Erold and Jasmin woke up early in the morning to find Karai preparing breakfast, saying with a smile: "You won't leave before you eat."
Jasmin jumped from the bed and said with enthusiasm: "I'm hungry! What are you preparing?"
Karai replied calmly: "Fish."
Jasmin frowned and said: "Do you eat fish as soon as you wake up?!"
Karai, smiling: "There is nothing else, so I don't refuse it… in fact, I am happy with it. At least there is something to eat, unlike others who are starving, little one."
She said with disgust: "Thank you… I don't want any."
Erold spoke in a serious tone: "Don't be pampered, little one. Eat; we have a long way to go."
Erold sat at the table and began to eat, until hunger eventually overcame Jasmin, and she sat to eat with him.
Erold and Jasmin went out to bid Karai farewell. Erold asked: "Where is my horse?"
Karai replied, pointing to the nearby stable: "In the stable there, I put him with my horses to feed. You truly possess a rare horse, Arthur."
He laughed, adding: "When I tried to take him, he refused to move—not because he was uneasy with me, but because his pride was saying: 'Don't you dare do that.' I eventually left him… and surprisingly, he was the one who followed me there. I truly felt a sense of familiarity from him."
Jasmin laughed and said: "That is 'Utma' (Darkness); that's how he always acts."
Karai: "'Utma', huh? What a beautiful name… it suits him."
Erold said while huffing: "Am I the only one who thinks this name is strange?"
The soul Arthur, manifesting in the air laughing: "Yes… you are the strange one, man."
Erold said with boredom: "Go back inside, you rogue."
Karai wondered and said: "Were you speaking to me?"
Jasmin hurried and said in confusion: "No, no! He's talking to himself… don't mind him!" Then she whispered to Karai as she pulled him away: "He's a bit crazy, man… don't bother yourself with what he does."
Erold whispered while feigning annoyance: "I heard you, you rude girl…"
He finally said as he tightened his bag: "Alright, we must go."
Erold and Jasmin bid farewell to Karai, who advised them to take care of themselves, then turned to Jasmin and said: "I believe in you, girl… don't give up."
Jasmin tilted her head gently and smiled, then they bid him goodbye. They headed to the neighboring village as Karai had described to them: "Follow the shore to its end… you will find the village behind the mountain."
Near the shore, where the sea whispers its secrets to the wind, stood a village submerged in greenery, breathing between the forest and the waves. Its houses were made of wood and palm fronds, smelling of salt and smoke. Its people wore simple, hand-woven robes decorated with beads and shiny seashells. The men tied their shoulders with tightened skins smelling of moss, and the women braided their hair with threads of flowers and pieces of coral. In their eyes was a strange calmness.
Atop a small hill beside them, they saw a man with blond hair contemplating the horizon. Erold called out to him: "Hello… we are strangers to this area; can you guide us to the village Chief?"
But the man ignored him in silence.
Jasmin shouted: "We are talking to you, you fool!" But he paid her no attention, rather he continued his contemplation as if they did not exist.
Jasmin grew angry and seemed ready to strike him, but Erold was ready to catch her. In a sudden moment, he saw Jasmin control her anger and say calmly: "Forget it… let's go from here."
Erold rejoiced inside: "You are maturing… your father would have been proud of you in this moment."
Erold and Jasmin entered the village amidst the astonishment of its people. They were staring at the faces of the two strangers, one of whom completely hid his features. Some of them gathered and asked warily: "Who are you?"
Erold answered calmly: "We are guests; we would like to meet the village Chief."
A commoner replied mockingly: "And who are you to meet the Chief? We need to know your purpose; you might be bandits."
Jasmin got down from the horse and replied confidently: "Do bandits bring a little girl with them?"
Someone replied quickly: "Yes, that is possible."
Jasmin's face changed, and she retreated in disappointment, whispering to Erold: "My role here is over…"
He replied mockingly: "And what did you actually do? Nothing."
Suddenly, an elderly man came out, with white hair that only added to his dignity, and said in a confident voice: "I am the Chief of this village; please come with me."
The Chief led them to his house and offered them food, saying kindly: "Rest tonight; we will talk tomorrow."
He lodged them in the guesthouse next to his home. Jasmin asked him: "Do you have books here?"
He replied with a smile: "Of course."
She said enthusiastically: "May I look at them?"
The Chief answered affirmatively: "You seem like a smart girl; please do."
