As they gaze at Mister Red, Emmod recalls the damp chill of the morning air and the soft chirping of birds as they set out together at dawn. Novel, too, can almost feel the atmosphere again, for Mister Red's sudden appearance is no coincidence. It was precisely planned.

  The first rays of sunlight struggled to pierce the mist that lay thick over the silent streets of Rilgohin. The alleys were deserted, which worked well for Emmod and Novel. Hidden in the treetops of the old trees, Mister Red had been observing the brothers since they'd left their house. His sharp eyes followed their every step as he moved silently from branch to branch, until he positioned himself directly above them.

  When they passed beneath him, he smoothly slid down to a low-hanging branch and made his presence known.

  "You know... I'm not your personal henchman who comes to grant your wishes every time you snap your fingers."

  "And yet, here you are," said Novel with a friendly smile.

  "And yet here I am," Mister Red repeated with a resigned sigh, staggering down the branch to land on Novel's shoulder.

  "My sincerest condolences on the loss of your uncle. Losing a family member is never easy," he said soberly, causing a brief, somber mood to settle over the two brothers.

  "So Lina received the letter," Emmod said, lifting the mood as they began walking again.

  "Of course," Mister Red replied.

  "Did anyone else read it?" Emmod asked further.

  "Before Lina got it, it was only checked by the house butler," Mister Red answered. "But he didn't seem to give it too much thought. The rest of the letter was too obscure for that. Even the mention of your uncle's death left him oddly unfazed, as did the fact that you requested a meeting with me," he explained.

  "So, my question is: why did you want to meet me instead of Lina?"

  "To be honest, we do want to meet with her," Emmod replied.

  "She just doesn't know about it yet," Novel added, somewhat sheepishly.

  "Then why not arrange it as before and let everyone know about the meeting?"

  "That was more or less just a goodwill gesture," Novel said. "Besides, it's not the same with her guards always present."

  "If I may ask—how exactly were you planning to do this?"

  "Apparently, there are certain passages..."

  "...that almost no one knows about..."

  "...by which one can enter or leave the castle unseen," they said cautiously and in low voices.

  Meanwhile, Mister Red stroked his chin thoughtfully.

  "We had thought you could meet us in the castle, and when we know where we'll emerge, you can inform Lina and bring her to us."

  But Mister Red's thoughts were not quite there yet.

  "You mean the secret underground passages, don't you?" he asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

  "What!?" shouted Novel, "How do you know about the secret underground passages?"

  Before he knew it, Emmod's elbow was pressing into his ribs.

  "Stop shouting, you fool," hissed Emmod, while Novel gasped for breath and clutched his ribs.

  "But I'd like to know that too," Emmod continued. "How do you know about the secret passages?"

  "Because in my previous life, I witnessed their construction," Mister Red answered coolly, leaving Emmod and Novel with their jaws practically on the floor.

  "And if all goes as it should, the secret passage should lead you directly to the castle's storage room," he added.

  Emmod and Novel didn't know where to start with their questions.

  "Storage room? You mean that same storage room from back then?"

  "Exactly."

  "And you're feeling better now?"

  "Was I feeling unwell?" Mister Red replied.

  "Well, last time you just disappeared," Novel said as tactfully as possible.

  "And you said you'd remembered your family," he added.

  "Not only that," Mr. Red replied simply, "Touching my grave did something strange. Like a spell that was placed on it," he explained, "I don't just remember my family, I remember my whole past life."

  Emmod and Novel's eyes widened.

  "That's why I set off to look for them. To be more precise, I was looking for my oldest brother, whom I knew was here in the Whitepool District. But as I've heard, he recently passed away."

  "I'm sorry," said Emmod. "My condolences," Novel added somberly.

  "And your other family members?" Emmod asked.

  "Most of them met the same fate," Mister Red answered with a somber tone.

  "And what about those who didn't?" Emmod pressed further.

  "It's... complicated with them."

