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There was a woman and there was a tower.

The woman walked slowly through the gardens, sweeping the ground behind her with the long train of a red silk dress. A procession of followers accompanied her, cheerfully discussing how abundant the wheat harvesting had been that season, or how beautifully the tulips had flowered. But the woman wasn’t happy for the abundance of the farmers, or surprised by the tulips beauty. The woman never talked with those that followed her and that was why, in spite of being always accompanied, she was always alone.

Silently, she moved between the ponds riddled with water lilies, like a tormented soul, towards her tower. Her face, lost beyond the walls of the castle, showed no emotion. Once she arrived to her chamber she would lie in her large mattress, draw the curtains of her canopy and then cry the tears that no one but her had the right to see. That tower was her prison, but also her shelter; she would never get out of there, but hopefully it would prevent someone from coming in…

There was a man and there was a mirror.

The man lived with his back turned to the world he had burned to ashes, immersed in his eternal studies of maps and battlefields. Surrounded only but those who saw what he saw, he got overexcited when, during the long nights by the light of the fire place, the shadows danced and the wine took by chance the color of the blood he could never wash from his hands. Then he laughed, and laughed, and laughed. In his laughter, the most impatient ones believed they could hear a silent cry for help that would never be answered. And they were delighted by it.

The mirror was broken and it would never show what it had to. Each night, when the man was sure that no one, not even those that craved watching him lose his mind, was present, he screamed for hours trying to get the right reflection. The mirror trembled and its glass cracked, but it never broke completely or showed what the man wanted. Thus, the nights went by and it happened the man completely forgot what image he was waiting to say so desperately.

There was a girl and there was a smile.

And it was a strange smile; absurdly happy and innocent, so joyful that it was scary. And the most terrifying thing was always, always what came after…

Ike opened his eyes shivering violently and in cold sweat. He didn’t want to see the woman’s tears, or hear the echoes of that man’s screams against the mirror. But, above all, he didn’t want to know what that smile hid…

An icy breeze caressed his face and made him shiver. Only then he understood, with some relief, that it had just been a nightmare.

The night had fallen upon the fehlar unexpectedly, so they had been forced to establish their camp in the first place they had found. More than a hundred of fehlar had lain directly in the dusty ground of Plumbland. It was a vast area covered with dry grass and shrubs that looked brittle, and it stretched as far as the eye could see, offering few refuges. The wind that Ike had welcomed before was unpleasant now and caused shivers in those who were trying to sleep under the open sky.

Generally, fehlar weren’t as used to low temperatures as kane. If they had been there, they would have probably tolerated the cold better and would have managed to sleep quickly. However, the big group of kane had separated from them a few hours before, walking in the opposite direction, towards the lands of the kane in the east. Probably, they wouldn’t find any shelter there either, but all seemed to agree that trying was better than nothing.

Koi, who was barely a few meters from Ike, moved in his sleep, clearing the lion’s mind of those thoughts. The little husky had fallen asleep hugging Zèon, almost as if he was afraid that he would disappear in the middle of the night. Ike, in spite of feeling still a bit uneasy about his dream, couldn’t help but smile when he perceived all the affection that simple gesture implied. Shiba had forbidden him to do the same and he couldn’t help but feel envious of the husky. He missed sleeping with Zèon.

He missed Zèon, in general.

There was so much he wanted to do with him that the possibility that the arctic fox never regained consciousness filled him with terror. After all, they hadn’t been able to make the most of his time in the Box, and Ike couldn’t help but feel that this evening they had dared to defy Sophia together might as well be the last one. <<This is silly>> he told himself <<It’s just been a few hours and I already feel like it had been days. I’m really stupid>>.

However, as much as he would like to save Zèon… he wasn’t still completely sure that he was willing to do what Sophia was asking him to do. That evil woman knew perfectly how to play with them, and she had proved it once again. The lion would have regretted having lost the opportunity to finish her when he could… if only he hadn’t known that the only hope to bring Zèon back depended on her.

