The path they took gradually moved away from the ruins. They descended a steep slope, followed along a sheer cliff, then followed the course of a clear river. After about twenty minutes of walking, the landscape suddenly opened up.
Below the cliff, nestled near the river, stretched a small, lively, and secret town. Houses of light stone, wooden bridges, children running, chimney smoke… Everything seemed alive, peaceful, almost outside of time.
Elias dismissed the people who had accompanied him, then gestured for Miria's group to follow him.
In the distance, one could see the entrance to a cave.
Miria and her group stopped, mouths open.
"It's… beautiful," Katrina murmured.
Miria, for her part, had the strange feeling of knowing this place. Like a blurry memory rising to the surface.
Élias led them through the streets to the cave. Contrary to what one might have expected, it was nothing gloomy. The interior was beautifully decorated: lines stretched from wall to wall, loaded with colorful prayer plaques, small lanterns, ribbons, and ancient inscriptions. The atmosphere was soothing, almost sacred.
Miria froze at the entrance.
"Miria?" Asher asked, worried. "Are you okay?"
"Yes… yes, I'm fine," she stammered.
"You look shocked."
"It's because… I know this place."
Marlie approached.
"Really?"
"Yes. It was our secret place… mine, Lira's, Leo's, and the others'."
At the mention of Leo, Asher felt a pang of jealousy twist his stomach. His face tightened slightly. Miria noticed, but said nothing.
They entered. The walk continued in silence, only punctuated by the sound of their footsteps and the light clinking of the prayer plaques.
Diana, in a tired tone, finally protested:
"After all this walking… I thought once we arrived in this town, we'd have a place to stay and rest. But here we are being taken into a cave… You don't seriously think you're going to make us sleep here like cavemen, do you?"
Élias burst out laughing, amused.
"No… of course not. It's our custom that every time strangers come to Ashenford, curious to discover what happened to the town… we first bring them here. Into the sacred cave. This is where the survivors engraved the account of what really happened… and how they survived."
He turned toward them, a mysterious smile on his lips.
"Aren't you curious to know the truth?"
No one answered. The silence grew heavier. The walk resumed, slower, more charged with anticipation.