It’s okay." Jules said, shaking his head. "Father wasn't there, so he might yet be unharmed."

Callum couldn’t help but think that his cousin was being optimistic with that statement. Or, at least, trying to keep Orianna from getting upset. Sure, they didn’t find Kieran’s dead body up there. However, the message in blood and the fact that Kieran was nowhere to be found made Callum far from being convinced that he might yet be unharmed. He kept his suspicions to himself.

They discussed the findings in the master suite for a bit before Lucy informed them that dinner was ready. Callum wasn’t the least bit hungry. Murder always spoiled his appetite. He was dying for a cigarette, however. He fiddled with the box in his pocket as they walked to the dining room. He had seen no ashtrays around, which probably meant he couldn’t smoke there. Which means if he wanted to smoke he would have to go to another room or even outside. Which means he would have to leave the group. Which means he would be alone. While a murderer was on the loose.

He sat down at the table.

His seat was next to the young Sybil. Callum was not very familiar with the girl. Tragic their first meeting would be tainted with murder every time they looked back on it. The maids and servers carried on as if nothing weird was happening. Which made everything even weirder for Callum. It was giving him some severe flashbacks to his time in Colombia. In the business of drug trafficking, murder was something that happened almost casually. You became desensitized to the violence. Callum did. For a bit, anyway. The years leading up to his return to Britannia were some of the darkest of his life, and they had a toll on him. Mentally and physically. He had gone through the ringer during that time. All of the feelings he experienced back then were coming back to him now. Feelings he had been desperate to leave behind when he left Miami.

"This is delicious." Sybil said. Callum jumped a bit, as if what Sybil said had startled him. He was so lost in his own thoughts that it had. He realized he was eating the food without tasting it.

"My compliments to Violetta for preparing such wonderful food." She let out a small laugh before returning to the meal. She must not have noticed Callum’s jerk before, or else she played it no mind.

What was he even eating? He looked down to his plate. It looked as if it was duck in a red berry sauce, with rice and vegetables on the side. He had barely touched it. He reached for his wine glass and took a deep gulp. That he tasted.

“Compliments to the vineyard as well,” he said to Sybil in response to her comment. He brought the glass back to his lips and drained it in a few gulps. He doubted all the wine on the isle would be enough to deal with the current events.

 

[*Jean Grey*]

Alena Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor

"Saizo had the only copy. No one else except Kieran himself had a key to this room," Lucy replied. Alena's expression softened a little, and she squeezed the maid's shoulder before letting her go. Her beautiful dark eyes were focused and honest, and the silver-haired woman believed her. She knew a liar's eyes all too well - darting and unwilling to hold a gaze; those were the eyes of Nicholas Frost when he told her he loved her, the eyes of Dr. Scott MacGregor when backed into a corner. Still, she couldn't exactly picture her grandfather, who was at least in his eighties if her father was to be believed, murdering Saizo by gouging his eyes out and stabbing him with his room key for good measure. Suicide was out of the question, as Saizo's hands weren't bloody either. If so, then who had slipped under their noses?

Gregory rushed forward past the doors on either side of the richly-decorated hallway, about six in total, and instead making his way straight for the grand double doors engraved with golden lion heads at the end of the hall. Alena slowed her pace as she took her time to look at them, wondering if they were locked. They probably were, but that didn't stop her from wanting to find out what was behind each door. Everyone was moving towards the end of the corridor, however, and she pushed her thoughts away before joining the rest. Gregory reached the double doors and tried with all his strength to pull them open. They remained closed, however. He then banged on them, as if that was going to make them yield.

"Its locked!" he called back, ceasing his banging. Lucy held up the key, before stepping forward to unlock the doors herself. She and Gregory then pushed the doors open, revealing Kieran's chambers, chambers that none of them had presumably seen before. The soft glow of dancing flames from a still-lit fireplace greeted them. Lucy switched on the lights to reveal an expansive chamber, its centrepiece being a large bed covered in luxurious purple sheets. A large armoire stood against the wall opposite the fireplace, and an armchair that looked to be made of plush, red velvet sat next to the fireplace, and standing right next to it was a single side table of polished wood, a telephone on top of it. The only phone on the island, if Saizo was indeed not exaggerating. Shelves lined the walls, some filled with books others with priceless antiques or family heirlooms. The overall impression of the room was both one of luxury and one of simplicity. The furniture was obviously expensive, but the room was less elaborate compared to the parts of the house Alena had seen, and she was rather surprised by it, though not in a bad way. She expected something...stuffier, so to say.

