Finn wandered slowly back to his dwelling, lost in heavy thoughts. What had happened didn't make sense—Adam, a mighty elf, had returned battered and exhausted. What could have drained his strength so completely?
Reaching his room, the boy sat on the bed, clutching the glowing lamp to his chest. Its warm light was calming; it helped him think. Who could possibly stand against Adam?
"They were everywhere..." — those words echoed in Finn's head. Who were "they"? And then it hit him like a lightning bolt—humans! Those very knights who had shackled him, who had searched for him with such persistence.
Finn jumped up and began pacing the room. Something wasn't right here. The elves said they had been waiting for him, that he was the chosen one, the one who had passed some kind of trial. But then why had the humans been hunting for him even before he came to the elves? How did they know about him?
The boy stopped, staring into emptiness. Something definitely didn't add up. Adam had said they had waited for the chosen one for centuries, yet they themselves didn't know exactly who they were looking for. So where did such certainty that he was the one they had been waiting for come from?
What if... Finn felt a chill run down his spine. What if Adam hadn't told them everything? What if he knew more than he was saying? Maybe that was why the humans were hunting him—they knew something that Adam was hiding?
Finn remembered his first day here, how easily the elves had accepted him, how quickly they had declared him the chosen one. Why? Just because he had ended up in some ancient tomb? But he couldn't even remember what had happened there...
Finn sat back down on the bed, clutching his head in his hands. Too many questions, too few answers. Why were the humans so persistent in their search for him? Why were the elves so sure of his chosen status? And most importantly—what did Adam truly know?
Maybe, Finn thought, it wasn't just about him? Maybe there was some ancient feud between humans and elves, but the humans didn't know of the elves' existence, believing they had exterminated them.
The boy stood up and walked over to the small window overlooking the main cavern. The glowing core of the great tree pulsed softly in the darkness, like the heart of this underground world. Everything here seemed so right, so harmonious. But what was hidden behind this harmony?
Finn recalled Adam's words: "I didn't think it would happen this soon..." What was he talking about? What was supposed to happen later? And why did the elves, for all their strength and knowledge, seem unprepared for it?
Maybe, Finn pondered, Adam had known the humans were approaching? Maybe that was why he was in such a hurry with the training? But then why hadn't he warned the others, why hadn't he prepared them?
And again, his thoughts returned to that tomb, to the gap in his memory. What had really happened there? Why couldn't he remember anything? And why did no one tell him the details?
Finn looked at his hands. The elves treated him as something special, but he didn't feel anything unusual within himself. Why? What did they see in him? And what did the humans see in him that made them pursue him so relentlessly?
Something was coming, something big and frightening. And Adam, it seemed, knew about it but wasn't prepared for it to happen so soon. Or perhaps he simply didn't want it to happen right now, when Finn wasn't ready yet? But not ready for what? What did they expect from him?
Finn continued to look at the tree; its glow seemed to pulse in time with his thoughts. The boy wanted to know the truth, wanted to understand what was happening around him. And the tree, it seemed, sensed this desire—its radiance grew brighter, then dimmer, as if trying to say something.
Finn shifted his gaze to the door of his room. Go out now? Go look for answers? He hesitated, not daring to take the first step. And then, as if answering his doubts, the door suddenly swung wide open. There was no wind, no movement of air in the cave—the wooden panel simply opened wide on its own.
The boy froze, staring at the open doorway. This couldn't be a coincidence. The tree, the heart of the elves' underground city, was giving him a sign. The answers were waiting for him somewhere out there, beyond this room. He just needed to muster the courage and go after them.
Without wasting another moment, Finn glanced at the table where the book lay—the very one he had received on his first day here. The book had always evoked a strange feeling in him, as if something important was hidden within its smooth cover. But no matter how hard Finn tried to open it, the pages seemed fused together, refusing to reveal their contents. Maybe now was the time for answers?
Snatching the book, Finn tucked it inside his tunic. He left the lamp on the table, deciding its light was of no use to him now. After all, he didn't need to hide—he just wanted to know the truth.
The corridor of the dwellings met him with coolness and semi-darkness. Finn knew he needed to go to Adam to find the answers to his questions. He was eager to understand what Adam was hiding, why the elves considered him the chosen one, and what it truly meant to be chosen.
Finn walked along the corridor, his steps echoing softly in the gloom. He didn't know what he was about to learn, but an inner feeling suggested the answers wouldn't be pleasant.
Approaching Adam's house, Finn froze upon hearing a rustle and quiet groans. His heart began to beat faster. He paused for a moment, listening to the sounds coming from inside. The rustling didn't stop, and the groans sounded as if the person inside was struggling with pain but trying not to show it.
Summoning his courage, Finn knocked on the door. He didn't know how he would be received, but he felt he had to do this. The moment his knuckles touched the wood, the door swung open on its own, as if inviting him in. This unexpected turn of events paralyzed the boy for an instant, but before he could even think to step back, he heard a voice.
"Come in, Finn," Adam's voice came from deep within the house. It was hoarse and slightly strained, but it still held the warm kindness that always distinguished the elven leader. "If the tree hears you, why shouldn't I listen to you?"