As soon as we crossed the massive threshold of the warehouse, the world outside was left behind. Now, there was only a dense and pitch-black silence around us. That pendulum, which was struggling like a predator after Vyuk's spell, dictated our path; whichever direction it pulled, we turned our steps toward it.
The surprising thing was that there were rows of electric bulbs on the warehouse ceilings, but not a single one was lit. It was clearly evident that this was a foul trick of that kidnapper woman. She had deliberately wrapped the entire warehouse in a blanket of darkness so that we would wander like blind travelers, and she could strike us from behind the shadows. Between the high iron walls and tall heaps of scrap, this place felt like a labyrinth.
We were moving forward with extreme caution and silence, but even in this suffocating darkness, we had a ray of hope. Helena used her 'Tiny Flame' ability. Above her fingers, a small, golden flame suddenly ignited. That light was dim and pleasant, like an old lantern, which filled the radius of a few meters around us with light.
In that faint light, the sight of the warehouse looked even more terrifying. The shadows of old boxes appeared like monsters on the wall. As we moved forward, the vibration of the pendulum kept getting stronger, as if it were trying to sense the proximity of that woman.
"Be careful," Helena whispered, her pupils shining in the light of that tiny flame.
The air inside the warehouse was becoming even colder and heavier. We were making our way through wooden boxes and rusted rubble, following that mysterious pendulum. That purple glow of the pendulum was dancing in the darkness like a poisonous firefly, leading us toward the rearmost and narrowest part of the warehouse.
While walking, the movement of the pendulum suddenly became still. It stopped right in front of a small iron door. That door looked so old and neglected that at first glance, one might mistake it for a part of the wall. But the pendulum was no longer shaking; instead, its coin was pulling directly toward the crack of that door, as if it were screaming to tell us that our destination lay beyond it.
I hesitated in front of that cold iron door. A whirlwind of apprehensions began to rise in my mind. Is this some new trap of that woman? Or have we truly reached close to her? I was thinking about all these things when suddenly a voice came:
"What happened, Master? Is there any problem?"
Historia's sweet but concerned voice pulled my attention toward her. Historia's face was glowing in the dim light of that 'Tiny Flame' emerging from Helena's palms. Their blue eyes were shining like a precious sapphire in that dusk, in which absolute loyalty toward me and a little nervousness were clearly visible.
Turning toward her, I said in a low voice, "No Historia, it's nothing like that. Actually, I am just thinking that this pendulum wants to take us across this anonymous door. But the question is, what exactly is on the other side of this small door?"
Then Helena intervened between our talks in her deep voice. She said, "Perhaps it is some secret part of this warehouse or some 'Underground Chamber.' Often in such old structures, there are hidden rooms at the back where illegal goods were kept."
I looked into Helena's experienced eyes. Could it really be possible that a secret room is hidden behind a warehouse?
"Darkness is always made to nurture secrets, Jona," Helena said, tightening her grip on her axe a bit more. "The time for thinking has passed. If the pendulum is pointing there, we will find the answer only on the other side."
But Historia interrupted Helena in the middle and said very politely, "Forgive me Madam Helena, but according to my analysis, beyond this door is not a secret part of this warehouse, but rather a direct path leading out of the harbor."
Hearing this thing from Historia, Helena's eyebrows shot up and a sharpness came into her voice. "Oh, I see! But how do you know with such certainty that on the other side of this door will be the path out of the harbor? Have you been here before?"
Without being distracted, Historia replied in her calm and gentle voice. There was a strange stability in her blue eyes. "No, I have never been here before, but actually, when we first entered this harbor, we too had taken the help of a back door of a warehouse. Therefore, looking at it on the basis of 'Logic,' this back door of this warehouse should also be connected to the outer boundary of the harbor."
Helena took a cold sigh and replied back in a loud, irritated voice, "Hey, even I know that we entered the harbor through a warehouse! But it is not necessary that the back door of every warehouse at the port connects both the inside and outside. Some doors are limited only to small rooms for keeping goods or 'Dead ends'."
Historia bowed to show her respect toward Helena, as she always did like a loyal companion, but she was also adamant on her point. "Yes, you are absolutely right, Madam. But from the outside, as closely as I have inspected the structure, distance, and geographical location of this particular warehouse, according to that, this door will definitely take us outside the harbor."
Helena was now stuck on her point. She said, "No! My experience says that this door will not take us outside the harbor, but to some different and dark room within the warehouse, where that woman might be waiting for us."
That argument between the two was echoing in that heavy silence of the warehouse. Their voices were hitting the walls like an echo. Historia stood calm with her logical calculations, while on the other side, Helena's ego was clearly reflected in her eyes. I just stood silently watching them, as if waiting for the result of a game to see who would eventually win.
As time was passing, this conversation of theirs was starting to feel like an argument instead of a healthy discussion. The pendulum was still trembling in my hand, as if it too were frustrated by this delay. Waiting any longer could be dangerous.
"Enough! Now stop it and everyone be quiet!" I shouted in a suppressed but firm voice. My voice hit the iron walls and created a shiver. "We haven't come here to argue. Right now, we will open this door and see for ourselves who is right and who is wrong."
The war of words going on between the two stopped due to my sudden shouting. Once again, the same heavy silence fell in the warehouse, and both of them looked at me in surprise.
Historia immediately lowered her eyelashes and expressed her agreement with full humility. "Yes Master, you are absolutely right. Rather than wasting time in a useless argument, it is better that we face reality and find out the truth by opening the door."
But Helena... the expressions on her face were saying something else. That 'Tiny Flame' burning in her palms flared up a bit more with her anger. Then she said in a sharp tone, "No Jona! This matter is no longer just about the secret hidden behind this door. Now it is a matter of principles! How can this little 'Maid' dare to prove me wrong? It is a question of my intelligence and my self-respect. I will not tolerate this!"
There was a strange spark in Helena's eyes. Seeing the anger on her face, I said in a composed tone, "Okay Helena, forgive me, but right now we have no time at all to argue. We have to find that kidnapper woman as soon as possible, before she slips out of our hands and creates some new trouble."
Hearing my words, Helena took a cold breath and replied curtly, "Fine, do whatever you think is right."
I felt relieved hearing this from Helena, after which I moved toward the door to open it. As soon as my hand pressed on that cold iron latch, Historia's voice echoed from behind:
"Master, wait!"
There was such a nervousness in her voice that it froze my steps right there. I stopped and turned back to look at Historia. Waves of concern could be clearly seen in her blue eyes. "What happened, Historia? Is there any problem?"
Historia took a step forward and said with great gentleness but firmness, "Master, actually we do not fully know what is waiting for us on the other side of this door. It could also be some lethal trap of that woman. Therefore, I want you not to open this door. Instead, I will move forward, so that if there is any danger on the other side, it falls on me instead of you."
Hearing these words from Historia's mouth, I was speechless for a moment. I felt a strange warmth in my chest—a happiness that was difficult to describe in words. I began to think to myself how much Historia, who is technically an AI, cares for me. Since coming into this unknown and danger-filled world, since I met Historia's physical form, she has stayed by my side like a shadow. At every turn, in every difficulty, she has saved me. And this loyalty of hers is only for me in this entire world.
I was just thinking about Historia's dedication when she passed beside me with fearlessness. There was no hesitation in her steps. She held that heavy door with her delicate but strong hands. As soon as the door slowly opened with a creak, a gust of cold air coming from outside hit our faces. The sight that was going to be visible across the darkness was going to decide whether that kidnapper woman would fall into our hands or not.