Salome entered a courtyard.

  The sky above her was deep and clear, without a trace of white. How strange, especially since only moments ago, massive towers of clouds had blocked out the sunlight. Moreover, as Salome immediately noticed, no wind played with the ankle?high grass. In fact, it was quiet—not unnaturally silent like in the great hall, but simply pleasantly still.

  The inner walls of the courtyard were like stone horizons that framed the sky and imposed limits upon it. It was as if one were staring through a window into endless blue, as though someone had cut out a piece of the sky and set it as the palace’s roof.

  On the other side of the courtyard, hundreds of thick tree roots dug into the earth, supporting the mighty trunk of an oak that leaned against the wall like a feeble old man. Long branches forced their way through openings and windows into the interior of the building.

  Mesmerized, Salome walked toward the old tree. Her panic had vanished with the touch of the golden light, as if it had never existed. Whatever was happening to her in the hall no longer mattered in this moment.

  A feeling of security settled over her like a veil. Her thoughts flowed slowly. She placed one foot in front of the other, even though she felt as if she were standing still. There was only this majestic oak that invited her, awaited her, showed her the way—

  "Who are you?"

  A voice pulled Salome out of her trance. She looked toward the source of the words. The light was so bright that she could barely make out anything in the shadows at the base of the inner wall to her left. But when she squinted and stared hard into the darkness, she made out the silhouette of a person leaning against the wall with crossed arms. The figure wore a hood that concealed the face except for the mouth.

  "Who’s there?" she asked as she slowly stepped back from the mysterious tree. Strangely, she felt neither alarmed nor uncertain about the stranger in the shadow.

  "This place is supposed to be protected. How did you get in here?" asked the man, without responding to her words.

  Salome ran a hand through her hair. For some reason, she found it difficult to think clearly.

  "It seems to me that you entered this place unintentionally. That explains some things, but it also raises new questions." The man in the shadows stroked his chin thoughtfully. "What is your name?"

  Salome stared at him. His words echoed within her, yet the answer to his question slipped away, as if she were trying to grasp a leaf floating in a stream. She watched as the stranger straightened up in the shadows and said something in a firm voice that sounded like a command. But she couldn’t understand him—she heard nothing, saw nothing, couldn’t think…

  The cool air in the great entrance hall filled her lungs. Dim light enveloped her, and a faint breeze played with her hair. Disoriented, Salome stared at the mosaic on the floor. Then it dawned on her where she was, and she looked around in alarm.

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  “Don’t worry, you are safe,” said a voice. Salome spun around and saw the stranger sitting casually on the lowest step of the staircase. This time, she could see his face. Attentive, piercing green eyes gazed amusedly from an angular, youthful face—high cheekbones, thin lips, and a slightly crooked nose. His hair was ashen gray.

  “Could you tell me your name now?” His words carried a restrained impatience.

  “S—Salome,” she answered, stuttering.

  “Good!” the stranger exclaimed. “There you go. Then you can surely explain to me how you found this place.” He made it sound like a question, even though it came off more like a command.

  “Well… I actually found this ruin by accident…”

  “You mean, you were just wandering through no man’s land and happened to stumble upon this place? And then you casually opened the way into the courtyard?” He looked at her as if he could hardly believe her.

  “But the gate was open! And something attacked me! What else was I supposed to do?” Salome shuddered at the thought of the strange presence she had felt.

  “Those were Echoeaters. A lot of them are hiding in this ruin, apparently. As well as something else…” the stranger said before he looked at her sharply. “Are you sure the gate was open? Absolutely sure?”

  Salome’s mind swirled with questions. So much was going on, so many unexplainable things happened one after the other. If she didn’t get some answers to satisfy her curiosity soon, she was going to burst.

  “What exactly are Echoeaters?” she blurted out. “What do they look like? Where are they now? Did they really eat my echo? How is that even possible? And what kind of courtyard is this? Why couldn’t I think clearly once I was inside? What’s wrong with this ruin? And who are you, anyway? Did you sing earlier? What’s up with our hair? That tree had a door in its trunk, right? Where does it lead?”

  The stranger raised a hand and interrupted her. “Stop! Stop! Now, calm down first.” He sighed. “I understand that you have many questions, but one thing at a time.”

  Salome abruptly shut up and raised her hands before her mouth. She felt her cheeks burn up. By the pillars, she did it again!

  Weirdly enough, the stranger didn`t seem to mind her outburst. “My name is Kiran. I’m here on behalf of my master to find someone. And I believe I have just found that person.”

  With a soft creak, he stood from the step and brushed the dust from his clothes, a heavy coat whose collar reached his chin. His boots looked well-worn. Crossed over his hip above the coat hung two broad belts with small pouches attached. On his chest was a faded embroidery that vaguely resembled the symbol on the floor of the entrance hall. His clothes were sturdy and well suited for long journeys. He pulled back his hood and reached for a shoulder bag that lay at his feet. It was patched up in some places and bulged with its contents. Salome thought she could make out the outlines of books.

  “My task is to bring you to my master as quickly as possible. Would you be so kind as to follow me?” he said with a slightly mocking tone.

  Salome wanted to ask him many more questions, but she felt as if she had forgotten something.

  Right. Van.

  “Wait,” she said hastily to Kiran, who was already about to leave. “I didn’t come here alone. There should be someone else here—a boy.”

  Kiran’s eyes narrowed. “If that is true, then we should find him as quickly as possible. I hope it’s not too late.”

  He turned around and hurried up the staircase to the gallery. Salome was surprised by the urgency in his voice. Too late for what? She glanced over her shoulder. Gentle light flowed through the now-closed gate, but it no longer had the golden glow she remembered.

  “Are you coming, or are you taking roots down there?” called Kiran from the top of the stairs.

  Salome shook her head, trying to shake off the sight of the gate, and hurried after him. Hopefully, Van was alright.