Rain lashes against the windows as lightning flashes across the sky.

  In the Whitepool District, in a small house next to a barn, Korbach Redurb sinks heavily into a deep, worn-out armchair, his shoulders slumping with exhaustion. Despite the soft cushions, the chair offers no peace to his troubled soul.

  Korbach's thoughts spin around the shocking news Ko had shared with him today. Every flash in the sky mirrors the unrest in his mind, so much that he even forgot to light a lamp in his room.

  Before him, lying on the worn carpet, is the letter he wrote for Ko to send to his "friend from far away." His gaze remains fixed on the words, as if they could be of help to him, about the loss that not only Ko has to bear, about his friend from far away and about future events that he will surely set in motion when he sends this letter. Through the murky, rain-streaked glass of his window, he spots the shape of a woman knocking repeatedly on the front door. He is so lost in his thoughts that he barely registers the repeated calls of his name. When he finally realizes they aren't figments of his imagination, he comes back to his senses and stumbles to the door, turns the key in the lock, and opens it.

  "Emina," he says, startled. "What are you doing here?!"

  "Korbach," she replies urgently. "My children?"

  "What?" he responds, confused.

  "My children," she repeats, catching her breath. "They haven't come home. Are they here?"

  "Your ch...?"

  Then it dawns on him.

  "Oh no."

  He quickly grabs his coat.

  "Do you know something?" she asks, her voice tinged with anxiety.

  "We'd better hurry. I'll explain everything on the way."

  Korbach's house lies between his shop and Ko's cabin, and they reach it in just under fifteen minutes. On the way, they only had to avoid the few soldiers patrolling the streets. The only real obstacle, slowing them down slightly, is Korbach's age. At seventy-four, he is neither the youngest nor the fastest, but he knows every corner and hiding spot in the city. His experience compensates well for his lack of agility and speed.

  As they walk, Korbach tells Emina how Emmod and Novel had shown up at his shop earlier that day and about Ko's sudden return.

  "Did he say anything else?" Emina asks, glancing around to make sure the street is clear before crossing it.

  Ko had said plenty more, but Korbach didn't want to burden Emina with it.

  "Nothing important," he lies, avoiding her gaze.

  Of course, Korbach could have told her about the events in Saharka or the letter he had written for Ko, but he also knows Emina's stance on the matter. She would never allow it, nor would she forgive him if he sent the letter. Best to let Ko tell her himself about Saharka and the letter, Korbach thinks.

  Emina already on the other side of the street waves him over.

  "Korbach," he hears her call.

  Korbach snaps out of his thoughts, confirms the street is clear, and slips over to her side.

  After a couple of short alleys, passing the Dragon Cup, and a half-dozen turns, they stand directly across from Ko's cottage.

  "Do you think they're still there?" Emina asks.

  "With this weather, they'd be crazy not to be," Korbach answers.

  "But the lights are out," Emina observes.

  "Maybe they fell asleep," Korbach guesses. Emina runs to the cabin, while Korbach stops in the middle of the dark road. His gaze falls suspiciously on a house. A person is standing at the window, who quickly hides when Korbach notices and does not reappear.

  Emina pounds her fist against the door.

  "Is anyone in there?" she asks, her voice anxious.

  "We don't have much time," Korbach says, catching up to her.

  "Emmod? Novel? Ko!" she calls, louder each time, trying to open the door.

  "Wait," Korbach says firmly, narrowing his eyes as he examines the door more closely.

  "Look up here," he says, pointing. "The door's been forced open and only set halfway back into place."

  "This is Ko we're talking about," Emina responds. "I'd be more surprised if it wasn't."

  "May I?" he asks.

  "Be my guest," Emina says, stepping aside.

  Korbach steadies himself and kicks at the door with all his might. Once. Twice. The third kick sends the door halfway off its frame.

  "Still some strength left in these old bones," he says proudly and enters the hut before stopping abruptly.

  "Oh no," he mutters uneasily. He then grabs a lantern from the floor and lights it, as Emina's eyes widen.