  "But if you were involved in building those passages, then you surely knew our father!" Novel blurted out, just before Emmod's elbow landed in his ribs again.

  "Your father?" Mister Red raised an eyebrow.

  'So they know about their bloodline now,' Mister Red thought to himself. 'Interesting.'

  Meanwhile, Emmod gave his younger brother a disapproving look and sighed.

  "You'd think we're crazy," he said directly to Mister Red.

  "Buddy," said Mister Red, "I was a human whose soul is now in a squirrel. No one is crazier than me."

  With that, the ice seemed broken, though they didn't continue their conversation in the Whitepool District, as soldiers were now filling the streets. They went to the Park of Rilgohin instead.

  In the early morning, the park belonged only to the animals. Korbach's house was not far away, and the brothers sat down with Mister Red on a still-damp patch of grass, off the path.

  "I did know your father, to answer your question," Mister Red went on. "Lian. He was a good man and a good friend," he said pensively, "with an unbreakable will."

  "Lian?"

  "Your father's first name," Mister Red replied. "Unfortunately, he died shortly after you were born."

  "That's what Mother told us," Novel said.

  "At least something that wasn't a lie," Emmod added quietly.

  Both were surprised in a good way to finally know their father's name.

  "But what happened recently that you learned this about your father?" Mister Red wanted to know more.

  "Uncle Ko told us before he..." Novel started, but he still couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

  "I understand," said Mister Red, sensing that the loss was still painful for them.

  "Wait a moment," Novel suddenly realized. "Can I do that too?"

  "Do what?"

  "Transfer my soul into an animal when I'm old and live on forever?" he asked excitedly.

  Emmod and Mister Red looked at him blankly.

  "Who would want that for themselves?" Emmod asked dismissively before turning to Mister Red. "No offense."

  "It'd be pretty wild if I could become a dragon someday, right?"

  "We don't have time for your nonsense," Emmod retorted, and Mister Red agreed.

  Apparently, Emmod and Mister Red didn't think much of that idea, which left Novel a bit dumbfounded.

  "By the way, quite a bit has happened since you were last in the castle," Mister Red said, changing the topic, "and not in a positive way."

  Emmod and Novel looked at him in surprise.

  "A little over a week ago, a royal guard was found dead in the throne room one morning," Mister Red began. "His throat had been slit. The murderer hasn't been found, but it's been narrowed down to someone within the king's inner circle," he reported. "Because of this, the king summoned the four officers shortly afterward. They had a heated discussion, but something was strange about it," he explained.

  "What was strange?"

  "I eavesdropped on them, but I was too far away to hear everything clearly," Mister Red went on. "The odd thing was that the conversation wasn't really focused on the death of the royal guard, but rather on an incident that happened around the same time in the Whitepool District. Something of significant importance must have happened there, as Edmur's mood grew increasingly dark and troubled."

  Emmod and Novel could almost guess what he meant.

  "Were you able to hear any more details?" Emmod then asked.

  Mister Red paused for a moment.

  "Indeed," he replied. "The officer Annet Walurg was relieved of her duties."

  "What? Why?" Emmod asked.

  "The Whitepool District was under her responsibility," Mister Red explained, "as was everything that happened there." He continued, "Edmur was extremely dissatisfied with how she handled her job and hurled all sorts of accusations at her, until Annet finally snapped and fired back. In doing so, she alluded intensely to an incident over a decade ago," he revealed to the brothers. "Apparently, it was the incident that led to Edmur being made king. Joane and the current officer, Riffin, were also involved."

  "For someone who claimed to hear very little, you picked up quite a lot," Novel remarked suspiciously, looking up at the blue sky.

  "That?" Mister Red asked. "I didn't get all that from the conversation. I put the pieces together myself."

  "So it's all just your imagination, then," Emmod said cautiously.

  "It's simpler than that," Mister Red replied. "I know it because I was involved in the incident the officer mentioned—back when I was still human."

  Emmod and Novel's eyes widened.

