Tomorrow was the long-awaited day—the day Billy's dreams would come true, the day he would finally attain the wealth he had wished for all his life. He couldn't sleep out of sheer excitement, like a child waiting for the morning of Eid. He stayed awake, dreaming and imagining everything he would do with that fortune, already having decided on the exact amount he would ask for.
In the morning, Billy woke up and had his breakfast: two eggs, some bacon, a glass of milk, and a few sweets. He went down to the hall, where the girl—almost fully healed from her injuries—was resting. He gave her a few additional healing doses, which seemed to take effect. He didn't want to offer "damaged goods." He placed her in the cart and made his way to Simon's palace.
Billy arrived at the palace and was greeted by the servants. He unloaded the girl from the cart and brought her inside.
Simon welcomed Billy, saying,
"Mr. Billy, I see you didn't try to escape."
Billy laughed and replied,
"Why would I? I'm confident in the quality of my goods."
Simon responded with a serious tone,
"I hope so, Mr. Billy."
Someone knocked on the wooden door, and Simon granted them entry. An elderly man entered, appearing human, though he was in fact one of the 'Unith'—beings who live for thousands of years. A servant followed, carrying two cups of coffee, which he handed to Billy and Simon.
Billy took a sip from his cup and said,
"Shall we move directly to the matter of money?"
Simon smiled.
"You seem confident, merchant. Very well. Once your claims are verified, I will keep my promise. But before we begin the trial, we must make a few preparations."
Simon snapped his fingers, and two men entered, wearing long black cloaks.
Billy asked in surprise,
"Why have you brought these magicians?"
Simon chuckled softly.
"Just to run some examinations. Don't worry, your good will remain unharmed."
The magicians approached the girl and stripped her of her tattered clothes. They began inspecting her body. One of them said,
"This is strange… There's no sign of a curse, but there is an unnatural energy emanating from her."
Simon, surprised, asked,
"Do you think this energy is the cause of her immortality?"
The magician replied,
"No. While her aura gives off an unsettling sensation, it isn't directly linked to immortality. Most likely, this energy attracts misfortune and disaster. It could be tied to an ancient form of magic no longer in practice. And if she truly has lived for thousands of years, the reason might be a lost spell."
"A spell of misfortune? That's a new one... Is she human?" Simon said
"I assure you she is—or at least, that's what our examinations show."
Simon smiled.
"Very well. Let us begin."
The two magicians placed their hands over the girl and chanted mysterious words. Suddenly, a blinding light filled the room for a moment, and then a glowing glass orb appeared in one of the magicians' hands.
Billy shouted in shock,
"What did you do!?"
Simon calmly replied,
"Nothing—just a simple spell to determine whether she is alive or dead. Since the orb glows white, she is still alive."
Billy, visibly nervous, said,
"A-alright... Shall we begin the trial then, or whatever you prefer to call it, Mr. Simon?"
Simon smiled and led them into an underground cave. The cave was vast and divided into two sections: one made of natural earth, the other metallic, separated by a massive iron wall with a glass window in it.
Simon approached the window and said,
"What lies beyond this wall is hell itself."
Everyone looked into the opposite chamber, bathed in a deep crimson hue. At its center stood a large cauldron big enough to fit ten people, beneath which burned a terrifying flame.
Simon continued proudly,
"The temperature in there exceeds anything describable in human terms. Even some immortal beings would perish in that place."
Billy, stunned, exclaimed,
"Damn... I feel like my insides are burning and I'm not even in there! This is the most horrifying sight I've ever seen. You've gone way overboard with this insane experiment!"
Simon laughed.
"On the contrary, this is nothing. You told me your girl is immortal. If she survives this, you'll become the richest man in the world."
Billy asked,
"What is this room exactly? Why is it so hot? Did you steal fire from hell?"
Simon replied,
"The fire you see comes from the flame of a Baissu bird, which fell here during its battle with a magician. This flame can vaporize mountains and only grows hotter with time. It's said that entire continents have vanished because of it. Were it not for the sacred magic protecting our continent, it would have disappeared too."
Billy, angry, shouted,
"You've lost your mind! Your story is full of holes! A Baissu bird loose on our continent? You think it flew across continents? That's impossible! Even the greatest magicians require space-time magic to travel between continents. And no one can survive that flame—not even with sacred magic! Moreover, there's no metal or glass that can contain the fire of the Baissu!"
Simon laughed again.
"You worry too much, Mr. Billy. But you're right on many points. In truth, no one knows how the Baissu got here. As for the chamber, it was built long ago by the same magician who fought the bird. The glass is made from crystals harvested from rare fish living in the northern lake of the Enchanted Forest, and the metal is extracted from the earth's core. This glass and metal are unlike anything you've ever known. Even the cauldron is coated with this material so it won't melt. Now, shall we begin the trial?"
Doubt crossed Billy's face, but he had no other option.
Billy asked,
"Fine... but how will you place the girl inside? I don't see any doors."
Simon smiled and answered,
"Magic."