The sharp pain returned Hasa regained consciousness. His eyes barely opened, allowing him to see the murky light of the lamp near the ceiling. White walls, the metallic smell of blood and drugs. The operating room. He took a deep breath and immediately moaned, feeling something painfully pulling at the skin on his stomach.
"Finally" a small voice said. "Of course, you could have chosen an easier path, but it seems that this is not about you."
Has slowly turned his head. A guy with short blond hair stood nearby, concentrating on making the last stitches on a deep wound that snaked across his stomach. His hands moved confidently, his face remained calm, but there was irritation in his voice.
"Oh, Edgar" Has grinned, his voice hoarse. "I knew you'd miss me, but arranging a meeting like this?" Even I would be embarrassed.
"Your jokes won't save you." Edgar leaned back in his chair, throwing the bloody tools on the table. "I knew this thing wasn't an ordinary monster. Why didn't you go through the safe zones?
Has slowly pushed himself up on his elbows, wincing at the pain. "You should know me better.
The dizziness came unexpectedly. The world reeled, and Khas gritted his teeth, keeping his balance.
"Don't push it. The anesthesia is still in effect. I forgot that she works for the Fiers... a little different? Edgar came closer and began applying thick bandages over the stitches. "Shaky?" Be patient. You're not the first, you're not the last.
"Gorgeous morning" Khas chuckled. "Operation, notation... What more could you ask for?"
"Maybe you should stop looking for death?"
"Boring."
When the bandages were tightened, Khas slowly swung his legs off the table. He pulled the fabric of a torn black turtleneck over fresh bandages, buttoning his long black jacket with difficulty.
The gold glasses with the cracked left glass were lying on the table. Khas picked them up, turned them over, examining the crack that crossed the glass with a thin, almost imperceptible line.
He slowly brought them up to his eyes, looked through the lenses — the world seemed to become a little brighter, the lines around it became sharper. In the reflection of the glass, his purple eyes darkened for a moment.
"Still the same look" he chuckled to himself.
Then, with a smooth movement, he put them on his head, where they habitually caught in his dark green hair.
The first step was difficult. The second one is a little more confident.
"Make sure you don't collapse somewhere along the way" Edgar grinned, leaning back in his chair.
"You won't wait."
His gaze fell on a cane standing in the corner of the surgical room—simple in appearance, but with an elegant metal handle. Has grinned and walked over to her, giving her a firm squeeze.
"Well, let's go together, since there's no way without you yet."
Leaning on his cane, he took a step forward. Her sharp thud on the floor echoed through the room. The cane gave Has confidence in his gait, hiding the weakness after the operation. Every step was accompanied by an aching pain in his side, but he did not allow himself to slow down.
"The main thing is to keep your face," he grinned, adjusting the gold glasses in his hair and heading for the door."
The corridors of the mansion were greeted with cold and silence. Has walked slowly, still feeling weak. Darwin, who was standing at a window in one of the halls, gave him a look full of silent reproach.
"Darwin." Has made an inviting gesture. "With me."
"You don't look well." Darwin's voice was flat, but there was concern in it.
"Thanks for the compliment. Come on, we have work to do."
The office was greeted by the smell of old papers and fresh ink. The table was full of documents—sketches, reports, notes. Has leaned on the edge of the desk, sorting through the papers. His purple eyes quickly skimmed over the lines.
"All this time... I'm sorry," he muttered. "He was a Fier."
Darwin stood silently by his side, arms crossed over his chest.
"The girl's condition?" Has didn't even look up.
"Sleeping." In the laboratory, under supervision.
"great. That means we still have time."
"Where is she from?"
Khas did not immediately respond. As if he was deciding how long the truth should be.
"She ran away from home" he finally said, glancing lazily at the papers. "According to her."
Darwin grinned at the corners of his lips, but did not comment. He just took a step closer to the table.
"From home." In this forest. Interesting. Would anyone in their right mind live near such a place?
Has shrugged his shoulders.
"So, there are such people after all. Or were."
