Titania ended up in her room, softly lying on the carpet, the shade coming from her bed above her. Her hand was outstretched, and a few birds chirped outside, the noise entering through the open windows. Peace, as if nothing had happened. 

Her body trembled, and she felt her mind running a hundred miles per hour, but nothing would move. She was just there, immobile and quivering a mess.

Raon. Cedric. Think, think, think, don't stop. 

Her body shot upwards, and barreling to her door, she ripped it open and shouted into the hallway. "ANNIE, DRAKE!" to be greeted by total silence. There was not a person here, but there was only utter silence. Storming forward, she entered Chrys's realms to find them empty. No one was here either; the silken cushions and sofas that generally at least one person was around were devoid of life.

Turning on her heel, she stormed down the stairs and ended up in the kitchen. Except in the dead of night, someone was always here, but it was starkly empty. But they couldn't be gone too long; the noodle water for whatever had been planned for dinner was still hot, and the tableware was everywhere. A half-cut cabbage on a wooden board.

What the hell is going on here? 

Knowing she couldn't panic, she took a couple of deep breaths, reigning in her mind that kept drawing up worst-case situations. She tried to focus on the situation at hand. Raon and Cedric were somewhere in the city fighting for their lives; she was back home, delivered by shadows. That must have taken out a gallon of Cedric's powers; he couldn't do that more than once or twice daily. 

Everyone was gone; where could they be? What could be the reasons? That was what she had to focus on.

She had no clue why everyone would be gone, but there were only a few places they could have gone to. The Greenhouse provided enough space, and the other side was the cellar.

First, the cellar, then the Greenhouse. 

The Greenhouse was better, but regardless of what happened, the cellar was a fortress only accessible to those who knew the entrances. Which were not public. Similar to Chrys's weapons rack, it was anything but general knowledge, especially how to get down there in the first place. Walking through the kitchen, she squeezed herself into the back, the servant passageways.

The narrow hallways were a small labyrinth that led someone everywhere in the house except for the bedrooms.

Downwards. 

The cellar was deep down. Following the hallways, she walked more and more downwards until she was at the training facilities. She left them at the first underground level and went through the empty training halls and shooting ranges until she was where their so-called hall of fame was.

From here it was....left. 

Turning left, she was in front of a giant computer screen. The monstrosity was old-fashioned but a good training tool for showing off techniques. She could hear Drakes's voice when she was little; he had shown her how to move correctly. Fingering behind the screen, she searched for the buttons. One for activating it, one for shutting down, those were for the volume and then. She pressed the last button, and the screen slid aside, opening up a few stairs that led further downwards. She stepped inside; the screen closed them behind her, and the lights flickered to life. Rushing downstairs, she ended up in what they called the basement. 

"Annie, Drake." She shouted. She came to a halt in the basement to see absolutely no one. Now, it was getting creepy. She had just been talking, like half an hour, with Annie on the phone; where had they all gone?

"Fuuuuuuuuck!" She shouted her frustration, gulping down the creepy feeling that slowly appeared.

There is still the Greenhouse; there is still the Greenhouse. After that, you can lose your shit. 

Putting in some speed, she barreled through the basement. The training hall entrance was a one-way street, and their mother had a habit of drama.

The basement, worthy of its name, had a few stone statues standing at the corners; searching for the one she knew, she halted in front of the pouting mermaid, as Chry called it. This exit was a straight path to the living room. Taking the mermaid's hand, she injected her magical energy into it, and the mermaid became transparent. Running right through it, she returned to the living room and went to the Greenhouse.

Finding herself in the Greenhouse, she went around searching. Where the heck was everyone.

"Annie! Drake!" She shouted, and still no answer. Gulping, she ran to the only place that could hold most staff and birds.

The sight that greeted her let her breath stop. Chry and the birds were all clad in armor; even Zhu Wei, their entire security was present, literally everyone. Her Mother, Chry, Drake, and Annie, handed them guns, blades, and weapons. 

"Annie, Drake, Mother, Sis!" Titania shouted and ran towards them as the others parted before her, coming to a halt, breathing harshly. 

"Cedric...Raon...in the city....they need help." She gasped. 

"Where?" Annie asked, and Titania mattered down the address, or at least the last street's name she could remember. Annie left in a blaze of yellow upon her words. 

"Titania." Her mother's gaze was icy upon her, and Titania gazed up at her. Seldom does her mother look truly murderous. She had her fickle whims and occasional craziness, but right now, it was gone. Instead, right now, she had a gaze that made Titania shudder; gone the roses, she felt like she was standing in front of an entirely different person. 

It was just a few seconds, and her look turned warm and soft. Suddenly, her mother bowed down and gently kissed Titania's temple. "I love you, daughter. Never forget that." 

"Yes. I love you too." Titania muttered back and then was left standing as she was shoved into Drakes's arms. 

"Drake, you take Titania to the basement alongside all non-combatants and children. Wait to leave there until you receive my, Annies or Chrysanthes go. I will be entrusting you with their safekeeping. Food and necessities have been stocked to last for at least half a year for the next few months." 

"Mother." Titania objected. She didn't want to be locked away while the rest of her family was fighting. Struggling, she tried to escape Drake, who kept her in a vice-like grip. 

"Please come with me, young Miss." He muttered. "We have no choice. Right now, we are liabilities your mother and the others cannot afford." 

Struggling, Titania was dragged along with others like Zhu Wei, followed by Dexter. Most of the people were staff and a few of her sisters. Birds followed along, leaving a much smaller group of people behind. 

Her sister gave her a wave of the hand and a dazzling smile. Being forced, despite her struggling, she found herself back in the basement. Escaping Drake's gasp, she ran towards the exit and placed her hand on it, injecting her magic only to discover that it did not work. 

"Leave it be, young Miss," Drake said behind her, his hand on her shoulder.

 "It is locked. It will only open when one of the other young masters gives permission or when they die. Right now, you are needed here." 

"But I can't just leave them. I get that I am not a fighter, but I am useful, a high-level mage, and a good shooter. I can help." She cried out and was met with a stern gaze from Drake. 

"Do you think we are okay with this?" He asked her, and she stilled. "We are not. But we know that we have no choice. If we stay, we are a weakness since the others will seek to protect us, but right now, they cannot. They need to protect themselves." 

Her gaze went to everyone else. Most of them looked visibly down, most certainly not okay. 

"Young Miss, you are the strongest Mage here and the only Tarajan. We need you, and they need you to be strong. I am not a problem, but look, many of us are your age, are ill like Zhu Wei or the kitchen staff, even non-mages." He said, and she balled her fists; this was not okay; this was most definitely not okay. "We cannot leave here; we are as trapped as you are and need you to be there for us now." 

"But you are here," Titania muttered. "You are stronger than me and could do a far better job...I can write up there and shoot...I won't be a ...hindrance...." Her voice turned faint with her words. 

"But I am not a Tarajan. You are." Drake patted her head, and she felt more like a child than ever. It was frustrating; Raon and Cedric might die only because she had to go to school and help Amita. If she had left everyone alone and gone home alone, this couldn't have happened, and no one would have been in danger. If she had just been a bit more practical, she wouldn't be so much in the dark, and doing better at the job with Mikki certainly wouldn't have hurt either.

It doesn't matter now. I should just stop; Drake is right. Wallowing in self-pity and blame won't change anything. 

Suppressing her tears, she looked up at Drake and smiled at him, forcing her lips to curl upwards. "Alright." Putting on a smile, forcing it to be the pretty kind, the happy one.