The Scepter of Arándelis and The Lost Kingdom

3. The hideout

Darkness.

That was all he could see around him. He looked left and right, but there was nothing. He lowered his gaze, trying to see what he was standing on. It seemed as though he was walking on the surface of a calm sea. However, he could not see his reflection or what lay beneath. A chill ran through his body, and, frightened, he hugged himself. He didn't understand anything. Anxiety began to creep in when a voice echoed through the gloom.

"Alsan..."

The voice pierced the darkness, and Alsan lifted his head, searching for its origin.

"Ariadna...?" he whispered, his voice trembling with a glimmer of hope.

"Alsan..." the voice repeated, but it wasn't her.

Still, he recognised it. It was the same voice he had heard at the orphanage. A lump formed in his throat.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"Alsan, find me..."

"Find you? Where? Tell me who you are! Give me a clue, please!"

"The light will guide you..." the voice whispered, growing more distant.

"What light?" he asked in anguish.

Confused, he looked at his chest. A faint glow shone through his shirt. He pulled the neckline away and saw that the source of the glow was the stone in his necklace. He took it in his trembling hands and observed the light. The gem had several cracks, the worst one running from end to end.

"This... will guide me?" he muttered, incredulous.

"Follow its ligh—" The female voice tried to say, but it abruptly cut off.

At the same time, the light from the stone went out.

"No...! Wait! I don't understand anything! I need to know more... I need to know who you are. Please! Come back!"

Suddenly, the water beneath his feet began to stir. The strange force that had kept him afloat vanished without warning, and the waters swallowed him whole.

"Hel—!"

With a start, Alsan woke up, gasping, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. Sweat covered his forehead, and his whole body trembled. A headache struck him immediately, followed by pain in his chest and a slight dizziness that forced him to lie back down. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself, to understand what had just happened. He took a deep breath, attempting to steady his breathing. The dizziness began to subside, and, more carefully this time, he slowly sat up on the edge of the bed. He looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

The room was bathed in dim light, only faintly illuminated by what little light slipped through the closed curtains. With a sudden movement, Alsan yanked them open, letting the daylight flood the room. He blinked, dazzled, as the brightness revealed every detail of the place.

First, he looked at his own body. He had several patches of leaves stuck to his skin, covered with some sort of ointment and secured with bandages wrapped around him. After examining himself, his eyes scanned the room. Astonishment reflected on his face as he realised that he was in no ordinary room. Although everything was made of wood—the walls, the floor, even the furniture—that wasn't the surprising part. The remarkable thing was how everything seemed to merge with the structure of the house, as if it had grown directly from a tree trunk itself. The bed was made of intertwined branches that embraced each other. The wardrobe was completely built in, with shelves that sprouted from the sides. Everything had a natural, vegetal, and rustic appearance. He loved it.