The wind carried with it a heavy scent, steeped in the memory of blood and suffering.
Ioh stood still, his palms pressed to his knees, listening in silence to all Nira had told him. He was not a man of vengeance — he knew too well how easily blood could corrupt the soul.
But now… something else burned within him.
His gaze darkened, like a sky before the storm.
"Sor the Silent will not go unpunished," he said quietly, each word like the strike of a hammer.
"If fate sets me face to face with him… he will know justice. Paleș did not deserve such torment. Nor death."
His tone remained calm, but behind every word pulsed an unshakable resolve, sharp as a steel blade drawn from its sheath. His eyes hardened, his shoulders shifted forward, as if he already bore the weight of the road ahead.
"I will go myself to seek Hor," he declared, each syllable a stone laid into the foundation of an oath.
"And we will unravel the riddle, no matter how many shadows stand in my way. I swear it…"
Nira looked at him for a long moment. In her eyes, hope flickered once more, but it carried also the shadow of deep fear.
"I want to awaken Dacus… at any cost. And I want Paleș's sacrifice not to be in vain. What we began with him must be carried through to the end."
Ioh met her gaze and, without blinking, nodded.
"Then, at dawn, I leave."
Morning was born cold, the sky washed in pale shades of gray and blue. Nira waited before the manor, a black horse beside her — strong, its eyes glowing like embers. It was no gentle beast; the fresh scratches on her arms betrayed the struggle of the night spent taming it.
On the saddle, two satchels hung balanced and full, proof of careful preparation. Yet from the right satchel came a faint rustling.
Ioh stepped closer, studying the horse with a single glance.
"Harsher than the last one… I like it."
He fastened his great sword across his back, the vampire fangs on the hilt swaying in the breeze. He did not bid farewell to Luc or Nicolai. Mounting, he turned once toward Nira before leaving.
"I will find Hor."
No more words were needed. She gave him a short wave, biting her lip to keep her emotion from breaking free.
Ioh vanished among trunks and clearings. From the doorway, Luc watched him with a small smile, raising his hand in a timid salute — like a child who knows he may not see his friend again for a long time.
The manor fell silent. Nira turned back, searching for the twins.
"Luc? Nicolai?" Her voice echoed through the corridors, but only the echo replied.
Unease crept into her chest. When the children vanished, she usually found them near Dacus's globe… but now the place was empty. For hours she wandered through rooms, halls, pantries, and attics. Nothing.
At last, Luc appeared, his mischievous grin wide, eyes shining as if he had just pulled off the greatest feat of his life.
"Where were you hiding, little rascal?" Nira asked, relieved, though one eyebrow arched. "And Nicolai? Where is he?"
Luc shrugged, his grin stretching ear to ear.
"If you're looking for him… maybe you'll find him. I'm not saying anything."
Nira's eyes darkened. She knew the boy was provoking her on purpose.
Far away, Ioh rode along a river, letting the horse catch its breath. He bent to scoop water in his hands, and when he turned… he froze.
The horse was being stroked on the forehead — by a child.
"Nicolai?!" His voice sharpened, nearly a shout. He strode quickly toward him.
"What are you doing here? You were supposed to be at the manor, with Nira and Luc!"
The boy raised his eyes, unwavering.
"I won the game with Luc."
Ioh studied him skeptically, one eyebrow lifting.
"What game did you win, Nicolai?"
"'Shadow and the Hunter.' I was the Shadow."
"And what did you win, being the Shadow?"
"My wish. To come with you."
Nicolai clenched his fists, his voice firmer than before.
"Paleș once told me that true courage is not to fight, but to choose the hardest path when no one expects you to. I want to be like him."
Ioh fixed his eyes on the boy, as if trying to decide whether before him stood merely a curious child — or a brave one.
"Who taught you this game?"
"A stranger with blue eyes," Nicolai replied with a sly smile.
"Rules are rules. If the Hunter loses… he's not allowed to speak."
Ioh closed his eyes for a moment, drawing in a deep breath. The road he walked was no place for children. And yet… his gaze fell on the bone flute. There was no turning the horse back now.
That stranger… unearthed another buried memory. A shiver ran down Ioh's spine. That man with the blue eyes reminded him of the one who once spoke of the Dragons of the Hidden Land.
His gaze shifted to the right satchel — open and empty. And he understood. Nicolai had been hidden there all along.
Back at the manor, a cold wind rattled the windows, shaking them like a warning. Inside, Luc stared at the shadow of his own lie on the wall and bit his lip. He had to confess.
"Nira…" he began, drawing a deep breath, "I need to tell you something."
She leaned closer, worried.
"What is it, Luc?"
The boy rubbed his palms together, struggling to begin.
"Me and Nicolai… we have a game. We call it 'Shadow and the Hunter.' One hides, the other seeks. If the Shadow isn't found for a whole hour… he wins and can claim any wish."
"And?" Nira asked, curious.
Luc swallowed hard, staring at the tips of his boots.
"This morning… Nicolai was the Shadow. And he told me what his wish would be if he won. He wants to go with Ioh."
Nira raised her hand to her forehead, realization sinking in. Her lips went pale, her eyes heavy with worry mixed with fear. But when she spoke, her voice was calm:
"And where did he hide?"
Luc hesitated, biting his lip.
"In the right satchel of Ioh's horse. I knew it was dangerous… that's why I didn't give him away. I just tried to cover his tracks. But, Nira… I thought you should know."
Nira had suspected the twins might plot mischief, but never this. She had not expected one of them to follow Ioh. Yet it was too late now. He was already on the road.
So instead of scolding Luc, she stirred his excitement a little, speaking with deliberate indifference:
"I placed a surprise for Nicolai, in Ioh's satchel."
"You really did that?" Luc asked, eyes wide, a spark of fascination lighting his face, as if their secret plan had just been uncovered.
But before Ioh had left, Nira had slipped her hand into the left satchel of the horse, placing within it an object wrapped in cloth — an old relic given by Get, glowing faintly in the dark. "May it bring him luck," she had wished.
Beyond the walls, the wind carried the chill scent of the damp forest. Ioh lifted his gaze toward the long road ahead, then turned to the child in the saddle. Nicolai sat tall, eyes full of stubbornness, as though he had already sworn to follow him to the ends of the earth.
Within Ioh, the oath for Dacus and the memory of Paleș burned fiercely. But now another weight hung on his shoulders — a child who did not yet understand the true meaning of danger.
And yet, perhaps… this "Shadow" was not a burden, but a part of the answer to the riddle awaiting him.
"Very well, Shadow…" Ioh murmured, inclining his head.
"But know this — the game is only just beginning."
And with Nicolai at his side, Ioh urged the horse forward, leaving behind the stillness of the river.
The forest closed around them like a hungry mouth.