She replied: "Thank you." And inside, she was saying: "This is my first step; I must succeed."
The Chief sent someone to accompany them to the village library. On the way, a scene caught Erold's attention, drawing his gaze completely… a girl arguing with one of the merchants. Her features were angelic: white skin, golden hair, cheeks flushed from the heat, eyes as blue as the depths of the ocean, and a nose as sharp as a sword.
Erold stopped, placed his hand on his chest, and said in a low voice: "Am I sick?"
Arthur replied within him: "No, you are not. If you were sick, you would feel it."
Erold pressed on his chest with his right hand and said: "Then what is this?"
He asked Arthur again: "Are you the one doing this?"
Arthur replied mockingly: "No, you idiot. Don't you know what this means?"
Before he could finish, Erold's body moved unconsciously toward her, and he spoke in a strange voice: "Are you alright?"
The merchant shouted, saying: "I told her the milk is fresh! But she wants me to milk a cow in front of her to be sure! I'm fed up; she comes every week with the same request! No more, girl!"
Erold said to the girl: "Excuse me, I wish to speak to the merchant."
She said coldly: "I don't mind, but I won't buy the milk anymore."
He replied quickly: "Wait, please."
He took the seller aside and spoke in a serious voice that bordered on a threat: " I know the milk isn't fresh. The smell gives it away. If you don't want me to expose you, bring her fresh milk right now—at half price. Every single day."
The merchant became flustered and said with fear: "But I will lose, sir…"
Erold replied with deadly coldness: "If you were honest in your work, you wouldn't have ended up here. Execute what I ordered you."
The merchant went and apologized to the girl, saying: "I will bring you fresh milk now. I'm sorry."
The girl watched him from afar; she didn't thank him, but she wanted to. Erold didn't understand himself—why did he act that way? He returned to Jasmin, who said to him mockingly: "What was that?"
He replied: "He was cheating her. I settled the matter."
Jasmin laughed mischievously: "And did you really settle it? Do you even know her name?"
He replied with coldness mixed with a touch of embarrassment: "Shut up, let's go."
She said jokingly: "Arthur, tell me what happened! Hehehe…"
Arthur laughed inside, saying: "This idiot doesn't know the meaning of love. If only you could hear me, Jasmin, we would have bullied him even more!"
Erold ignored him, staring at his right hand, saying: "Love? Huh? What does that mean?"
Jasmin took a large number of books from the library and said enthusiastically: "I must read them all before we leave. By the way, when are we going?"
She looked at Erold, who was absent-minded, then shouted: "Erold! When are we going?"
He replied after returning to his senses: "Not now; we must find the 'Eye of Mystery'. I heard it is in this region."
He rose from the ground heavily and headed toward the door. Jasmin asked him: "Where are you going?"
He replied briefly: "I'll take a short walk."
She said: "Fine, I'll finish reading. Don't be late."
Erold went out walking, thinking about what happened, remembering the words of his teacher, Erold Lionheart, in his youth:
"How will you find your love when you only care about fighting? Life is not just fighting and training. I am here to nurture you, not to imprison you. Go out, play, understand your feelings and the feelings of those around you… you might want to marry when you grow up, and I don't want you to be unable to express yourself."
Arthur's reply back then was: "I dooon't caaare! Teach me new moves; that's all I want!"
Erold lay down on a hill overlooking the shore, the breeze caressing his hair, and stared at the distant horizon where the sea touches the sky. He said in a faint voice, as if speaking to his soul:
"Sometimes, I am convinced that I am unfit for any human relationship… because I believe that if you fear loneliness, you should not fall in love. Love should not be an escape from isolation, but a partnership based on mutual strength. If you cannot be alone, you will never truly be with someone."
He went silent for a bit, then sighed and continued with a tone of bewilderment:
"But… why do I feel this thing now? What has changed? What moved inside me when I looked into her eyes?"
Arthur replied: "What happened to you? Has your heart never trembled before?" Erold remained silent and said nothing, and Arthur noticed that something about him was different.
Arthur said in a serious voice: "Don't do this; you will regret it. She is very different from you, and her path is different from yours, and your destiny… is ill-fated. So, let her go."
Silence prevailed, and nothing was heard except the whispers of the waves until Erold fell asleep.
Erold woke up to the light of the sun rays while lying on the sand, and said in a sleepy voice: "It seems I slept on the beach… but there is something starting to block the sunlight from me."
