A man suddenly collided with Iremiel. Both fell to the ground. For a split second, their eyes met. The man's gaze was wild. He stood up abruptly and began shouting.
"The walls are fake! The crystal is fake! It's all a lie!"
People froze.
"They keep us trapped inside! There are no beasts outside! It's a made-up story so they can control us! Open the doors and see there's nothing there!"
The crowd thickened instantly.
Whispers spread.
"Fake walls!"
"Fake crystal!"
"All fake!"
Iremiel remained sitting on the ground, staring at him.
Was he crazy?
Kalderon immediately stepped forward, gripping Iremiel's arm and pulling him back. While Eliora stood tense beside them.
Soldiers pushed through the crowd. One struck the man hard with a wooden baton.
Another grabbed him and dragged him away as he continued shouting.
The crowd slowly dispersed. But the air had changed. It felt heavier.
Their rings began to glow faintly. All three looked down at them. The light pulsed once… then faded. None of them understood why.
But something about that man had triggered them.
The laughter of the market didn't sound the same anymore.
Colors felt duller.
"I think… we should go home," Iremiel said quietly.
Neither of them disagreed. They walked in silence for a while.
Then Kalderon spoke, voice cold and distant.
"Sometimes… I think it's fake too."
Eliora stopped walking.
"What?"
"We've never seen the beasts. We only believe what's written in a book our elders left behind." He continued...
Her eyes flashed.
"Are you insane? Our ancestors died building those walls. They sacrificed themselves for our safety. And after all these years, people like you question it?"
Iremiel rarely spoke in front of her.
But this time, he did.
"Eli… don't be angry. But sometimes I think the same. We've never seen the beasts. The book has no drawings of them. We've only ever known the world inside the walls."
He hesitated, then continued.
"And the gates… there are nine. Huge gates that need a hundred soldiers to guard. But three doors disappeared? No explanation? Doesn't that sound strange?"
Silence followed.
Eliora sighed.
"Are you guys crazy if someone heard us we will be in jail just like that man just now. And I believe it," she said firmly. "Because I feel the crystal's power. There's a connection between me and the crystal."
She looked at both of them.
"And come on guys we are explorers, aren't we?"
Her eyes sharpened.
"Then let's find one of the missing doors."
A pause.
"And prove whether it's real or not."