When Alice woke up, still dizzy and with a dry mouth, the first thing she noticed was the crackling of a nearby fire and the warmth of a blanket under her body. The camp, her companions, the carriages... everything had disappeared. She now found herself in a lonely clearing in the middle of a forest, lit only by the small fire burning in the darkness.

  Just across the flames, sitting on a rock with the ease of someone in their own home, was the merchant. His silhouette was outlined against the firelight, and in his hand he held a strange red cylinder, engraved with strange white letters, from which he was slowly drinking.

  "I see you're awake," the man said, in a calm, almost cordial voice, as he removed the cylinder from her lips.

  Alice bolted upright, her senses still numb and her mind desperately trying to understand what was happening. Fear paralyzed her; she found no words. She could only stare at him, her heart pounding against her chest as if trying to escape.

  "We haven't spoken in years," the man continued, this time in a softer, more intimate tone, though his features were still hidden under the shadow cast by the flames. "It's understandable that you don't recognize me... even more so in this disguise."

  Without warning, he threw something toward her. The object landed with a soft thud right at Alicia's feet. She hesitated for a second, but finally picked it up, and as she did, a shiver ran down her spine. It was a small object she recognized immediately, wrapped in that characteristic and unique soft wrapping, which glowed faintly in the firelight. A tiny detail, but impossible to mistake. A lemon candy.

  Her hands trembled. Her lips barely managed to utter a word, while disbelief formed in her eyes. "M-Master... Alexander?"

  The man simply smiled.

  Alice couldn't believe it. The cloak of doubt that had tormented her for days dissipated in an instant: that look that had seemed so familiar to her so many times belonged, without a doubt, to her sculpture teacher who had disappeared five years earlier.

  Inside her, a wave of conflicting emotions erupted uncontrollably. On the one hand, the excitement of seeing someone who had touched a part of her life again; on the other, the bitter certainty that his disappearance had been the first domino that triggered the sad fate that had led her to the Church. It was easy to blame him, but deep down, Alicia knew things were never that simple.

  "I only recently learned of your difficulties," Alexander said, his gaze fixed on her, burdened with a weight Alicia had never seen before. "I know very well that I am largely to blame for all of this... And although I had no choice but to flee, I never thought you would be so harmed. For all of this... I apologize."

  The last words, imbued with sincerity and guilt, pierced Alicia's defenses. Her heart, hardened by years of pain and apathy, wavered for a moment. She swallowed before daring to ask what she had always suspected, the doubt that had never left her alone: ??"Were you really responsible for the disappearance of the two renowned magicians?"

  Alexander was silent for a few seconds, as if deciding how much truth he could allow himself to reveal. Finally, he nodded slightly.

  "Actually, there were three of them," he corrected, his voice grave. "And... yes, you could say I'm responsible, though not in the way everyone would believe. They invaded my house, and the security mechanisms took care of them. Everything indicates they wanted to steal something from me."

  Alice's eyes widened in surprise. That Alexander's house had been able to defend itself against mages of such a high caliber was difficult for her to conceive. The fact spoke of a hidden power, of resources and secrets she would never have imagined.

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  "But what could they want from you?" she asked cautiously.

  Alexander shifted his gaze toward the fire and replied with a calmness that seemed more to hide than to clarify: "I have my suspicions... but it's not something it would be wise for you to know. At least not now."

  The evasiveness was enough for Alicia to understand that there were limits. That topic belonged to a world she couldn't aspire to. But there was something else, something that had been bothering her for a long time and that she couldn't keep quiet about any longer. "Master Alexander... do you have anything to do with the people who constantly watched me while I worked at the Church?"

  Alexander leaned toward her. "Of course, it was me in disguise," he confessed bluntly. "It didn't take me long to find your location once I learned of your predicament, and I wanted to make sure you were okay... and if you needed help. At first, I didn't see any major problems, but over time... the more I observed you, the more I noticed your deterioration, your fatigue, the way the weight of that life was breaking you down. And I couldn't allow it any longer, so I acted. That's why I got you out of that place before you got any worse."

