(Third Person POV)
Samuel tilted his head, taking the warning seriously. He looked around, his eyes darting around the room, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary. He picked up on the Maid's tense posture, his eyes glancing back at her as he moved his head to her direction slowly.
He had already been alarmed by the sound he heard earlier, right after the chant he uttered.
"Hm...." He said, his voice was lower than a whisper
"The air is thinner.....and colder." He thought to himself, "Something's here. I can feel it."
Many Monsters have the ability to remain hidden from either their prey or their predators. Monsters like Lechers, who can shapeshift, can perfectly mimic any Mortal Race's appearance and demeanor. They utilize this ability to fool victims, luring them in and kill them, to either defile or feast on them.
Blessed Silver, a very powerful metal, is used to detect such monsters. Making direct contact with the Monster's skin would cause it burn violently, emitting a sulfuric smell. Blessed Silver is very rare and difficult to make, needing the blessing of an ordained Priest and Priestess who are in direct connection to the Archangels.
Samuel does not has his Blessed Silver, as he had loaned it to his older sister as she lost hers during an incident a few years back.
He relies on good old tricks to lure out disguised monsters, such as the old chant.
"Te Ipsum Revela"
It means "Reveal Thyself". It's an ancient chant, used by Hunters to expose Demons, Monsters, and other threats that would disguise themselves. Most monsters are compelled to react to this chant, depending on the power of the chanter. If the Monster is far more powerful than the Hunter, then the chant loses its meaning.
However, if the Hunter is more than formidable, this method is more reliable than using Blessed Silver.
Any Monster that hears it reacts to it in any way or form. In this case, Samuel knows something heard it and responded in kind.
Ivan Lothrand was standing there, looking up at the ceiling, "Shhhh....." He whispered, "Do not make a sound..."
He then jerked his head to the side, looking around. He hunched over, his eyes widening as he slowly stepped to the side.
"Footsteps....footsteps...." He whispered, "Do you hear them?"
Samuel tilted his head again, trying to focus his hearing around them, "No."
"Shhhh!!!" Yvan shushed him, "I said sushhh!!!"
Samuel frowned, "You're making more sound than I am." His voice was low, "Yvan-"
"I said shush!" He cut him off
Yvan slowly walked to the side of the room, reaching for a small iron rod that was atop the shelf. He looked around him, his eyes darting around rapidly.
Samuel stayed quiet, his eyes were on Ivan. He had focused his senses all throughout the room, not picking up anything.
One thing was for sure; there was something nearby.
But Samuel did not sense anything in the room. Maybe whatever this being was disguised itself quite well and for some reason, Yvan was the only one who could perceive it.
"Footsteps...?" Samuel thought to himself, "Undetected by anyone else but him. Changelings? No. Yvan Lothrand does not have children, from what I understand. Unless..."
He glanced at the Maid, who was standing still, her face was pale, and there was sweat rolling down her cheek. She was looking at Yvan, who was shivering in fear, sweating profusely as he kept shushing Samuel, who wasn't saying anything.
"There is no way she's the only person employed by Yvan here. This manor is way too big for that." He thought to himself, thinking of other possibilities, "Changelings are substitutes for kidnapped mortals, snatched up by The Fey, they're nasty shapeshifting creatures. Depending on the kind, they have the ability to cloak themselves to hide. It's possible.....if they had other workers in the Manor. But no, that can't be in. Changelings don't feast or hunt in large groups. Max is 2 or 3 Changelings. And whatever responded to the chant, it was different. Changelings whimper in fear..."
The Chant can be used consecutively, but the effects are weakened. It is better to wait more than five minutes for the upmost efficiency. They are considered words of distortion, forever etched into the concept of reality in the Distorted Godlands.
"Should I.....?" Samuel thought to himself, his eyes darting across the room, "No, I must not. Observe. Listen. There are no footsteps, but there is something else...."
He focused his senses, spreading them out throughout the room. There was absolute silence, thanks to Yvan Lothrand's fear keeping him frozen.
Samuel then picked up something. It was faint but clear, there was no doubt in his mind.
He didn't move a muscle, simply concentrating on what he picked up.
"Huff...h-huff....."
It sounded like breathing. Heavy beathing that sounded like it came from everywhere at once.
Samuel realized that this was no changeling. It sounded larger, with more malice in it than a creature of the Fey.
"Yvan-" Samuel started
"I said shut up!" Yvan exclaimed, "Footsteps, footsteps.....breathing.....water.....blood.....do you not see it?"
Samuel let out a sigh, feeling a bit annoyed. He was about to say something when he heard it; the sound.
"Creak!"
He didn't react right away, his eyes simply glancing up at the chandelier. He saw that it was swaying slightly, creaking a bit.
Samuel narrowed his eyes, knowing very well the truth.
Something was up there.
"Invisible to the naked eye." He thought to himself, "Completely silent, save for some breathing. What is it? It sounds alive, so it's not a spirit. No, it's something that uses a form of magic, cloaking itself. Not to mention the massive claw marks. Not a Changeling, so what?"
He slowly and carefully moved his coat back, revealing his holstered revolver. His hand hovered over it, as if waiting for any sudden movements.
"The blood...." Yvan said, "It's....there...."
Samuel ignored him, "Get Yvan out of here." He told the maid, not taking his eyes off the chandelier, "Slowly, no rapid movements. Grab him and slowly walk him towards the stairs. As soon as you're out of my sight, rush down and get him to safety."
"E-Eh?" the Maid said
"You heard me." Samuel said seriously, "Take him-"
"Shushhh!!!!" Yvan said, "Shut u-"
"Yvan, shut the fuck up." Samuel cut him off, "It's starting now."
"Time for me to get to work."