Aelita remembered seeing the many castle guards as the old man had taken her through the wide hallways of the castle. Not a single one of them anything unkind. They actually hadn’t spoken to her at all.

The old man had carried her up a flight of long, twisting stairs and into the tower. He had set her down and kissed her forehead. And then he left. The door was locked behind him, the heaven wooden bar making noise as it slid into place. In the darkness, Aelita couldn’t tell how small the room was.