Diana opened her eyes, still heavy with sleep, listening to the birds singing near her window, a sound that filled her heart with peace and tranquility. Stretching slyly under the thick covers, her body was reluctant to wake up, getting out of the bed was certainly the most difficult part of the day. She just wanted to get under the heavy quilt, feel the contrast between the cold of the season and the warmth of her bed, and enjoy it. And what absurd dream was that? Diana thought, widening her eyes, suddenly remembering the night before. Wearing her robe and dragging herself to the door, the urge to go back to bed was too great, but she knew Marcos was unable to make a decent breakfast (he had even lost count of how many burns on his hands she had treated).

“Holy shit, it was not a dream”, reality hit Diana like a bucket of cold water when she came across three large bodies scattered on the sofas and armchairs in the room. A sense of unease came over her as the scenes from the previous night flashed through her mind.

Beside Marco's favorite armchair, Diana saw Hector sleeping soundly. She couldn't deny how handsome he was, she thought, as she slowly approached the sleeping man, almost as if in a trance, sitting delicately on the arm of the chair, still watching the strong features of the boy's face in front of her. Hector had long, clear lashes, matching with the silvery color of his hair, which fell carelessly over his forehead. The shadow of sadness came over Diana for a little while: that hair color reminded her of something long lost. Pushing away useless thoughts, she focused her gaze on that beautiful face again. He had a strong and well-defined jaw, his lips were full and full, inviting viewers to kiss them. “I must be losing the little sense I have, especially because I think something like that”, she thought embarrassed, feeling her face heat up, but even so, she couldn't take her eyes off this man. Diana's eyes, reluctantly, shifted to Hector's square chin, and then to go around his neck and, finally, on the amulet around him.

She felt her heart pounding in her throat, her mouth drying in an instant, as she stared at Hector's amulet. For anyone, that fire agate would go unnoticed, just a simple charm against bad energy, but if more careful eyes fell on the crystal, she would find the letter D subtly etched on the red surface.

It was not possible, how did that man have that stone ...?

- What do you think you're doingTá bom demo vai? - Hector's voice brought Diana to the present violently, her tone was soft and low, but the girl could feel the coldness together with the grip of her hand on hers, while her own hand desperately held the stone.

- Where did you get that? - Diana couldn't help her voice from shaking.

- That is none of your business - he said flatly.

- Answer me first - she demanded, her tone showing her emotions.

Hector was confused, did not understand, and did not like the young woman's insistence. That stone was the only link with his past that he had, the idea of having someone questioning about it made him uneasy and uncomfortable.

- Even if I wanted to answer you, I couldn't - he murmured reluctantly, letting go of Diana's hand - I don't remember how I got this stone. It has simply always been with me for as long as I can remember - he continued, "How can she make me talk about it?", He thought surprised, after all, it was the first time he ever admitted out loud his lack of memory.

- Don't you think it's impolite to question the young man about such personal matters in the morning, dear? - Diana had to control herself not to cry out when she felt her tutor's hand on her shoulders - I brought fresh eggs, a gift from one of our patients, how about an omelet for breakfast? - he continued, directing the word to Hector and when he saw the boy's smile said - Wonderful, dear, I will leave the rest to you - And before Diana could protest, Marcos pushed the basket into her arms.

Sighing, she gave up on questioning Hector, at least for now. As she walked towards the kitchen, she couldn't control the flame of hope that flooded her heart. “Is it possible for Hugo to have survived and become Hector?”, Tears blurred her vision, but they were happy. Maybe she was wrong that day, maybe he wasn't dead? Maybe he just passed out? Questions like that filled her mind in a whirl. She needed to talk to Marcos about it as soon as possible. Her mind was so focused that she just came back to reality when she served the omelets to everyone.

If any onlookers watched those people having breakfast together, she would not believe that the day before, the atmosphere was practically hostile between them. Hector was still recovering the way he was woken up. Anyone looking at Diana would never think she could be so incisive and insistent, after all, she looked like a frightened rabbit most of the time, he thought with a smile. Hector could feel Diana's gaze on him from across the table, the boy had the impression that something was different about her, but he couldn't say what.

- Are you listening, Hector? - Raul's voice broke her concentration - Damn, I know you like to eat, but could you pay attention just a little? - sighed the young man's best friend, little did he know that Hector was not concentrating on food but the young woman with red hair - How far did you hear? Anyway, as we only brought an extra horse and yours is the strongest among them, the lady will travel with you. Some problem? - he continued practically and systematically.

- Of course not - said Hector, looking sideways at Diana, he just didn't expect there to be more interrogations, especially on matters he couldn't answer even if he wanted to.

Diana's heart leaped with joy at hearing this, as it would be the perfect opportunity to observe him closely. However, a small voice in her mind whispered harshly for her not to hope, because of the higher the hopes, the greater the disappointment.

Marcos and Raul continued talking about the last details of the trip: itinerary, route, food, and duration (approximately three days, if they made few stops). For Diana, these details didn't matter much, really, she was excited (and not apprehensive) to leave the safety of that home behind, however, her heart gave a start when she thought he could be alive and right in front of her, within reach.

After finishing breakfast and washing the dishes, Heitor, Raul, and Fernando (the third young man in the group) went out to prepare the horses. Meanwhile, Diana went to her room to pack her luggage. Marcos said to take only the essentials, as they were in a hurry and light luggage would be ideal to not delay the journey ...

- Diana? - he heard his tutor's voice on the other side of the door - Can I come in? We need to talk. It's important.