As Rio distanced himself from Valentina, he felt a heavy weight lift from his chest. He didn't know why, but it seemed as though a razor-sharp danger had just grazed past him. Yet, anxiety coiled around his heart like a cold serpent. He had to escape this cursed castle. Valentina, with her icy eyes and threatening questions, would sooner or later grow suspicious of him again—Rio felt this with every fiber of his being. With quick trembling steps, he reached the castle's main hall. The cracked stone walls illuminated by the dancing shadows of torchlight, seemed to watch him, and the smell of decay and ash hung in the air like a silent plague.
Ayhan was sitting by the fireplace, the orange flames casting light on his face. He held a sleek black sword, polishing its blade with slow, meticulous strokes using a white cloth. His silence was like a deep, calm lake in stark contrast to the chaos raging inside Rio. The light of the sword gleamed with each movement, like a cold star shining in the dark hall. Rio hesitated for a moment, reluctant to disturb Ayhan's calm, but his anxiety burned like a fire within him. He had to find Nadia. With a voice trembling from frustration, he said,
"Ayhan where's my sister?"
Ayhan only now noticing his presence, lifted his head and looked at him with surprised eyes.
"She hasn't come back from the spring yet."
Rio nodded but his anxiety wouldn't settle for even a moment. With a voice full of urgency, he asked,
"Then how are you here?"
Ayhan calmly sheathed his sword and said in an indifferent tone,
"Even though the spring was nice and warm, the air was too cold. I'm not too fond of the cold."
Rio now more frustrated than ever, began pacing in circles. Meaningless whispers spilled from his lips like a mad incantation. His anxiety surged within him like a wild wave, turning into a strange obsession he couldn't control. It was as if his mind was fracturing with every thought. His odd behavior—endless pacing and muttering—caught Ayhan's attention.
"Are you okay?"
The question was like a spark igniting the powder keg of Rio's mind. His anger, hidden beneath layers of fear until that moment, suddenly flared. He dragged his hand across his face, as if trying to tear this nightmare from his skin. With a loud, furious shout he yelled,
"Am I okay? A few days ago a man I don't even know tried to kill me! Because of him thousands were slaughtered! I'm trapped in this wretched place, I've lost one damn hand, and I still don't know if my father, my sister, or Elian are alive!"
In his rage, like a child with no control, he kicked a wooden chair beside him. The chair crashed to the ground with a hollow thud, and Rio shouted again,
"Am I okay? Yeah, I couldn't be better!"
Ayhan rose slowly, raising his hands as if trying to calm a wild beast.
"Hey, hey, calm down. Everything will be alright."
Those words were like fuel on the fire of Rio's anger. His eyes widened with fury and disbelief, and with a scream that shook the stone walls, he said,
"Don't tell me everything will be alright! How can you be so calm, as if nothing's happened? Your father might be dead too!"
Ayhan let out a deep sigh. For a moment, worry flashed in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself. He glanced around, as if searching for the right words.
"You're right. But based on the evidence, I believe my father is still alive."
Rio shocked by this response, raised his voice even louder.
"Evidence? Have you lost your mind? Didn't you see what kind of power that man had? Your father could be dead, and you're talking about evidence?"
Ayhan without hesitation said firmly,
"I'm just stating what I saw. That man was clearly after you. Even when Elian fought him, he tried to get past his defenses to reach you. He avoided killing without purpose."
Rio froze for a moment, as if struck. His eyes widened with shock and anger, and with a trembling, quiet voice, he whispered,
"Unbelievable. All I can say is, unbelievable."
His anger like an unquenched storm, still raged. With heavy steps, he stormed out of the hall, just as Valentina entered with a surprised expression.
He passed by her without even glancing at her icy eyes. Valentina looked at Ayhan and asked,
"What happened?"
Ayhan sat back down, ran a hand over his neck, and said in a sarcastic tone,
"I guess being an only child means I know nothing about dealing with kids."
Meanwhile Rio hurried up the castle's stone stairs. Each step seemed to deepen his anger. He reached his room and slammed the door with such force that the hinges groaned. He thrust his hand into his hair, as if trying to rip the chaotic thoughts from his mind. He kicked at everything around him—the wall, the bed, anything in his path. His anger, like a freed monster, had taken control of him. In a voice only he could hear, he muttered,
"Damn it! They're all insane. The people of this world are all savages and lunatics."
Suddenly, a soft familiar laugh, cold as a dagger echoed in the room. Rio froze. He swallowed hard, his heart pounding with fear. He knew whose laugh that was. With trembling steps, he approached the small, cracked mirror in the corner of the room. He wiped the dust from the glass with his hand, and as expected, Chris was there. His face with that mocking smile and dark eyes that seemed to pierce into Rio's soul, gleamed in the mirror. In a tone dripping with sarcasm he said,
"Does that mean your family is among these savages too?"
Rio clenched his teeth, anger and fear warring within him. With a growling voice, he said,
"Shut up!"
Chris unfazed by his anger, continued in the same mocking tone,
"Rio, Rio, Rio. Look around you. Why won't you accept it?"
Rio his breaths now rapid and ragged, said in a broken voice,
"What are you talking about?"
Chris grinned as if relishing his confusion.
"This world isn't what you expected. It was all a trap. I'm sure you've realized by now that man was after you because of X."
Rio lowered his head, clenching his fist, and whispered hesitantly,
"Maybe… maybe it's because I'm an ice dragon? I still don't know!"
Chris shook his head in mock pity.
"Even if that's the case, it's still because of X."
Moments later, Chris's smile grew deeper and more menacing. Suddenly, he pressed his face against the mirror, as if trying to break through. His eyes gleamed like two dark pits, and with a voice that seemed to come from another world, he growled,
"Accept it silver buny. We're trapped. Badly trapped!"
His voice rang like a death knell in the room. The mirror trembled, as if terrified by Chris's presence. Rio, with wide eyes and a body paralyzed by fear, stumbled back. His breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, he felt the stone walls of the room closing in, like a prison ready to swallow him. Chris with that sinister smile, stared from the mirror, as if waiting for Rio to surrender—to a truth he wasn't brave enough to face.