At the hotel... Maria stirred awake around six in the evening. Panicked by how much time had passed, she quickly jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom to freshen up. In no time, she was dressed and ready.
James, now awake but still lounging on the bed, smiled sleepily at her. Maria gave him a quick kiss before dashing out of the room.
Luck was on her side—she hailed a cab almost immediately and was on her way home.
Fifteen minutes later, she arrived at the house. After paying the cab driver, she sprinted toward the mansion.
Something felt different the moment she stepped in. The number of guards had decreased drastically, and most of the ones she saw were unfamiliar.
Only one familiar guard remained—the one who had been with them for about a year.
"Where is everybody?" Maria asked him, her heart pounding. "They’ve all gone on a mission," the guard replied curtly. "Only Luna Victoria is inside the mansion now."
The guard turned and walked away, leaving Maria standing there, deep in thought.
"A mission? Could it be... they’ve gone to fight The Shadow?" she wondered, her mind racing.
As she stepped into the living room, a new thought struck her.
"This might be my only chance to find those important files... They won’t be back until morning. I have to use this time wisely!" Determined, Maria straightened her shoulders and set her mind on the task ahead...