Aside from them, however, there was no trace of anyone. Kieran Leonhart wasn't in his suite.

However, there was something else; bold red smears across the pristine, white curtains that blocked the windows at the back of the room, smears that spelled out words. A message, written in dark red liquid that looked all too much like blood.

"Can you see them?" The message was spelled out plain and simple. What Alena didn't get, however, was what was there to see? From the looks on the faces of her father, sister and relatives, they probably were wondering the same thing. This is some damn twisted shit, she thought as she took a closer look at the message. Reaching out, she swiped a finger over the blood, then licked it.

"Who's them?" She muttered, before joining the others in scouring the room. First, she checked the fireplace, running her hand over the mantel and poking at the carvings. Hidden buttons or levers could be concealed almost anywhere after all, as long as the trigger was located. Disappointingly, there was nothing to be found. She then joined her dad, knocking on the walls to check for hollow spaces that could reveal themselves to be secret passageways; passageways that the culprit could have used to make Gramps disappear. After an hour without any fruitful results, however, the family conceded that there seemed to be nothing in the room, and left for the foyer once more.

Much to Alena's relief, Yuri had disappeared. The body was gone as well, however. Bianca and Aunt Orianna were in the company of yet another maid, judging from her uniform...another pretty maid that was. She had hair the color of autumn leaves, and a nice tan complexion than many a Brit could only dream of having. Alena briefly wondered whether looks were a factor for Kieran when hiring his staff...yes, Yuri included, as he really did have something about him, despite him being someone she didn't want to trust anytime soon. Uncle Cisrian was just a nurse and look what he did! A doctor could only be worse, she reminded herself. She quickly pushed the thought out of her mind, however, knowing that there were more important things to think about than whether or not Gramps would hire a troll, and whether or not Yuri was going to harm her anytime soon.

"Oh, I'm so glad you all are okay." Aunt Orianna called out. "You were gone so long I..."

"Its okay," her father interrupted, shaking his head. "Father wasn't there, so he might yet be unharmed." Unharmed. Her father sounded so hopeful, so optimistic, yet did he really have any way of knowing what happened to Gramps? The only way to find out whether he really was unharmed was if the old man showed up himself, and so far, he was a no-show. There was always the terrible possibility that whoever drove the key into Saizo might have done the same thing to her grandfather.

"Oh, that's good news," the maid spoke, relief evident in her perfectly British-accented voice. She then introduced herself as Katrina and informed them that Yuri and Belle had taken it upon themselves to bring Saizo's body to the infirmary.

"This is horrible." Orianna said softly. "Who could be doing all of this? And why?"

"We have a lot of enemies in the upper class. Maybe it was one of them, hiring someone to set us astray?" Cal suggested, bringing up the theory that there was perhaps, a mole in their midst.

"Psh, it's Yuri...definitely that damn Yuri," Alena grumbled to herself, hopefully not loud enough for anyone to hear, before raising her voice. "Well, whoever that twat is, they sure are hiding like a damn coward and won't fight like any self-respecting man," she emphasized as she looked around the foyer, silently daring for anyone who was hiding to come out, wherever they were, with her purple gaze. She looked towards Mira and saw her father standing next to her younger sister protectively. She knew that Mira could be hopelessly naive sometimes (although the girl was definitely much stronger than she looked), and now that they were all caught up in something that escalated in the strangest way, the least she could do was to watch her sister's back.

Lucy's voice sounded utterly pained as she pronounced that there was nothing they could do at that moment. Gregory's face was yet again a mask of defeat, and Katrina offered a comforting hand on his shoulder. Alright, no more hitting on anyone for now, Alena thought, half-wishing that Yuri would reappear and purge any thoughts of hitting on attractive servants out of her system. There were far more important things now.

"I know its not the best time for it," Lucy started, her tone changing. "But I know you all must be hungry. Violetta has been working all day to prepare a meal for your arrival and she would be very cross if all her work went to waste," She said, offering a welcome diversion from the gravity of the situation. Although it sounded enticing, Alena herself was torn. She was admittedly hungry, but was that more important than getting to the bottom of things as soon as possible? After all, killers liked to catch their victims unaware, like Saizo, and possibly Gramps. She lingered in the foyer for a few moments, before remembering that anyone could be a victim anywhere. The dining room probably wasn't going to be an exception. No, killers weren't stupid enough to have rulebooks on murder etiquette dictating which places were appropriate for killing, and she wasn't going to forgive herself if anything happened to her father or Mira, and by extension, her relatives.

