It took a while for Rio's anger to subside like a fire slowly dying out. His breaths grew calmer but his heart still pounded with anxiety. He lifted his head to unleash his frustration on Chris, but the small cracked mirror now only showed his own face—a broken reflection, with sunken eyes and lips trembling with rage. Seeing that helpless face was like a slap to his soul. For a moment, he didn't even recognize himself. Slowly he sat on the wooden bed, his body heavy with shock. In a trembling voice full of disbelief he whispered,
"What's happening to me? I was supposed to be happy in this world but now… now I'm even worse off than before."
Suddenly the sound of the door's hinge like a soft groan broke the silence. Ayhan peeked from behind the door, his face full of embarrassment and hesitation. In a gentle cautious tone he said,
"Can I come in?"
Caught off guard Rio jumped up quickly and said
"Of course!"
Ayhan entered slowly, his steps echoing hollowly on the stone floor. He paused for a moment as if searching for the right words. Then, with a voice blending regret and sincerity he said,
"Look I'm sorry. I think I was too insensitive and didn't realize what a tough time you're going through."
Rio let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
"No I'm the one who should apologize. I went too far. I shouldn't have judged you. I'm sure you're just as worried about your father as I am about my family."
Ayhan gave a small smile and for a few moments a silence settled between them like a soft blanket. They both looked around, as if unsure of what to say. Then suddenly Ayhan spoke in a shy tone,
"So are we friends again?"
Slightly surprised Rio said hesitantly,
"Were we friends?"
Ayhan shrugged and with a mischievous smile said,
"I don't know, but we can be! There's an age gap but you're not like any kid I've ever met."
He walked toward Rio knelt on one knee and extended his hand with a warm smile.
"Friend?"
Rio hesitated for a moment but then raised his hand and shook Ayhan's. In a quiet voice he said,
"Friend."
Ayhan ruffled Rio's hair and laughed saying,
"Great, let's go downstairs and find something to eat because I'm starving."
Rio grinned and followed Ayhan out of the room. The dark cold corridors of the castle with their cracked stone walls and the smell of dampness lingering in the air still seemed to watch him.
Some time later in the kitchen, Rio and Ayhan sat around an old wooden table. Valentina had prepared lunch for them—pieces of fried meat and fresh bread, their aroma filling the kitchen. The strange blue light from the furnace cast eerie shadows on the walls and the howling of the storm outside the cracked windows sounded like a distant wail.
Valentina looked at Rio and Ayhan with a warm smile and a kind face. This smile felt strange to Rio who had seen Valentina's cold ruthless and terrifying side in the cave—like a mask hiding a dark secret. With every glance from Valentina, anxiety flared within Rio. But he remained determined to leave the castle at the first opportunity. He needed to know the details of the route. Taking a deep breath, he picked up his glass of water and took a sip. Then in a quiet cautious voice he said,
"Lady Valentina you said it's a two-month journey to the human empire. But how do we get there? What do we do after crossing the Icy Sea?"
Valentina who seemed lost in watching Rio and Ayhan snapped to attention at his voice. Her turquoise eyes gleamed for a moment and in a surprised tone she said,
"Yes as I said you'll need to cross the Icy Sea. Then you'll reach a port. I don't quite recall its name—maybe Port Kabuk?"
She stood and walked to the corner of the kitchen. With a gentle motion, she poured herself a glass of dark red liquid. The furnace's light reflected off the liquid as if something alive swirled within it. She took a sip and staring at the glass continued,
"There should be a branch of the White Devil Guild at the port. Through the guild, join a group of mercenaries and head to the capital of the empire."
Surprised by her words, Rio said in a doubtful tone, "The White Devil Guild? Mercenaries?"
Valentina shook her head in mock pity. Ayhan opened his mouth as if to explain but Valentina raised her hand and silenced him with a cold look. She let out a deep sigh and, with an exasperated expression muttered,
"William I swear the day I get my hands on you, I'll crush your teeth. Why didn't you teach this kid anything?"
She stared at her glass as if searching for answers within it. After a moment's pause she said in a voice tinged with fatigue and frustration,
"The White Devil Guild is an adventurers' guild with branches across most of the Parmis continent. You can register your requests and for a fee trained individuals will fulfill them. They do other things too but that's not important."
Rio fell deep in thought. He muttered to himself,
"A guild that does anything for money? This world keeps getting more dangerous by the minute!"
His gaze fell on Valentina, who now gripped her glass tightly as if she wanted to crush it. Her eyes, in the blue light of the furnace were like two icy lakes—deep, cold and full of secrets Rio dared not approach.
At that moment, Ayhan looked up and said in a curious tone,
"But Lady Valentina we don't have money for this! And why do we need a guild when we can just fly back to our homes after crossing the sea?"
Valentina's face suddenly changed. Her kind smile melted like snow in the sun, replaced by a cold, determined look. She slammed her glass on the table with such force that the sound echoed through the kitchen. In a voice that seemed to come from the depths of a dark cave, she said,
"You must never do that because you might…"
Surprised by this sudden shift Ayhan said in a trembling voice,
"Might what?"
Valentina let out a deep sigh as if the weight of centuries rested in that breath. Her eyes stared into the distance as if seeing something ominous on the horizon. In a voice where each word was like a dagger, she whispered,
"You might get hunted."