He shook his head, trying to wake him up a bit, and then he realized there was someone watching him.

-So you had something in mind, huh? –Shiba said, with a husky voice. She was standing up against one of the bushes nearby, with her arms crossed and her ringed tail drawing wide arcs behind her. Her eyes seemed to shine in the middle of the night.

Ike sat up, ignoring the tigress’ sarcastic tone, and let out a sigh as he held his head with his hands. He stood like that for a few minutes and didn’t need to look in order to know that she was still in the same position, with those star-studded eyes fixed on him. He knew her too well and he knew she wouldn’t give up until he gave her an answer.

-I had to tell you something so you let me bring them –he murmured, finally. It was a horrible answer, he told himself, but it was better than nothing.

-That’s not true –the tigress growled, dryly -. And you know it.

Ike clenched his fists, irritated.

-What’s the truth then, Shiba? Tell me.

-What are you going to do when you come back to the palace, Ike? –the tigress asked him, in response. She was talking in a lower tone now, even though she had probably made sure that there was no one watching them.

-You know what I’m going to do. I’ll take care of Zèon and I’ll protect him from my father. And Koi too.

-You mean you’ll ask me to protect them –Shiba sighed, shaking her head -. Anyway, that’s not what I mean.

-I know –the lion murmured, closing his eyes with tiredness -. I know.

He didn’t say anything else for a long while. Far away, he could still hear the paused and soft snores of the fehlar that had managed to fall asleep, and the whispers of those who hadn’t been that lucky. In spite of having decided to sleep in one of the most discrete areas, he was still very close to the rest of the group. Ike could feel, almost like a mantle on his shoulders, how everybody was dependent on him.

-They’re… my family –he whispered finally, in a thin voice, after a few seconds.

-I know –the tigress replied, gently -, but that doesn’t mean that you have to forgive them everything.

Ike didn’t answer.

-Sleep –the tigress then recommended him, with a sigh -. Maybe tomorrow you can think of something.

The lion shook his head. He doubted things were so easy, but didn’t say anything. He simply lay again in the bare ground and closed his eyes, shivering almost imperceptibly. After a few seconds, he heard the tigress walk away a few steps, leaving him alone. It didn’t matter, really.

He knew he could forget Shiba’s words if he really tried, do as if that conversation had never happened. After all, it wasn’t the first time he had to do something like that, although it had been a long time since the last.

Yes, he told himself after a few instants; he preferred forgetting. Forgetting was easy.

They walked without stop during the next day.

Some fehlar in the group, who believed that guiding them back home was the duty of the crown prince, suggested that Ike walked in front of the procession. The lion kindly refused to do it at first, but around midday there had been so many people asking him to lead the way that he finally gave up and decided to do ‘his job’. Shiba, walking by his side, couldn’t help but smile when he let out a tired sigh.

-I don’t understand why so many people insist on subordinating themselves to me just because I’m his son –the lion explained, with a worried face.

-Well, I guess most people feel the need to be subordinated to someone –the tigress answered, tilting his head -. They just need someone to guide them. We’re home, but they still don’t know what will happen now.

-Yeah. I can imagine that –Ike murmured, shaking his head -. But I still feel uncomfortable. –Shiba gave him a new curious look -. You know I don’t like being treated like that.

But that wasn’t the only reason why he had refused to walk in front of the group so many times. He was still holding Zèon in his arms, and the fact that all the fehlar were witnessing how he carried the arctic fox made him feel unsure. He knew some of them were already wondering why he still worried about that kane and he felt that it was just a matter of time before one of them dared to ask him the reasons why he was ‘carrying an enemy’.

Koi, however, was taking it easy. In spite of being the only kane in the group, he didn’t seem to feel out of place and had even started to play with some fehlar younger than him. Now, with his new group of friends, he laughed, hid and ran through the bushes of Plumbland. Ike gave them a longing look and couldn’t help but feel a warm admiration inside him. <<That’s how it should be>> he thought, with a little sadness in his heart <<That’s how everyone should see it>>.