  "Whoa, that's intense," Novel said, amazed, though Mister Red didn't seem to share his excitement. His older brother certainly noticed this.

  "Mister Red, what exactly happened back then?" he asked carefully.

  Mister Red paused.

  "My death," he replied, with a faint smile.

  A thin breeze blew through the park, making the brothers shiver.

  Or was it the fact that they were talking to an undead creature in the form of a squirrel?

  Mister Red sighed.

  "On your grave, the name Wynfre was written."

  Mister Red nodded.

  "That means you're one of..."

  He didn't need to finish the sentence; it was obvious.

  "Exactly," Mister Red confirmed before he sighed.

  "It would take too long to tell you the whole story," he said, which made the brothers' faces fall.

  "It's easier if I show you."

  "Show us?" The brothers now looked at each other, perplexed. "How?"

  "Touch my paws," Mister Red said, stretching them out toward them.

  The brothers looked at each other in confusion again, then each placed one of their index fingers on Mister Red's paws.

  Suddenly, the surroundings were filled with darkness, which gradually shifted into a dull shade of gray. In an instant, the brothers realized they were no longer sitting on the grass in the park, but standing in a corner of a cozy cabin. The bright torches on the walls gave off warmth and light. Yet, even though they stood directly beside one of these burning torches, they couldn't feel its warmth. In this place, they felt nothing at all—not the warmth of the torch, nor the cold gusts of wind brushing their skin through the open door.

  "Where are we?" Emmod asked, his voice blurred and echoing faintly.

  "In my memories," they heard Mister Red, his voice similarly blurred and with a soft echo.

  Emmod and Novel were visibly confused about what was happening.

  Was this reality or a dream?

  "And who are all those people?" Novel asked, pointing at half a dozen soldiers and three other individuals. Two of them looked very familiar.

  "Wait a moment. Are those..." Emmod began, taking a closer look. Novel's eyes widened in surprise as he realized the same thing.

  "...Edmur and Joane," Mister Red finished the sentence.

  Although the appearance of the royal couple resembled their current selves, the brothers noticed the absence of any jewelry. It was strange to see them in plain, dark hooded cloaks.

  Joane, then 24 years old, had braided red hair. Her face, especially her small, upturned nose and thin lips, looked even more like Lina's than it did today. The only difference that struck Emmod and Novel as odd was that her eyes were not the usual golden-brown but simply brown.

  Edmur, on the other hand, who was 28 at the time, gave them the immediate feeling of standing before the future Vyncent Elmhart.

  Even here, his most prominent facial feature was his tanned cheeks, made more noticeable by his lack of a beard. His dark blonde hair, tied up in a bun, radiated with vitality, and the furrows on his forehead were not yet visible.

  Behind him stood the soldiers with drawn swords.

  "What is the royal family doing here?"

  "At this point, they still lacked their noble titles," Mister Red explained. "Here you are experiencing the moment that the High Council used as the final decision for the succession to the throne. To be precise, this very incident is the one Officer Annet spoke of. What's happening here took place over 14 years ago."

  "Then you must have been quite an important figure in your lifetime for so many prominent people to be gathered here," Novel remarked.

  "I still am," Mister Red added, but Emmod and Novel didn't react, which took the wind out of his sails.

  "And who's that?" Novel asked, looking toward a figure standing near the open door in the background. The face was barely visible, as the person wore a hood and was turned sideways to them.

  "Riffin Champell," Mister Red answered. "He was the one who informed Edmur of my whereabouts. Why do you think Edmur made him an officer? At that time, Riffin was just a merchant, but as the saying goes: one hand washes the other."

  "And where are you... Oh no... Don't tell me..." Emmod began, secretly hoping he was wrong in his assumption.

  What Emmod and Novel did not immediately realize was that Joane was in a predicament.

  A man had his arm around Joane, holding her captive. In his other hand, he held a knife, threatening to slit Joane's throat.

