19

'I can't see much inside, it's so dark,' said Lucien, standing up again after peering in the hole.

'Neither can I,' said Kuro, after straining his eyes in vain.

'If you can't, then I have no chance,' said Grace, looking into the darkness within and wondering what lay beyond.

'Well, folks, are you thinking what I'm thinking?' said Lucien, rising excitement in his tone.

'Ye—' began Grace, but Kuro interrupted her.

'Not so fast! You're forgetting that anything could be in there!'

'Yikes, you're right,' said Lucien, pacing down the room anxiously and then back up again. 'But, what else should we do then?'

'Exploring it is the only way,' agreed Grace.

'If I were you, I'd be careful,' said Kuro, looking at them both. 'I couldn't make out much, but when I tried really hard, I could tell one thing for sure: it's not just a hole, it's a passage. And a passage can lead anywhere!'

They all grew silent as they thought anxiously about what to do next.

'Are there any other secret passages in this castle?' asked Grace. 'And if so, where do they lead? Maybe we can get some kind of clue from that...'

'There's a secret room, and then there's an exit route,' said Lucien. 'But there could be others; my father never told me much, after all. He thought I wasn't at that level yet or whatever.'

'Of course he didn't,' said Kuro in disgust. 'And a good thing, too! If you were ever anything he approved of, we'd never be friends!'

'You knew his father?' said Grace in surprise.

'Yes,' nodded Kuro. 'I've known Lucien since we were both children; so I naturally knew his father too, in a sense.'

'Oh,' said Grace, and she looked at the hole in the wall again.

'This is definitely something my father knew about,' said Lucien, thinking hard. 'Now that I think of it, I remember seeing my father in the kitchen once, at the dead of night. And let me tell you, he couldn't cook to save his life!'

'That confirms it,' said Kuro gravely. 'But if it's something your father was interested in, it does make that passage a lot more suspicious... and even dangerous!'

Grace's heart beat faster as she looked into the darkness once more, and imagined the secrets that lay ahead of it.

'I wish I could remember some detail that could help us now...' said Lucien frustratedly.

'What kinds of, erm... dubious things was your father involved in?' asked Grace awkwardly. She didn't like having to ask this sort of thing, but this information was necessary to deduce where the passage could lead to.

'A lot of stuff,' said Lucien with a frown. 'He was friends with the Devil's Assistant, and he died trying to break out of here for very evil reasons, so... I guess that answers your question.'

'Friends with the Assistant?' said Grace in alarm. 'He was the very opposite of you, wasn't he?'

'Yes,' said Lucien. 'No wonder we never got along!'

'So, we're saying that this passage could possibly lead to the Assistant's mansion, for all we know,' said Kuro, looking in again.

'Darn! That would really suck!' said Lucien. 'A secret way to my sworn enemy's den?!'

'Well, it could also be a way out!' said Grace, sitting on the counter. 'Whatever the reason, your father did want to get out of here, too; what if it's exactly what we're looking for?'

'But I saw my father using this way once,' reasoned Lucien. 'If it was a way out, he would have gone that way, wouldn't he? He wouldn't have died trying to break through the gates.'

'What about that other Shadowed Realm your mother was from?' asked Grace. 'How did your father meet her? Maybe he had a passage to that realm in his own house!'

'That... is a plausible theory,' said Lucien, thinking. 'But, no. My mother was clearly unhappy here. She often wanted to go back home, but there was no way back for her. If this passage led there, my father would have taken her for sure.'

'Then what is it? Where does it go?' said Kuro in frustration.

'There's only one way to find out,' said Lucien. 'One of us must go in and have a look.'

'First, let's look at the possibilities,' said Grace, getting up. 'Either it's a way out of Hell, to some unknown place or realm, which is our best hope. Or, it's a place within Hell, like, in a worst case scenario, the Assistant's mansion. And lastly, it could be a place within your own grounds. Like, maybe, another secret room or something like that?'

Kuro nodded approvingly. 'That's very well-put!'

'That's a good way to look at it,' agreed Lucien. 'That way, we can prepare for anything that comes our way! Oh, and it could also end up being a dead end; like, a construction mistake or something."

'Then what was your father doing there at night?' objected Kuro.

'Well... maybe he was just storing stuff away that he wanted to keep secret,' said Lucien.

'That's still something worth exploring,' said Grace.

'So, do we go in or not?' said Lucien impatiently. 'And who goes? I think I will!'

'No, wait,' said Grace quickly. 'Look, if it's just some hidden part of this castle – or a hidden exit route like the other one you mentioned – then it's perfectly safe for all of us. If it's within Hell, it's still safe for you and Kuro, because you know your way around here; but if it's a way out, there are two possible dangers!'

'Well, what are they?' said Kuro curiously.

'The first is if the realm ahead is worse than this one; one of those shadowed realms from your book, Lucien. That'd take us out of the frying pan and into the fire!'

'Sounds like my cooking,' grumbled Lucien with a sigh as he nodded.

'And the second is that if you get caught by the gatekeeper angels trying to leave – especially if it's by a route your father used – you might end up in trouble...'

'And end up like he did, you mean?' said Lucien. 'You have a point, but I don't think they would do something that extreme unless it was obvious that my intent was evil. They can read through us, you know; just like the Assistant can.'

'Maybe I should go,' said Grace thoughtfully. 'If Azel or anyone catches me, I could say it was a mistake, and then it's not like I'm supposed to be here in the first place...'

'No, not at all,' said Lucien at once. 'If he misjudges you and bans you, you'll never get out of here. We can't let that happen! And in case it leads anywhere my father liked to go to... no, you mustn't! It's best if I—'

'I'll go!' announced Kuro suddenly.

'You?' said Lucien in concern. 'Why you?'

'Because it's the safest if I go,' replied the cat. 'I can go regularly to Earth if I want, and no one bats an eyelash; so even if this is a portal to wherever, it's all right for me to go; no angel will have a clue! Even if I end up somewhere dangerous like a shadowed realm or the Assistant's mansion, I know how to protect myself, and besides, no one notices a cat like me much anyway unless I draw attention to myself.'

Lucien looked at him for a few minutes, before nodding. 'You're right. You're our safest bet.'

'Are you sure, Kuro?' said Grace anxiously as the cat began to walk towards the hole, which seemed blacker than ever.

'I'm sure,' said Kuro. 'I'll go with caution, and slowly, too, and then let's see where this place leads.'

'Goodbye,' said Lucien. 'Just go and come back! Don't take too long!'

'Be careful,' said Grace.

Kuro turned back as he walked a few steps into the passage, his golden eyes gleaming. 'I'm a cat! I live careful! I'll be back before you start missing me!'

He walked on into the passage, blacker than his black fur, until he disappeared completely into the unknown, and all Lucien and Grace could do was wait for his return.

If he returned at all, that is.