Sileil pointed to a row of neatly tied bags and pouches leaning against the wall behind the counter. "I've prepared provisions for your journey. These should easily last you several weeks. I’ve also packed some warmer clothing, since you never know where your path might lead you."

  Salome eyed the luggage skeptically. Was this really enough for several weeks? Surely so much food couldn't possibly fit into those bags. What exactly had Sileil packed? Nevertheless, she politely thanked her. The tall woman nodded and returned to her tasks behind the counter.

  There was nothing left to do but wait. For some reason, Kiran seemed insistent on departing at night, but that was still several hours away—if Salome's sense of time was accurate. In this city bathed in soft golden hues like an everlasting evening, it was difficult to tell.

  Since nothing better came to mind, she joined Van at the table in the front corner where two elders named Ronas and Lior, as usual, sat playing cards. Just the previous night, Salome had discovered what humorous fellows these two actually were, once you engaged them in conversation. She had learned not to be intimidated by their grim expressions, remnants of their unpleasant past.

  Both greeted her warmly and casually dealt her and Van into the game. It was a simple card game they had taught her during their long conversation yesterday. Players simply had to match pairs and get rid of their cards as quickly as possible, all while trying to slip unwanted cards to opponents. But no matter how hard Salome tried, she usually ended up stuck with cards, while Ronas and Lior fought fiercely for victory. Apparently, there were some hidden tricks she hadn’t yet learned, secrets the old pair guarded jealously.

  However, they hadn't foreseen Van. He easily won the first two rounds, his smug grin prompting Ronas and Lior to employ their most cunning strategies. Even then, they barely kept pace with him despite their best efforts.

  Salome, meanwhile, found herself essentially reduced to spectator status. Yet she still did her best to unravel the others’ clever moves, trying to foil the plans of the two old men or occasionally give Van a little edge, just to annoy Ronas and Lior. Although she always lost, she greatly enjoyed her new role, eventually becoming quite good at it. Soon the others had no choice but to include her in their strategies, a wild card that could alter the game's outcome. One time, she even won unexpectedly, and the disbelief etched on the others’ faces made her laugh until tears ran down her cheeks.

  She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much.

  The hours flew by as they played. Salome was so absorbed in her cards that she only noticed Kiran when he stood directly beside her.

  "It's time," he said, barely concealing his annoyance. "I hope you're ready?"

  Startled, Salome looked up at him. Ronas immediately laid down his cards, hiding them from view. With his rough voice, he said, "Ah, Kiran, good to see you! Care to join us for a round? We could certainly use your help!"

  "Sorry, but no thanks," Kiran replied impatiently. "These two and I have… important matters to attend to."

  Ronas nodded understandingly. "Very well, nothing we can do about that. My lady, it was an honor." Turning to Van, he added, "And to you, my special thanks. It's been a long time since I've had such a worthy opponent—apart from that old goat over there." He nodded toward Lior.

  "Worthy? Pfft," Van scoffed, standing up.

  "You little brat…" Lior muttered, flashing a wide grin that revealed his numerous missing teeth.

  Salome stood as well, unsure of what to say. She liked the old men and wanted to express her gratitude for the game. Unable to think of anything better, she simply smiled warmly at them.

  Suddenly, everyone at the table was staring at her, including Van and Kiran.

  "Um… is something wrong?" she asked, bewildered.

  Kiran slowly shook his head, and then, as if coming to his senses, cleared his throat. "No, everything's fine. Come on now, get your luggage. I'll wait outside by the door. Don't take too long!" He strode away, exchanging a glance with Sileil at the counter before leaving the room.

  "Whatever… Let's get going," Van murmured, following him.

  After a brief hesitation, Salome moved too, casting one last glance at the old men, who waved at her. Would she ever play with them again? Secretly, she hoped she would—and promised herself she'd be good enough to beat them next time.

  The small bags Sileil had provided came with leather straps, making them easy to sling over the shoulder. They were unexpectedly light. Salome adjusted the straps and looked around the quiet street. Besides their group, no one else was outside. Only Sileil stood in the doorway of the inn, arms folded, watching as they prepared their gear.

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  She would miss Sileil. Even though she'd only spent a few days here, she'd grown very fond of her. Sileil’s presence at the inn felt so natural, as if the place couldn't possibly exist without her. The calm elegance and composed grace she constantly radiated, combined with the genuine kindness and warmth she offered to everyone, had created in Salome a deep sense of familiarity. She felt comfortable, safe in her presence, and knew instinctively she could rely on Sileil. And her cooking skills! How much she would miss those meals!

  Salome stared at the ground, nervously wetting her lips with her tongue. She wanted to say goodbye, but what could she possibly say? Why was it always so difficult to find the right words at moments like this? She had never felt more at home anywhere than here. Everyone had welcomed her so warmly, treating her as if she had always belonged—as if she had never been a stranger at all. How could she ever put such a feeling into words?

  Suddenly, Sileil’s boots appeared in her line of vision, and as Salome raised her head, she found herself pulled into a warm embrace.