Silence hung between them, soft as a spider's web in which random thoughts get stuck. Darwin took his time, knowing that Has would say more—he always said more than he wanted to.
"If she's a Fier, and she's a Fier, that's almost certain, then her home is really here somewhere. Normal people don't go into these woods. Only if there is no way out anymore.
Darwin narrowed his eyes.
"Do you think she was kicked out?"
"Or her house was eaten." Has curled his lips into a smile without a hint of amusement. "Do you remember why I ended up in this forest in the first place?"
Darwin nodded.
"Your orders." Fire, who lost control. He had to be removed before he broke out of bounds.
"So that's it. When I was tracking him, I came across her. All alone. In the midst of a hunt. It was too much of a coincidence."
Darwin turned to the window, and his face was reflected on the glass—not surprised, not alarmed, just staring into space.
"Do you think she saw him?"
"I think she definitely saw something" Khas replied quietly. "But I don't think he'll tell you right away."
"And what are you going to do with it?" Darwin looked at him again.
"I don't know yet" he breathed through the smoke. "But if she's lying, I'll figure it out."
"And if it's true?" Darwin spoke softly, almost without emotion, but there was a shadow of something personal in his voice.
Has smiled out of the corner of his mouth, and it was a joyless smile.
"Then she'll have a little more luck."
He pushed aside another pile of papers and frowned.
"This Fier... he's lost his mind. But what made him cross the line? Has shot a quick glance at Darwin." We need to find out.
"Do you think Naru is connected to this?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. But her appearance is not accidental."
Has took a deep breath and straightened up, staggering slightly.
"Let's go to her. Let's see what he says when he wakes up."
Darwin opened the door.
"Let's hope she says something."
"And if not," Khas grinned again, adjusting his glasses in his hair, "I have ways to get even the most stubborn to talk."
The laboratory corridor was sterile and cold. Naru was sleeping on a soft couch behind a thick glass door. There was still a trace of anxiety on her face.
"She's sleeping soundly" Khas noted, watching her through the glass. "I wonder what she'll say when she wakes up."
Darwin stood silently, his gaze remained serious.
"We have to figure this out."
"We'll figure it out," Khas stepped back from the glass.
Silence hung in the air again. But now she seemed much more tense, as if facing a storm.
Khas, entering the laboratory, carefully went to the worktable, on which various vials, flasks and magical amulets were scattered. His movements were quick but restrained, as if he already knew in advance what he was going to do. He took out several vials of drugs that he had prepared in advance, and with the help of magic unpacked them, trying not to damage the contents carefully. In his hands, everything seemed familiar and familiar, he knew that with these means it was possible to calm Naru so that she would not experience severe pain after being hit by shackles and would not regain consciousness too abruptly. After preparing the drugs, Khas carefully placed them on the table, as if preparing a miniature pharmacy. In the corner of the room, there were shelves with various remedies, spells, and medicines, neatly organized for the needs of the mansion.
He paused for a moment, looking at them with a slight thoughtfulness, but quickly returned to business.
He carefully checked each vial and ampoule, making sure that everything was ready. Then, taking one of the syringes with a soothing solution, he carefully approached the bed where Naru was lying, and without unnecessary movements injected her with an injection into her arm. The dose was small, but sufficient to speed up her awakening without causing severe side effects.
Has put the syringe aside, wiped his hands on the fabric of his suit, and looked around the room again. He felt his thoughts, which were not yet related to Naru, becoming more and more consumed by questions related to her origin and her true purpose. Right now, all he had to do was wait for the drug to take effect.
Naru began to come to her senses, her eyes slowly opened, and at first she saw a blurry picture. As her gaze became clearer, she noticed Has standing in front of her next to the bed. His face was unreadable, but she could feel him watching her every move.
Naru's weak voice trailed off as she felt a heavy feeling in her head.
"Don't worry," Khas said, leaning over her and looking at her bleary eyes. "It's going to be okay. You just fainted a little bit.
She tried to sit up, but felt weak in her body. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to figure out where she was.
