"That's enough."

It was only when she heard the soft and melodious sound of another man's voice that she finally took notice of the presence standing right behind the three men in the corner. The man's body was completely covered in layers of white cloths, leaving nothing visible save for his eyes. His eyes glowed bright blue in the darkness.

"There is no need to traumatize a fellow outsider," he said softly. "Since you can not hide your vulgar tendencies, then I will ensure that she rooms with me. If nothing else, she would be safe from harm."

One of the men laughed out loud again but quickly fell silent once the hidden man spoke.

"You should learn to control your tongue! What if we had decided otherwise?"

Another laugh followed immediately afterward. This time it sounded more genuine than the first, though. It was clear that the hired guards were beginning to feel uneasy under the fourth man's gaze.

"Don't worry, sir," one of them replied nervously. "They aren't bothering anybody."

"Of course, they aren't," the cloaked figure muttered quietly before turning away from the group. With a slight nod toward Serena, he led her past the table and down the hall without looking back. When the door closed behind her, silence filled the room. He led her to a room a short distance down the hallway and entered it.

Serena looked around curiously. There were several beds lined up along the opposite side of the wall, each neatly made with fresh blankets and pillows. A small wooden chest sat on top of one of the chests, its lid open just enough for her to see some clothes inside. One of the windows stood wide-open; she could hear the faint sounds of wind blowing outside.

As she glanced over the various pieces of furniture in the room, she noticed a few books sitting atop the desk in the far corner. Curious, she walked across the floor until she reached the desk. After removing the books carefully from the surface, she turned around to face the stranger. Her curiosity grew stronger as she saw that the man was now leaning casually against the wall near her bed.

"What do you want with me?" she asked bluntly. Even though his eyes remained focused forward, she still felt as if he was staring straight through her.

He paused briefly before speaking.

"I wish to help you," he answered evenly.

"Help me with what?" she retorted sharply. "Why did you bring me here?"

"To protect you."

Her eyebrows shot upward in surprise.

"Protect me? From who?"

A long pause followed. As he stared silently ahead, she suddenly understood that he was waiting patiently for an answer. At last, she nodded slightly, realizing that he needed something specific from her.

"From those men," she explained.

His head slowly began nodding ever so subtly.

"Yes…yes, of course…" he mumbled faintly.

Ravana couldn't help but laugh at this. It was tinged with disbelief. "Not only did you end up being harassed but your knight in shady armor is having a conversation with himself." He paused, realizing how their communication would look to outsiders. "I don't know whether to be in awe of your ability to adapt or pity your circumstances."

After another moment spent contemplating whatever thoughts occupied his mind, the man finally met her gaze. For the briefest instant, there was a flicker of uncertainty in his expression. Then, however, it vanished entirely.

"I also want to try and treat the creature with you."

Serena eyed the man carefully, concerned about this revelation. Those three men from before, two who seemed to be mercenaries and the other a local, didn't seem to see that she was holding anything. Even the other villagers seemed to think that she was clinging to a wound on her body rather than holding something close to her.

Having this man see Mint could prove problematic. She had no idea why he wanted to help her, nor did she know anything about him either. What if he were planning on betraying her?

She shook her head quickly, trying to clear away the doubts swirling within her. This was too important to worry over things like that. Besides, even if this man tried to trick her somehow, she was certain that she'd find out soon enough.

With that thought firmly in place, she walked over to one of the free beds and placed Mint down. His condition had stabilized through her efforts. Although he wasn't fully healed yet, he should recover completely after resting. With that settled, she turned back around and found herself facing the man once again.

"I did the best I could do to attend to his wounds. I used some burn salve and medicinal cream before wrapping him in alchemically made medicinal cloth," she said, speaking rapidly. Her hands moved almost subconsciously as she spoke. After a few moments, she stopped abruptly, noticing that the man hadn't responded. He merely watched her curiously, though not unkindly.

"Do you understand?" she asked hesitantly.

He continued watching her closely without saying a word. When she looked uncertain, he finally broke eye contact and glanced down briefly at Mint.

"It's fine," he murmured. "I admit that I didn't expect to see a human who was so worried about one of the Fair Folk."

Serena blinked several times at hearing such words spoken aloud. They sounded more like a compliment than a statement of fact. In response, she shrugged lightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

It did bother her that he thought she was a human.

"He's my friend. Mint led me to this village when he found me lost in Loxley Forest."

For a moment, the man studied her face intently. She felt slightly uncomfortable beneath his scrutiny until she noticed that his eyes weren't focused on her, but rather they seemed to wander off somewhere else.

When he finally returned his attention to her, his voice appeared genuine for the first time. It was warm and gentle, causing her to feel less nervous.

"Well then, I suppose we'll just have to make sure that nothing happens to him," the man stated matter-of-factly.

His tone caused her to look up sharply, only to discover that he was looking at Mint once more. Now there was concern etched onto his features.

"I won't let anyone harm your friend, I promise you," he added quietly.

