Allen watched as Lavi walked away with Lenalee, their footsteps fading into the distance as the cold winter air bit at his skin. His invitation had been turned down, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. Lavi had been distant for a while now, ever since he'd found that damned book about the vampire clans. Allen couldn't blame him—after all, there were too many things unsaid between them. Too many lies wrapped up in the truth, too many secrets held back. Allen sighed, pulling his scarf tighter around his neck as he turned away, heading toward the path that would take him back to his own destination.

The Noah Manor.

It was the last place he wanted to go for winter break, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice. The Earl had summoned him, and when the Earl summoned, you didn't refuse. Not unless you wanted to deal with the consequences.

As Allen trudged through the snow, he tried to keep his mind occupied with other things. Classes had been exhausting, and midterms had left him feeling mentally drained. But that wasn't what weighed heaviest on his mind. It was Lavi. That cold distance between them, the way Lavi had started to look at him with suspicion, as if he could sense there was more going on beneath the surface.

Because there was.

Allen's stomach twisted at the thought. The guilt gnawed at him every day—lying to Lavi, pretending to be something he wasn't, playing both sides of a game he didn't even fully understand. He had been feeding information to the Earl for months now, slipping secrets about the Black Order, about the hunters, and about Lavi himself. He hated every second of it, but what choice did he have? He couldn't let the Earl suspect anything. If the Earl found out about Allen's true allegiances, if he found out that Allen still had some shred of loyalty to the hunters and to Lavi, it would all come crashing down.

And Allen couldn't let that happen. Not yet.

The trees around him thinned as he approached the edge of the forest, the silhouette of the Noah Manor looming in the distance. The manor was old, its dark stone walls covered in vines and moss, the windows like dark eyes staring out into the night. It had always been a place that filled him with unease, a house of shadows and secrets. Even now, after all these years, he still felt like an outsider every time he stepped foot inside.

He was greeted at the door by Road, her ever-present smirk plastered on her face. She was dressed in her usual eccentric attire, her eyes glinting with amusement as she looked him over.

"Back so soon, Allen? Didn't Lavi want you to join him for break?" she teased, her tone dripping with mock sympathy.

Allen gave her a tight smile, trying to keep his irritation in check. "No, he had other plans."

Road laughed, stepping aside to let him in. "Of course he did. Poor Allen, always getting left behind."

Allen bit back a retort, stepping into the manor and shaking the snow from his boots. The warmth of the house hit him immediately, a sharp contrast to the freezing air outside. The scent of burning wood filled the air, and somewhere in the distance, the Earl's soft humming echoed through the halls.

It felt like being swallowed by a beast.

Tyki was waiting for him in the sitting room, his usual cigarette hanging lazily between his lips. He glanced up as Allen entered, his expression unreadable, as always.

"Back from school already?" Tyki asked, blowing a puff of smoke. "Didn't think you'd come running back here so quickly."

"I didn't have much of a choice," Allen replied, his voice tense.

Tyki raised an eyebrow, but didn't press further. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, watching Allen with a casual, calculating gaze. "The Earl's been waiting for you. You know how he gets when you keep him waiting too long."

Allen clenched his fists at his sides. "I know."

He hated this. The constant reminder of the Earl's control over him, the way he was always under scrutiny, always expected to fall in line. He was no stranger to manipulation—he'd been raised in it, molded by it—but this was different. The Noah, the Earl… they were playing a game that was far more dangerous than any he'd faced before.

He made his way down the long corridor, the walls lined with portraits of the Noah family, their eyes following him as he passed. The silence of the manor was oppressive, broken only by the distant crackling of the fire and the soft rustle of fabric as he approached the Earl's chamber.

The door creaked open, and there he was—the Millennium Earl, standing in front of the grand fireplace, his back turned to Allen. The flames cast long shadows across the room, flickering like restless spirits.

"Ah, Allen," the Earl's voice was soft, almost musical, but there was an edge to it that made Allen's skin crawl. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten about me."

Allen forced a smile, stepping into the room. "Of course not."

The Earl turned to face him, his round, smiling face unsettlingly cheerful as always. But Allen knew better. Behind that smile was something far more dangerous. The Earl had been pulling strings for centuries, manipulating events, bending people to his will. And now, Allen was just another piece on his board.

"You've been doing well at the academy, haven't you?" the Earl asked, his tone light but his gaze sharp. "Your reports have been... useful."

Allen swallowed, nodding. "Yes. I've been keeping an eye on everything, just like you asked."

The Earl's smile widened. "Good, good. You've always been so obedient, haven't you?"

Allen said nothing, feeling the weight of the Earl's gaze bearing down on him. He hated this—being reduced to nothing more than a tool, a spy, a pawn. But he had no choice. Not if he wanted to survive.

The Earl waved his hand dismissively. "Go on, enjoy your break. We'll talk more later."

Allen nodded stiffly and turned to leave, his mind racing. Every time he came back to this place, it was like stepping into a nightmare. The weight of the lies he carried, the pressure of the Earl's expectations, it was all becoming too much.

As he walked back down the corridor, he couldn't help but think about Lavi. His friend—if he could even call him that anymore—was getting closer to the truth. Lavi knew something was off, and Allen could feel the distance growing between them with each passing day. The lies were building up, and it was only a matter of time before everything came crashing down.

Allen stopped at the window at the end of the hall, staring out at the snow-covered grounds. His breath fogged up the glass, and for a moment, he felt the overwhelming weight of everything pressing down on him. The Earl, the Noah, the Black Order, Lavi… it was all too much.

And yet, there was no way out. He was trapped in this game, and no matter which side he chose, someone would get hurt.

Allen clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he tried to push the thoughts away. He had to keep going. He had to keep pretending, keep lying, keep playing the game. Because if he didn't, he knew what the consequences would be.

For now, all he could do was wait. Wait for the next move, the next order, the next lie.

And hope that when it all fell apart, he would be ready to face the fallout.