Ryan, Alex, and Gabriel were led away from each other, each one taken to a separate room for questioning. The corridors they walked through were unlike anything they had ever seen before. The walls were made of a strange, glowing stone, and the air was filled with a soft, ethereal hum. The rooms they were taken to were equally impressive, with intricate carvings and tapestries adorning the walls.
The people questioning them were dressed in elaborate robes, their faces stern and serious. They asked questions about everything from their personal lives to their knowledge of Eldrida. Alex and Ryan were relatively easy to question, as they didn't know much about the workings of Eldrida. They told the truth about their lives, their friends, and their experiences, but they didn't have much to say about the mysterious world they found themselves in.
The questioners seemed satisfied with their answers, nodding and making notes as they spoke. They asked follow-up questions, probing for more information, but Alex and Ryan were genuinely clueless. They didn't know what the questioners were looking for, but they were happy to cooperate, hoping that it would help them find a way back home.
Meanwhile, Gabriel was being questioned in a separate room, his experience vastly different from that of his friends. The man questioning him, Armen, seemed more intense and focused, his questions more pointed and probing. Gabriel's responses were cautious, as he tried to navigate the complex web of questions and answers, unsure how much to reveal about his visions and dreams.
As Gabriel sat in the questioning room, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The big man, Armen, seemed imposing, his broad shoulders and stern expression making Gabriel feel like a small fish in a big pond. Armen's introduction as the Keeper's Chief Executive only added to Gabriel's nervousness, implying that he was a man of great importance and authority.
Armen's eyes narrowed as he began to speak, his voice firm but controlled. "So, Gabriel, we've heard a lot about you. You're the one who's been having... visions, shall we say. Visions of Eldrida."
Gabriel nodded cautiously, unsure how much to reveal. "Yes, I've been having strange dreams and visions. I don't know what they mean or why I'm having them."
Armen leaned forward, his elbows on the table, his eyes locked intently on Gabriel's. "Tell me, Gabriel, what do you know about Eldrida? What do you know about the Queen, about the kingdom, about the prophecy?"
Gabriel hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. He didn't want to give away too much, but at the same time, he wanted to cooperate and show that he was willing to help. He took a deep breath and decided to play it safe, hoping that Armen would be satisfied with his answers. "I don't know much about Eldrida, to be honest. I've just been having these visions and dreams. I don't know what they mean or why I'm having them."
Armen's eyes seemed to bore into Gabriel's soul as he asked his questions, his gaze intense and unyielding.
"Do you know about the prophecy?" Armen asked, his voice firm.
Gabriel hesitated, unsure what to say. "I...I'm not sure what you're referring to," he replied cautiously.
Armen's expression didn't change, but his eyes seemed to narrow slightly. "Very well," he said. "Let's move on. Do you know who Princess Sophia is?"
Gabriel's mind flashed back to the vision he had seen. "Yes," he said, trying to keep his emotions in check. "I saw her in a vision. She was laughing maniacally."
Armen's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he asked his next question. "And what about Norbert? Do you know who he is?"
Gabriel thought for a moment before responding. "The king's brother?" he asked, unsure.
Armen nodded, his expression serious. "Yes, that's correct. And was he with anyone?"
Gabriel thought back to his vision. "He was with Malaikha, I guess his name was," he said. "A soldier."
Armen's expression changed, his eyes widening in shock. His voice hardened. "What were they doing?" he asked, his tone intense.
Gabriel hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "They were drinking, celebrating, I think," he said. "The king and queen had fallen."
Armen's face darkened, his eyes flashing with anger.
Armen's expression changed, a flash of shock crossing his face before he regained his composure. "I see," he said, his voice neutral.
Finally, he asked, "And in your place, do everyone have this...reading ability?"
Gabriel didn't understand what Armen meant at first, but then he explained that people with visions were called "readers" in Eldrida. "No, not everyone," Gabriel replied hesitantly. "But some people do."
Armen seemed satisfied with the answer, but Gabriel couldn't shake the feeling that he had revealed too much.