"Moito?" Derrian gave him an incredulous look.

"Derrian," Gideon muttered.

"I mean, King Moito," he corrected himself. "What brings you here?"

He waited for him to reply. When he didn't reply, Derrian raised an eyebrow.

He took a breath in and spoke, "Did you find anything about the men?"

Derrian looked back at the bed which was hidden behind. 'Yes, I have. I have found more than just the men's vanishing. And you won't like it.'"A few things," he lied instead. "Nothing that would state they're dead. There's no sight of their bodies on the bus."

Moito nodded. "I'll be discussing the subject tonight. You'll have to present whatever happened to the public."

Derrian frowned, "But we don't even know all of it."

"Nobody ever knows the entire story, just different sides. It doesn't matter if we do not have much information. We need to assure the public that they're safe. Humans won't find Arathos. Besides, if there were no bodies, they're alive. That's a good thing. After the meeting, we'll meet the man who registered the complaint. You will tell him whatever you need to."

He agreed.

Moito's piercing gaze fell on Gideon. Derrian cringed on the inside. Gideon gulped and looked back and forth between both the men.

"What's he doing here?" Moito asked Derrian.

"I-"

"I asked him," Moito said sharply, cutting him off. "What is he doing here?"

"I invited him," Derrian said.

"He's not the part of the Palace."

"I invited him," he repeated with more emphasis. "I'm sure it's allowed to invite the non-residents to the private area of the palace."

Moito clenched his jaw. "A liberty that needs to be changed."

"I think I should leave," Gideon said, sensing the rising tension. "Besides, I have things to do." He exchanged looks with Derrian and lip-synced, "The cloak."

When he left, Moito looked back at Derrian. "I should have taken away the liberty years ago."

Derrian didn't say anything. He couldn't. He clenched his fists at his sides, trying his best to not show a reaction.

"Where's Rodrigo?" It suddenly hit him that he hadn't seen him anywhere all day. "Isn't he always around you?" He was with genuine surprise.

"Why? You are too concerned about Rodrigo. Or is it something related to him that concerns you?"

Derrian didn't reply. Moito raised an eyebrow, challenging him to reply back, silently scoffing if it was all he had to say.

"If you would have taken away the liberty years ago, perhaps I would have said something." Before he could say anything in reply, Derrian said. "Aren't you getting late? You have to be present in the hall before us all."

Moito turned away, tucked at the cloth that was draped against his shoulder and walked away. Derrian shut the door loudly, controlled his urge. Through the meshed wall, he gazed at the bed and told himself that there were better things he needed to do and focus on the conversation they'd just had.

There was time for the meeting to proceed which gave Derrian more time to talk to Roe. He took one step away from the door and there was a knock again. He cursed and jerked the door open.
"Why can't p- Alfred?" His frustration subsided as he took in Alfred's condition.

The old man stood there, shaking his head sorrowfully. "Derrian."

Derrian stepped aside to let him in, temporarily forgetting Roe. Alfred moved to come in but just in time Derrian saw the bed sheets and stood between Alfred and the door-frame, trying to correct his mistake. Alfred frowned but stepped back.

"Are you okay?" he asked, eying him.

"Ye-Yeah," Derrian said with a tense smile, moving ahead which compelled Alfred to take back another step or two.

"How are you?" Derrian asked.

Alfred's frown deepened. "I'm fine." His eyes flicked to the back and Derrian stepped in front, covering the view. He folded his arms and stood.

"And?" He asked.

"And?" Alfred repeated.

He sighed. "Why are you here, Alfred? You didn't come here just to meet and greet."

"I didn't? Or is it you who's behaving weird?"

Derrian shook his head. "You didn't. I mean, look at you. You're panting like you ran a mile and directly dropped here."

Alfred called it bluff and said, "There's some news."

"Good or bad?" Derrian gave a flat look. "Let me guess, bad."

Alfred didn't correct him. It had to be a bad one. That was all he had been getting since two days.

"What now?" he muttered.

"There is a threat of exposure," Alfred spoke.

"Explain me, Alfred. Just those three words aren't enough," he said, trying his best to hold his emotions.

"I was in the Cent, the one outside Arathos."

"And?"

"Somebody broke in. A human. Few men caught her and brought here. Now, she's lost."

Derrian clenched a jaw. "Are you sure those men aren't lying?"

"I saw her myself, Derrian. Those fools thought she was a Bhurader, just a female one. But she's not. I saw her. She was a human being."

"Are you sure she was a human?" Derrian tried his best to change the old pal's mind.

"These eyes have seen things you do not even know, boy. So don't question my judgment."

Derrian lowered his gaze and asked, "What now, then?"

"The girl is out here in the kingdom."

'I know, she's right here,' he thought. "Did you see that too?"

"Are you mocking me?"

"No." Derrian made a face. "Have you?"

"No," Alfred mumbled.

"So, I suppose those men told so?"

"They left her in the cave, before the entrance."

He said casually, "She must've left then."

Alfred stared at him, slack-jawed. "Are you crazy?"

Derrian blew out a breath, his patience ending. "No. But you know what's crazy? The thought she would be in. How can she? She needs a Vrgo."

"She had that," Alfred mumbled. "It was around her neck."

"And what tells you it wasn't some other human jewel?" Alfred scowled. "Okay, let us consider it was Vrgo, I bet she doesn't even know how to use it."

"It's useless talking to you."

Derrian shrugged, "You shouldn't have come to me, then."

Alfred glared at him. "Something's seriously wrong with you today."

"It's night."

Alfred muttered, "Smart-mouth."

After a minute of silence, he asked in a sincere tone, "Are you planning on telling the king?"

"I'll discuss it with Sir Wenson first. Maybe after that, if the matter isn't solved, I'll tell Moito."