"Where am I?" "What is it?" she asked, feeling a little dizzy.
"Safe" Khas replied, about to take another step, but immediately stopped when he heard her name.
When Naru felt his persistent gaze and the gravity of the situation, her confidence took over, and she exhaled sharply, raising her voice.
"If you think you can treat me like that, you're wrong." She clenched her fists. "My father is Iros. He is the ruler of this city. And if anyone dares to raise a hand against me, he will kill anyone who tries to harm me."
Her eyes flashed with determination, and despite her vulnerability, Has felt the force and menace of her words. The fact that her father is the ruler instantly changed the atmosphere in the room. Khas listened to her in silence. But despite all his confidence, he felt that there was something in those words that made him think.
Has froze in place. He knows that name. The man shook his head, realizing that the information from Naru's mouth was not accidental.
After a pause, Khas put thoughts of her father aside and, after Naru had recovered a little, left the room, leaving her in the shadow of medicines and heavy thoughts.
Has went out into the hallway and stopped in front of Darwin. They stood in front of each other in silence for a while before Khas broke the silence.
She said the name. Iros. Has said, shaking his head thoughtfully. "We need to do something about her." We can't leave her here. Experimenting with it won't do.
Darwin nodded silently, realizing that it was quite difficult. In their conditions, nothing is simple.
"We can't let her go, Has. She's a Fier, and it'll be too dangerous for her outside the mansion. If there aren't monsters, then people will get to her in the first few hours.
Khas considered his words, but still knew that they couldn't leave Nara in the lab. The decision they made was his only one.
"Let's move her to a regular room. Far from the laboratory. It will be safer here," he said, and without waiting for an answer, he went ahead. Darwin followed him.
Has silently grabbed her by the elbow and led her out of the lab. Naru didn't resist—there was no point, the magical shackles kept her on a short leash anyway.
The corridors were clean and well maintained. The floor and stairs are made of dark stone, the walls are light, smooth, without cracks. Crystal lamps cast a soft white light, and paintings and tapestries created a sense of expensive but restrained taste.
The house had obviously been monitored, but it didn't look new. Rather— it was residential and familiar, as if it had been settled in for a long time.
Khas drove fast, never once turning around. The servants, if they came across her, were not surprised by her appearance. Naru found this particularly strange.
Soon they stopped at a door made of dark wood. Has pushed her inside.
The room was small — a bed, a table, shelves with books. A light curtain covered the window, and the air smelled of wood and herbs. Everything is neat and clean, but without unnecessary comfort.
"You live here" Has said shortly.
Has silently pulled out the nearest chair and sat down opposite Naru. The girl was sitting on the bed, her hands clenched into fists, tense as a taut string. The room was quiet, only a faint light from the hallway filtered through the ajar door, outlining the dark silhouettes of the furniture.
"You'll be staying here for a while," Khas finally spoke, his voice flat, without unnecessary emotion. "But don't worry, nothing bad will happen to you."
Naru was silent, not taking her eyes off him.
"I know your father" he continued, leaning back in his chair. "And sooner or later, I'm going to have to bring you back." No options.
Her fingers curled into the sheets, and her breathing hitched, but she didn't look away.
Naru clenched her fingers in the sheets, feeling her heart pounding. She met Has's gaze with stubbornness, trying not to betray her doubts.
"I'm not going back," she said firmly.
Khas was in no hurry to answer. He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked at her intently, as if studying her.
"And why is that?"
She pressed her lips together, but decided to speak anyway.:
"I've spent my whole life outside the walls of the house. She almost never went outside the mansion. My father is afraid of something, I know that... But he never told me what it was. He simply forbade me to go out, as if something terrible was waiting outside."
Has nodded, not looking away.
"So you don't know what he's afraid of, but you decided to leave anyway." Bold, but not too sensible.
Naru flushed, but said nothing. Khas chuckled a little and, cocking his head to one side, continued:
"And how were you going to learn magic?" Since you ran away, did you have any kind of plan? Or were you just hoping that everything would work out on its own?
