Arlhen was lying on his bed while a bored look covered his face, his eyes never left the strange black book he held with outstretched hands.

«What the hell is wrong?»

Immersed in his thoughts, an infinity of questions invaded the conscience of young Bareare.

Just after Orsted's retreat and the talk with his parents, he headed for his room with an enthusiastic ideal of revealing all the secrets hidden in that article. But the reality was implacable with his blows, leaving him stunned at the precise moment he looked at the blank pages.

No matter how many times I flipped through the pages of the book, they would never show the content that appeared during their conversation with the merchant. The vast amounts of information about the kingdom and the states that seemed to have been at hand, now looked as distant as heaven and earth.

Of course, Arlhen was not a person who would admit defeat only for this little unforeseen event. He started running around various places in his house like a small child, soon several articles brought from different places piled up in his arms.

Being a guy who trained his mind diligently, it was not surprising that he knew about different methods to hide the scriptures. Therefore, even if he lacked experience in that field, he was still aware of ways to reveal hidden scriptures.

Although the boy's actions showed an amazing obstinate spirit, this was not really as much as it appeared to the naked eye. Arlhen was someone who could be considered stubborn, but never up to that point. Actually, many levels ahead of his persevering spirit, was his pettiness.

He would never hesitate to exchange money for the health of his near ones, but spending coins to buy any item was a completely different matter. Thirty silver coins was already a very large amount for a young man of his condition, so Arlhen was not willing to think he had wasted his last savings.

However, after repeated efforts, he realized that no method was effective, taking it to its current state. Lying on his bed and looking at the book in his hands.

«Could it be that he was really cheated? No ... that man did not look like someone who was acting ... It can not be! Perhaps that was also part of his performance? ... It's no use thinking about this right now. Maybe the ingredients I have are not powerful enough to reveal that writing. Whatever it is, this theory is useless if I do not have money. "

Once he decided there was nothing he could do, Arlhen put the book under his clothes and got out of bed with the intention of going around to clear the doubts in his mind ...

Due to the festival that took place in the city square, the areas furthest from it were with a tiny presence of people. So it was not strange that some streets were silent.

Arlhen was heading to a fairly remote area-specifically to the borders. It was not that he had a particular fondness for faraway places, but that he had a special attachment for a certain area within the city.

It was a small space that separated the western entrance of Athame and the forest from the fireflies. This was a place he frequented Thea on as many occasions as they were allowed to, so he was not only full of beautiful memories of his childhood but of his whole life. What better environment to relax his mind?

When Arlhen reached the vicinity of his destination, he could not help but frown with some discomfort inside his eyes. He had already traveled a great distance, but not even a single person would have crossed him on the way. Even if the city was in a fuss over the festivities in the square, the number of passers-by could never be reduced to such a point.

Definitely something was wrong.

The boy's steps began to get shorter and shorter at the same time that his speed was reduced. Just then, a foul but warm scent hit his senses, surprising him by the uneven change in the environment.

Arlhen let himself be carried away by his senses and went to the narrow alleys on the side of the road, curious about what caused this strange atmosphere.

As soon as he arrived, as if the skies themselves guided him, the moonlight cleared the shadows that hid the silhouettes on the ground. The first thing that his eyes caught made his complexion dramatically pale, his lips took off against his will and with a dazed expression collapsed on his backside.

Humans. No, corpses.

Like a crypt, countless bodies lay scattered along the alley, each with a death more horrifying than the last. From visors and intestines spilled on the ground to organs and brains turned into pulps, in addition to some pieces of meat that were still stuck on the walls.

-What ... is ...? As soon as Arlhen used his hands for support, he shuddered to feel as if he had touched something that was not precisely the ground. When he turned his gaze to that place, he noticed how he held a mutilated arm, while beside it was the remains of a head whose disfigured face was unrecognizable.

In the next instant, the sound of a person vomiting and the liquid beating against the floor became audible. Arlhen felt that it was impossible for him to control his own stomach after seeing such a scene, so he got up as fast as he could and started running back the way he had come.

Due to the terrible impact he had suffered, his irritated eyes made his vision difficult, preventing him from noticing the figure hidden in the roof of one of the surrounding homes. Preventing distinguishing the true creator of the show, who looked at him with a playful smile.

- So you're Arlhen? Go you turned out to be a coward ... At least I hope this rat can have fun.