As Kosu, Riku, and Miko stepped into the attic, a chilling presence washed over them. Before they could fully process the scene, a figure emerged from the shadows—Cistar, the maid. She stood there with an almost ethereal quality, her expression serene yet unsettling. Strangely, they felt no awareness of her presence until she was right in front of them.

"Cistar!" Kosu exclaimed, his voice rising with urgency. "Let Thorn and Jenna go! You can't keep them like this!"

Cistar tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with an unsettling mirth. "Why, child, don't you understand? Everyone is a bad child for not going to sleep when told. Bad children need punishment."

Miko stepped forward, her voice firm. "We just want to leave this place as soon as possible. Let them go!"

Cistar's smile faded slightly, but her demeanor remained playful. "Ah, but if you wait patiently until morning, you can all leave. But now... it's far too late."

Riku's mind raced as she processed the situation. The maid in the paintings, the bat-like creatures they had encountered, the strange reversion of the manor to its prime state, and the ominous word "VAMPIRE" they had uncovered in the study—all of it began to connect in her mind.

"Cistar," Riku said slowly, her voice steady, "you're not just any maid, are you? You're the vampire from the myth."

Cistar clapped her hands, a giggle escaping her lips as she found the situation amusing. "Oh, how clever you are! But let's be clear: vampires are indeed a myth." With a graceful flourish, she revealed bat-like wings that unfurled from her back, shimmering in the dim light.

"What?" Kosu said, taken aback. "Then what are you?"

Cistar smiled, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "I am just a humble descendant of a lineage, born with the rare gift of Blood Magic."

Miko's eyes widened in realization. "Blood Magic? That's a branch of Life Magic," she said, her voice filled with disbelief. "But I've never heard of it having the power to conserve time and space like this."

Cistar's expression turned serious, her wings folding gracefully behind her. "Ah, but you see, magic is a potent force, intertwined with the very essence of life. I simply live for a really long time and was able to understand the essence of magic itself. So even time and space can be manipulated with the help of magic."

Kosu felt a chill run down his spine. "So you're saying you've been holding Thorn and Jenna captive to teach us a lesson? To punish us for not sleeping?"

Cistar laughed lightly, her voice melodic yet haunting. "In a way, yes. But it's not just about punishment. It's about reminding you of your place within this realm. You are guests, and guests must follow the rules."

Riku exchanged worried glances with Kosu and Miko. "We can't allow this to continue. If you're truly capable of manipulating time and space, you're a danger to everyone who enters this manor."

Cistar's smile faded, her gaze turning cold. "You misunderstand. I am not the danger. The real threat lies in those who disturb the balance of this place. And right now, you are those intruders."

"Then what do you want from us?" Miko asked, her voice steady despite the tension.

Cistar paused, her expression contemplative. "I want you to accept your roles. Wait until morning, and perhaps you will understand. Resist, and you may find that time itself is a fickle ally in this manor."

The air grew thick with tension as Kosu, Riku, and Miko faced the enigmatic maid. The stakes were higher than ever, and now it was clear: they had to find a way to free Thorn and Jenna and escape the clutches of Cistar before the dawn arrived.

As tension filled the attic, Kosu, Riku, and Miko instinctively readied their weapons, eyes locked on Cistar. The maid's ethereal presence was both alluring and terrifying, and the desire to protect Thorn and Jenna fueled their determination to confront her.

But just as they were about to strike, Kosu raised a hand, stopping them. He unsheathed his sword, the blade glinting in the dim light, but he didn't advance. Instead, he faced Cistar with a steady gaze.

"Everything you've said is true," he declared, his voice firm. "And I see that you don't intend to fight us. Heh, honestly, I don't think we even have a chance against you."

He glanced at Riku and Miko, signaling them to lower their weapons. Confusion flickered across their faces, but they complied, sensing Kosu's calm resolve.

"Very well," Kosu continued, his voice ringing with conviction. "We accept your rules. If we win, you must let Thorn and Jenna go. If we lose, you can do whatever you want with us."

Riku and Miko exchanged shocked glances, their expressions a mix of disbelief and concern. Cistar, however, regarded Kosu with evident amusement, a smile playing on her lips.

"I like you, child," she replied, her voice playful and teasing. "You're calm enough to assess this situation and bold enough to ask me about the rules."