  The cabin is in shambles. An overturned chair, pried-up floorboards, and a broken table, its splinters strewn across the room, all point to a struggle. A trail of blood leads out of the cottage.

  "I'll check the cellar," Korbach says hurriedly, making his way down as quickly as he can.

  "Emmod! Novel!" Emina cries desperately.

  "We're here," comes a faint voice. Korbach stops in his tracks, and Emina looks down.

  "There," Korbach says excitedly, sprinting over to the loose floorboards. Emina drops to her knees.

  "Emmod. Novel," she says hopefully, tears welling up in her eyes.

  "We're down here," they hear again.

  Quickly, Korbach figures out how to remove the loose boards, and relief washes over Emina and him when they see Emmod and Novel huddled in the hole.

  Their clothes are soaked with droplets of blood—a silent testament to the horror they've seen. Their bodies shiver uncontrollably, chilled through by their damp clothing. Korbach helps them out of the hole, and Emina pulls them into her arms with shaking hands and tears of relief.

  "I was so afraid for you," she whispers, her voice trembling. "What happened?"

  Though their bodies are no longer paralyzed, Emmod and Novel find themselves unable to speak after what they've witnessed.

  "We're sorry," Emmod finally manages, sniffing softly, his nose running. "We were too scared to come out."

  "And Mom," he adds, "I think Novel...." Emmod's gaze falls to Novel's pants, and Emina looks down as well.

  Novel turns away, eyes filling with fresh tears. Emina pulls him close, holding him as tightly as if she'll never let go.

  "It's all right. It's all right," she says, and she reaches out to include Emmod.

  "It's all right," she says again, hugging them tightly. "I'm just glad you're safe."

  "Where's Ko?" Korbach asks urgently. "What happened here?" Emina lets the boys go so they can answer, but their gazes shift away again. They still can't say a word. Their silence answers Korbach's question indirectly.

  "We need to go. We can't stay here," Korbach says directly to Emina. "Before anyone sees us."

  Emina puts her hands on her sons' shoulders.

  "Can you manage?" she asks. Emmod and Novel nod.

  "Good," Korbach says. "Come back to my place until the weather clears."

  Emmod and Novel try to pull themselves together, though it's difficult.

  "Korbach..." Novel begins, glancing over at him with uncertainty. Emina and Korbach both look at him.

  "...Can you keep this safe for me until we get to your place?" Shakily, he hands him a crumpled note.

  "I'll put it in my coat," Korbach responds reassuringly. "Let's go."

  The coin his uncle gave him remains hidden in Novel's other hand.

  At Korbach's home, Novel is too ashamed, exhausted, and deeply in shock, so Korbach takes him to his bedroom to rest. Novel has removed his pants and hung them up to dry. Meanwhile, Emina, Emmod, and Korbach sit down at the kitchen table.

  "What exactly happened after you left the shop?" Korbach asks, full of curiosity.

  Emmod, though mentally drained, is also restless and far from ready to relax.

  "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," says Emina.

  "It's all right," Emmod replies. "Ko paralyzed us just before they arrived and hid us under the floorboards so they wouldn't find us. We couldn't see everything but heard it all."

  He still has the images vividly in his mind.

  "There were three of them...a woman and two men," he begins. "They were all dressed in black and wore white masks with a strange smile on them," he continues. "One of them had a jester's cap on and a finely forged sword with him. The woman had an afro. And and the largest of them was called Leo."

  "Did they say why they were there? Or how they found him?" Korbach presses further.

  "They came on behalf of the High Council of Londe," Emmod answers, which makes Emina and Korbach exchange dark looks.

  "They said Ko was the greatest war criminal on earth and the leader of the Crimson Crusaders. They said he was a devil," Emmod continues, visibly disturbed. "So they beheaded him."

  Korbach, more than Emina, had suspected that something like this might have happened, but hearing their fears confirmed still saddens them deeply.

  "Is it true?" Emmod pushes for an answer, but Emina and Korbach remain silent. This only fuels Emmod's anger.