  The words hit her like a sledgehammer. Alicia frowned tightly, containing the storm of emotions in her chest. In her mind, she screamed, "You were the one to blame for all of that! With your damn look that disturbed me! You could have said something to me!"

  And yet... another, weaker voice whispered inside her. One that was grateful that he had cared enough to watch over her and get her out of there.

  “You could say I came to save you,” he said with disconcerting serenity. “And while I can offer you freedom, I can’t give you back the life you had before. What I can give you is something I consider better… but in the end, the decision is up to you and your perspective.”

  Alice looked at him with misty eyes, feeling a lump in her throat. For a long silence, her mind traveled back, reviewing five years of hardship, of cold in her bones and emptiness in her heart. And there, in front of him—this man who had once been a beacon of inspiration and who now returned like a strange familiar—she found a crack through which to let out all the weight she carried.

  She seized that opportunity as if it were her last. She began to speak, at first clumsily, her sentences halting, her voice trembling. She told her about the investigation into her father, about how she had lost everything that gave meaning to her life, the day she had no choice but to take refuge within the gray walls of the Church.

  Her story soon spilled out. The words tumbled out, soaked with tears and sobs. She spoke of the endless workdays, the bland food that made her miss home every day, the indifference of the priests, the funerals where death no longer hurt because it had become a habit. She spoke of loneliness, of fear, of the constant feeling of being a broken cog in a never-ending machine.

  And throughout, Alexander remained silent. He didn't interrupt her, didn't correct her, didn't try to soften her words. He just looked at her with a calm that seemed unshakeable, letting her voice fill the space between them.

  When her strength gave out and tears stole her last words, he simply leaned closer and leaned his shoulder slightly toward her. Alicia, unable to resist any longer, rested her head there and wept silently, her tears soaking his robe. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel alone.

  "You know," he commented, when he noticed her crying beginning to subside. "I'm running a small school in a secret place, my new sanctuary, far from society. I need a teacher there for etiquette and worldly history. Do you think you're up to the job?"

  Alicia looked at him in disbelief, her eyes still red with tears. "Me... a teacher?"

  Alexander smiled gently.

  "Of course. I pay a good salary, the food is excellent, and most importantly... I have wizard potions at my disposal to help you level up."

  She looked down, her brow furrowed, her voice thick with doubt. "Why would you do that for me? I know very well that you taught me sculpture for the money... and because of pressure from my father. I don't believe I'm worthy of this treatment."

  The man was silent for a few seconds, watching her as if carefully deciding each word. Finally, he shifted his eyes to the flames and spoke with a seriousness that showed in every gesture: "It's true that, at first, I felt a bit compelled to teach you. But that doesn't change the fact that I took you on as my student. And believe me, that's something very meaningful from my perspective."

  He leaned forward slightly, as if he wanted to make sure every word sank in. "I once read in a book that the relationship between a teacher and his student is very similar to that of a parent and child. I don't consider myself the most moral or upright person in the world... but I want to respect my duty as your teacher until I die, or until the day you truly have nothing more to learn from me."

  Alice couldn't stop fresh tears from rolling down her cheeks at Alexander's words. She rubbed her reddened eyes with the sleeve of her robe and, in a broken voice, asked, "But what about my duty to the Church? And what would I say to my father?"

  Alexander sighed, lowering his gaze slightly before calmly answering, "I wouldn't worry too much about the Church. I doubt they'll pay any real attention to the disappearance of a mere apprentice... As for your father...” He paused, as if weighing each word, “I'm afraid you won't be able to see him again, at least not in the short or medium term. Not even to deliver a message. That would only put him in danger.”

  The words were like a dagger in Alice's chest, and for a moment she felt sadness threaten to overwhelm her. But years of hardship and deprivation had forged a character unlike the noble girl she once was. She took a deep breath, wiped her tears, and forced herself to lift her head.

  After all, there was no better opportunity than the one her teacher was offering her.

  She steeled her heart, and with the most serious face she could muster under the circumstances, she looked Alexander straight in the eyes and declared, "I accept the proposal."