Well, that man wasn’t just a domestic abuser. Ethan had mentioned he had a prior conviction for murder.
Maybe leaving him locked up in the cell was actually showing mercy. If he got out, he might meet an even more gruesome end.
The man fumbled around on the floor, reaching for the key that had fallen just outside the bars. It looked like he’d be able to grab it with just a bit more effort.
“Let’s go. Don’t waste your time.”
Ethan’s voice pulled me back.
I supported Nox as we moved past the cell and kept walking.
Behind us, I heard the sound of the prison bars creaking open. The man stepped out—but not in the direction we had come from. Instead, he headed toward the police station, where the monsters were.
“If that door gets breached, won’t this place be in danger too?”
I asked, frowning. Ethan’s expression hardened.
“We need to move faster.”
I kept walking, helping Nox along, when I suddenly felt the ground give a slight tremor beneath my feet. What the hell?
I hesitated, but Nox and Ethan kept moving silently, leaving me no chance to ask questions. We needed to get out of here as quickly as possible.
I forced myself to keep walking. A little farther ahead, we finally reached a dead end.
There, a circular hole, just big enough for a person to squeeze through, gaped in the floor.
Ethan knelt by the hole and peered inside.
“It hasn’t been used in a long time. Looks dusty.”
I stared at him in disbelief. It looked like a chute—a slide you’d see in a water park—designed to dump bodies outside.
“We’re supposed to go in there?”
“Yes. It’s connected to a deep pit, like a well. This passage was used to dispose of corpses.”
“Corpses...? That’s barbaric. People really used this?”
Nox looked at Ethan, incredulous. Ethan ran his fingers along the dusty floor of the chute and frowned.
“Actually, this underground prison wasn’t even used until I got here. It was built as a formality. What would a rural village like this need an underground prison for?”
Right. He’d mentioned this before when we were planning at Happy House.
So the prison was left abandoned—until Ethan showed up in Brunel, arrested that domestic abuser with a murder record, and had no choice but to use it. Classic Ethan.
“But it was used at least once, right?”
I asked. Ethan nodded.
“They don’t give funerals to criminals. When prisoners died, they needed a place to dispose of the bodies. They used to dig deep pits like wells and burn the corpses inside.”
So basically, sliding down this water-park chute would drop us into a well-like crematorium.
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“If it’s that deep, how do we get back up?”
“There’s a ladder that connects to the surface. Someone has to go down to light the fire and clean up.”
I swallowed nervously and stared at the pitch-black hole.
Hearing it hadn’t been used in a long time only made it creepier. It felt like the perfect setup for a horror movie.
Then Nox spoke up.
“Did you know? Nox Cornell Ludfisher is the direct heir of the Marquis Ludfisher family and a highly promising elite doctor.”
Arms crossed, he’d been listening to Ethan’s explanation with a relaxed expression—only to suddenly refer to himself in the third person. What the hell?
“If it’s been unused for this long, there’s no way Lancaster knows what’s waiting at the bottom. What if something happens? The world would lose an incredible talent.”
As ridiculous as it sounded, he had a point. I nodded in agreement.
“That’s true. I’m also the heiress of the Sinclair family—a superstar of high society. My fans would be devastated if something happened to me.”
Anti-fans were technically fans too, right? Not that I was sure any of them were still alive. Still, I humored him, figuring I should stay on his good side. After all, I wanted to recruit him as Happy House’s resident doctor.
Nox flashed me a bright smile.
“Miss Sinclair, it’s nice to see you speaking sense for once. People like us have a duty to protect our reputations.”
“I thought you were talking bullshit earlier, but maybe you’re right. Social standing really is important.”
While Nox and I exchanged remarks, Ethan stepped up to the hole and took the lead.
“Fine. You two can stay here, then.”
“...”
I rubbed my face in frustration. So much for avoiding this mess.
“Damn it. Fine. Sir Ethan, you go first. Then Ludfisher. I’ll go last. Sir, take the bag and make sure it’s safe when you get down.”
Ethan sat down at the edge of the hole and nodded. Hearing the order of descent, Nox immediately objected.
“It’s too dangerous for a lady to go last. I should be the one—”
“Do you want me to carry you down again?”
“...I’ll go second.”
Nox flashed a quick smile and quietly lined up behind Ethan.
Without hesitation, Ethan slid into the hole.
Thud.
A moment later, I heard the faint sound of him landing far below.
The passage... was longer than I’d expected.
Nox and I exchanged glances. His face twisted into a grimace as he reluctantly sat down at the edge of the hole. Then, with a dramatic look, he met my gaze.
“See you on the other side.”
And with that, Nox disappeared into the hole. A moment later, I heard his landing.
“Send the bag down!”
I shouted down the chute and tossed the bag in first. Then I braced myself at the edge, taking a deep breath.
“I’ll catch you at the bottom, Miss Sinclair. Don’t worry.”
Ethan’s voice called up to me. I’d hesitated for only a second, and he was already hurrying me.
“Alright, I’m coming down!”
I shouted back and slid down. It really felt like a water slide, and soon, I could see light at the end.
Thump.
I landed on something both firm and soft. Wait—did I just land on someone?
I looked up to see Ethan’s face, silhouetted against the sunset sky. So he really had caught me at the bottom.
Above Ethan, a round patch of sky framed by the walls of the pit looked down at us. It actually felt like we were frogs at the bottom of a well, staring up at the world.
The reddish glow of the sunset made the scene seem strangely peaceful—like everything that had happened so far had been nothing but a bad dream.
I couldn’t believe I was standing in a corpse incinerator and having poetic thoughts.
“Are you alright?”
Ethan’s voice brought me back. Only then did I realize I was still in his arms. Embarrassingly late, I scrambled to get down.
Leaning against the wall, Nox glanced over and spoke.
“I’d really like to get out of here. Lancaster, where does this lead?”
Ethan hoisted the remaining bag onto his shoulder before answering.
“It connects to the hill behind Brunel village. Right behind Sinclair’s Happy House.”
Hearing that, I pictured the hill.
The hill behind Happy House wasn’t very tall, and the slopes were gentle. It was big enough to provide cover from monsters, and it was easy to forage or hunt for food there.
“So we’re outside the village? That’s good news.”
Nox let out a relieved sigh, sounding genuinely comforted. I stepped toward him and snatched the bag from his hands. After all, he was still injured.
“I’ll carry it.”
“I’m already well aware of how strong you are, Miss Sinclair. But it’s still a gentleman’s duty to—ugh.”
Nox tried to refuse and insisted on carrying the bag himself, but a sharp pain in his thigh cut him off mid-sentence.
I patted him on the shoulder.
“I’m strong. Just lean on me.”
Nox looked at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. Ethan, too, had an odd look in his eyes. I ignored both of them and stepped toward the ladder.
“This time, I’ll go up first.”
Both men nodded silently. I started climbing.
“Careful, Miss Sinclair. Step by step.”
Nox, ever the gentleman, watched my back as I climbed.
His ingrained manners made me feel like a proper noble lady for once.
Before long, I saw the ground above. It looked like the entrance to the forest.
God, I was exhausted.
Once we made it back to Happy House, the first thing I wanted to do was collapse onto my bed.