  "We have a right to know! If not now...then when?!" Emmod insists.

  "Why didn't he even fight back?" he goes on. "Because he's the villain in all of this?"

  Getting no response, he tries to make sense of it himself, though he can barely believe it.

  "If he was truly the leader of the Crimson Crusaders...then he was a prince, like his brothers...And if they were princes, they had supernatural powers, like Novel and me."

  "What do you mean by his brothers? Which broth—" Emina begins.

  "Don't play innocent!" Emmod quickly snaps at his mother. "Ko told us. He's not your brother; he's our father's brother. But that's not all. We have two more uncles, right? And they're all dead. All of them!"

  He stands up with such force that his chair and the table scrape noisily.

  "Not because of an accident or illness! Just because of their supernatural powers!" he says angrily. "The same powers that made them superhuman were their downfall."

  Then he turns directly to his mother.

  "That's what you've been protecting us from all this time, isn't it? Because we're the spawn of devils."

  It's taken him 13 years to uncover this dark family secret, but only at the cost of Ko's life. Meanwhile, Emina remains silent.

  "Is anything you've ever told us even true? Is there anything else you're hiding from us?" Emmod continues bitterly before Korbach steps in.

  "There's only one thing you need to know," Korbach says clearly now. "These people...these people who did this to Ko—they're evil."

  "You, your brother, your mother, and Ko are not!" he insists. "You are not evil!"

  Before Emmod can respond, Korbach grabs him by the shoulders and turns him to face him, wanting to make his point.

  "I know it's frustrating," he says. "That there's so much you don't understand, or only understand now. That you're sad and angry at the same time. That it's maddening that you were powerless against it," he continues, "but you need to understand that you're not the only one who's lost something!" he explains. "What do you think your mother is going through right now? Or your brother?"

  It takes someone else saying it aloud for Emmod to gain a clearer perspective. Filled with guilt over his words, he looks past Korbach's large head. Emina still sits there, silently.

  Korbach was right to speak up for her; she's simply not able to right now. She's always struggled to express her true feelings. Now, she not only has to cope with the grief that Ko's death has brought but also with the shame—and the guilt—for the secret that Emmod and Novel unearthed today.

  A careful look at her face is all it takes to read her feelings. They include many things at once: deep sorrow, anger, despair, and the creeping fear of being completely alone. But the deep pain inside her is so intense it's beyond words, barely even readable in her expression.

  With this realization, Emmod slowly begins to calm down.

  "Show strength," Korbach says. "For Ko and for your family. Just as Ko did for you," he continues. "If you start fighting each other now, this family is doomed," Korbach concludes.

  Finally, Emmod lets it rest for the night. Yet the fact remains that he and his brother have been lied to their entire lives.

  Because of the incident and the heavy thunderstorm, Korbach insists that they stay overnight in his bedroom, as they are all exhausted anyway. But there's something still nagging at him. Shortly after the Brymbachs have gone upstairs, he follows a hunch and goes to check his coat, which he had draped over the stair railing on the first floor.

  He rummages through the coat pockets, looking for something very specific: the crumpled note Novel had handed him. But his pockets are empty—the note is gone. Had he lost it along the way? And if the note was so important, why had Novel given it to him crumpled?

  Before he can dwell on it too long, something else catches his eye. Something of far greater importance. It's the letter he had written for Ko, which had been lying openly in the middle of his living room this entire time. He would have much preferred they found the letter rather than narrowly escaping death.

  But precisely because of this, he makes a decision in that moment: he will send the letter to his "friend from far away."

  Is it for the good of the world? He doesn't know. Regardless of whether it's the right or wrong decision, he does it for only one reason: for the sole well-being of the Brymbachs, who, willingly or not, will soon be faced with a larger, new world.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Three days later, the Brymbachs receive a visit from Korbach. Though the thunderstorm has subsided, it's been raining non-stop for the past few days. Today, Korbach has come to pay his respects to Ko. Without a body, they cannot hold a burial, but to honor him, to remember, to acknowledge, and to share their memories—this, he deserves. They sit together at the kitchen table for the occasion.