  After a while, she released her grip slightly, holding the breathless girl by the shoulders and leaned down to look into her eyes.

  "No matter where this journey takes you," she said softly but firmly, "remember one thing: the doors of my inn will always remain open to you. And someday we will meet again. I promise." With that, she straightened up and stepped toward Van, still half a head taller than he was—even excluding her horns. "And they’re open to you as well, provided you keep our little promise and never speak a single word about this place to anyone."

  Van offered her his most winning smile and bowed dramatically. "I stand by my word, my lady."

  Sileil eyed him sternly at first, then rolled her eyes and smiled gently before turning toward Kiran. "Kiran, I—"

  But the boy in the grey cloak abruptly turned his back on her and hurried down the street without uttering a single word. Sileil stretched a hand out toward him, then slowly let it drop again, sighing quietly.

  Van mumbled something with a disapproving look and started to go after Kiran, but Sileil gently held him back.

  "It's alright," she assured softly. "He doesn’t mean anything by it." She watched Kiran’s retreating figure and shook her head. "It’s always the same with him. When we see each other again, the first thing he’ll say will be yet another apology." She sighed once more and turned back toward the inn. "I know Master Lom has forbidden you from talking about this journey. If anyone asks where you’ve gone, I’ll come up with some plausible explanation. Now hurry up, catch up with Kiran. Don’t keep him waiting any longer." She leaned against the doorframe.

  Salome hesitated briefly, then nodded and hurried after Van toward Kiran. She threw a final glance over her shoulder and saw Sileil waving from afar.

  By the time they reached Kiran, he’d pulled up his hood and was staring fixedly ahead.

  "You really don't want to say goodbye?" Van asked, not looking at him.

  "Mind your own business," Kiran muttered curtly, turning sharply down a side street that led toward the city wall, aiming for one of the four enormous gates, each facing a different cardinal direction.

  They reached it after a short, silent march. The plain gate appeared to be made of the same material as the wall itself, but that hardly surprised Salome anymore. Everything in this city seemed crafted from the same strange stone.

  Compared to this gate, even the grand entrance to the castle looked like an insignificant back door. Salome couldn’t imagine how anyone could possibly move these massive slabs of stone. She wouldn't be surprised if a thousand or more men pushed with all their might and still couldn’t budge them an inch.

  As they approached, Kiran signaled to someone watching from high atop the battlements. A loud scraping noise echoed out—but it wasn’t the gigantic gates that opened. Instead, a much smaller door, perfectly concealed and seamless, appeared in the stone.

  Kiran stepped through without hesitation, with Salome and Van following closely behind. Salome took one last glance backward toward the city, toward the fairytale palace at its heart and the glowing pillar reaching far upward toward the cavernous ceiling. “Is it really alright not to say goodbye to master Lom?” she asked, her voice echoing. Also, she felt kind of bad to leave Sori without a word. Hopefully, she wouldn’t hold it against her.

  “You’ve received his request. There’s nothing more to say,” Kiran answered.

  Once on the other side of the wall, the heavy door slammed shut behind them with a thunderous boom, blending seamlessly back into the stone as if it had vanished completely.

  Here, in the shadow of the immense fortification, it was strangely cold, as if the sudden absence of the golden light had drained all warmth from Salome’s body. She shivered slightly.

  Kiran turned right and began following the wall. Van had stuffed his hands into his pockets and gave a long, bored yawn. "I’m curious where it’ll lead this time," he murmured.

  "What do you mean?" Salome asked.

  "When we came out of the forest, we had to descend an awfully long staircase that ended somewhere way up there," he explained, pointing toward the cliff opposite the gate. Salome squinted and thought she could just make out a narrow path climbing upward via several stone steps, though it disappeared into shadow.

  "Maybe there’s another way up," she mused aloud.

  "Who knows?" Van shrugged. "We'll find out soon enough."

  They marched alongside the wall for some time. It reminded Salome slightly of the day she and Van had walked along the base of the world pillar, searching for a hidden entrance to a place she'd then believed was a dream born from madness.

  She couldn’t help but smile at the memory.

  Eventually, Kiran veered away from the wall, heading straight toward the cavern wall enclosing all of Adamer. Sure enough, half-hidden by shadow, there was a round opening revealing a long tunnel that curved gently to the right, leading deep into the rock. Lanterns lined both sides at regular intervals, casting a dim, flickering twilight.

  "Once you enter this tunnel, there's no turning back. Are you ready?" Kiran asked quietly.

  "Absolutely," Van replied without hesitation, strolling cheerfully past him. Salome turned to take one final look at the gigantic, dark wall looming behind her. Apart from the glowing pillar, only the tips of the castles’ tallest towers peeked over its rim—the rest of the city was hidden entirely from view.

  "Let's go," she said softly, stepping into the tunnel. She didn't want to leave this place, not really, but a significant part of her couldn’t wait to finally see the endless, wide-open sky again.