Serena smiled, feeling a bit lighter as if a weight had been lifted. "I would appreciate that, sir."

After another long pause, the man nodded slowly.

"You may call me Lucian. I'm sorry that I don't know your name."

"My apologies, Lucian," she replied politely. Then, realizing that she'd never introduced herself, she quickly blurted out: "Serena Araceli."

She paled when she saw that he was studying her expression carefully. But she forced herself to continue speaking calmly.

Several things weren't adding up about this man. She truly didn't understand what he was doing here or why he wanted to help them. His presence troubled her greatly, and yet it was obvious that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Why are you helping me?" she wondered suddenly, deciding to take advantage of the silence. "We're strangers to each other."

Her question earned her a brief smile, which eased the tension between them considerably. However, she sensed that he still needed to tell her something. So, after a short pause, she waited patiently while he considered his answer.

"That is true," the man finally answered. "Normally I would never waste time trying to heal someone who is this far gone. And yet..."

"Yet what?" she pressed.

Lucian paused for a second, staring straight ahead as he gathered himself. When he next spoke, his voice came with a surprising amount of emotion behind it.

"But I've seen how much pain you must be suffering. The way you care for him... Well, I couldn't leave you alone when you need help," he explained gently. "Besides, I can sense sacred magic from you—and that makes us allies." His tone became snarky and cold. "As those few who are so beloved by the gods, we must band together."

For a moment, the young woman remained silent. The words were complete nonsense and yet she was aware that Ravana was eerily silent. He had never been quite so far, not like this at least, and it unnerved her. There was no reason to doubt Lucian now, though. After all, they did share similar goals. They both wished to save Mint, and neither one of them intended to give up until that happened.

With a sigh, Serena decided to ask another question. This seemed too important not to do right away.

"How exactly does one become 'so beloved' by the gods? Is there anything special that I should know?"

Lucian paused in the unwrapping of Mint's bandages to look at her. It took a moment before he answered, and even then he sounded somewhat distracted.

"I suppose you could say that the gods love you because of the strength of your spirit," he mused, almost absently. "Your will is strong enough to make you worthy of their attention."

This made absolutely no sense whatsoever to the girl.

However, the strange man didn't seem surprised by her confusion. He simply continued unwrapping the cloth around Mint's chest. As he worked, he said nothing further but kept talking to himself softly.

"...the power of my soul, the might of my heart. My life is eternal; it shall live on forevermore. That is what being loved by the god means."

At first, Serena thought that Lucian was rambling out loud again. But upon closer inspection, she realized that he was speaking to himself silently. What he was saying was clear enough, however. He was reciting some kind of prayer or incantation, and she found herself wondering if he believed any of it.

After finishing with the last layer of wrapping, he placed the bandage aside and began carefully washing off the blood. Once that task was finished, he picked up the small knife he'd used earlier and started cutting through the fabric that held the pixie's wings closed. Finally, after several minutes, he reached down and pulled Mint's arms free of the bindings. He just stared at the little creature, studying its face intently for a moment.

After that moment of observation from Lucian, Serena thought he wasn't going to do anything more. That soon changed as the hidden man clasped his covered hands together in some kind of prayer. An aura of white light appeared around him, and the air grew colder than it had ever felt before. Lucian rested his hands on Mint's chest and closed his eyes. The entire room went silent except for the soft sound of wind blowing against the windowpanes. Then suddenly, the air filled with the most beautiful music anyone could imagine. There were notes of woodwinds and strings, like those played by the best musicians in the Hidden City. Yet all these sounds came together perfectly without sounding discordant or forced. And above everything else, there was something...more. Something beyond description. A pure melody that carried every emotion possible, and yet somehow managed to convey them in such a way that they couldn't be expressed properly. No words existed to describe the beauty of the song. Not even poetry would have been able to capture the feeling of joy, sorrow, peace, and contentment that flowed through the young woman.

Finally, the music ceased, leaving behind only the lingering sensation of awe and wonder.

"Do not be swayed by pauper tricks like this," Ravana whispered, his voice piercing through the haze of emotions that Serena was affected with. His tone was harsh, much harsher than usual. "They may try to fool us with magic, but we must remain vigilant."

There was hostility in the way he spoke that suggested that he was angry about something. However, he didn't elaborate. He changed the subject as if what she had just experienced was ordinary.

"It is past time we had a discussion. Do you know how to meditate?"

Serena nodded. At least, she assumed so. Her mind was still hazy from the experience. "Yes," she said, knowing she must sound as deranged as Lucian did when he talked to himself.

There was clear approval in his voice. "Good. Now close your eyes. Think back over our journey here, and remember everything that happened so far. Remember each step along the way."

