Steelpass slept silently. Gingerly, Ruby edged towards the door and tried to listen out for someone’s footsteps, anyone’s footsteps. She heard none. Outside, leafless trees jutted out of the ground like sore fingers, damaging the beauty of the autumn day. Their spindly branches swiped at the sky, as if they were rabid animal’s claws. Ruby turned the door handle and pushed it open. The hinges whined in protest. She remembered when the house was full of joy and warmth, now those feelings were not present. Inside, the house was blanketed with soot, like fine dust for demons.

Ruby and Luca vaulted up the creaky stairs and into Ruby’s room. Alexis started continuously sniffing, making sure nothing mysterious was happening. Inside Ruby’s room, it seemed that everything was the same as she had left it last time she was here. Her bed was still neatly made, her favourite teddy Crumbles nestled cosily between her two pillows. Her paper bin was still overflowing with scrapped story ideas for a book. Ruby aspired to be an author. She bent down and reached under her bed. Carved into the floor was a little box, and inside… the necklace! Safe!

Intrigued , Luca bent down as well and pulled out the necklace. The three stones dwarfed the shells and Luca noticed that all three stones had cracks in them. But before he could examine them further, the necklace fell out of Luca’s hand. The stones hit the floor and snapped in two with an almighty CRRACKCCK! Three pieces of paper fluttered out of the broken stones and onto the floor. Ruby picked them up and skimmed through what they said.                                                                                                         ” New power source, named ‘promefler’, possibly hazardous, could make highly deadly weapons.”            “So that’s what they want, your father’s knowledge on this ‘promefler’ stuff,” Luca was amazed “If he did have such a powerful resource, someone would go after it. It’s probably worth a fortune”

“So this is why everything has been happening lately,” Ruby announced wearily.

“Exactly,” called a familiar, but harsh, voice from the hallway. Ruby and Luca hastily twirled around and Ruby quickly recognised Professor Goldfinch, her father’s closest friend. He rubbed his hands together and smiled; it was a crooked smile, one that echoed evil. “It was only a matter of time until you led me to the information, so I waited to snatch the right moment-now! Ill be taking those papers, thank you very much,” He finished his sentence the plucked the trio of notes from Ruby’s hands.

10 minutes later, they were shoved and locked in the dark coal shed behind the manor. The only clear way of getting out was through a tiny hole in the wall, but only a rat could fit through that.                           ” That hideous back-stabber,” Ruby muttered, ” He betrayed my father, my Papa!”

” I give up, chances of escape are slim,” a discouraged Luca stated. he attempted to get comfy on the rough coal, but it was fruitless.

” We will, I’ll make sure of it!” Ruby spat. She would not be outsmarted by a dim-witted thief.” We’ll escape and get the papers.”

” Break a leg,” Luca hissed, though only under his breath. He looked around the deep, black shed and instantly felt despair.