Chapter 49: The Bloody Note

The warm lights of the Nightmare Grand Hotel glowed against the rainy night as Gene and Selene Mooncrest returned through the front doors carrying market bags and the sweet smelling barrel of honey.

Gene had expected a relatively peaceful evening.

Maybe tea.

Maybe spending time reading with Lilith.

Possibly listening to Chef Lucien Delacroix passionately explain why imported spices were “a sacred art form.”

Instead, the moment they stepped inside, Hank stood abruptly from the reception desk.

Hank looked unusually serious.

“Boss.”

Gene immediately frowned.

“What happened?”

Hank rubbed the back of his neck.

“We sort of got a prince in the medical wing.”

Gene blinked.

“…What?”

Selene stiffened instantly.

“Cassian?”

Before Hank could answer, the elevator doors at the end of the lobby opened.

Jesse Belle stepped out first, her expression troubled.

Behind her came The Caretaker, towering silently behind her.

There was blood on his gloves.

More blood than usual.

Selene’s face paled.

“What happened?”

Jesse Belle sighed heavily.

“We found him torn to hell near the forest roads.”

Gene’s stomach dropped.

⸻

The Medical Wing

The medical wing of the hotel had originally been little more than a few spare recovery rooms.

Victor and Morrigan had changed that dramatically.

Now it resembled a bizarre mixture of hospital, laboratory, and magical research center.

Blue crystal lights glowed softly overhead.

Metallic equipment hummed quietly.

Glass tubes bubbled with strange liquids.

There was a neon sign on the wall read

 “No Dying Allowed”

Gene hurried beside Selene as they entered the largest treatment room.

 Prince Cassian Aurelius lay unconscious on a reinforced bed.

His normally immaculate appearance was ruined.

His noble coat had been almost completely shredded in his battle.

Bandages wrapped tightly around his chest and arms.

Dark bruises marked his neck.

Several deep claw-like wounds stretched across his side.

Selene inhaled sharply.

“Oh no…”

Gene had never seen Cassian look fragile before.

Even unconscious, the prince somehow still looked stubborn.

Victor Graves adjusted his goggles while studying glowing monitors beside the bed.

Morrigan Graves calmly stitched one final wound shut with black magical thread.

Victor looked up.

“Ah! Finally, the family of the bleeding prince.”

Gene ignored that statement completely.

“Is he okay?”

Victor nodded enthusiastically.

“Oh yes! Surprisingly it’s mostly just exhaustion and dehydration.”

Morrigan sighed.

“He pushed himself far beyond his limits.”

Victor pointed at the prince proudly.

“Frankly, it’s impressive he survived long enough to reach the hotel.”

Selene looked horrified.

“That is not comforting.”

Victor paused.

“Well he should be waking up soon.”

Morrigan cleaned her hands carefully.

“Whoever attacked him definitely used some corrupted magic. Several wounds refused to heal naturally.”

Gene crossed his arms tightly.

“Cultists.”

The room fell silent.

Victor and Morrigan exchanged a glance.

Selene slowly looked toward Gene.

“You think so?”

Gene nodded grimly.

“Cassian warned us. And traditionally this is what happens in stories about prophecy.”

Gene shakes his head in thought.

The Caretaker stood motionless near the wall.

Even silent, his presence filled the room with tension.

Jesse Belle folded her arms.

“He was fightin’ near the forest roads when we found him.”

Her expression darkened.

“There were a bunch of bodies everywhere when we showed up.”

Gene looked at the Caretaker.

“You protected him?”

The giant gave a slow nod.

Jesse Belle smiled faintly.

“Of course, big fella tore a bunch of those attackers apart.”

The Caretaker tilted his head slightly.

Gene stepped closer and rested a hand against the giant’s arm.

“Thank you.”

The Caretaker’s shoulders relaxed slightly beneath the black coat.

⸻

The Bloody Note

As Gene turned back toward Cassian, Jesse Belle suddenly snapped her fingers.

“Oh right!”

She reached into the Caretaker’s coat pocket.

“Almost forgot.”

Gene looked over exquisitely. 

The Caretaker looked mildly offended.

Jesse Belle pulled out a folded, bloodstained note.

“This was what he handed us before he clocked out.”

Gene immediately took it.

The paper was soaked through in places with dried blood.

Selene moved beside him as he carefully unfolded it.

The handwriting was rushed and uneven.

Parts were smeared.

But enough remained readable.

The Hollow King is real.

A cult moves within the towers and noble houses.

They believe Mystic Blood Valley and the horror summoner are the final keys.

The mountain is tied to the seal.

Trust no one tied to the old pact.

If I fail—

And do not let the inheritance awaken too soon.

The bottom portion had been smeared almost entirely beyond recognition.

Gene read the words twice.

Then a third time.

Selene touched her necklace anxiously.

“The old pact…”

Gene frowned.

“That’s what Cassian’s father mentioned.”

Morrigan looked troubled.

“A cult hidden inside noble society would explain how they keep erasing records.”

Victor nodded.

“Oh yes. Very dramatic conspiracy behavior.”

Gene rubbed his face tiredly.

“I really miss when our biggest problem was Chomper eating tourists.”

As if summoned by his name, Chomper poked his lid through the half-open doorway.

He chirped curiously.

Gene pointed toward the hallway.

“No.”

The mimic slowly closed the door again.