  The soldiers and Edmur and Riffin stood frozen in alarm, ready to prevent the man from making a rash move.

  "Exactly," Mister Red said proudly, "That's me."

  He was wearing a faded green T-shirt with dark pants. His short, black-gray hair, spiked up, revealed his receding hairline and protruding ears. Tattoos covered his left forearm, which he used to grip Joane. He also had blue eyes and a crooked nose that Emmod and Novel found very familiar, as they resembled their Uncle Ko's features.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "That's you!?" Emmod asked in shock.

  "I know, I know," Mister Red said. "Now I'm just a fragment of the person I once was."

  Apparently, Mister Red misinterpreted Emmod's reaction.

  His shock wasn't about his appearance but about his actions. To be specific, the action he was about to commit.

  "You know, you look a bit crazy with that sinister grin," Novel said thoughtfully. "It really doesn't suit you."

  "Oh, you think that's crazy?" Emmod added. "Mister Red, why are you obviously threatening Lina's mother with a knife?"

  "Is it that obvious?" he replied.

  Emmod and Novel thought about it for a moment, but their answer remained unchanged.

  "YES!"

  "Then allow me to clarify the origin of this situation," he began.

  "After the defeat and the conquest of our land by Londe, I began selling watermelons at the market from the old Hershy," Mister Red continued. "Although he interrupted my sleep more often than I helped him, we were still a well-coordinated team," he misjudged.

  As he described the events, memories came to life before Emmod and Novel's eyes.

  The brothers, fascinated by this spectacle, sank deeper into another memory.

  Next to their stand was another vendor selling hazelnuts and walnuts, which had a particular attraction for both people and animals.

  "Every time animals approached, they were immediately chased away to avoid scaring off the customers," he recounted. "But I found a way to help them. Every day, I exchanged a watermelon for a small sack of nuts, which I later gave to the animals."

  As Emmod and Novel watched this scene unfold, they could see how Mr. Hershay had reluctantly looked on. Even he couldn't deny that his employee had a certain attraction for animals, while people tended to keep their distance.

  Mister Red continued his story, speaking of the days when he sat on the ground next to the stand, hooded and with his legs stretched out, feeding the animals. Among these animals, he described, was one that was usually very shy around people. Yet this creature was lured by him, appreciating his presence and, of course, the food it received there.

  Wherever he went, the creature followed.

  Emmod and Novel had no doubt.

  "Mister Red," they thought simultaneously, the image clear in their minds.

  "Around that time, Joane and Edmur came here from Londe with their son Vyncent, who was only a year old," he continued. "Edmur had started working for the High Council in Rilgohin, which typically took up his entire day. The money was more than sufficient for a good living. Therefore, Joane took care of the household and looked after Vyncent," he explained. "However, since they were new to the country, they didn't have any real friends, which Joane wanted to change. So, they hired a maid who handled Joane's tasks and occasionally looked after Vyncent. This allowed Joane to explore the land for several hours during the day. She quickly became aware of the market and spent most of her free time there. She was particularly excited not only by the talkative people but also by the variety of offerings, and her favorite was the watermelons we sold, making her a daily customer. That's how we met," he continued. "Not because I sold her the watermelons, but because she found it remarkable how well I got along with Mister Red and other animals. We quickly hit it off. And the more often she came to see us and the more we talked, the closer we became," he added.

  At that time, the four city districts did not yet exist, and one evening, Joane was walking home from the market alone. It was pouring rain, so she deviated from her usual route and took shortcuts through dark alleys that a lady of her standing should have avoided. In one of those alleys, she was surrounded by drunken men whose intentions could only be guessed at. She fought back bravely, injuring her arm in the process.

  "But it was precisely these brief moments of her resistance that bought me the time I needed to overpower the men and drive them off," he recounted. "After that, I took Joane to my home to treat her wounds."

  They stayed there for a while until the rain eased, and during those shared hours, they planted the seed for a new life.

