𝑳𝒆𝒔 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒔!🐀{𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒕}

Chapter Three

The sound of squeaking invaded her ears and woke her up from her sleep. She opened her eyes and looked at the window. The moon was still high in the sky with the contrast of the dark sky as its background. 

She slowly crawled out of her bed and walked over to the door. The constant sound of squeaking was becoming annoying at this point and the sound was only growing louder and louder. 

The girl opened her door quickly and immediately jumped back when she saw what lay outside the door. 

Hundreds of rats were in front of her home. They all stared at her with beady red eyes full of hunger, like dogs drooling over a bone. She turned to her right and looked at the chicken pen that lay in front of her home. 

There were no chickens in sight and no sound of clucking. 

Rats were crawling around the pen as if it was free real estate, the sight sickened her.

None of the rats had stepped into the light that was provided by her lanterns, all Y/N could see were their beady red eyes glowing into the night. 

Her thoughts immediately went to Lucas. 

Was he safe?

Did the rats claim his life?

She had no idea where her brother was and what his state was. Not knowing was scarier than knowing.

It didn't take long for Y/N to realize that the rats were vulnerable to light. They refused to come closer to her and when she waved a candle at them they all jumped back in fright. However, knowing that fact wasn't making her feel very confident. 

The girl didn't believe she would last the night stumbling through the pitch-black woods that were infested with rats and other beasts, with only a torch to light her way.

With a heavy heart, she decided to light extra candles and sit on her bed, waiting for the sun to rise. She couldn't get to Lucas with rats running rampant outside.

🐀

The sky started to change from a dark blue to a warm yellow.

The girl slowly blinked her dry eyes open as she stared at the sun coming over the horizon. So many thoughts had been running through her head. The threat of rats kept her awake along with the thoughts of Lucas and his well-being.

 Long before the sun had risen she had already decided that she was going straight to Laurentius's estate when she had the chance.

Y/N picked up her bow and a few arrows. They were gifts from her mother before she passed away. Before she could leave the house she thought about Lucas's alchemist things. 

She only knew a few things about alchemy, Lucas raved about it often so it was impossible not to pick up on a few recipes. She grabbed a few chemicals and walked out of the door. 

She frowned at the sight of the chicken pen. Bones laid where chickens had previously clucked happily as they were fed grain.

She sighed before she continued her journey to Laurentius' estate, even if she lost her chickens at least she would have her brother.

 🐀

Y/N nearly cried at the sight she was met with. Everything was burned down to ash. Laurentius' home that once stood proud and as a reminder of his status was now reduced to rubble. 

She looked around the estate and her eyes met the barely standing barn. She took a deep breath before walking over to the weak structure and going in. The sight wasn't any better. 

Horses were reduced to skeletons along with pigs. 

Everything in his estate looked dead and devoid of life. It was as if no one ever lived there. 

The most important thought hit her. The reason why she was even there. 

Lucas.

The girl's brother was nowhere to be seen, nowhere to be found. 

"Lucas! Lucas!" The girl frantically called as she ran around the estate. "Lucas!" 

The girl looked for him everywhere, in the burned rumble, in the barn, in the animal's pen. He was nowhere to be found. 

It was like he was never there, to begin with. 

Y/N called for him until her voice got hoarse and her eyes were filled to the brim with tears. Her brother was nowhere to be found. 

Her mind went to the piles of ashes. Ashes seemed to be everywhere and followed her when she went around the estate.

Did some of those ashes belong to her brother?

Was he a part of the rumble that became Laurentius' home?

The thought made her tears fall, her brother lost to a house fire because of rats. 

She stomped the ground and screamed and yelled and shouted and cried. She did all of this before she fell to the ground, plagued by despair.  

Y/N pulled out the crushed chemicals. She looked down at them and remembered all the things Lucas used to tell her about alchemy. After staring at them for what felt like hours she held them to her chest and she wailed. 

She couldn't believe it or fathom it. She didn't want to believe it. Her timid brother was gone and she didn't even have a chance to say goodbye.

Her brother, her only blood.

Gone.