They made a little pause for eating, since most of them hadn’t been able to eat the day before. The only thing they had was, unfortunately, the horrible purée of earthy flavor that they had been eating during his stay in the Box. Everyone received a ration and the group ate silently, only swallowing the disgusting paste because they knew they would finally eat some real food as soon as they got home.

Koi and his friends soon sat down next to Ike, Shiba and Zèon, still unconscious, talking animatedly about the best places to hide they had found in their way. Ike listened to them with a smile in his lips as he ate. He wasn’t hungry and the food wasn’t helping either. Besides, he was the only one there who really knew the effect of that food, since Zèon had told him, even though he hadn’t understood him at the time. However, he had to eat. He hadn’t eaten anything the previous day and he didn’t want to be without strength when they arrived to the palace.

He gave the arctic fox a worried look and wondered if, in spite of being unconscious, he would need to eat to keep himself alive. He shuddered at the thought of losing him again and decided he would also ask Sophia about that.

Then, one of the young fehlar friends of Koi interrupted his thoughts:

-Your Highness –a little black cat started, wringing his paws -. I… I wanted to know if… -He seemed to be a bit nervous and Ike guessed he felt rather intimidated to be talking with the crown prince. He contained a sigh.

-Tell me what you want to know, don’t be afraid –the lion encouraged him, giving the black cat a gentle smile to reassure him.

-It’s just that we don’t understand why you are carrying this boy in your arms –other boy intervened, a little tiger with white fur.

-Yeah, that’s it! –the one who had talked first exclaimed -. You are the prince, why is he not carrying you in his arms?

<<Oh, well>> Ike thought, surprised <<They are not puzzled because he is a kane, but because I am the prince>>.

-Well, this kane here helped us all get out of the Box, you know? –the lion replied, turning to all the little fehlar -. Had it not been for him, we would still be in there. But, trying to get us out of that prison, he fell ill –he continued -. Now he is really ill. And I think that the least we fehlar can do for him is help him to get better again, don’t you think?

-Oh, he’s a hero then! –one of the little fehlar said, with eyes wide open.

-Yes! Zèon is a real hero –Koi smiled, nodding repeatedly. He seemed to feel very proud of knowing the arctic fox -. And he is really good at hide-and-seek, I’m sure he would win if we played with him!

-But my father said that a kane can’t be a hero –the white tiger murmured then, shaking his head with a thoughtful expression -. He always says that. And… other things. –he looked uneasy during a few seconds -. I really thought kane couldn’t be heroes.

-What? –Koi exclaimed, surprised and giving a horrified look to the one who had just talked -. But I’m a kane too… does that mean I can’t be a hero either? –he asked, turning to Ike with a sad gleam in his eyes.

Ike contained a bitter smile. <<After all, things are not that easy>> he told himself, with a sigh. He should have known that the subject would come up sooner or later.

-Of course you can be a hero, Koi –he answered to the little husky, trying to reassure him. His face lit up again and he raised his paws in a gesture of triumph.

-Then my father was lying? –the white tiger asked, crossing his arms and frowning. It seemed like he didn’t like that insinuation.

-Oh, no –Ike smiled at him -. I’m sure your father really believed what he said. But you know, the fehlar and the kane haven’t interacted much with each other… lately –he said, trying to find a simple way to explain that to the young fehlar -. There are a lot of things about the fehlar that the kane still don’t know. And a lot of things about the kane that we don’t know. I’m sure your father had never heard of the heroes among the kane, because we have never known one of them. So he told you that they couldn’t be heroes because he never had the chance to know any.

-Oh –the white tiger murmured, relaxing his expression -. That makes sense.

-I want to be a hero, like Zèon –Koi continued, with shining eyes -. He told me I couldn’t be a Frostpaw, because I’m a Barkincloud and that can’t be changed. But at least I can try to be like him.

-I also want to be a hero, but not like Zèon –another little fehlar intervened -. Solving mysteries and saving people is cool, but I think I’ll get bored doing that. I want to fight in battlefields to defend my people. Like our king Alekai Embertooth!