He raised his head a little and saw someone standing behind him. it was a girl, her hair shimmering with the reflection of the light, and the sound of the sea behind her playing a calm melody.
She said: "Are you homeless? Or what? Don't you have a home?"
He laughed a little and said: "I do, but I dozed off here. I'm used to sleeping anywhere." Then he asked her kindly: "How did you know it was me?"
She said: "No one covers their face here but you."
He smiled under his robe and said: "That's true…"
He asked her hesitantly: "You seem to know the place well… what is your name?"
She replied cordially: "My name is Amalia. Thanks for yesterday." She took out some money for him and said: "This is your money; thank you for your generosity."
Erold replied while waving his hand: "Keep your money, Amalia. I didn't pay anything. I just knew one of his best friends, and I advised him to treat his customers better."
She said in amazement: "To the point that he doesn't take money from me? Haah…"
He laughed and replied: "Perhaps he feels a pang of conscience."
She laughed warmly: "Hahaha, so that's it…"
Erold said, looking toward the horizon: "Excuse me, I must go now." But inside him, he didn't want to go… something about her drew him—her name, her voice, even the way she stood before the sun made his shadow touch hers.
Amalia said shyly: "Stranger… what is your name?"
He replied with a calm smile: "My name is Arthur."
She smiled and said: "I am honored to meet you, Arthur."
He said: "And I as well… Amalia."
Erold headed to the village Chief's house feeling a strange happiness he hadn't felt in a long time, muttering to himself: "This morning… is different."
He found Jasmin waiting for him at the door of the house, her hands behind her back and her features worried. She said: "I was looking for you… where were you? Did you sleep outside?"
Erold looked at her and smiled: "Yes, but I'm fine."
They entered the Chief's house, and he was sitting waiting for them, watching the door in silence. He said in his deep voice: "I was waiting for you… tell me, what do you need?"
Erold stepped forward with calm steps and said: "I don't know what your reaction will be, but I have no other choice." He paused for a moment, then continued in a serious tone: "I came to ask you about the 'Eye of Mystery'."
The Chief's eyes widened, and signs of bewilderment appeared on him, then he suddenly shouted: "Guards!"
In an instant, the guards stormed the room and drew their swords, which confused Jasmin. As for Erold, he remained standing calmly, as if the matter did not concern him, and said: "I have a higher goal… I know the 'Eye of Mystery' is one of the treasures of the North, but I am forced to ask for it."
The Chief replied in a firm tone: "And do you think you will get it just like that? The Eye of Mystery is a curse, and we have guarded it for centuries; no one can use it."
As the guards approached closer, Erold spoke with a confident voice: "I know that the sons of the North recognize nothing but strength and principles… this is what my teacher, Erold Lionheart, taught me."
Silence suddenly prevailed, and the guards froze in their places, while the Chief's eyes widened in astonishment, and one of them said: "W-what? Did you say that Erold Lionheart was your teacher?!"
Erold smiled and answered confidently: "Yes, my name is 'Arthur', and Erold taught me a lot… he is the one who gave me this name."
The Chief looked at him in shock and said in a faint voice: "Arthur… the name of his late son… Arthur Lionheart…" He went silent for a moment then continued: "You cannot lie about a matter like this… but even if you are truthful, I cannot grant you the Eye of Mystery this simply. You must prove to me that you are worthy of it."
Erold asked seriously: "And how can I prove that?"
The Chief replied as he rose from his seat: "Be one of the village guards for six months. If you can drive away the bandits who attack the edges of the North during this period… then, I will grant you what you ask."
Erold said without hesitation: "Agreed." Then he added in a sharper tone: "Who is the leader of these bandits?"
The Chief answered, frowning: "Unfortunately, we don't know his name. But he appeared seven years ago, and it is said he is extremely intelligent—to the point that no one knows his true identity."
Erold smiled and said confidently: "I have dealt with those smarter than him, I believe." Then he continued as he moved toward the door: "Fine, you have it… Chief."
Erold and Jasmin left the Chief's house, and he said: "Regarding your previous question, did you learn how long we will stay here?"
She replied: "Yes." Then she asked in bewilderment: "Was the real Erold truly this great?"
Erold with a smile: "More than you can imagine," as he continued his walk.
Jasmin in wonder while walking beside Erold: "And what will you do in the next six months?"