"There is no matter to be solved," Derrian whispered lowly. "When will you tell Wenson?"

"After the meeting."

He nodded.

"Believe it or not, she's here," Alfred spoke, solemnly and left before Derrian could tell. Once again, he closed the door and cursed.

"I met him before."

He looked up at Roe who stood a few steps away. He raised an eyebrow.

"When I was running from your place, I saw him - the old man." She said that like it was the most normal thing to say.

"Wait a minute, would you explain it all from the start?" Derrian asked. His mind throbbed with all the intertwined stories.

"If it had a start, yes, I would. But, it doesn't," she replied flatly.

He gave her a disbelieving look. "Okay, breathe."

"I am breathing."

"I am telling myself."

She shrugged.

"If you can't explain it, just answer my questions. Are we on the same page?"

She nodded.

He started from Alfred's words. "You broke into a -" He thought about a word that she would understand instead of saying 'cent'. "- a hotel, one of ours. They caught you and brought you here."

"What you're saying is a precise form, but yes. That's what happened."

"What would be the long form?"

"I got in, took the elevator –which was 'secluded' and opened a door to a room where that man-"

"Alfred."

"Yes, Alfred. He's Alfred? Anyway, there was someone else too with him and they saw me. I ran back down. I wasn't caught yet. Unfortunately, my hood fell and I ran. I escaped but they were everywhere. Out of defense, I threw a bottle at one of them. After that, I woke up in the cave."

He sat there, wide-eyed. His inner self mocked him for judging her earlier and thinking she couldn't have killed those men. She threw a bottle at a Bhurader.

"How did you get in? How did you discover it in the first place?" Erde or human, no way it was possible for her to see the Cent.

"I was going back to the motel I am staying in when I saw this alley. There was a ground with five pillars. Two men came out of nowhere and vanished suddenly. Before I could comprehend anything, another man – a Bhurader came and attacked me. He was choking me. Then, something happened. Please don't ask what, I don't know. He just fell aside, began whimpering in pain. I touched him to see what was happening and then, he fainted. I took his card and mimicked the men. Inside, someone shouted that Gale was found dead." He sighed, her voice lowered. "He was the man who had attacked me. I-I was scared. I thought they might attack me. So, I ran for the elevator." She looked up, wide-eyed. "But I swear I didn't kill him. I-It wasn't me."

'It was your magic,' he thought. She had no idea who she was, what she was capable of. But, he still wasn't sure if she was an Erde, or if Anacia was talking about someone else.

"Can I get water?" she asked. Before he could answer, she picked up the empty glass lying on the table and the jug. After three failed attempts to open the jug, she cursed under her breath and drank directly from it. Derrian's mouth fell. She put it down, wiped her mouth from the back of her sleeve and mumbled an apology. He was too busy staring at her to reply. Nothing happened.

"She was right."

"Who was?" Roe asked.

"Do you know what you drank?"

"Water," she said in a dubious tone.

"Katharos."

"I drank your God?" she grimaced.

"What? No!" he laughed. "No. It's our holy water named after the Goddess."

"Oh." she breathed in relief. "That's fine. It's still water."

"It is obtained from our river – Katharos."

She furrowed her forehead and frowned in confusion.

Derrian pondered the question about explaining it to her. He remembered Anacia mention the river's name that humans knew it by. "I'm talking about River Willows – the one that flows in Wallflower's Deck."

Her reaction told him she understood.

"You know about it, right?"

She nodded. "The river that kills people."

"Only humans, not Bhuraders. For us, it's our elixir."

Her brows rose in surprise. "Elixir?"

"It heals our wounds."

"Wouldn't that make you imm-"

"No, we're not immortals. We can never be. It heals our wounds. It does not bring us back from death. Neither does it stop aging. Roe, for every thing, there's another opposite thing present. Katharos could help us, but there are things it couldn't protect us from."

"Like?"

"Like," he paused. "Many things, actually."

"Is that your way of saying you're not telling?"

"No," he smiled lightly. "There are so many things that could harm us, even a knife."

Roe nodded, seeming lost in her thoughts. "Why didn't it harm me?"

"What?"

"The water," she said. "It had happened before. One of my friends fell in the river. I went in after her. Nothing happened to me."

"And her?"

"She – her eyes burnt immediately. She wasn't able to see properly for some time."

He thought about it for some minute. "You said you're staying in a motel?"

She nodded. "It's on the outskirts of the town."

"Where were you coming from when you saw the alley?"

"Somewhere," she murmured, looking down at her hands.

"Roe."

"I'm not telling you," she said with a flat face.

"Why did you lie to Gideon and Margaret that you were related to Millers?"

She gasped, "You know them?"

"Let's get one thing straight – do not, I repeat, do not lie when you haven't seen the complete picture. Had it been somebody from the council, they would've brought you here."

"Why? Ar-Are they one of you?"

"Millers? No. Just don't lie about things you don't know. "

"You're not giving me the entire picture," she complained.

"Because, it does not concern you. There are rules I have to follow. Bringing you here, hiding you...I have already broken so many rules."

Silence spread in the room.

"Why didn't it harm-"

Derrian's phone cut her off. He picked it up.

"You'll be late if you're not here in five minutes," Alfred said and hung up. He had forgotten about the meeting, again. He sighed and got up.

"I'll explain you later why it didn't harm you," she said. "For now, stay here. I beg you, for your life and for mine, stay in the room. Nobody will come here. I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?"

"Somewhere."

"Don't use my words against me," she rebelled.

"I just did," he retorted. "Tonight, the palace is not as safe for you as it is the other nights. Believe me when I say this, one word out about a human inside Desail, they'll kill you, hunt down your family and kill them too."