– "Well, alright then. I will invest my information in you, for I have a feeling that in the not-so-distant future, you will bring me more interesting information than what I have shared with you tonight. Think of this as a future investment, herbalist. And have more faith in yourself, for I never invest in things I know will fail," – he commented with a sly tone.
– "Now, follow me. I will show you and your companions to your rooms," – he said, heading towards the door leading out of the extravagant room.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
And so, Sylvan followed Alfred back to the reception area where they met up with the rest of the group.
– "You were down there for a while. What were you talking about?" – Aleus began.
– "Nothing that should concern you, Aleus. This is something only I can handle," – Sylvan replied to the knight, who didn't seem to take it very well. – "Now, without further delay, I inform you that Crowley has allowed us to stay for the night. Let's leave our things in the rooms, or we'll be late for dinner." – With that, the young man began to follow the ghost towards the rooms.
– "Hey, Hyacinth, I don't mean to bother you, but I remember you were bad with directions. Why don't you tell me which way to go, and I'll lead?" – asked Sariel with a hint of guilt.
The addressed one stiffened. – "Ummm, I don't think I can explain it. This place is almost like a maze. It's better to follow him so we don't get lost." –
– "Who are we supposed to follow? It's just the three of us," – commented the knight.
– "Follow me! I meant follow me. Well, come on, we're in a hurry!" – With that, the healer quickened his pace and followed the ghost who was moving away.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
– "BY THE MOTHER OF ALL SANDWICHES! This is a room? It's bigger than my house!" – Before his eyes was a large room with a triple bed, gold and red decorations, and lion motifs.
– "It's not that big. Many rooms in the palace are larger than this and better decorated," – Aleus muttered.
– "Come on, guys, let's each leave our things in our own room and go to dinner. It's getting late," – Sariel chided.
The group proceeded to leave their things in their respective rooms and headed towards the dining room.
– "Honestly, Hyacinth, given how you navigated the streets, I thought you had a poor sense of direction, but you've surprised me. With this building's damned design, even I would have gotten lost," – commented the knight at one point during the journey.
– "Oh, really? I don't know where you got that idea. It's not like I'm a greenhorn swordsman. But you're right, the design of this building doesn't make much sense, but it's very handsome." –
– "This is due to the young master. He is very eccentric in his designs. He liked mazes since he was a child, so when he had the opportunity, it was the first thing he did," – sighed the ghostly butler. – "Turn right here, and we will have arrived."
After turning right, they reached the dining room, where their plates were already served. So they ate quickly and returned to their rooms to sleep.
Sylvan went straight to his room. But along the way, Aleus cornered Sariel.
After hearing the noise, Sylvan waited patiently where he couldn't be seen.
– "Reli, you know I don't like doubting you. But are you sure Hyacinth is the right one for this mission? We know almost nothing about him. His master told us he could complete the task, but there is too much at stake. We can't leave it to chance. Besides, when Wysteria recommended him to us, she was already affected by the illness. How do we know she was in her right mind?!" – Aleus growled.
– "I understand your concerns, Al, I really do. There is a lot at stake. But think: would Wysteria, even in her final moments, ever fail us? Let's trust that her last decision was for us to find our salvation, not the destruction of innocent lives." –
– "Reli… You have a heart that is too big. That is your best quality and, at the same time, your greatest weakness. People can take advantage of you, and you are aware of it, yet your eyes only seek to see the good around you, and you tend to forget that shadow always pursues the light." –
– "You must stop doubting people so much, Al. I know you had bad past experiences with people, but that doesn't have to include everyone—" – The young man with golden eyes was interrupted by his companion's worried voice.
– "Sariel Aurelius Von Dreymont, you must wake up! If you don't, you will perish, for you know many are targeting your position. You know I won't allow that, even if it costs me my own life, but you must understand that under the cloak of goodness everyone claims to wear, dark emotions lie. Envy corrodes everyone, power drives them mad." – Aleus sighed, taking a few seconds to calm down.