"What the fuck is wrong with me? Killers only strike where there are damn people to begin with. No living people? No dead bodies," she mumbled, throwing up her hands as she decided to join the others.

----

Dining Room

The smell of tasty food wafted past Alena as the group stopped in front of another set of double doors. It smelled heavenly, and even managed to make her crack a smile, despite herself. After explaining that all the important rooms of the manor bore double doors, Katrina, with Gregory's help, opened the doors to reveal a large dining hall, which they all entered. In the middle of it was a long table, set with enough chairs for everyone to sit on. Filling the table were a whole collection of dishes concealed with metal covers, which the maids started taking off to reveal a rich assortment of delicious-looking dishes.

"Whoa, food porn," she whistled, prompting a look from her father, perhaps to silently scold her for her language, though she wasn't wrong to describe the setting as such. There was a variety of meats and steaks, vegetables ranging from the usual to more exotic ones, and many other side dishes. Violetta really did exhaust herself in preparing such a dinner, and it would have been a shame to pass on it. Even Alena, a lover of casual pub fare, knew that only imbeciles passed up on such a feast.

"I think you'll find Violetta is the best chef in all of Europe." Gregory said, the shine in his green eyes giving away his barely-contained urge to taste the food.

"You're damn right I am," a French accented voice called out from the kitchen doors, before they burst open to reveal the imposing yet attractive Violetta herself, the color of her hair, swept up into a beehive, clearly living up to her name. "I'm not here because I'm the second best chef in Europe, I'll tell you that. There's nothing you all have tried that can hold a candle to my cooking, not a damn thing."

"Vi, manners." Lucy said through her teeth. "We have guests." Alena had broken out a full grin, however, as the exchange continued; Lucy with her measured politeness, and Violetta with her barbed words. She liked Violetta and her casual manner. In a way, the chef reminded her of herself, except for the difference in cooking skills, of course. The purple-eyed young woman was, after all, known for being downright terrible at cooking. If they said Violetta was the best chef in Europe, she sure as hell was going to believe it, given what was spread out on the table.

Alena took a seat next to Mira, picking up her knife, slicing a piece of the steak she had chosen and eating it. The high that the scent of the food had brought her was now gone, and she found herself thinking about Saizo's murder and her grandfather's disappearance once more. Was she even supposed to be eating?

"This is delicious. My compliments to Violetta for preparing such wonderful food." She heard her cousin Sybil say.

“Compliments to the vineyard as well,” a male voice responded. Alena guessed that he was her uncle Callum, her father's cousin who lived in America for quite some time. She always found him cool ever since she heard stories about him, although some of her relatives were less inclined to agree with her, as he didn't care for bearing, prestige and whatnot. Taking his cue, she gulped down all the wine. It didn't taste bad, but at that moment, she wished for a stronger drink; something like bourbon whiskey or vodka that could help distract her even for a few minutes. But then, would a stronger drink even work? She was never one to run away from her problems, and the few times she tried, she always found herself choosing to deal with them anyway, a few minutes after she decided otherwise.

In the end, she decided to try confronting the tense atmosphere and breaking it.

"I can't bear this! Why can't we all stop fucking avoiding it and just talk? This is a free country, someone just got bloody murdered and Gramps isn't in his room! We eat dinner, grab a few drinks...and then what? We're just sitting around quietly like weak little lambs, waiting for the next bad thing to happen!" She was impatient, and very rightly known for it, but what could she do? A dinner wasted on saying nothing when something clearly wasn't right? Time looking for clues after dinner wasted on discussion that could have been done over their meal? Talking was better than nothing for now, at least!

 

[Vern]

Haze Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor

The group came skidding to a stop in front of a pair of wooden doors that looked about as large as those they had entered the mansion through. Since Haze had been among the last to follow the group upstairs, she ended up arriving just as Gregory finished banging on the two wooden doors. She had heard him scream ‘it’s locked’ as she was still racing down the hallway, but apparently that matter had been resolved. Already, the group was gathered in front of the doors, as if they were afraid to go in. Haze manoeuvred herself to stand in front of her relatives, taking in Kieran’s room.