Naru squeezed the straps of her backpack and, after a brief hesitation, unzipped it, taking out a book. The binding had darkened with age, but the pages inside were in perfect condition.
"I have this book," she said defiantly, holding it as if it could shield her from any doubt. "It contains a lot of spells and knowledge about magic. With her help, I can learn. And also..." she looked up at Has, "I'll find a Fiera who'll be willing to teach me."
Has leaned forward, examining the book in her hands, and then suddenly grinned.
"Do you really think this thing is worth anything?"
Naru frowned sharply.
"Of course! It's a family book. "
"No" he replied calmly. "It's a fake. It has neither power nor meaning."
Anger boiled up in the girl's chest.
"You don't know anything about her!"
Khas just shook his head and silently pushed aside the skirts of his long cloak. On his leg, secured by straps, hung another book— with the same binding, but more massive, covered with old symbols. He unfastened it and, lifting it slightly, demonstrated it.
"Here are the real memoirs Nailt's."
Naru jerked her chin, clutching her book as if she was afraid that Khas would take it away.
"You're lying" she said stubbornly. "You have a fake, not me!"
Has just grinned, not bothering to argue. Instead, he reached out with lightning speed and snatched the book from her fingers. Naru flinched, but he was already turning the pages, letting them rustle in the silence of the room. Nothing. There was no faint glow, no magical response, no glimmer of power. Just paper, old, dusty, dead.
Has chuckled and handed the book back to Naru without much interest.
"Well, that's it. You don't even know what a real memoir looks like. Nailt's! How many centuries have passed, and the book is small in size. Do you think that nothing has happened in all this time? Only this book preserves all the centuries of the family's life. Nailt's."
She clenched her teeth, clutching her book to her chest, but he didn't let her protest. Now he had a real book in his hands. Has opened the book somewhere in the middle, and magic began to manifest through the hand in which he was holding it. The book was "fed" by his mana. The symbols flashed, weaving thin threads of magic that rose up like smoke, forming subtle outlines of signs and words. They trembled as if they were alive, and hidden text appeared among them—words that only Fiers could see.
Khas looked at Nara with a slight smile.
"Watch what real memoirs can do."
The book appeared in the air, and from just two open pages, on which there was very little information, many windows appeared. Only this book is capable of storing everything that has happened during its entire existence. Nailt's.
Naru stares at the book in Hasa's hands, and her heart starts beating faster. A thought flashes into my head instantly: he stole it. Her book, their family heirloom, ended up in his possession. "You.".. Did you steal it? Her voice is sharper than she expected, and she immediately clenches her fists.
Has raises an eyebrow lazily, a slight smile touching his lips, as if he's amused by her accusation.
"Stole it?" he repeats, as if trying the word to taste. "I found her. After the fire."
Naru blinks.
Khas easily turns the book over in his hands, as if not attaching importance to it.
"The mansion burned down. All that was left of him were coals and ashes. I was hoping to find something valuable, but I came across this. The magic book. A family heirloom of any Fire. Each family gets its own. I didn't think I'd ever find one."
Naru freezes. Her mind is frantically skimming over bits of information, but everything falls apart in chaos.
"Give it back," she demands, clutching her backpack tighter. "This is my book."
Has looks away, as if losing interest.
"No" the short answer knocks the air out of her lungs. "She was never yours." The owner is the one to whom it was transferred by right.
There is a buzzing in Naru's head, his thoughts are confused. The feeling of wrongness of what is happening presses like a heavy stone on the chest.
Khas stands up, his long cloak swaying slightly as he moves.
"You're making decisions too quickly" he says softly but clearly. "I wonder if you realize that right now your father is most likely turning over the whole city in search of you? He's worried, and you just walked away."
Naru freezes.
"It's already day" Khas continues. "Your loss was noticed. And they'll start looking soon."
He leaves without turning around.
Naru is left alone, sitting on the bed. Inside, there is silence filled with anxiety. She thought she had it all figured out. But the more she learns, the more it seems that her world is only now beginning to crumble.