– "Reli, no one at the masquerade shows their true face, for no one wants to be seen as they truly are. They want to hide behind the perfect personality, meticulously crafted. Don't let the farces of their ballrooms drag you to your doom. Power drives everyone insane; it discriminates against no one. Yet we must not be hypocrites, for we too wear a mask with regret, built to cover our flaws and highlight our strengths. Even so, I know yours hides great suffering, one you are not willing to share with anyone but yourself." –
– "It's getting late, and we must leave early tomorrow. We'd better rest now," – Sariel commented, indicating that the conversation had come to an end.
– "Of course. Have a good rest. My room is next to yours. If you need anything, do not hesitate to call my name," – he replied, bidding farewell to the elegant prince with golden eyes.
After finishing dinner, Sylvan also decided to return to his room, still processing everything he had overheard in that dark hallway, subtly illuminated by the dim glow of half-extinguished oil lamps.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Once in his room, Sylvan settled into bed after preparing for sleep. The stillness of the night gave him space to think about the turn his life had taken. He wasn't used to change, let alone such great responsibility; the mere idea that so many people depended on his knowledge made him nervous. As he tossed these thoughts around, a deep fatigue began to take hold of him, and his heavy eyelids began to close.
Sylvan opened his eyes in a familiar setting, which brought him warm memories. The green, fresh grass enveloped him, the scent of the greenery filtering through his nostrils. That vast field where he had grown up was once again before his eyes, just as alive and beautiful as ever.
The voice of a child in the distance made him turn his head towards the source of the sound, where he could see a young boy with brown hair running around a woman whose hair was the color of pure gold.
The boy didn't seem to be more than five years old, and a joyful smile was drawn on his face, which the woman seemed to appreciate, as her eyes rested on the energetic youth.
Sylvan still remembered that. They were memories from when he was little. His teacher would sit under a tree and tell him fantastic stories or simply show him captivating flowers and their countless qualities. He remembered those times as days full of fun, where the colorful flowers began to appeal to him more and more as time passed.
Out of nowhere, a black wind covered the scene, leaving Sylvan in a dark space where blackness reigned to the ends of the world.
He suddenly felt a hand on his ankle.
Turning around, he was surprised to see his elderly master crawling on the ground while crimson blood gushed from her mouth, turning the black floor into a sea as dense and colored as blood itself.
– "Sylvan, why did you let me die?" – stammered the old woman, gripping the young man's ankle tighter.
He felt his legs weaken, causing him to stumble backward, falling onto his back. Looking down at them, he saw that where Wisteria held his leg, it was slowly turning to ash, making his legs disappear bit by bit.
– "No… It wasn't my intention, I—" – He wasn't able to utter another word, as his body wouldn't allow it.
The old woman continued questioning Sylvan, asking why he had abandoned her, why he had let her die and left, to which the young man did not respond a single time.
Before the agonizing words could further stun Sylvan and before Wisteria could completely turn his legs to ash, the red, dense liquid that enveloped them dragged him down into its depths, pulling him further and further away from the faint light on the surface and from his teacher, slowly suffocating him until he could take no more.
It was at that moment that Sylvan woke up startled, his body covered in cold sweats and his pulse racing abnormally.
As the minutes passed, he began to calm down, but he didn't believe he could fall back asleep for the rest of the night.
Thus, he had no other choice but to check his bag of belongings and, among them, pull out that small book of flowers that his mistress had made. The small manuscript had been written and illustrated by Wisteria herself so that Sylvan could learn about different plants and their qualities.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
And so time passed until he sensed that morning had finally arrived.
When the sun had fully risen, the three young men went down again for their last meal before their departure, which was calm and had little conversation. The absence of the host was also noticeable, as he seemed to still be sleeping.
Just before leaving, as they were preparing their horses, the informant appeared before the herbalist to bid him farewell.
– "It is a goodbye, but not forever, for I am sure our paths will cross again, herbalist. Besides, my shop is always open for any interesting information you might bring from your travels." –
– "Of course. We will meet again, have no doubt about that," – Sylvan commented with a smile.
After this, the trio set off towards the castle as the morning sun illuminated them, each with their own thoughts and concerns. The long shadows they cast seemed like elongated echoes of their doubts, but the steady trot of the horses was a promise of action, a decisive step towards a destiny that, for better or worse, they were beginning to forge with their own hands.