  "There were eyes and ears everywhere at the market," he said. "That's why we only met secretly at my home from then on. This went well for several weeks, but one day we weren't cautious enough. Someone noticed that Joane was sneaking from the market not to her home, but to mine."

  "What were you doing at your place that made her so interested in you?!" Novel asked, confused.

  Emmod sighed, letting his shoulders slump.

  "Well," Mister Red began in a thoughtful tone, "you have to understand... when two people like each other... they get very close... and..."

  Novel was completely lost, and Emmod wiped his hand across his face.

  "Can you just continue, please?" he requested.

  Again, the scene shifted before their eyes back to the original memory in the hut that he revealed to the brothers. Until now, it had only been him and Joane in the room.

  But that was about to change.

  "I knew she was married, came from Londe, and had a child," he continued. "Nevertheless, I was blinded by her charismatic aura, her manner of speaking, and that enchanting smile," he said dreamily.

  "A pretty woman," Emmod interrupted, lifting his hand slightly and making an inviting gesture for him to continue, "We get it. And what was it that you didn't tell her?"

  "Exactly what I haven't told you yet," he replied, causing the brothers to perk up their ears. "Just like you, she knew nothing about me."

  There was a loud knock at the door several times, startling Emmod and Novel.

  Panic overwhelmed Joane.

  "They've found us," she said hysterically. "They know about us."

  The revelation of this secret frightened him less.

  It was something else that concerned him...

  The knocking ceased, and several soldiers attempted to break down the door.

  He had to act quickly, grabbing Joane by the shoulders and looking deep into her eyes.

  "Do you trust me?" he asked earnestly.

  Joane didn't need long to think about it.

  "Yes," she whispered confidently.

  As if on cue, the soldiers broke down the door and stormed into the hut. Instinctively, he pulled a knife from his sleeve, pressed it to Joane's throat, and wrapped his other arm around her body like a constrictor snake.

  The soldiers positioned themselves with their swords drawn. Finally, Edmur entered the room confidently, followed by Riffin, who stayed cautiously in the background.

  "Steady, men," Edmur commanded the soldiers in a gentle tone and with even calmer movements, before taking a brief look at the situation and turning to the two main actors.

  "So, so," Edmur began, "this is the fool you've settled for these days."

  "It's not—" Joane tried to say, but 'the fool' tightened his grip.

  "You look familiar to me. Could it be..." Edmur said thoughtfully until he finally solidified his thoughts. "What do you think, men?"

  "It's him," one of the soldiers said immediately, like a bloodthirsty beast.

  "If you know who I am, you also know what I'm capable of," he replied. "You should let me go."

  "I heard... stories... nothing more," Edmur sounded almost disinterested. "Perhaps a demonstration?"

  "You don't want that."

  "Hm. I'm sure the High Council would be pleased to see you. You've escaped death once—Ean Wynfre," Edmur said. "You'd best not tempt your luck a second time."

  Emmod and Novel froze when they heard that name.

  "How did you find me?" Ean asked, redirecting their attention back to himself.

  "Riffin here told me he found your behavior in the market very suspicious, Joane. That's why he followed you here before telling me. Looks like his instincts paid off," Edmur explained, satisfied, before his expression suddenly changed when he looked at Joane.

  "It's bad enough that you've done this to me... but then with one of the Four Princes," he said incredulously. "Do you have no shame? Are you not afraid of the High Council's wrath when they find out?!"

  "I didn't know, Ed!" she screamed before Ean covered her mouth.

  "If you expect me to surrender willingly, I expect something from you in return," Ean made clear as Joane stopped resisting.

  "When she's safe with me, what else can you give me?" Edmur asked. "You're the one with your back against the wall."

  "Is that so?" Ean replied, before redirecting the point of his blade from Joane's throat to her belly. Tears filled Joane's eyes.

  "And your unborn child?" Ean began. "Do you think you have the right to decide its fate?"

  "What are you talking about?" Edmur responded, confused. "Joane... are you...?"

