Salome knew she was dreaming.

  She wandered aimlessly through the darkness, unable to tell where she was or where she was headed. Only endless blackness surrounded her—a darkness that oozed over the ground like tar, enveloped her like thick cotton, and swallowed every sound until even her own breath was lost. Yet she felt strangely calm. It wasn’t fear that moved her to place one foot in front of the other, but rather a pure, childlike curiosity. What lay ahead of her? What was hidden in that bottomless void?

  In the distance, the nothingness gave birth to a spark, a source of dim light. With every step she took, that light grew brighter—a glimmer in the darkness, the only sign in an endless emptiness.

  Blue light.

  The closer she got, the more convinced Salome became that she could discern the silhouette of a tall man waiting for her amid the radiance.

  Then she heard soft giggling. It came from no discernible direction, echoing through the dark without a clear source. Salome longed to reach the light, yet that giggling distracted her, causing her to pause and listen. And then she sank into the darkness, was swallowed by the ground, and began to fall…

  She opened her eyes.

  An unfamiliar ceiling. Dark brown wooden beams.

  Where was she? Every part of her ached, as if she had been running for hours. She lay in a bed, lavishly adorned with fresh white sheets and a thick, warm woolen blanket, her head resting in a pillow that felt like a cloud.

  She looked around the room in amazement. It was filled with a comforting warmth, the air was fresh and carried the scent of wooden furniture. In addition to Salome’s bed were three others, all neat and unoccupied. A weak light filtered through some windows, veiled by thin curtains, bathing the room in a pleasant, subdued glow. Everything was clean and orderly, much like the well-kept guest room of an excellent inn.

  A soft giggling made Salome listen. Could it be a fragment of her dream that persistently followed her into reality? Or—There! There it was again! With a startled gasp, she sat upright in bed, every muscle in her body protesting, and looked around suspiciously.

  No one was there. But she could once more hear someone giggling—not far away… She turned her head and peered down beside her bed. There, a little girl sat, peeking at her with large, innocent eyes. The child giggled again, then sprang to her feet and scurried across the room.

  “She’s awake! She’s awake!” the little one cried in an excited, high-pitched voice as she slipped through the half-open door at the other end of the room.

  Salome watched her in astonishment. There was something on the girl’s forehead—it resembled a large bump, almost like a tiny horn. She wanted to follow her, but as she moved her legs beneath the blanket, a sharp pain shot through her ankle.

  Suddenly, a flood of images and sensations rushed through her mind, and she remembered everything that had happened. Van! And Kiran! Where were they both? Had she chosen the right path in the end? What had happened in the forest after she passed through that blue light?

  She tossed the blanket aside and prepared to swing her legs off the bed when she noticed that her injured ankle had been neatly bandaged. Frowning, she looked down at herself. Her clothing was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she was clad in a simple white garment, much like the one the little girl had worn.

  Uneasily, she slid off the edge of the bed and found a pair of soft slippers waiting on the floor. After a brief hesitation, she put them on, carefully using her hands to assist her injured foot. Then she slowly stood up. Her ankle still throbbed, but it wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. Testing her balance, she shifted her weight and was pleased to discover she could walk. She tried standing on her injured leg, only to be rewarded by a sudden wave of burning pinpricks. Bad idea then.

  Taking a deep breath, she hobbled over to one of the windows on the opposite wall. She pulled the curtain aside—only to be met with the sight of the stone facade of a multi-story row house. It was run-down, as if neglected for years, yet still entirely intact. On either side, more houses abutted seamlessly, forming a long alley that filled her entire field of vision. She must have been on the first or second floor of a similar building, for far below her, a paved road ran straight between the houses. Distressed, she withdrew from the window. Where was she?

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  The sound of footsteps echoed from outside the room. Someone clattered up the stairs in heavy boots. Alarmed, Salome backed away, pressed her back against the wall, and braced herself.

  The door was suddenly flung open and Van burst into the room, his coat fluttering and an expression of concern on his face. “Salome! Thank the pillars you’re alright,” he exclaimed with relief upon seeing her. “I thought you’d never wake up!”

  “Van?” Salome asked, confused. “What’s going on? Where are we?”