He smiled while looking at her: "We can enjoy some time, and you study well… I'm counting on you."
Her eyes shone with happiness and she said enthusiastically: "You have it!"
Erold left her and headed on his way. As he was walking near the square, Amalia appeared. She stared at him in amazement and said: "You again, Arthur?!"
He smiled and said: "A pleasant coincidence… what are you doing here?"
She replied calmly: "Nothing, I was just walking."
He hesitated a little then said: "Would you like to walk with me for a bit?"
She laughed and said: "Why not? But… take off your robe; you look strange in it."
He laughed and said as he removed his robe: "As you wish…"
That was the first time she saw his features clearly, so she looked at him smiling and said jokingly: "I thought I would see a ghoul or terrifying scars… but I am disappointed!"
He smiled and said: "And would you feel more comfortable if I were a ghoul?"
She laughed heartily and said: "No, quite the opposite."
He walked beside Amalia in a short silence, then raised his gaze toward the place, as if the village began to reveal its true beauty to him.
"How strange this place is…" he muttered to himself, staring at the small wooden houses scattered on the mountainside. They were hanging on a slope overlooking the sea directly, as if they were clinging to the earth so as not to fall into the abyss.
Behind them, a dense forest stretched out, breathing with green moisture, and faint bird sounds came from afar, while the mountain peaks loomed like grey shadows on the horizon—towering, silent, reassuring.
"A village between three worlds…" he said inside himself. "The sea before it, the forest behind it, and the mountains watching from afar… as if it belongs to everything, and belongs to nothing."
The sea breeze was hitting his face gently, carrying the scent of salt and damp wood. At the edges of the alleys, he saw children running barefoot and women hanging baskets of dried thyme on the windows.
"For a long time, I haven't felt this much… peace."
He looked at Amalia from the corner of his eye as she walked with a lightness that did not resemble the steps of people of war. "And this girl… belongs to this place more than I do."
They wandered throughout the town, and the talk between them was light and filled with laughter. Erold stopped at one of the shops and bought juice for her and himself, handing her the cup while she said: "Thank you, but you didn't have to do that."
He replied with a smile: "On the contrary, I am happy with this."
Then he looked at her and asked: "Tell me about your family, Amalia…"
She sighed and said: "My real father abandoned me, and my mother doesn't want me, so I live with my grandmother. I have dreamed since my childhood to be strong enough to live without needing them. And since they abandoned me… I haven't asked about them again. So, I aspire to live my life as I want." She looked at him and asked: "And what about you, Arthur?"
Erold: "I don't know who my parents are. I didn't have a name, only titles. Until I met a man who gave me my name and my status… I considered him my older brother. And there was an elderly woman who gave me the warmth of affection and care when I needed them; she was like my older sister… but unfortunately, both died."
Amalia was moved and said with sorrow: "Your story is much worse than mine…" Then she looked at him and asked: "And that little girl—is she your daughter?"
He answered as he walked: "Unfortunately, no… she is my friend's daughter. Before he died, he entrusted me to take care of her. I won't hide it from you; I would have felt proud if she were truly my daughter."
She gave him a mysterious look and said: "What a kind man you are… but you are strange at the same time."
He asked her in wonder: "And what is strange about this?"
She replied smiling: "You seem kind, but your outward appearance doesn't suggest it. Yet, everything you say… I believe without any doubt, without even asking you questions."
He went silent for a bit then said: "No one has ever told me this before."
They continued their walk, until Erold said to her: "I will work here for six months. If your time allows, would you like us to walk sometimes in free moments?"
She smiled and said: "Why not? See you later, Arthur."
But as soon as Amalia disappeared from his sight, he stopped suddenly.
Something was watching him… he felt a slight prick in his chest, as if darkness itself was pressing on him. He stared toward the dense trees, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
He whispered slowly: "This… is not a human presence…"
A cold breeze blew, changing the taste of the air. Then he heard a faint whisper, unlike any human voice. It was… a thick sigh, soaked in anger. His eyes widened, and his voice shook: "…Rather… a Jinn?!"
He took a step back, his hand trembling near his chest. He muttered in a disturbed voice, as if trying to convince himself: "No… no, not now… not here… it's not an illusion this time."
He looked toward the market road, toward the place where Amalia disappeared… then to the other side, where Jasmin was waiting in the Chief's house.
He tightened his fist, digging his nails into his palm. "I must protect them from it… I won't allow it to get close."