  Emmod and Novel recall their first encounter with Ko, which had been entirely unexpected. Years ago, at the Rilgohin harbor, they had swiped a few freshly caught fish from the fishermen. The fishermen noticed and caught the two, but before they could handle the young Brymbachs, a man appeared out of nowhere. This man managed to diffuse the situation, partly because the fishermen greeted him with respect. Emmod and Novel went free, and the man even paid for two fish for them. When he brought them back to Emina, he greeted her by name and briefly recounted what had happened. She thanked him but continued to keep them away from him. In fact, it wasn't until the death of Ko's brother—the second uncle of Emmod and Novel—that the family grew closer, and Ko was finally introduced to the young Brymbachs.

  "Forgive me," says Emina, in remembrance. "I blamed you for years for my husband's death," she says, choking up. "That stops now. If anyone's to blame, it's me, for not letting you meet his children sooner," she says. "You didn't fail to protect them—I did."

  Emmod and Novel look at each other in surprise, as they continue to learn new things about their family.

  "Even if you didn't realize it yourself, your brother would have been proud of you," she adds, nostalgic. "You honored his last wish. You looked after our family, cared for us, and protected us until your last breath," she says. When Emina opens her eyes again, Emmod and Novel gaze at her with admiration, and Korbach, too, seems moved by her honest tribute.

  "Many people think he abandoned them—that he didn't care what happened to them or the land," Korbach adds. "But they don't understand that he lost his family and his homeland overnight. Gloom replaced the joy he once felt, and he couldn't do anything about it," he continues. "Yet he always kept a smile, even at his execution. Not because he was glad it was ending, or because he didn't care, but because, for the first time since the end of the Four Crowns War, he was able to protect his family again. And because he wished no one would suffer as he had."

  For Emmod and Novel, it's strange. They'd known Ko for half their lives, yet hadn't known him at all. Still, he was their uncle. He was part of their family, and he was a good friend. Novel still can't bear the loss, while Emmod has found someone to blame. He's certain that, if their mother had told them the truth, none of this would have happened.

  During Ko's commemoration, Emmod and Novel say little. Afterwards, they just want to go back up to their room, and Emina tries to stop them.

  "Boys," she calls, "if you want, you're welcome to go outside."

  "No," they respond quickly.

  "Don't you want to do anything at all?" she asks as they head upstairs.

  "No," they call back loudly, their footsteps fading as they reach the second floor.

  After they slam the door, Emina and Korbach continue talking.

  "With this weather, I wouldn't want to be outside either," Korbach says, trying to cheer her up.

  "That's never stopped them before," Emina replies with a sigh. "They haven't left the house in three days, Korbach, let alone their room. They're that down."

  "They just need a bit of time," Korbach says understandingly.

  Emina gets that, too, but her family has to continue on with their lives, especially given the delicate situation involving a former lord. Yet Emmod and Novel have no interest in training or doing anything else.

  "Do you really not want to do anything else?" Novel grumbles, throwing himself onto his bed.

  "I'd like to do something with Ko," he murmurs to himself, mourning.

  Emmod also falls onto his bed.

  "Something to do, something to do," he mutters, exhausted, turning to stare out the window. Minutes pass in silence.

  "What are you planning to do next?" he recalls Ko's words. "What next... next... what...next..."

  A sudden idea strikes him. He leaps up, clenching a fist.

  "Next we wanted to help Lina!" he exclaims.

  "W-what?" Novel asks, bewildered.

  Emmod quickly pulls out a piece of paper and pencil from a drawer and starts writing. Novel stands beside him to see what his older brother is doing, but Emmod says nothing. As soon as he sees the first few lines, Novel realizes what Emmod has in mind. Meanwhile, Emina finally shows her true feelings. She cries for Ko.

  "Why didn't he fight back?" she sobs. "Why did he just let himself be killed?"

  "I think he did the right thing. If he had fought back, maybe your boys would've tried to help him. Who knows what would've happened then," Korbach tries to comfort her.