Serena sat down on one of the beds with her back against the wall and did as he instructed. While doing so, she recalled the events that led to her arrival in this new world. From the moment when the shadows consumed the beating heart of the Celestial Empire, until now—everything that had occurred. It seemed strange that she hadn't remembered much of it before. Perhaps it took a while for things to sink in. Or perhaps the shock of discovering another world simply made her forget certain details. Whatever the case, once she began thinking about their journey, she quickly forgot the pain she'd suffered during the trip. She hardly noticed the cuts and bruises on her body anymore. Instead, she focused entirely on recalling every detail. When she finally opened her eyes again, she found herself in a dark room. The ceiling was low; it barely cleared the tops of the bookshelves that lined the walls. Books lay scattered everywhere. Some were open, others facedown on top of other volumes. All of them looked ancient and fragile, and none of them bore any markings besides the names written in an unfamiliar language.

The sound of chains clinking echoed throughout the room, coming from somewhere deep within the shelves. They sounded heavy and cold, as though they belonged to a prisoner who refused to speak. There was no sign of life anywhere in sight. Only silence.

A shiver ran up her spine at the eerie atmosphere. She glanced around curiously, trying to find out where the noise was coming from. But then, she heard a familiar laugh echoing through the room. It wasn't a mocking cackle, but rather a happy chuckle. It sent goosebumps racing across her skin. What was that? she wondered, looking around frantically. Where did that come from?

She turned toward the source of the laughter, which seemed to emanate directly from a large bookcase in front of her. As she got closer, she realized that it wasn't a single shelf, but rather two connected ones that formed some sort of corridor leading deeper inside the library. On both sides, there was nothing but more books. And yet…there it was: someone laughing loudly enough to echo from its depths.

As she walked forward, she could make out the shape of a figure sitting atop one of those shelves. Its head was bent down slightly towards its knees, obscuring most of the face beneath it. The eery laughter came from him before the shadow figure vanished into thin air. That alone gave away the identity of whoever it was. For she knew exactly whose laugh that was.

Ravana.

Her gaze wandered further along the narrow path between the rows of shelving units. Soon, she spotted him standing next to a tall wooden desk near the end. A few candles burned brightly nearby, casting long shadows across the floor. Their light revealed several objects lying on top of the table – small vials containing different colored liquids, a handful of papers, and a long silver chain that rested dragged along the table and the ground. The chain was attached to shackles that bound Ravana's hands.

It was hard to say if he was made from shadows or that he was merely hiding in them, but either way, it was an unsettling scene. There was a vague impression of him wearing some sort of clothes that covered most of his body, hiding his features from view.

He stood hunched over, leaning heavily upon the edge of the table, staring intently at something below the surface of the desk. Every so often, an arm made from shadows and darkness would form and then pick up an item. He would then inspect it carefully, and put it back down. Then he moved on to examine another object. Occasionally, he muttered something under his breath, making it impossible to understand what he said. Once he even laughed, causing the whole building to shake. At least, that's how it felt to Serena.

After watching him work for a short period, she couldn't take it anymore. Something just didn't feel right. How can I be sure that this isn't going to turn bad? she asked herself. Is he capable of helping me? If anything goes wrong, will he do whatever he has to keep himself safe?

With these thoughts running through her mind, she decided to go talk with him. It might not be the smartest move, but better now than later when things were already too late. After all, she had no idea where else to find him.

"Hey! What are you doing?" she called out. "Are we done here yet? Can I get out of this place?"

That earned her a loud giggle. Her voice echoed throughout the room, bouncing off every wall. Even though she hadn't intended it, Serena found herself smiling. Maybe he did like hearing that.

A moment passed, and there wasn't much movement from Ravana. Finally, he lifted his head. His face was completely shrouded in shadow, giving him a sinister appearance. For a brief instant, she thought about turning around and leaving, but curiosity won. As soon as he looked away from the items on the desk, she approached him slowly. She stopped a few feet behind him, trying to figure out what to say.

As she waited, she glanced toward the chains that held him. They weren't connected to anything.

Why doesn't anyone come to help him? That question lingered in her mind. Was he truly alone? Where exactly am I anyway? she wondered. And why does everything seem so…strange?

She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves before speaking. "So, uh...what are you doing?"

His laughter continued. This time, however, it sounded more genuine. When he finally turned to look at her, his expression remained blank. "You're wondering why I'm chained," he said without looking directly at her.

Serena nodded. "That is a major concern of mine ye..."

Before she could continue, Ravana raised a hand to silence her. His voice was odd, and it seemed almost pleased with something. "I don't know if I should tell you."

Her heart skipped a beat. She paused, taking another breath before continuing. "This is making me feel like I don't want to help you."

Ravana chuckled again, but this time it sounded different—more sincere. "We have little choice than to work together." He spoke calmly, even pleasantly. However, Serena felt a chill run down her spine.

With an internal sigh, she responded, "Alright, fine. But please try and make this easier on me. If you need my assistance, then just ask nicely. Don't leave me hanging out here all day while you do whatever you want."

He laughed once more, but it didn't sound quite right. There was nothing friendly or kind about it. Instead, it made her shiver.