-Oh, yes! –Koi exclaimed, delighted -. I also want to be like him!

Ike looked at the little husky, shocked, unable to believe what he was hearing. Shiba, beside him, couldn’t help but chuckle and the lion turned to her with an obvious expression of horror in his face.

-But Shiba, are you listening to what they’re saying…? –he asked her, pale and a bit irritated about how funny this seemed to be for the tigress.

-Of course I am –she answered, still with a faint smile in her face -. Don’t think about it, Ike. They’re children. For them, things are simple and easy, white or black. There’s nothing wrong in playing with a kane. It isn’t wrong either that a fehlar carries one of them in his arms. Alekai has never done anything wrong, he was just defending his people. Zèon is a hero –she said, shrugging -. Let them enjoy their innocence, while they can.

-I don’t feel comfortable with this, but alright –Ike murmured, still too surprised to say anything else. He gave Koi and the other fehlar a worried look. They had started playing with some sticks, believing they were holding swords.

With a mix of horror and admiration, he watched how they challenged each other, laughing and trying to defeat the others in duel. He almost shuddered when, with a triumphal shout, the fehlar that wanted to be like his father ‘finished’ Koi sinking his wooden sword in the little husky’s chest.

-Shiba, how old were you when you started the training for Sentinel? –he asked her then, curiously -. I think you’ve never told me.

-Ten years –the tigress answered, coldly -. You know how it works: you declare your wish to become one and then someone instructs you for the next five years.

-So you were more or less Koi’s age when you started training –the lion murmured, surprised -. Have you never regretted… er… ?

-…becoming a Sentinel? Many times, especially when I discovered that the person I should protect was a knucklehead with an almost suicide tendency to take risks –the tigress replied, giving him a faint smile and an accusing look. However, after a few seconds, she looked away and added, in a lower tone -. Part of the training is that you can never regret.

-Wow –Ike stammered, not knowing what to say.

The tigress nodded, thoughtful, but didn’t say anything else either.

Ike guessed what she was thinking, anyway. It was a fact known by every person in Alekai’s court that Shiba had gone through a stricter training than the rest of the Sentinels. Her mentor, who had been and still was Alekai’s Embertooth Sentinel, had shown no mercy with her at any moment. She had pushed the tigress beyond the limits of any other Sentinel, forcing her to always be the best in her office, and making her stand up when the extreme exhaustion and pain had made her fall to the ground. Consequently, Shiba had immediately stood out among the Sentinels, and Alekai had decided that she was the best option for becoming his son’s Sentinel, when he had turned eighteen.

Ike knew all of this, although the tigress had never told him. The court had been talking about it for weeks, enjoying the morbidness of the situation. And although the lion had never joined the court’s gossiping, he had also heard in the end about the scandal surrounding the identity of the tigress’ mentor; that Anassi, Alekai Embertooth’s Sentinel and Shiba’s mentor, was also her mother.

Ike glanced at the tigress, a bit worried, but finally decided that it was better to remain silent.

After all, he also had memories that he preferred not to touch for the moment. However, he knew that his father’s palace was only a few days away and that once he got there, he wouldn’t be able to hide from his memories.

That night, Ike tried to keep himself from falling asleep.

He waited until the camp they had improvised was silent and the paused breathing of the fehlar denoted most of them were already asleep. Only then he stood up and rubbed his eyes, tired. He could feel the effect of the paste he had eaten at midday, but he had to fight to stay awake. If he didn’t do it that night, he wouldn’t have another chance before getting to the Flameswamps. Clinging to that thought, he walked carefully, so as not to awaken Koi, and went towards the outskirts of the camp. His head hurt and he deduced it was also due to the drug of the food.

His eyes quickly adapted to the dim clarity of the blue moon that shone in the sky and it didn’t take him much to spot the group of fehlar who escorted Sophia. He smiled bitterly when he saw they were asleep in their posts; the woman, however, was totally awake and the moonlight glowed in her glasses as she looked directly at Ike.

