Ben woke up to many voices outside. Turning his head to the window, he saw the dawn: how the sun slowly rose in the sky, and the darkness inside the premises gradually receded.
Gathering his thoughts, he carefully got out of bed, trying not to wake his wife, and quickly dressed, he hurried to the door.
"Yes, miss, there's a high probability that it's the one," said a stern but slightly tired voice. "The report stated that Fiona's sword was lost inside that cave. And now, after so much time, an extremely similar specimen is found, there can be no mistakes."
A stern but feminine voice echoed through the hall:
"Then let's not guess, take me to the boy. Or do I have to look for him myself?"
Opening the door, Ben saw the captain of the guard standing at attention before a girl who was almost half his age.
"Lady Alisa? An Heir of one of the great houses?" Ben almost cried out, but quickly came to his senses, remembering that his wife was still asleep.
The girl slowly turned to Ben and spoke in a calm but firm voice:
"You must be the owner of this place?"
With his head bowed forward, the boy examined the bandages on his arm. He had already heard the conversations downstairs and understood that they would soon come for him.
"I wonder if I'll have time to eat?" the boy thought to himself and reached for the sword lying to the side of the bed.
Taking the slightly curved sword in his hands, the boy placed the tip of the sword on the floor and began to wait for their arrival.
However, he didn't have to wait long, and he began to hear distant footsteps from the direction of the stairs, which were slowly but surely moving towards his room. The footsteps grew louder, and soon he heard a sharp knock on the door.
The boy expected their arrival, but still flinched with his whole body from a slight fright. A moment later, he raised his sword and struck it against the ground twice, informing the figures behind the door that he knew about them and was waiting. After that, he placed the sword on his knees with the hilt on the right side.
The door creaked open, and three figures entered. The boy recognized two of them immediately: Ben and the captain of the guard, but who was the third?
Raising his head, the boy began to carefully examine the third figure.
Light blonde hair reached her shoulders, and a portion of her hair almost covered her left eye. The cloaked figure wore a large dark cloak made of an unknown material, but if one looked closely, many small sparks would flash and extinguish simultaneously. The cloak created a sense of strangeness, as if it repelled attention from itself. Beneath the cloak, the figure wore a snow-white blouse with rolled-up sleeves, and on the sleeves were light silver armbands that smoothly transitioned into snow-white gloves. Around her neck was a simple pendant in the shape of an hourglass, which flipped every half minute. Below the waist, silver boots were visible, reaching up to her knees, and then transitioning into tights of the same shade as the boots. Over all of this was worn a skirt that blended with the blouse, as if it were one piece.
"Good morning," the third figure said in a calm voice, trying not to make any sudden movements.
Finn squinted slightly and tried to make out the figure's face. In response to his actions, the hood slowly slid down behind the figure's back, revealing her face to the boy.
The boy's eyes widened, it seemed his empty gaze was once again filled with color, and the world around his vision became brighter.
The girl was only a couple of years older than the boy, and her peach-pink skin, flawless with a sharp nose tip, made her face extraordinarily beautiful. Standing before him with a calm expression, it seemed she was incapable of showing any emotion. And so, with a calm and completely fearless face, she looked at the boy, her lilac eyes directed towards the boy's empty eyes. It seemed her eyes widened in surprise, but a moment later she regained her composure and spoke.
"What is your name?" a gentle but firm voice echoed in the boy's ears.
A moment later, the boy shrugged his shoulders.
"I see..." the girl drew out the last words, seemingly upset, but she placed her left hand on her chest and spoke. "My name is Alice, where did you come from?"
Continuing to look into her lilac eyes, the boy pointed with his right hand towards the window.
The girl, looking in the direction of his hand, walked towards the window. She stood for a short while, observing the landscape outside, and beyond the window was only a mountain surrounded by a dense forest.
The captain of the guard and Ben were paler than ever; it was no secret that surviving inside that zone was impossible, and it wasn't just because of the monsters inhabiting the area. Within the forest's depths lay something that even scientists from around the world couldn't explain.
After looking at the mountain for a moment, Alice spoke in a stern and threatening voice.
"Leave us."
Ben and the captain were afraid to say anything to her; they immediately understood that the matter was serious and it was better for them not to interfere... for their own safety. They hastily left the room, closing the door behind them.
Leaving them alone, the girl hurried to the young man and sat before him. Her gaze was tinged with fear, and the room was filled with the barely audible sound of her rapid heartbeat.
"Tell me, you found it, didn't you?!" the girl spoke quickly.
But the boy merely tilted his head to the side. "What is she talking about?" he wondered, seeing the fear in her eyes.
Suddenly, many footsteps of iron on stone were heard below, hurrying towards the stairs.
Hearing this, the girl hastily took the boy's hands in hers and, glancing cautiously towards the door, spoke.
"Please, remember, it's very important, did you find it, a fragment of a god?"
"What soft hands..." the boy thought. "And where are her gloves?" The boy wasn't listening too closely, and why should he, since he had already shown her that he didn't know what she was talking about.
After a few seconds of mutual silence and not receiving the desired answer, she hastily released the boy's hands, stood up, and walked to the opposite side of the room. A moment later, knights burst into the room.