The three asked John: "Strange gems? What is that?"

  John told them to listen carefully: "I overheard my father talking about some gems hidden in secret caves near the Lifeline."

  The three were not surprised, as if it was something ordinary. Moner said, "So what if they are gems? Gems are not expensive in our kingdom, and even if we find a lot of them, it wouldn’t be a big deal." Moner continued speaking but suddenly paused and said, "I don't understand what you mean by 'strange gems.' What do you mean?"

  John replied, "These gems, as I said, are found in caves near the Lifeline. As for their price, I heard that a single one is worth 50,000 silver coins."

  The twin were shocked, but Sifor was unimpressed and arrogantly laughed: "I don't need these gems. I will become a soldier for the state and earn more than the gems you dream of but will never find. Have people like you ever discovered such things, Moner?"

  Moner was angry but calmed himself and said, "Have people like you ever made it as a soldier for the state? You aren’t even fit to be a house servant."

  John interrupted, "Stop this useless argument; there’s no point. But Moner, I’m telling the truth—these gems really exist."

  Sifor smirked and said, "Come on, Moner, let's compete. Each of us has a goal, and whoever fails to achieve it is the loser."

  Moner smiled and said, "You fool, as if I could lose to you?"

  Novamil sighed and said, "Why do you two become idiots whenever you're together? Let's go home, Moner; we're late."

  John stopped them: "Wait! I don't know what the test is since it's highly secret, but I heard it's extremely tough. Every day, someone is tested. I even know a merchant named Nero whose son died during the test three years ago."

  Novamelle and Moner said, "We know that merchant. We sold him some of our catches."

  Each of them returned home. As they walked, Moner called out, "Don't die, you idiot, or I'll kill you myself!"

  Sifor replied enthusiastically, "Me lose? Who do you think I am, Moner? Haha! Soon, you'll see me as a successful soldier. I'll do whatever it takes to succeed. Isn’t that your way?"

  Moner smiled and said, "Yes, exactly. I overcome obstacles to get what I want. One day, I'll be your king, you fool!"

  Sifor laughed: "You’d make a great king... of the jungle!"

  Moner and Novamelle returned home at sunset, but instead of going inside, they headed to their older brother Kyle’s grave. Their father, Venis, and mother, Nana, visited his grave at this time every day. Their father would sit in deep thought, burdened with guilt. The twins felt he blamed himself for Kyle’s illness, believing it was incurable. If even a brilliant medical expert like him couldn’t cure it, what kind of disease was it? Moner thought only illnesses caused by crossing the Lifeline were untreatable. But their father never said Kyle had crossed it. He didn’t even know what the illness was. That was strange. He voiced his thoughts to Novamelle, who also found it suspicious.

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  Their father wept while their mother comforted him. They stayed for an hour before heading home. Light snow was falling, and the weather was getting colder.

  Their mother called out: "Dinner is ready, come eat."

  The family gathered and ate. Suddenly, Novamelle told their parents about the caves that supposedly held valuable gems.

  "We’re thinking of going there, Mom and Dad. What do you think?" Novamelle asked.

  Their father paused for a moment before responding calmly, "What gems?"

  Moner excitedly said, "Gems worth 50,000 silver coins each! Isn't that a fortune? It could support us for months!"

  Moner began imagining how their home would look after renovations. Their house was just a small, worn-down cottage, and the cold winter weather made it feel even more uncomfortable. The twins felt the cold, but their parents didn’t seem to care, as if the house had lost its warmth after Kyle’s death.

  Their father interrupted Moner’s thoughts, "I don’t recommend going to those caves. They might be dangerous. I’ve never seen them myself, but if you do go, be careful."

  The twins were excited and said, "We’ll go tomorrow!"

  Suddenly, with the snowfall intensifying, their father spoke emotionally: "Kyle was a kind person who loved helping others. He also had a close friend, Ghost, a very determined individual. In many ways, he was like you, Moner, always striving to achieve his goals."

  "Really? Where is he now?" Moner asked.

  His father replied sadly, "I don't think he cares anymore. He left after Kyle died and never returned. Forget about him, Moner."

  Moner frowned. "What kind of person forgets his closest friend so quickly?"

  That night, Novamelle stood outside, mesmerized by the beauty of the falling snow. Suddenly, she felt an eerie presence, as if someone was watching them from the dense trees near the town center. She looked carefully but saw nothing.

  Moner stepped outside and noticed her tension. "What’s wrong? Did something happen?"

  "No, nothing..." she hesitated.

  "Then why do you seem nervous?"

  "I thought I saw someone watching us... it's strange."

  Moner smiled. "As if anyone would be interested in spying on us."

  He gazed at the falling snow, considering whether to delay their cave expedition if the snowfall continued the next day.

  Their mother called out, "Come inside, or you’ll catch a cold!"

  "Alright, Mom!" they responded.

  The family went to sleep. Near dawn, Moner woke up in shock. He couldn’t see anything, but he could hear... crying, resentment, and a voice blaming him: "This is all your fault."

  Novamelle woke up, startled by his movements. "Is something wrong, Moner?"

  "No, just nightmares. Don’t worry."

  He turned toward the wall, feeling tears streaming down his face unexpectedly. He lay awake for an hour, unsure if what he experienced was just a dream, then drifted back to sleep.

  Morning came. The sky was cloudy, and the weather was cold. Novamelle noticed Moner’s pale face and asked, "Did something happen that I don’t know about?"

  "No, I just didn’t sleep well last night. We can still go."

  By midday, despite the icy winds, they set out toward the cliffs. After a long search, they found a small entrance leading into a cave. Excited, they marked the location—about two miles to the left of their usual descent point.

  They entered the cave, which was vast, with two separate tunnels inside. They agreed to split up and search for gems, keeping caution in mind.

  "Be careful!" Novamelle warned.

  "You too. If anything happens, return quickly," Moner instructed.

  The cave was dimly lit, but they had brought lanterns. After a few moments of searching, Moner heard a piercing scream—Novamelle’s.

  His heart pounded in fear. He sprinted toward the second tunnel and was met with a terrifying sight. His body trembled as he saw Novamelle’s lantern on the ground, extinguished. His sister was nowhere to be seen.

  Beside the lantern stood a massive, monstrous bear—at least five times the size of a normal one. It had just awakened from hibernation, radiating pure ferocity.

  Suddenly, the bear leaped onto the rocks above the entrance, blocking the only way out.

  At that moment, Moner realized—his end was near!