  "You're the one who shouldn't be challenging your luck," Ean said. "But don't worry. I haven't touched her. It's not mine," he lied, though he wasn't as sure about that as he sounded.

  Ean was aware that he should have stopped seeing Joane when she told him she was pregnant. But an unanswered question led him to act otherwise—could it possibly be his own child?

  "Very well," Edmur began as his aggressive demeanor shifted to a defensive one. "You have my attention. What do you want?" he asked darkly.

  "I will let your wife and your unborn child go unharmed, and I will surrender to you without a fight."

  "Those are some generous gestures you're offering us," Edmur said, impressed. "But I suppose you expect the same in return."

  Ean smirked.

  "You will not lay a finger on my brothers or Joane. You will leave them in peace, even if you find out where they are," Ean said. "Furthermore, this conversation will be forgotten. No one will ever learn of our encounter or of Joane's meeting with me!"

  Edmur seriously considered the offer.

  "But how do I know that your brothers or the Crimson Crusaders will also leave me in peace?"

  "The Crimson Crusaders have no masters," Ean replied. "The war is over, and their actions are no longer within our control," he said. "Besides, my brothers are tired," he added. "Their will to fight is broken. Just like mine."

  "And why do you think I would adhere to that?" Edmur asked.

  "You can say what you want," he continued, "but if this child is conceived as a bastard, what use is it to me then?" he prodded.

  "Do you think I am so unprepared?" Ean countered. "Of course, I have made arrangements to guarantee your compliance."

  "What do you mean by that?" Edmur asked.

  "How should I put this?" Ean began. "There are a few selected people in the city who, thanks to me, mistakenly believe that this child is not yours but mine," he said with a mocking grin.

  Edmur grew increasingly grim.

  "What are you getting at?"

  "If you have any suspicions about who those people might be, and if you lay a finger on them, Joane, this child or on my brothers, that information will be made public," Ean explained. "They are already begging for it. And believe me from my own experience - such incidents damage your reputation."

  With that, he had struck Edmur's Achilles' heel.

  "At least that should mean something to you, right? What kind of man can't even keep his pregnant wife by his side?" Ean taunted him now.

  He had him exactly where he wanted him.

  "You will surrender without a fight?" Edmur asked in response.

  Ean nodded at him.

  Nothing else mattered to Edmur at that moment, whose patience had already snapped several minutes ago, as evidenced by the bulging veins on his forehead and his gritted teeth.

  "You damn son of a bitch," Edmur said, fuming, "You have my word."

  "Your actions will speak louder than words," Ean replied, releasing Joane, who immediately rushed into Edmur's arms.

  "Just like yours," Edmur retorted after quickly checking on Joane's well-being.

  "Men, before you get started, you should remember that this man has slaughtered many of your comrades on the battlefield, turning many women into widows and children into orphans," Edmur said.

  "Have fun," he gave them as his last order before leaving the hut with Joane and Riffin.

  The soldiers pounced on Ean like hyenas on a piece of meat, as if someone had thrown them carrion.

  At that moment, Ean remembered how his best friend - Mister Red - had come to him shortly before his death. However, it wasn't to look for food, but to protect him.

  The squirrel wasn't acting on instinct. Instead, it seemed to be drawn by an invisible force until it finally touched his fingertips.

  They killed him after beating him for several hours, but Mister Red spared them the sight by pulling the brothers like a current away from the memory and sending them back to the meadow.

  Their bodies lay on the cool grass.

  At first, their fingers moved, then their eyes opened, blinded by the bright sunlight filtering through the treetops.

  They needed a moment to regain clarity.

  "Why? Why did you and Ko just give up?" Novel asked helplessly and desperately, while Emmod brushed clumps of grass off his clothes.

  "WHY didn't you fight?!"

  "All we could do was protect those who remained. And it seems we've succeeded so far," he said with a grin.

  "And all of this just because you didn't tell her you were one of the four princes... our uncle."

