The innkeeper staggered, knocking over a stool, his hands desperately clawing at his neck.
He looked directly at Kyle—fear and urgency clear in his eyes—and tried to gesture something with his hand before dropping to his knees.
Kyle was already moving. He knelt beside the innkeeper and placed a hand on his back, letting his mana probe the man's body for the source of the attack.
His expression darkened.
Kyle stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he knelt beside the struggling innkeeper.
A wave of violent mana struck him the moment he got close—it wasn't subtle, nor was it part of the man's natural reserves.
This was foreign. Imposed. Controlled.
Kyle let out a breath through his nose and focused, weaving his own mana into a protective veil to filter and push back the hostile force.
Kyle muttered under his breath, half to himself, half to the air.
The mana resisted like a living thing, clawing at Kyle's influence, but Kyle was used to dealing with hostile forces.
He wasn't a master just in name—his understanding of mana was terrifying in its own right.
Silvy blinked, then darted off toward the kitchen without questioning him.
Kyle leaned over the innkeeper and gently placed his palm near the man's chest—not touching, but close enough for the mana threads to link.
"Just a little longer."
With careful precision, he didn't try to destroy the foreign mana—he guided it instead, altering its flow just enough to release the grip it had on the man's throat.
The innkeeper coughed harshly, then sucked in a ragged, desperate breath. His chest rose and fell, color returned to his face, and he blinked rapidly like someone who'd been drowning.
Kyle sat back on his heels.
"Don't try to speak just yet."
The innkeeper nodded, still wheezing slightly, but after a few seconds, he straightened up and waved weakly.
"I'm all right… this is… normal. Just part of the curse."
The innkeeper gave a humorless chuckle.
"Yes… if we speak of it to outsiders, it triggers."
Kyle didn't respond immediately.
He turned slightly, sensing another pulse of that vile mana building in the air—and just as the innkeeper opened his mouth again, it lashed out.
But this time, Kyle was ready.
His aura flared, invisible to those who couldn't sense mana, but clear and sharp to the curse.
Kyle reached out with a slicing thread of energy and cut the lock binding the innkeeper's speech before it could take hold.
The curse shattered with a soundless pop.
The innkeeper gasped, blinking as if fresh air had just poured into his lungs.
"I've no idea what you're talking about. Must've been a coincidence."
Kyle replied smoothly, dusting off his gloves.
Silvy returned with a mug of water in her hands and a look on her face that could freeze lava. Her piercing gaze went straight to the innkeeper.
She said, voice like an edged blade.
The innkeeper recoiled slightly before accepting the water and bowing his head.
Once everyone was settled—Kyle by the counter, Silvy leaning on a nearby beam, and the innkeeper catching his breath—Kyle gave the man a look that made it clear he wasn't going to repeat himself.
"Now. Start from the beginning. What's going on in this town?""
The innkeeper swallowed, looking from Kyle to Silvy, then toward the window. A shadow passed over his face, but he nodded.
"I'll tell you what I can. But understand this—it's not a matter of choice. This town's cursed. Anyone who tries to leave or enter it without following specific rituals ends up like me—or worse."
"Not magic rituals. Timing and placement. You have to leave through the eastern path during sunrise, and only on days when the wind comes from the north. Otherwise, the curse latches on."
The innkeeper clarified.
Kyle tapped his fingers on the counter.
"That's oddly specific."
"Yes. And anyone who breaks it starts experiencing… consequences. Pain, confusion. Memory lapses. And if you try to talk about it—You know what happens."
He motioned to himself, still pale.
Silvy crossed her arms.
"None of this makes sense. Curses don't work like that. And even if they did, why target a whole town?"
The innkeeper sighed.
"That's the question, isn't it? All I know is it started a few years back. People began disappearing. Then the rules showed up. We don't know who made them, but following them keeps us safe."
Kyle didn't say anything at first. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I've seen stranger things. And I've felt the mana around this place. It's been twisted.""
He glanced to the side, where Queen now perched quietly near the stairs, watching everything in silence.
"If there's a curse in place, it wasn't made by an amateur. This was layered, enforced. Likely connected to something—maybe someone—much bigger."
"We find the source. And we make sure it never binds another soul again.""
Kyle leaned back against the edge of the counter, his eyes sharp but calm as he asked.
"Is there anything else you remember about this place? Anything unusual—odd figures, strange occurrences, anything that might help us understand this curse?"
The innkeeper scratched the back of his neck and gave a sheepish smile.
"Well… maybe I could remember something if I had a little incentive, you know? Sometimes money jogs the memory better than water."
Kyle's expression didn't change, but Silvy stepped forward, her fingers flexing as she cracked her knuckles—loudly.
Her eyes narrowed into a cold glare that made the innkeeper flinch and nearly stumble back into the shelves behind him.
"I think that it'd be a real shame if someone tried to scam us when we just saved his life."
"I-I mean, maybe I can remember more without any incentive! It's coming back to me already!"
The innkeeper stammered quickly, holding up his hands in surrender.
Kyle gave Silvy a pointed look, one that was half amused and half exasperated.
She crossed her arms and looked away innocently, but the smug smile tugging at her lips betrayed her satisfaction.
"No need, I'd rather investigate the area myself anyway. I plan on staying a few more days."
Kyle said, cutting off the innkeeper before he could launch into a panicked explanation.
At that, the innkeeper's posture straightened as if someone had pumped energy straight into his spine.
His face lit up with relief—and a tinge of greed that he tried to hide under a customer-friendly grin.
"Oh! Of course, Sir! I'll have your room prepared right away—yours and your companion's."
He said, with a little bow toward Silvy, whose eyebrow twitched in irritation.
"That'll be fine. As long as I am here, there is no need for you to worry."
Queen fluttered down from the railing above, landing gracefully on Kyle's shoulder and ruffling its feathers in a proud, almost smug motion.
It let out a single low chirp, as if satisfied with the unfolding situation.