  "But it's not fair," she cries. "Why did he just leave us like that?"

  "He could have fought—he might have even won. But I think he knew that if he escaped, the consequences would have been disastrous. The High Council wouldn't have hesitated to send its entire force here. Everyone in this land would have been a potential accomplice. Who knows what they'd have done to the people here if he escaped. And he was also aware of the risk of your children being discovered," Korbach explains. "They said he paralyzed them for a short time," he adds. "I think he knew they wouldn't have hesitated for a second to help him, no matter the cost. That's in their blood. They got it from their father, and especially from you. That's why he didn't fight back."

  These words are exactly what Emina needed to hear. She thanks him and begins to calm down. They talk until evening, and then Korbach heads home. Korbach doesn't see Emmod or Novel again before he leaves.

  After he's gone, Emina worriedly goes upstairs to check on her sons, to see if they need anything. To her surprise, they are lying in bed, seemingly asleep, and she leaves them in peace. But their reasons differ from what she thinks.

  The two of them are working on writing a proper letter to none other than Lina Elmhart. They just have to be careful that their mother doesn't find out, as they don't want her interfering. Each time they hear her footsteps on the stairs, they quickly hide all their half-written notes under their blankets and lie down as if sleeping.

  This goes on for two days until, on the third morning, they finally finish a letter worthy of sending. Novel is still grieving for their uncle's death. Emmod, meanwhile, has processed his grief but is angrier than ever. He's furious that their mother lied to him and Novel their entire lives: that Koro was not her brother but their father's; that Koro wasn't their only uncle; that their father didn't die of heart disease but likely met a fate similar to Ko's; that their father and uncles were the former princes of Rilgohin, and that they themselves may meet the same fate if the High Council discovers the princes left any surviving descendants.

  All these topics resurface during breakfast.

  "I just wanted to protect you," Emina defends herself.

  "Is this your way of protecting us!?" Emmod shouts, jumping up angrily. "All it did was lead to Ko's death!"

  Emina stares at him in shock, and even his brother disapproves of such harsh words. Emmod bites back the rest of what he was going to say.

  "Come on, Novel," he says resolutely, heading toward the front door.

  "Where are you going?" Emina asks, puzzled.

  The question is fuel for Emmod's frustration, who, prejudiced by his anger, only hears what he wants to hear.

  "Out! To get some fresh air. Or are you going to protect us from that, too!?" he retorts, already halfway out the door. Novel follows, though hesitantly.

  Once her sons are out of sight, Emina sinks back onto her chair. She leans her elbows on the table and covers her eyes with her hands.

  "Lian," she says in despair, "I'm losing them."

  Meanwhile, Novel picks up his pace to catch up with Emmod, who is striding briskly ahead.

  "Don't you think that was..."

  "Not now, Novel," Emmod interrupts, gruffly.

  "Do you have the note?" he asks then.

  Novel nods.

  "Do you have the letter?" Novel asks, and Emmod pulls a folded letter from his pocket.

  They make their way from the Whitepool District, through Rilgohin Park, to the end of the Royal District, where they leave the letter for Lina at the gatekeeper's house by the tall double gate.

  It sounds easier than it actually is. They have to empty their pockets and undergo a thorough search for any dangerous items. As expected, the guards find nothing except a crumpled note in Novel's pocket.

  "What's this?"

  "A piece of paper?"

  "What's it for?"

  "The trash. You can see it's crumpled up."

  "Hmm. Alright, move along."

  They take the letter and pay the boys no further attention.

  "Some people really overdo it," Emmod mutters, though they should consider themselves lucky that the guards didn't take a closer look at the note.

  After that, Emmod and Novel continue to their second destination. The path takes them steeply down through the Royal District and the park back to the Whitepool District. There, the two decide to visit Korbach, hoping he can help them with their concern.

  They first try his home, as it is closer than his shop. Emmod knocks firmly on the door twice, and they wait for a moment. They hear no sound, and just as they are about to leave, they hear a lock opening from the inside. The doorknob slowly lowers, and then the door opens just a crack and finally halfway.