  Now the rough resemblance to Ko made sense.

  "Crazy, isn't it?" Mister Red said exuberantly, before pulling himself together again, "But it was the only way." he added soberingly.

  "Can this day get any crazier?" Novel retorted.

  "It has only just begun," Emmod remarked as he stretched vigorously.

  They weren't quite sure how to react to this revelation.

  They felt relieved and nostalgic at the same time.

  Relieved because they now knew the identity of their second uncle.

  But nostalgic because he was no longer alive—not in the form of a human, at least.

  Moreover, Novel felt exhausted by the realization that Ean was depicted as a bad person even in his own memories.

  "Bad?" Mister Red responded to Novel's remark. "Not at all."

  "But it seemed that way," Novel explained, slightly disappointed.

  "Well..." Mister Red began, pausing for a moment to think.

  "I did it... for the next generation," he finally said, a warm grin spreading across his face.

  Emmod and Novel knew exactly which person this referred to.

  Novel was reminded of their uncle Ko's words: 'In someone's story, one is always the bad guy...'

  Meanwhile, a feeling of happiness spread within Emmod, as he could now be sure that the truth had been told to them.

  "I knew it," he said proudly, slapping his palm with his fist.

  "How so?" Mister Red asked candidly.

  Their uncle Ko was, as he had told them, the oldest of his siblings. And Mister Red, or rather Ean, as he now introduced himself, had been searching for his eldest brother, whom he knew lived in the Whitepool district, until he learned that he had recently passed away.

  "I put two and two together," Emmod said, briefly explaining his previous thoughts.

  "Besides, the letter never mentioned that Ko was dead, only a family member," he specified. "And then there's this name... Wynfre... Ko had the same last name. The last name of the Four Princes," he said, "And finally, this whole experience we've just been through... These are peculiarities that come with our powers and that only our father's side of the family possesses," he concluded.

  "You're sharp-witted, Emmod," Mister Red replied, impressed. "You undoubtedly got that trait from your mother."

  "Sharp-witted?" Emmod thought to himself, slightly annoyed. "If I were, I should have noticed it sooner."

  "Ko," Mister Red continued, "It's a shame I couldn't face him one more time in person. But he accomplished that I could see my nephews a few more times."

  "But he never introduced us," Novel asked, confused.

  "He made a promise to your father shortly before his death, which he kept until his own."

  "What promise?"

  "To do what Lian could no longer do," Mister Red answered with a smile. "Protect you."

  Emmod and Novel slowly came to the realization that the father's side of their family apparently wasn't as bad as they initially thought.

  "Mister Red..." Novel began cautiously, then corrected himself, "Ean, how did you do that? It felt strange, but not..."

  "Not strange?" Mr. Red finished the sentence, "I can imagine. From Lina's description, you've already had a similar spiritual experience with her on the marketplace, didn't you?"

  From Novel's reaction, he saw that the 'moment' he had experienced with Lina was coming back to his memory.

  "That power, that gut feeling, enables us to do things we still know far too little about," he explained. "But one thing is certain: should you feel lost or stray from the right path, it will help guide you to those who also possess these powers."

  With these words, the two pondered for a moment in silence.

  "I can't undo what I've done," Ean continued. "It would be nice if you didn't tell your mother about the chaos I left behind. She can be very temperamental," he said fearfully.

  "You're right about that," Emmod added. "So, what's the plan?"

  "Oh no," Novel slapped his forehead. "We still need to figure that out."

  "Not a big deal," Ean said. "We'll do it like this..."

  And after they quickly devised a plan to meet Lina at the castle, they hurried on their way to Korbach.

  "And Lina?" Emmod asked. "Does she know about... your past?"

  "She'll find out soon," Ean replied. "And please tell her that we only met this morning to devise a plan to get you here. I'll handle everything else."

  Emmod and Novel nodded at him before they set off.

  "One more thing... Please call me Mister Red... because Ean Wynfre died a long time ago."