They had been on the train to Casper, Wyoming, for several hours. Felix had made it clear—if they wanted to effectively evade the demons tracking them, they had to change locations as often as possible. That was why they had left the wooden cabin in the forests of Colorado Springs to go into hiding in the Thorofare region of Yellowstone Park. William, using Lola's phone, read several articles about the place, wanting to prepare himself at least a little for what awaited them. He didn't have the slightest clue about traveling this way; moreover, the distances they were to cover on foot made his head spin. Weeks of hiking through wild trails lay ahead of them, completely cut off from civilization—sleeping in tents, no access to store-bought food or running water… He didn't quite know how they would manage it all yet. They would probably have to stock up on necessities in the nearest town, but where they would get the money, how they would organize… He had no idea.

Ryan was napping peacefully with his head resting on Will’s shoulder. Apparently, the prospect of wandering the wilderness for weeks wasn't particularly stressful for him. William wished he could share even a bit of that calm. Instead, he stared at the flickering landscape behind the window, thinking about what was coming. He was slowly beginning to understand that there would be no return from this journey. He had to come to terms with that knowledge and say goodbye to his entire life so far: school, friends, his plans for the future, dreams… and… his parents. He still felt dazed by everything happening around him.

They sat in one compartment: Will, Ryan, and Lola on one side, Felix and Sophie on the opposite. After a few hours on the road, they were weary. Ryan had managed to wake up, but the conversation still wouldn't flow. A heavy atmosphere hung in the air, amplified by Felix’s clear reserve; the sorcerer still didn't hide his dissatisfaction with the group's decision to bring this boy, Ryan, along. He felt that only he fully realized the danger they were walking into. Well, he could expect a lack of awareness from William regarding the weight of their actions, though, surprisingly, it was William who had the most objections—not counting Felix himself, of course. The sorcerer was somewhat surprised by this, but on the other hand, he shouldn't have been. It was clear that something more connected those two; even though they didn't flaunt it, he could catch it in single glances and gestures. However, he hadn't expected such a lack of common sense from Lola and Sophie. While he might have previously chalked the foolishness of the decision up to blind infatuation, he now had to admit it was about something else. Or at least, not just about the feelings between the boys.

Seeing the pained expressions of his companions, the man decided to go easy on them. After all, what could he do if he couldn't change the decisions of these teenagers? He decided to lighten the mood.

"Lola, Sophie, what do you think? Perhaps it would be appropriate to tell William a bit about his abilities?" As he said this, he didn't look at either of the sisters, but straight at William. He smiled slightly, almost mischievously, narrowing his eyes a bit. Hearing his words, the girls instantly brightened and nodded in agreement. Lola grabbed Will’s hand. The surprised boy raised an uncertain gaze to her.

After a moment, the girl whispered: "Flore primula..." A tiny primrose began to grow from the boy's palm. It emerged in a wonderfully accelerated way, yet it seemed to be an incredibly delicate process at the same time. William stared at his hand, completely enchanted, though also a bit uneasy. After all, something was growing right out of his palm. It was a good thing it wasn't a cactus. Not only could he have gotten hurt, but the saying "a cactus will grow on my hand"* would have taken on a different meaning. He smiled to himself at the thought. When the bud fully bloomed, Ryan, driven by curiosity, reached out to the flower and touched it with his fingertip. William shuddered visibly and looked around at everyone, startled.
"It is part of you now. It feels everything you do, and vice versa," Lola explained. The boy shifted his uncertain gaze back to the tiny plant. He brought his hand closer to his face and smiled to himself in disbelief. Felix stared at him, somewhat captivated, but when he realized Sophie was watching him, he turned away and looked out the window.

"Very strange. Take it away, please," he muttered in a voice that was somewhat amused but also tense.

"No rush," Lola laughed.

"So what am I supposed to do with it?" the boy asked. Even though it was truly beautiful, he realized he couldn't just afford to serve as… a flowerpot?

"Now for the second part of the task. Felix, maybe you can help him?" Sophie asked. The sorcerer leaned toward the boy, focusing his gaze on his hand. A moment later, he looked deep into his eyes, smiling kindly. Will became a bit embarrassed and lowered his gaze to his hand extended toward the sorcerer. Ryan felt a small sting of jealousy, his cheeks reddening slightly. But… he wasn't the only one. William was just as red, though not for the same reason as his friend.

"So…?" he began. "Am I supposed to say something?" He looked a bit lost. Although he already realized he wasn't a sorcerer and that his magic was different from the girls' or even Felix’s, he had no idea what he could do.

