Chapter Sixteen
The silence was heavy, as if the very air had abandoned movement.
Saman sat in the heart of the shadows, his breath uneven, sweat dripping from his forehead drop by drop, as though fear itself were seeping out of him.
From the depth of the darkness, a coarse, deep voice emerged, carrying an unseen authority:
"Sit down, boy… let us talk. Time is not on your side."
Saman lifted his weary gaze toward the owner of the voice. Goblin.
A leader unlike any creature he had faced before. No roar, no threat—only a stillness that bred unease.
A murmur stirred within him, laden with obscure doubt:
He is far more of a riddle than the first goblin I encountered…
He moved slowly, as if placing his very soul on a gambling table, and chose to take the risk—to listen.
Goblin spoke with steady calm:
"A wise choice. And know this… you have only half an hour left."
Saman opened his mouth to object, but the voice cut him off at once:
"I know what you would say. Your punishment was meant to last more than two hours, but my intervention shortened the time. You think this is good news? Unfortunately… it is not."
A heavy gleam flashed in his eyes:
"Because my interference has made the Tower notice you even more."
The atmosphere shifted without warning, as if something had turned behind the trees. No explicit threat appeared, yet the very presence of Goblin made Saman feel as though the entire forest whispered his name.
He swallowed hard and asked, his voice trembling yet tinged with daring curiosity:
"Who are you really? And why did you kill your fellow goblin?"
Goblin answered in a low tone, as though speaking to deeper shadows:
"The Tower watches everything. You need not understand it now. Just remember: the floors ahead… show no mercy."
He paused, granting Saman a silence that felt like a brief gasp of air amid an earthquake.
Saman whispered again, as though driven by challenge:
"I won't ask about the Tower… but why does it watch me? What is your connection to it? And how can you even speak? Aren't creatures below the rank of leaders supposed to lack such awareness?"
Then, after a hesitant breath, he added:
"And that dark aura around you earlier… I felt it. It was like the one that surrounded another goblin I fought, only weaker."
A faint, mocking smile tugged at Goblin's lips:
"Too many questions at once, boy. And time slips away like water through the fingers. Let me answer you with a story… my story. Just listen."
Silence settled. Saman felt as if he had stepped into a circle with no exit—a moment that might redraw the course of his entire life.
---
Elsewhere in the world, laughter echoed within the crystalline walls of the Tower's scholars' café.
Beneath the light of floating lamps above wooden tables, Rashad let out a short laugh:
"We should visit that old dwarf."
Lila chuckled as she lifted her glittering glass cup:
"I miss him. I love the look on his face whenever I toy with his nerves."
By the window, Asia was gazing out at the bustling streets of the Tower City. Merchants hawked their goods through crystal orbs that spoke in dozens of voices.
"I suppose we'll be heading west, won't we?"
Lila nodded:
"Yes, and let's keep the children together."
Rashad said:
"Rojen can stay with Ayas at our home."
Asia added eagerly:
"And Selin has also returned from his journey outside the Tower."
Rashad's eyebrows rose:
"He's back? And didn't tell me? I'm his older brother!"
Asia laughed softly:
"He wanted to surprise you… you and Ayas."
Rashad's smile warmed:
"Ayas will be so happy."
But suddenly, Lila's expression shifted. She shut her eyes and whispered in a tone tinged with concern:
"Has he found any clue about Ayas's origin?"
The laughter shrank away. A heavy silence fell.
Asia replied gravely:
"We should speak outside… it's too crowded here."
Rashad gestured to the mechanical waiter—a metal figure with humanlike features, touched with elven grace.
"The bill, please."
A female-shaped automaton approached. On Rashad's screen appeared a notification: 20.5 Tower coins.
He placed his hand on the payment system; a blue light pulsed—transfer complete.
They stepped out of the café. A cool breeze greeted them, carrying the scent of herbs and enchanted shops, mingled with the cries of street vendors:
"Finest medicinal herbs!"
"Authentic magical tools from the upper floor!"
They passed a small shop on the corner. Its aged owner sat silently, advertising nothing, merely watching with quiet confidence.
For a fleeting moment, calm seeped into the chaos.
Lila spoke:
"So…?"
Asia answered, her voice low and uncertain:
"We've uncovered traces of Ayas's origin."
Rashad and Lila exchanged stunned glances.
Rashad muttered, his tone heavy with mystery:
"Then… tell us everything."
Asia hesitated, then said at last:
"But what we discovered may open doors far more complicated than we can imagine."
—End of Chapter Sixteen—
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