Kosu straightened, meeting her gaze unwaveringly. "What's your answer, then?"

"Very well," Cistar said with a slight nod. "It's true that I don't intend to fight anyone. But if you try, well... you'll get what you deserve." She giggled wickedly, her laughter echoing in the attic.

"Then this time, I will let you three roam freely within the manor. If you can find a way to escape before the first sunlight graces this place, I will let you all leave."

"What happens if we lose?" Riku asked, her voice laced with dread.

Cistar raised a finger to her lips, signaling for silence. "You don't want to know," she replied, her smile gentle yet chilling. Before they could respond, she began to dissolve into the shadows, her form blending seamlessly with the darkness.

"Wait!" Kosu called out, but it was too late. Cistar vanished, taking Thorn and Jenna with her, leaving the attic eerily quiet.

The three stood in stunned silence, the gravity of the situation settling over them like a heavy fog. Kosu sheathed his sword, his mind racing with thoughts of their next move.

"We can't just leave them," Miko said, her voice shaking slightly. "We have to find a way to save them."

Riku took a deep breath, shaking off her shock. "Kosu, what are we going to do? We have to move quickly. If we're to find a way out before dawn, we need to start now."

Kosu nodded, determination hardening his resolve. "We'll split up and search for clues. There must be something in this manor that can help us understand how to escape."

As they prepared to delve deeper into the shadows of the manor, the weight of Cistar's challenge loomed over them. Time was running out, and the stakes were higher than ever. They were not just racing against the impending dawn; they were fighting for their friends and their own survival against the enigmatic maid and the darkness that surrounded them.

In a dimly lit corner of the attic, Kosu, Riku, and Miko gathered to discuss their strategy for the challenge ahead. The weight of Cistar's words hung heavily in the air, and they knew they needed to make sense of what they had just learned.

"We need a plan," Kosu said, his voice steady. "Cistar may have given us a way to escape, but we need to be smart about this. There's a lot we don't understand."

Miko nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Let's break down what she said. First, she mentioned she's part of a clan that uses Blood Magic. I have the most knowledge about this. We should explore that further."

"Yes," Kosu agreed. "We need to understand what Blood Magic entails and how it might relate to our situation. Is it the power used to control the time and space of the mansion?"

Miko took a deep breath. "Blood Magic is powerful, but its applications can vary. It often involves life force and can be used for healing, curses, or even binding. However, I've never encountered a case where it can warp time like this."

Kosu continued, recalling Cistar's words. "She also said she is just the maid. The real owners of this manor are the Valet family, but they're gone... or rather, she claimed they 'left.' What does that mean? Are they really missing, or is there something else at play here?"

Riku frowned, her mind racing. "It could imply that they chose to leave for a reason. Maybe they're trapped in some way or transformed—like Cistar. We should consider the possibility that the Valet family is still here, hidden in some form."

"Cistar also mentioned she has lived for a long time and is knowledgeable about magic," Miko added. "But she didn't say she was the one distorting time in the manor. Could there be another party involved in this?"

Kosu nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good point. If she's not the source of the time distortion, then who is? We need to keep that in mind as we explore."

Riku glanced out the window, where the outside world was engulfed in pitch black. "We have no way of knowing the time outside, and when we arrived here, it was dawn. But now, it's night. It's like time doesn't exist in this manor. Yet, Cistar clearly stated that if we wait until morning, this phenomenon will end. There must be a connection to all of this."

Kosu's eyes lit up with realization. "Exactly! If we're going to find answers, we should explore the manor thoroughly. Cistar said we can roam freely, which means we can access places that were previously closed off, the places that we cannot explore inside the abandoned manor."

Miko's expression sharpened. "That gives us a significant advantage. If there are clues or artifacts from the Valet family that we can uncover, they might help us understand what happened."

"Let's split up and search strategically," Kosu suggested. "Miko, you focus on any references to Blood Magic or artifacts related to Cistar. Riku and I will check the other rooms for any family records or journals that could shed light on the Valet family's disappearance."

Riku nodded, feeling a sense of urgency. "We need to gather as much information as we can, and we need to do it quickly. Dawn is approaching, and we have to figure out how to escape before it's too late."

With their plan set, the team felt a renewed sense of purpose. They were determined to unravel the mysteries of the Valet Manor, uncover the truth behind Cistar, and find a way to save Thorn and Jenna before the night came to an end.