-You’re too foreseeable, you know? –the human smiled, once the lion got to the place she stood -. It was funnier with Lagopus Z. He was more… complex. I was never completely sure which decision he was going to take.

-Oh, shut up –the lion sighed, a bit angry about the tone she used when she talked about the arctic fox -. You already knew I was going to release you in exchange for Zèon’s consciousness, right? You knew it from the moment we left the Box. That’s why you let us capture you.

-Bingo –the woman answered, tilting her head -. Your situation is interesting too, but I’m afraid there are some issues that need my attention… in other places.

-In Vent’s world –Ike understood.

-Exactly.

-I don’t know how you think you’re going to get there, but don’t expect me to take you back –the lion clarified -. I’m not interested in your world as long, as I know people as twisted as you live there.

-That’s very kind of you –the woman replied, apparently without feeling particularly hurt by those words -. But don’t be afraid, I’m just going to ask you to untie me. Then, I’ll tell you what you need to know for…

-No –Ike firmly interrupted her -. You will tell me how to bring Zèon back first. Then, and only after that, I will let you go.

The human held his gaze for a few seconds, with a neuter expression, until she finally gave him one of her disturbing half smiles.

-How stupid. Alright, I’ll first tell you what you want to know, and then you’ll release me. I know I can trust your word. After all, you’re too noble to break a pact, even with “people as twisted as me”. –The woman made a pause then -. All you need to bring Zèon back is… a door.

-A door? –Ike repeated, fearing that was a joke.

-Yes. A door. You’ll see, our minds are, so to speak, like houses –Sophia explained, tilting her head and looking away -. Some are big and spacious, as large as a mansion. Others are little and inviting like a hut in the woods. In some minds, everything is in perfect order; all the furniture clean and in perfect condition. Other minds are dusty and untidy, dirty and corrupt.

-I still can’t see how that is going to help me bring Zèon back… -Ike started, a bit unsure, but the woman interrupted him.

-You could get into those houses through several windows. But you wouldn’t break into a house through the window, wouldn’t you? You need a door.

-I guess so –Ike replied, a bit confused.

-Good. Lagopus Z has lost its door. And it doesn’t have many windows, precisely. Right now, his house is like a little strongbox that has lost its combination. There is no way to open it from outside, unless you find the door it has lost and put it back in its place.

-I don’t understand anything –Ike intervened, shaking his head -. And I don’t know where you want to get with this either.

Sophia’s eyes gleamed mysteriously.

-Identity, Leo I –she simply answered -. Identity is the door to every mind. And the names are the keys to identity. Do you understand now?

-More or… less –the lion replied, tilting his head -. But… that means that…

-Exactly –the woman smiled -. In order to bring Lagopus Z back you would have to discover his real name. The name I hid in his mind when he arrived at the Box and destroyed to leave him in the state he is now in.

-You destroyed his name? How… how could you do something like that? –the lion asked, more and more confused.

-Lagopus Z knew it. He knew I could access your minds. Otherwise, how could I control everything you were doing in the Box? He discovered why I was taking your names when you arrived at the Unit. –The woman paused and a gleam of admiration appeared in his eyes, then disappeared quickly -. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to escape without leaving something important behind and even if you managed to do it, you would always be vulnerable. The name is what I call a key thought, because it opens the door identity is, and it allows me to access your minds. If you get Lagopus Z’s name back… his mind will reset. That is to say the house would go back to its initial state. And then, he will wake up –the woman concluded, in a whisper.

Ike stood silent for a few seconds, still trying to assimilate that huge amount of information. He opened his mouth in order to say something, but closed it again when he realized he didn’t know what to say.

-How can I know you are not tricking me? –he asked, after a few seconds.

-You can’t –Sophia answered -. But you will realize I’m telling you the truth as soon as you get to the palace. As soon as someone calls your real name, you will feel something changing in your mind. You weren’t expecting your family to keep calling you “Ike”, right? –the woman asked, perceiving the bewilderment in the lion’s face.