  Emmod and Novel's eyes widen as something sharp is aimed at them.

  "Oh, it's just you two," Korbach says, relieved.

  "What do you want with that thing?" Novel asks, startled, as Korbach stands before them with a loaded crossbow.

  "Oh, that... it's nothing important," he says, lowering the crossbow. "Come in."

  Emmod and Novel step cautiously into the house, wearing suspicious expressions. Korbach glances paranoidly outside before closing the door and setting the crossbow aside.

  "Are you expecting someone in particular?" Emmod asks, concerned.

  "Oh... just angry customers who might cause trouble since the shop is closed today," Korbach replies, briefly glancing at Emmod's short, thin hair.

  "Is it so warm outside that you left your bandana behind?" he asks sarcastically.

  "Is that a problem?" Emmod snaps back.

  "No. I just thought it meant something to you..." he begins to soothe, but stops himself.

  "What can I do for you, boys?" he asks, now more open.

  Emmod looks at Novel, who then pulls the crumpled note from his pocket and hands it to Korbach, who reads it without asking any questions. It is the same note that Korbach was supposed to keep for Novel three days ago but had suddenly lost.

  "What does this mean?" Korbach asks hesitantly after reading it.

  "We thought you could tell us," Emmod replies.

  "Ko gave it to me just before he..." Novel starts but cannot finish the sentence.

  Korbach cannot believe that Koro had included him again even after his death. Finally, he sighs.

  "We need to talk."

  At the kitchen table, Novel reads the note aloud once more.

  "I'm sorry you have to witness this.

  But thanks to your presence, I will remember not just the bad moments of my past.

  Difficult times lie ahead for you, but stick together.

  That way, you stay strong!

  I will miss you all.

  P.S. If you want to change the girls situation,

  old man Korbach could help you."

  "Don't tell me it's the girl I'm thinking of."

  "Before we get to that..."

  "Boys!" Korbach raises his voice, "After what happened to your uncle and almost to you..."

  "That's exactly it!" Emmod interrupts emphatically.

  "We want to know," he continues, "You said we should stick together. Uncle Ko says we should stick together. And we intend to! But first, we need to know who we're dealing with," Emmod insists, looking at Korbach, who stares back at him in shock.

  "Who were those people?! We're not stupid. I saw how you and Mother looked at each other when I described the three individuals. You know, don't you?" Emmod presses for an answer.

  "Please... Korbach," Novel adds, and Korbach's shocked gaze shifts to him.

  It's as if a wall between them has crumbled simply because Novel spoke his name. It was the first time he hadn't referred to him as "old man." And not only that: In Korbach's eyes, Emmod's words were filled with pain, but also surrounded by a burning flame—a flame so strong that it would not allow anything to happen to anyone in his family again.

  At that moment, he realizes that the trust the two have placed in Koro now extends to him.

  He sighs.

  "If I'm right, the people you're talking about are the Black Guardians."

  "The Black Guardians?" the brothers repeat softly.

  Korbach nods thoughtfully.

  "The Guardians of Londe," he says in a hoarse voice before clearing his throat.

  "Their most ruthless and deadliest elite unit," he continues as he pours himself a glass of water.

  "It's rare for them to operate outside Londe... but when they do—

  only pain and death follow them," he says mournfully.

  "And under what circumstances do they leave Londe?" Emmod asks as Korbach downs his half-full glass in one go.

  "You must understand," he begins, "All the dirty dealings of the High Council that require a high degree of discretion both domestically and abroad, as well as a certain level of assertiveness and backbone, are carried out in the shadows by the Black Guardians to preserve the integrity of the High Council in the light," he explains. "That truly makes them the shadows of the High Council!"

  Emmod and Novel listen to him as attentively as if they were in a classroom.

  “Those who are aware of their existence see their presence as a warning to leave the area or that death is near,” Korbach continues, “They are not subject to the law, nor are they above it. No matter where they are - they are the law!” he emphasizes, “That makes them the world's most dangerous people.”

