Ben woke up from the multitude of voices outside. Turning his head to the window, he saw the dawn: how slowly the sun rose into the sky, and the darkness inside the rooms gradually receded.
Gathering his thoughts, he carefully got out of bed, trying not to wake his wife, and quickly dressing, hurried to the door.
"Yes, miss, there is a high probability that it is that very one," said a strict but slightly tired voice. "The report stated that Fiona's sword was lost inside that cave. And now, after so much time, an extremely similar specimen is found; there can be no mistakes."
The strict but feminine voice echoed through the hall:
"Then let's not guess; take me to the boy. Or do I need to find him myself?"
Opening the door, Ben saw the guard captain standing obediently before a girl who was almost twice as young as him.
"Lady Alice? Heiress of one of the great houses?" Ben nearly cried out but came to his senses in time, remembering that his wife was still sleeping.
The girl unhurriedly turned to Ben and spoke in a calm but firm voice:
"You must be the owner of this place?"
***
Hanging his head forward, the boy examined the bandages on his arm. He had already heard the conversations downstairs and understood that they would come for him soon.
"I wonder if I'll have time to eat?" the boy thought to himself and reached out his hand to the sword lying beside the bed.
Taking the slightly curved sword in his hands, the boy placed the tip of the sword against the floor and began to wait for their arrival.
However, he didn't have to wait too long, and he began to hear distant footsteps from the side of the staircase, which slowly but confidently moved toward his room. The footsteps grew louder, and soon he heard a sharp knock on the door.
The boy had expected their arrival, but still flinched his whole body in slight fright. After a moment, he raised his sword and tapped it twice against the ground, notifying the figures behind the door that he knew of them and was waiting. After that, he placed the sword on his knees with the hilt toward his right hand.
The door creaked open, and three figures entered it. The boy recognized two immediately: Ben and the guard captain, but who was the third?
Raising his head, the boy began to carefully examine the third figure.
Light brown hair reached her shoulders, and a part of the hair almost covered her left eye. The dressed figure was in a large dark cloak made of an unknown material, but if you looked closely at it, many small sparks flashed and simultaneously went out. The cloak created a sensation of something strange, as if it repelled attention from itself. Under the cloak, the figure wore a snow-white blouse with rolled-up sleeves; on the sleeves were worn bracers of light silver that neatly flowed into snow-white gloves. Around her neck was an ordinary pendant in the shape of an hourglass, which turned over every half minute. Below the waist were visible silver boots reaching to the knees, which then flowed into stockings of the same shade as the boots. Over all this was worn a skirt that merged with the blouse, as if it were one whole.
"Good morning," the third figure said in a calm voice, trying not to make any sudden movements.
Finn slightly narrowed his eyes and tried to make out the figure's face. In response to his actions, the hood slowly slipped behind the figure's back, revealing her face to the boy.
The boy's eyes widened; it seemed his empty gaze was once again filled with colors, and the world around his gaze became brighter.
The girl was only a couple of years older than the boy, and her peachy-pink skin without a single flaw, with a sharp tip of the nose, made her face extraordinarily beautiful. Standing before him with a calm expression on her face, it seemed she did not know how to show any emotions. And therefore, with a calm and completely fearless face, she looked at the boy, and her lilac-colored eyes were directed toward the boy's empty eyes. It seemed her eyes widened in surprise, but literally a moment later she regained her composure and spoke.
"What is your name?" a gentle but firm voice echoed in the boy's ears.
After a moment, the boy shrugged his shoulders.
"I see..." the girl drew out the last words; it seemed she was upset, but she placed her left hand slightly on her chest and spoke. "And my name is Alice; where did you come from?"
Continuing to look into her lilac eyes, the boy pointed with his right hand toward the window.
The girl, looking in the direction of his hand, headed to the window. She didn't stand for long, examining the landscape outside the window, and outside the window was only the mountain, surrounded by a dense forest.
The guard captain and Ben were paler than ever; it was no secret to anyone that surviving inside that zone was impossible, and it wasn't just because of the monsters inhabiting that area. Inside the forest thicket was something to which even scientists from all over the world could not give explanations.
After looking at the mountain a little, Alice spoke in a menacing and threatening voice.
"Leave us."
Ben and the captain were afraid to say anything to her; they immediately understood that the matter was serious, and it was better for them not to get involved... For their own safety. They hurriedly left the room, closing the door behind them.
Leaving them alone, the girl hurriedly approached the youth and sat down in front of him. Her gaze was covered with a note of fear, and through the room was barely audible the girl's rapid heartbeat.
"Tell me, you found her, didn't you?!" the girl spoke quickly.
But the boy only tilted his head to the side. "What is she talking about?" he wondered, seeing the fear in her eyes.
Suddenly from below was heard the multitude of steps of iron on stone, which hurriedly headed toward the staircase.
Hearing this, the girl hurriedly took the boy's hands in hers and, warily glancing toward the door, spoke.
"Please, remember, this is very important; did you find her, the fragment of god?"
"What tender hands..." flashed through the boy's head. "And where are her gloves?" the youth wasn't really listening to her, and why should he, since he had already shown her that he didn't know what she was talking about.
After a couple of seconds of mutual silence and not receiving the desired answer, she hurriedly released the boy's hands and, standing up, stepped to the opposite side of the room. And a moment later, knights burst into the room.