"You don't need words. Your magic requires thought. Think about what you must do to get rid of the primrose. Let that thought… flow through you." William thought for a moment. He could… pull the flower out, but from what Lola said, he would feel everything the plant did. He immediately imagined how much that might hurt. But then he said:

"It needs to be uprooted." Felix sent him another dazzling smile, clearly pleased that the boy had found the right solution on his own without much guidance. He took his hand, from which the small flower grew, and said:

"Perfect! Now focus your gaze on it and think about it. Something like 'uproot yourself' or 'leave my hand along with your roots,' but all in your head." As he said the last words, he tapped him on the forehead with his finger and let go of his hand. A silence followed, during which Will tried to conjure even a spark of magic. He was nervous, had complete chaos in his head, and couldn't focus on a single thought. When several seconds passed and absolutely nothing happened, Felix sighed softly and said:
"Wait." The boy looked at him, somewhat distressed by the failure. The man spoke to him gently. "Stay calm. If you don't succeed, I will get rid of it, and everything will be fine." Will looked at the man. "This must be the only thought that speaks to you. It must fill you. Try again, but without the nerves." William looked at the plant again. No sooner had the thought appeared in his head than the flower, with a soft hiss, emerged from beneath the boy's fair skin. He gasped, thoroughly surprised, and pressed himself into the back of the seat. Felix took the flower in his hands, and after a moment, with his quiet whisper, the plant dissolved into thin air.
"Ideal. Almost. In any case, that’s exactly the point. We’ll have more than one chance to practice, but I think that’s enough for now."

They arrived at their destination in the early afternoon, and for the rest of the day, they gathered everything necessary to survive several weeks on the trail in the mountains. Evening was approaching when, loaded to the brim, they got off the bus that took them to one of the campgrounds. Everyone was very tired and silent. Felix went ahead, leading them in a direction known only to himself through a narrow, forested path sinking into darkness. After about an hour of marching, they stepped off the trail a bit to set up camp on a small, bare hill. The night was windless and starry, and the cool air effectively chased away sleepiness. Nevertheless, William thought of nothing more than stretching out on his mat in a warm sleeping bag. He realized, however, that before that happened, they would have to pitch the tents, prepare something to eat, and freshen up a bit before sleep… He got even more tired just thinking about it.

Finally, when the tents were up, a small campfire burned steadily, and their hunger was satisfied, the whole group decided it was time for sleep. Ryan suggested that William roll up his sweatshirt and put it under his head like a pillow, saying it would be more comfortable that way. The boy readily agreed; he didn't fancy lying flat on the already quite hard surface. They shared a tent with Felix. The sorcerer had been quite silent all evening, but just as Will was about to fall asleep, he engaged in a discussion with Ryan. He heard individual words, though he couldn't understand their meaning. Suddenly, he seemed to forget where he was, what he was doing here. He forgot his own name. He felt pleasantly warm and sweet; he felt himself drifting away. He fell into darkness. Finally, amidst the impenetrable gloom, a light flashed. It became so bright that he could see nothing but the blinding glare. He shielded his face with his forearm and squinted his eyes tightly, and when the initial numbness faded and his vision slowly adjusted, he looked around. The place reminded him of the Grand Canyon in Colorado. His parents had taken him there a good ten years ago when he was still a child. He remembered the place as a rocky wasteland full of red rocks and an elusive echo. Here… it was similar. However, the aura of the place… differed significantly.

It looked as though he had found himself at the very bottom of the canyon, where a blue river flowed lazily. Incredibly high rock walls rose on both sides. Suddenly, he moved forward, completely involuntarily, like a puppet. Before he knew it, he was no longer treading on the canyon floor, but on a flower-strewn meadow. He began to run, the blades of grass tickling his calves. He felt the wind in his hair, running faster and faster until he started to breathe harder. His heart pounded in his chest, but he didn't slow down. He felt he had to reach this place as quickly as possible. He kept accelerating until he felt his head buzzing from the effort. Out of nowhere, everything came to a halt, along with him, and it was so unexpected that his stomach leaped into his throat. He heard only the beating of his heart and his quickened breath. There was nothing around. Finally, a strong wind rose, surrounding him tightly, almost stifling him. What am I doing here… He couldn't gather his thoughts.

A whisper. Quiet. Unintelligible. Soothing. The air around was dry and dusty. His lips were chapped; his mouth had gone completely dry. Again. A whisper. His name. Spoken so tenderly. Gently. He looked around. Still the same. Empty. He squeezed his eyelids shut; something was wrong. When he opened his eyes, he saw… himself? No. Not himself. Someone similar. The stranger stood within arm's reach. Delicate facial features, flawless skin, and blue eyes. His hair and robes fluttered involuntarily in the wind. The youth reached out a hand toward him.

"Come with me." William shuddered. He felt an irresistible dread just beneath his skin, crawling over his body like a snake. At the same time, something very strongly attracted him to the young man; he wanted to take his hand and follow him. Leave everything behind.
"Don't do it. You don't even know who that is." He heard a familiar voice, though he had no idea where it was actually coming from. He looked around, but besides him and the mysterious man, there wasn't a living soul here. Lightning sliced through the sky, and a few seconds later, a low, ominous rumble of thunder rolled out. A strong wind rose, piercing through him. In the blink of an eye, the sky was covered by thick, dark clouds that raced through space like ships speeding across the sea.

"I am Patrick. And you are my brother, Will. Whom will you trust? A boy who is obsessed with you? Lola and her sister? They only care about returning to Sarihmas. Or perhaps Felix, who sees you as a kind of weapon he can use? Not to mention that you remind him of..."

"William!" The voice barely reached him because the wind was wailing unbearably. No… it wasn't the wind… It was… Monsters. William knows them. He remembers. He doesn't want them here. Let them disappear. Go away. He feels himself screaming, though he cannot hear himself at all. Suddenly, someone grabs his hand. Irretrievably, he is once again surrounded only by thick, impenetrable darkness.


*(a Polish idiom for something impossible)