  "If the High Council clears the way for them and has their backs, that doesn't sound strange," Emmod concludes.

  "That's why it's of utmost importance that you tell no one—and I mean no one—that your uncle was murdered by them."

  "Let them find out the truth about them and the High Council!" Emmod shouts angrily.

  "If you tell anyone, you're not just putting yourselves in danger," he hisses, "But also everyone you care about. First and foremost, your mother," he warns, before carefully glancing out the window past the curtains.

  "If you want to die recklessly, feel free," he says, turning back to the two, "But your recklessness should not endanger the lives of others—never!"

  Emmod and Novel look at each other uneasily, and Korbach senses the rising uncertainty within them.

  "I'm sorry," he says again in a calmer tone, "You remind me so much of your father."

  "You knew our father?" Emmod asks.

  "Yes, I knew him," Korbach replies, sitting back down.

  Quickly, their discomfort turns to curiosity.

  "He was always searching for the next adventure. Always looking for the next challenge he could grow from," he recounts, pausing for a moment.

  "That made me think..." he continues, "Now that you know more about your family..." He clears his throat, "About your bloodline..."

  "You mean the blood of royalty," Novel interjects sarcastically.

  Korbach ignores the remark.

  "Tell me if I'm going too far," he says firmly, "But does it bother you that your life could have played out the same way as hers?" he asks.

  "Hers?" Emmod asks, confused.

  "The princess," Korbach replies matter-of-factly, "That's why you're here, isn't it?"

  Emmod and Novel feel caught.

  "Boys, I don't want to judge you," Korbach tries to reassure them, "Trust me," he says, "But I would like to know what you discussed with Ko and why he sent you to me. Otherwise, I won't help you until you tell me your true intentions."

  "Our true intentions?" Novel repeats, puzzled.

  "I think you have the wrong impression," Emmod explains, "We're not jealous or anything like that."

  "We want to help her!" Novel clarifies.

  "Help her?" Korbach repeats with a mix of ridicule and disbelief.

  "In what way?" he asks skeptically.

  Emmod tells him the same thing he told their uncle.

  A life away from Lina's current status, an inner restlessness that tells her that her current life doesn't feel right. And their intention to help her find the right way for herself.

  "Because she doesn't have the courage to do it alone," Novel adds.

  Korbach begins to chuckle, which quickly turns into a clear laugh. Emmod and Novel think he's trying to make fun of them.

  "The Brymbachs and their passion for supporting people from the upper class," he says enthusiastically, "You're more like your mother than you think."

  From their expressions, Korbach realizes that Emmod and Novel don't quite understand the connection. Nevertheless, he doesn't elaborate further.

  "I think I now understand why Ko sent you to me," he says, standing up. "If you truly want to change her situation and encourage her to be braver, you should do it in secret."

  "What do you mean?" Emmod asks.

  "I mean there's a way to get you into the castle and out again without anyone seeing you," Korbach explains proudly, "Not even the king knows about it," he continues to brag, "And if you play your cards right, you can reach the princess and perhaps even encourage her to use this path to leave the castle unnoticed."

  "Does that mean you'll help us?" Novel asks, their faces lighting up.

  Korbach nods in agreement.

  "Wait here a moment," Korbach says, now with a hint of excitement in his voice.

  He disappears for a short time upstairs. Emmod and Novel hear him rummaging around. Then he comes back down the stairs, holding a large rolled-up piece of parchment. He unfolds it on the table and wipes away the dust.

  "Korbach, what exactly is this?" Emmod asks.

  "Secret underground passages," he boasts, "They were built by your family. They run over, under, and beside the sewers, through half the city, making them virtually invisible to anyone who doesn't know them. An extraordinary heritage and possibly the only way to see the princess in secret," he says, rolling the parchment up again.

  "Come back here tomorrow morning. I'll help you," Korbach says.

  Excited, Emmod and Novel make their way home.

  "And boys," Korbach stops them at the threshold, "These paths aren't called secret for nothing. Keep it to yourselves," he says with a wink.