⸻

Questions Without Answers

The group remained in the medical wing for another hour discussing possibilities.

None of the answers felt good.

The Hollow King.

The mountain.

The inheritance.

The pact.

The cult.

Everything connected somehow, but the full picture remained frustratingly incomplete.

Selene sat quietly beside Cassian’s bed for a while.

Gene noticed the guilt on her face.

“He’ll be okay.”

She looked up softly.

“I know.”

Gene leaned against the wall beside her.

“He came here because he trusted us.”

Selene nodded.

“And because he was scared.”

That bothered Gene more than almost anything else.

Cassian was many things.

Arrogant.

Idiotic.

Competitive.

Dramatic.

But not easily frightened.

If someone like him looked terrified—

Then whatever was coming had to be truly dangerous.

⸻

A Restless Night

Eventually Victor forced everyone out.

“The prince requires sleep.”

He pointed dramatically toward the hallway.

“And the rest of you require less brooding.”

Gene and Selene reluctantly returned to their room.

Rain continued falling softly outside.

The distant storm above the mysterious mountain flashed occasionally with pale lightning.

Gene collapsed backward onto the bed with a groan.

“I am officially overwhelmed.”

Selene lay beside him.

“You?”

Gene turned toward her.

“I got reincarnated into a fantasy world and somehow became involved in an ancient prophecy about dream realms and nightmare gods.”

Selene smiled faintly.

“When you say it like that…”

“It sounds deeply unhealthy.”

Despite everything, she laughed softly.

Gene wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

For a while, they simply listened to the rain.

But sleep did not come easily.

⸻

Midnight Visitor

Gene had no idea how long he had been asleep when the bedroom door creaked open.

Tiny footsteps padded across the floor.

Then the blankets suddenly lifted.

A small figure climbed directly between him and Selene.

Gene opened one eye blearily.

“…Lilith?”

Lilith snuggled comfortably beneath the blankets.

“Uncle Cassian woke up.”

Selene sat upright instantly.

“He’s awake?”

Lilith nodded seriously.

“He asked for Gene.”

Gene sighed and pushed himself out of bed.

“Of course he did.”

Lilith yawned.

“Also I had a nightmare.”

Selene immediately hugged her.

“What happened?”

Lilith looked unusually uneasy.

“There was a giant mouth under the mountain.”

Gene and Selene exchanged a quick glance.

Neither liked that at all.

⸻

Cassian Awakens

The medical wing was quieter now.

Most of the lights had dimmed for the night.

Cassian sat propped against several pillows when they entered.

He looked pale.

Exhausted.

But alive.

The moment he saw Gene and Selene, visible relief crossed his face.

“Well,” Gene said carefully, “you look terrible.”

Cassian managed a weak smirk.

“And you are still short.”

“I’m glad nearly dying hasn’t damaged your personality.”

Selene sat beside the bed immediately.

“You idiot.”

Cassian blinked.

“That’s unusually affectionate.”

“You were almost killed!”

Cassian’s expression softened slightly.

“Right…I know.”

Gene pulled over a chair.

“Start talking.”

⸻

The Truth Comes Out

For the next hour, Cassian explained everything.

The hidden note in the archive.

The references to the Hollow King.

The disappearing evidence.

The followers watching him.

The attacks.

The hidden lockbox.

The gemstone.

The riddle.

As he spoke, the room grew steadily colder.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

Gene especially focused on one detail.

“They specifically mentioned me?”

Cassian nodded.

“The horror summoner.”

Selene folded her arms.

“Why?”

Cassian looked toward the dark window.

“I think your world merger accelerated something.”

Gene frowned.

“The prophecy.”

“Yes.”

Cassian exhaled slowly.

“And whatever lies beneath that mountain is waking up.”

Lilith quietly climbed into Gene’s lap during the conversation.

For once, even she looked unsettled.

Gene looked toward Cassian.

“The gem. Where is it?”

Cassian carefully reached beneath the blankets and pulled out a small wrapped bundle.

Inside rested the crimson gemstone.

It pulsed faintly.

Like a heartbeat.

The moment Selene’s necklace reacted to it, everyone in the room stiffened.

Silver light met crimson.

The air vibrated.

Gene immediately wrapped the gem back up.

“Nope.”

Cassian nodded weakly.

“That was my reaction too.”

⸻

The Next Step

“So what do we do?” Selene asked quietly.

Nobody answered immediately.

Because none of them knew.

Gene stared at the wrapped gemstone.

“We need more information.”

Moira’s voice suddenly came from the doorway.

“And preferably less attempted murder.”

Everyone turned.

Moira Valecourt entered carrying several books and looking like she had not slept at all.

“I found references to the Hollow King in pre-collapse records.”

Gene groaned.

“Please tell me it’s good news.”

“It is profoundly not good news.”

“Fantastic.”

Before Moira could continue, the intercom crystal on the wall crackled.

Hank’s voice echoed through the room.

“Uh… little situation down here.”

Gene pinched the bridge of his nose.

“What now?”

There was a pause.

Then Hank answered carefully.

“Prince Cassian’s fiancée is at the front desk.”

Silence.

Cassian went completely still.

Selene slowly turned toward him.

“You’re finally engaged?”

Cassian looked deeply exhausted.

“…I was hoping to survive the cult assassination attempts before explaining that part.”