-So –he added, trying to put his thoughts in order -, I won’t know if you’re telling the truth or not until we get to the palace. At that time, you will be gone and I won’t be able to ask you again -. He gave her an accusing look.

-As I said before, bringing him back has a price –the woman reminded him, shrugging -. You will have to take the risk. I’m also taking risks, more than I should. But it seems everything is going well so far –she added, more to herself than to the lion.

Ike gave her a long look, trying to decide whether to trust her or not. After all, it had been she who had brought them to that situation. How could he know if finding Zèon’s name wouldn’t make things worse?

However, there was something in the human’s words that suggested she wanted Zèon back. It was strange; when he was talking to Sophia, he was never alone whether she was an enemy or an ally, although she had only proved the first option. He huffed, exasperated, and rubbed his temple, in a tired gesture. The headache was starting to be especially irritating, although he wasn’t sure if it was done to the drug or the complicated conversation he was having with that damn human.

-I hate you –he muttered, and he said it with all the rage he contained in his heart -. You can’t imagine how much I hate you.

She shrugged. Her face didn’t show any emotion.

-I’m just telling you the truth –she said in response -. I’m interested in Lagopus Z. I had to leave him out of the game before, but I wouldn’t like to miss the chance to keep observing him.

-I can’t believe you talk about him as if was just a test subject. You’re a horrible person –Ike growled. He made a long pause -. Okay. I’ll release you. I don’t know what you’re expecting to do, since being alone in Lykans the only thing you’ll get is to be dead –he said, with anger -. But I’ll do it. And I swear that if what you’ve told me isn’t true, I’ll go back to you and I’ll kill you.

-That won’t be necessary –Sophia smiled -. You will see yourself to what extent this I’ve told you is true when you get to the palace.

The lion proceeded then to cut with his claws the ropes that kept the human’s wrists tied. It took him a short while to do it, since it was starting to be hard to pay attention to the task, as if suddenly all the exhaustion of the last days had fallen over him. <<It’s the food>> he thought, somberly, but he wasn’t totally sure.

-I have to discover his name and tell him –he repeated, just to make sure he wasn’t missing anything, once the human was in front of him rubbing her wrists -. Right?

His voice sounded a bit deeper than usual. Besides, he was starting to feel as if his vision was blurring.

-Yes, that’s all. Oh, and make sure you keep him alive in the meantime. You’re a prince, so it shouldn’t be difficult to order someone to feed him at your expense, right?

Ike contained himself and tried not to hit the human when he saw the gleam of dark amusement in her eyes. <<She knows it>> he thought <<She knows it’s not going to be easy to let him stay in the palace. Damn, why does she know everything?>>.

-I’ll take that as a yes –the woman replied, with her characteristic half smile -. It’s been a pleasure to make deals with you, Leo I. We’ll meet again… if everything goes according to the plan.

And with those last words, the human simply started walking in the direction opposite to that they had come. Ike followed her with his eyes, still holding his head with a paw. It hurt as if someone had hammered his skull and he felt like the sleep was starting to take over him little by little. However, he was still able to notice the gracefulness with which the human moved as she escaped from them, almost like a fawn, or a ray of moonlight. If it hadn’t seemed impossible, Ike would have sworn… that she liked walking in that place. It almost seemed like if she was… happy.

More and more confused, the lion staggered back to the place where he was supposed to be sleeping, making a huge effort not to fall in the first place he could. In his way, he found someone. In the middle of the night and with the effects of the somnolence clouding his thoughts, it took him a few seconds to understand it was Shiba. He let out a soft growl when his headache got even worse.

-Ike –the tigress asked, with a serious tone -. What have you done?

-She’s gone –he answered, with a hoarse voice -. But it doesn’t matter. I know how to save him, Shiba. Or so I hope.

He would never know how the tigress had reacted to those words. At that moment, staggering like he was drunk, Ike got next to Koi and Zèon and fell to the ground with a soft growl. In a few seconds, the drug of the food, the exhaustion and the weight of his own worries closed the windows in his mind, condemning him to a deep, dark sleep.