It was a surprisingly homely place, sparsely decorated, drawing a great contrast to the extravagancy of the foyer. However, it still managed to give off a feeling of grandeur, and Haze could tell at first glance that this was a room of someone with a good amount of money. She didn’t see much of what furniture there actually was in that room, due to the only source of light being a fireplace that wasn’t exactly burning brightly. She looked upwards, and almost did a double take, but managed to restrain herself. Written on the curtains, in a reddish liquid that seemed to be blood, were the words ‘Can you see them?’.

Haze blinked, immediately connecting these words to the text on the floor next to Saizo’s head. ’Look! Can you see them?’

“See… what?” she murmured, keeping her voice down low enough to escape the notice of her relatives, who all seemed to be pretty shocked. Now that Haze thought about it, the word ‘Look’ was somewhat redundant in that sentence. Maybe, when she panicked and started writing things down, she was overreacting. Haze let out a small sigh of relief, feeling a burden being lifted from her shoulders. By the time she had finished turning all this information over in her head, her relatives had already rushed into the room and began searching for clues, all except for one man, who just seemed to be standing there, rooted to the spot. Haze couldn’t blame him - she kind of felt like turning and running herself.

However, she put that thought to the back of her mind, and focused her attention on doing something else. It was a trick she had learned back in her days with her father, who was more often than not drunk. She used to dread coming home and meeting with him, and, in a way, still did. So she focused on something else. A miniature wooden see-saw she was building in her room, or perhaps the pizza they were going to have for dinner. Think about these things hard enough, and the dread would go away. So she thought about something else - namely, examining the gardens outside the window, which were previously obscured until Gregory had flung open the curtain.

The storm was still raging outside, but the soundproofing of the manor was so perfect that she could hear nothing more than a little whistle. In fact, most of the people seemed to have forgotten about it already, occupied with their search of the room. Soundproofing was a double-edged sword - nobody could hear you cry, but then again, nobody could hear you scream either. Although normally soundproofing would be a blessing for Haze, in this particular situation she would have liked to be able to hear the sound of the wind howling outside, if only so she could be sure that if another death occured, people would know before coming upon the body. Seeing that her thoughts were turning once more towards her rather unfortunate situation, she directed her attention to searching for something else - namely, that bush with the red flowers that Belle had mentioned before. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find it in the time she had. Her relatives began to leave the room, and she knew for a fact that there was no way she was allowing herself to get left behind. Normally, she would enjoy the solitude, but unfortunately this was not ‘normally’. Haze quickly turned away from the window and followed her relatives as they headed downstairs.

When the returned to the foyer, Haze found the people that had stayed behind to still be alive and well. Yuri was missing, but he had most likely just gone back to wherever he had come from in the first place. Words were exchanged between the people around her, but Haze paid them no attention. Saizo’s body had been removed in their absence, and all that was left were some bloodstains and her little permanent-ink oval. She stared at it for a while as her relatives calmed themselves down. Haze looked up when she heard something about food, and trotted along after her relatives as they made their way into the dining hall.

Haze sat near the end of the large table, as far away from her relatives as the size of the room would allow. She didn’t listen to much of the conversations around her, instead just digging into her meal. She had to agree with everyone else - it was superb, better than anything she had ever had in her not-so-long lifetime. She was just about to calm down and fall into a rhythm of normalcy when a loud voice, clearly irritated, broke the silence.

"I can't bear this! Why can't we all stop ****ing avoiding it and just talk? This is a free country, someone just got bloody murdered and Gramps isn't in his room! We eat dinner, grab a few drinks...and then what? We're just sitting around quietly like weak little lambs, waiting for the next bad thing to happen!" The woman speaking was someone that looked distinctly un-noble, having more of a gangster look. “A dinner wasted on saying nothing when something clearly wasn't right? Time looking for clues after dinner wasted on discussion that could have been done over their meal? Talking was better than nothing for now, at least!”

Haze had to agree, but she wasn’t about to speak up. The tension in the air was suddenly raised to a rather uncomfortable level from the previous calm, and Haze suddenly realised that her left had was twitching slightly - a habit she had thought she had gotten rid of a while ago. It was too much of a surefire indicator that she was stressed, and Haze didn’t like it when people knew about her emotions. She looked around the table, without moving her head, waiting for someone else to fill the uncomfortable silence.