  “Don’t worry, everything’s fine,” the boy said with a grin. “We are—”

  From outside came a bright voice calling for Van, accompanied by the sound of quick steps. In the next moment, someone else burst into the room, much like Van.

  “Van! Now wait a minute! How many times do I have to tell you to keep it down—oh.”

  A girl had appeared behind Van, not much older than Salome, wrapped in an unusual gray coat with a high collar that seemed oddly familiar. She was quite small, with chestnut shoulder-length hair that framed her round face, and large, gray-green eyes that looked at Salome in surprise.

  “You’re up again already!” she said, hurrying over to Salome. “How are you feeling? Anything strange? Are you nauseous?” She moved in close, scrutinizing Salome from head to toe, even bending down to check her bandages. “How is your leg? Does it hurt?”

  “It… it’s okay…” Salome replied, taken aback by the girl’s rapid-fire questions. “Van? Who is that?”

  “Oh,” the girl said, then sprang up. “Of course, where are my manners? I’m Alin. Pleased to finally meet you!” Without waiting for Salome’s response, she crouched down again to further examine the bandage.

  Van sighed. “She’s been watching over you the entire time since we got here.” He sat down on one of the beds, carefully ensuring he didn’t disturb the blankets.

  “You’ve slept for three whole days. I was really worried, you know? Kiran said it was due to the effects of the labyrinth.”

  Three days? And all because she’d injured her ankle? That was absurd. Such a minor mishap shouldn’t have sidelined her for three full days! Salome allowed Alin to help her back to her bed, so she could sit.

  “Where’s Kiran? Is he here too?” she asked.

  “I haven’t the slightest idea!” Van shouted, throwing his hands in the air. “That damn blockhead led us here and then vanished without a trace. As far as I’m concerned, he can crawl into a hole and stay there for all eternity!” He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. “I had to carry you all the way here. You’re quite heavy, you know?”

  Salome’s eyelid twitched at the remark, but she kept her face expressionless. No way she was that heavy.

  Alin giggled slyly.

  “And just where exactly are we?” Salome asked again.

  “You won’t believe it,” Van said excitedly, “but there really was—”

  “Enough now, Van,” Alin interrupted firmly. “Salome has just woken up! Let her catch her breath. Can’t you see she’s still trembling? She needs to rest.” Turning to Salome apologetically, she added, “I’m sorry, but that’s just how it is. Be patient and rest for now. Your body has been through a lot, and it will take some time for you to return to normal. Then you’ll have plenty of time to ask questions, trust me.” She gave her a warm smile.

  Van shrugged. “All right, whatever you say,” he conceded. “I think it’s better if she sees it for herself anyway.” A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he winked at Salome.

  Before she could utter another word, he leaped up and dashed for the door. “Well then, I’ll leave you to your rest if you need it so badly,” he said, feigning disappointment as he slipped out of the room.

  Alin shook her head. “What a troublemaker,” she remarked, stepping over to the small chest next to the bed. “Look, here are your things. We’ve washed and mended everything that needed it. Later, I’ll change your bandage once more, and then you can put on your own clothes again.” Busily, she shook the pillow out and smoothed the sheet.

  “Was the girl from earlier…” Salome began, “injured?”

  Alin paused. “Oh, you mean Nuria? Don’t worry, she’s fine. We’ll explain everything to you later, but for now, lie down a bit longer.” She plucked a feather from her sleeve that had come loose from the pillow and walked to the door. “Make yourself at home!” she said with a mysterious smile before stepping out into the corridor. The door closed behind her with a soft click, once again cocooning Salome in the comforting calm of the warm room.

  What was that about? The girl treated her so familiarly, even though they had just met. Where had she ended up… And how was she supposed to rest now after three days of sleep? Besides, she had many questions, and her curiosity wasn’t going to vanish on its own. What exactly had Van been talking about earlier?

  How strange… Her curiosity had always brought her nothing but unpleasant consequences. It was always the same. At school, at home… so she had learned to hold back and try to ask as few questions as possible. But lately, she noticed that the feeling was taking hold of her again, that it was increasingly getting harder to ignore it.

  Lost in thought, she leaned back. It wasn’t long before a leaden weariness settled over her, almost pressing her eyelids shut.