The storm arrived just before midnight.
Dark clouds rolled over the palace towers, swallowing the moonlight as thunder rumbled across the sky. Rain began to fall in soft, steady sheets, tapping against marble balconies and garden leaves.
Ruby remained hidden in the oak tree overlooking the palace courtyard.
But she was no longer calm.
Her instincts were screaming.
Something had changed.
The System's scan from earlier had not been random. It had lingered over the garden far too long.
That meant one thing.
"It's focusing here now,"
Ruby whispered.
The silver creature clung to her shoulder nervously, its tail flicking in agitation.
High above, the golden-winged creature circled once before diving lower, landing on a branch beside Ruby.
The message arrived through their mana link.
Movement in the palace.
Ruby's eyes sharpened.
"What kind of movement?"
Another pulse of information came through the network.
Servants.
Guards.
And something else.
Ruby's stomach tightened.
"They're searching."
In the ballroom, the party had ended early due to the sudden storm. Nobles were now returning to their rooms, escorted by palace staff.
But Ruby could sense something beneath the normal activity.
Invisible threads of mana stretched across the palace corridors.
The System was guiding the search.
Not openly.
Subtly.
Like a hunter tightening its net.
Ruby slid silently down the tree trunk, landing softly on the wet grass below.
"We need to move."
The magical creatures scattered into position immediately.
The emerald creature flew ahead toward the hedges.
The golden one returned to the sky.
Ruby melted into shadow, slipping between the rain-soaked bushes.
Every step was careful.
Every movement silent.
She had to avoid the palace guards now.
Not because they were dangerous—
But because the System might be watching through them.
Ruby paused near the stone fountain where she had hidden earlier.
Rainwater rippled across the surface, distorting the reflection of the palace lights.
Her senses stretched outward.
Something strange brushed against her awareness.
A pulse of System mana.
Closer than before.
Ruby stiffened.
"It's here."
The scan wave rolled across the courtyard again.
Stronger.
More focused.
The magical creatures froze instantly.
Ruby pulled her mana deep inside herself, suppressing every trace of power.
The invisible wave passed through the garden.
Through the fountain.
Through the hedges.
And finally—
Through Ruby.
For a terrifying second, the world seemed to hold its breath.
Ruby didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't think.
The System hesitated.
Processing.
Analyzing.
Then the wave continued past her.
Ruby slowly released the breath she had been holding.
"That was too close…"
But her relief didn't last long.
Because she realized something disturbing.
The scan had paused longer this time.
Much longer.
The System was narrowing the search.
Ruby's mind raced.
If the scans continued getting more precise…
Eventually it would find her.
"We can't stay near the palace anymore."
The silver creature chirped anxiously.
Ruby nodded.
"I know."
But just as she turned toward the deeper gardens—
A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the courtyard.
And in that brief flash…
Ruby saw someone standing under the palace archway.
Watching the garden.
The same nobleman from earlier.
He wasn't supposed to be here.
The rain soaked his dark hair as he stepped forward slowly, eyes scanning the shadows.
Ruby froze.
Why is he here?
The System shouldn't have sent him outside.
He wasn't a guard.
He wasn't a servant.
He was a noble.
Yet he walked into the rain as if searching for something.
The young man stopped beside the fountain.
Exactly where Ruby had been moments earlier.
His eyes narrowed.
"…Strange."
Ruby's heart pounded.
He crouched slightly, touching the wet stone.
"Why does it feel like someone was here?"
Ruby barely stopped herself from gasping.
He can sense mana.
Not clearly.
But enough to notice traces.
The nobleman stood slowly.
Rain dripped from his cloak as he stared into the darkness of the garden.
"Who are you?"
he murmured quietly.
Ruby held perfectly still inside the hedge shadows.
If he stepped any closer…
He might see her.
But instead, the young man sighed and straightened.
"Maybe I'm imagining things."
He turned toward the palace again.
Then stopped.
For a moment, his gaze drifted directly toward Ruby's hiding place.
And he spoke softly into the rain.
"…If someone really is out there…"
"…you should be careful."
Ruby's eyes widened.
Then he walked away.
Leaving the courtyard silent again.
The silver creature tilted its head in confusion.
Ruby stared after the nobleman.
"He knows."
Not everything.
But enough to suspect something strange.
That made him dangerous.
Or…
Possibly useful.
Ruby shook her head.
"No. Too risky."
Right now, survival mattered more than allies.
Another System pulse swept through the garden.
Even stronger this time.
Ruby clenched her fists.
"It's speeding up."
The System was becoming impatient.
That meant its countermeasures would escalate soon.
And when that happened—
Angelica would be the first target.
Ruby looked toward the palace windows where the heroine's
chambers were located.
Rain streaked the glass.
But Ruby could still faintly sense Angelica's presence.
The same artificial mana strings wrapped tightly around her heart.
Ruby's chest tightened.
"Just wait a little longer."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"I'll find a way to break those strings."
The magical creatures gathered around her again.
Their glowing eyes reflected in the rain.
Together, they slipped deeper into the gardens, disappearing into the shadows beyond the palace walls.
But far above them—
Inside the invisible System interface—
New alerts flashed rapidly.
[Anomaly Detection Increasing.]
[Unregistered Mana Pattern Confirmed.]
The System paused.
Then issued a new command.
[Initiating Behavioral Adjustment Protocol.]
Inside the palace—
Angelica suddenly froze mid-step.
Her eyes flickered.
And for the first time since Ruby arrived in this world—
Angelica spoke words that were not in the script.
"…Help me."
No one heard her.
Except one.
Far away in the dark garden, Ruby suddenly stopped walking.
Her heart skipped.
Because she heard it too.