In a place far from the clamor of humans, Leo was taking his first steps in his heavy human body. He was contemplating the world of humans for the first time under direct sunlight; that sun which had long been his arch-enemy and the source of his annihilation had now become a provider of warmth instead of fire. He watched how its rays interacted with the leaves of the trees and how it granted life to everything it touched. He, who had spent centuries fleeing from it in the darkness of catacombs, felt the strangeness of walking now in broad daylight. He saw the details of the world with a clarity he had never known, as if he had been born anew in a world he once thought was merely a bright hell.
Leo clenched his hand tightly and looked at the creature flying beside him, asking in a dry tone: "So... any information about the locations of the stones, Tiny? Where do we start?" The creature looked at him with its blue eyes and said in a calm voice: "My name is Fro... not Tiny." Then he continued: "I do not know... their energy has been scattered across the centuries, and their traces have vanished behind the veils." Leo sighed with frustration and squeezed his fingers shut while looking at Fro: "Then we shall begin our journey now, my comrade... and inevitably, you will be reunited with your brothers." Behind the word "comrade" lay another tale, the meaning of which was known only to Leo.
Meanwhile - Preparing for the Journey
At the same time, Alex and Nilofar were preparing to begin their journey toward the location indicated by the map. They bought all the supplies and equipment they needed and began searching for a carriage to transport them to the neighboring village. However, the strange thing was that Alex was sharply insisting on finding a "fully covered carriage," a matter that increased Nilofar's suspicions.
Nilofar asked him with a smile, trying to hide her doubt: "Why are you looking for covered carriages specifically? We could go in a regular carriage and save some money."
Alex looked at her with a superior gaze full of disdain and said to himself: "Stupid human... if we were able to walk under the sun freely, you wouldn't even be alive right now." Then he laughed mockingly and said to her aloud: "I won the money, and I will do with it what I want. I want a comfortable, covered carriage."
This attitude provoked Nilofar intensely; he was speaking as if she were the one who had asked to accompany him, and not as if they were partners in this mission. She stepped toward him and said sharply: "If we are going to complete this journey together, you must act on the basis that we are two parties who will both benefit from this, and not the opposite!"
Alex looked at her, muttering unintelligible words, then said secretly with malice: "In any case, there isn't much left until you die." He moved his head right and left as if boredly agreeing with her words, then placed his hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes coldly, saying: "Do you have any other orders?"
Nilofar felt that she had won this verbal round. As she went to brush his hand off her shoulder, she caught a clear glimpse of the ring on his hand for the first time. Nilofar (to herself): "Is this the thing he was trying to hide yesterday? And why would he hide it? Is it a memory from his wife or a girlfriend? But who cares... the important thing is that we reach the end of this map and I find the killer of my father."