"What are you hiding from me? What's happening in the Garden of Knowledge?"
The woman's voice shouted at me.
I turned toward her and saw the murderous look she was fixing on me—a look that felt far less intimidating once I met her greenish eyes.
"You know I can't tell you," I replied calmly. "It's restricted to members of the royal family and their advisers."
"Oh, come on," she pressed. "You're always telling me how important everything is, and yet you never tell me anything. All those secrets will cost you your life one day."
"Enough," I interrupted her. "This is for our safety. That way, you have no value if our enemies capture you. In times like these, you never know. Please. Enough of this. It's time to go."
She sighed.
"Oh, how I wish you'd answer my questions just once instead of always dodging them. How many situations like this have we already handled? We never failed. I know this is different. This concerns your… [××××××]."
"That's exactly why I won't tell you," I said. "It's for her safety. Not everyone would understand. They tolerate me as an outsider, but I still possess knowledge and experience in this field—while they hide behind an ancient law that forbids them from interfering in personal matters."
I gave a bitter smile.
"A law I've broken more than once. And not once did they ask whether they should help. They were convinced no one would ever stand against them. And look at them now—begging at my feet for help."
I stood up.
"And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to attend a council meeting. Apparently, they can't even agree on anything without me."
"Alright," she said quietly. "Take care, [××××]. And don't forget—you can always rely on me."
"It has to happen, It's time to use weapons the enemy has never seen."
---
The dream dissolved.
I opened my eyes and felt relief. More fragments of my fractured mind were returning—piece by piece. But I couldn't just lie there and wait for everything to come back on its own.
I had to accelerate it.
I felt an overwhelming need to see the woman from the dream again. A powerful sense of closeness. She had always stood by my side. I knew it. I felt it.
I would try to include her in my next attempt to extract information from Matúš. If she had been more than just a friend to me, she would know something.
With these doubts swirling in my mind, I left my room and headed straight for the living room, where they were already waiting for me.
Matúš immediately stood up and grabbed me by the shoulder.
"So? Ready for our little trip back home?" he grinned. "You don't look very excited."
"After yesterday, I'd expect you to be worried about who's waiting for us there," I replied.
"Oh, come on," he waved it off. "Don't stress about that. There's no way anyone can stop us. Unlike them, noble blood runs through our veins—not that garbage they have."
"That's enough, Matúš," my sister snapped. "You know you're on their territory right now. Watch how you talk."
"Sister, stay out of this," he shot back. "Astibor and I have a lot to do. We need to leave."
And so we did.
I followed Matúš toward the door—which, surprisingly, looked brand new. I stopped and glanced around the room. Everything was restored. No—restored wasn't the right word. It was exactly as it had been before the attack.
Matúš stopped and turned to me.
"I see you took care of it, my brother."
"Of course," he smiled. "It was my fault, after all. They were after me—even though I don't know why. So, shall we go?"
"Let's not waste time."
"Apparently, you've forgotten something," a voice said behind us.
We both turned to my sister. She was smirking.
"How do you two idiots plan to get there without an Arcanum?"
"Damn it," I muttered. "In all the rush, I completely forgot. Sister, can you lend us yours?"
"Don't be ridiculous," she shook her head. "You know how long it takes to create one. Try the traditional way."
And she slammed the door.
"Damn her," Matúš growled. "The traditional way? She knows perfectly well we have no way to contact the others."
While he cursed, one word kept repeating in my head.
Arcanum.
I felt how incredibly important it was. I closed my eyes—and inside my consciousness, letters began to form.
A.R.C.A.N.U.M.
Each syllable carried meaning. The letters shifted, stacking into words my subconscious pulled from the depths of my mind.
Arcane
Realm
Containing
All
Non-linear
Universal
Movements
"I have one," I said as I opened my eyes and showed him the ring on my hand.
"Well, I'll be damned," he laughed. "You stole it from our sister. She'll be furious when she finds out—but we'll be far away by then. So what are you waiting for? Summon it."
And that was the moment I got stuck.
"No," I said quickly. "It's not hers. I only took it because I don't have my own. I was counting on forcing her to come with me. I didn't expect you."
I began taking the ring off my finger. A wave of sadness washed over me as I removed it—but there was no other choice.
"So today, you're the one in charge."
Matúš reached out, took the ring, and immediately slipped it onto his finger. He smiled.
"Well then, my dear brother. Time for our adventure. Straight home—or is there somewhere you'd like to stop first?"
"Enough talking," I said. "Let's go straight home."
He extended his arm, clenched his fist, then turned his palm inward and pulled it toward his chest.
A rift opened before him—as if someone had cut a hole straight through reality with scissors.
Beyond it lay a space filled with machines, seating, and strange equipment I didn't recognize.
Matúš stepped through. I didn't want to stay behind, so I followed him.
I found myself in a vast chamber. I dropped into a chair and watched as Matúš snapped his fingers. The rift sealed shut behind us.
"Alright," he said. "Do what you always do."