"Your friend is keeping you waiting a long time," said the Raven.
"True. He's not my friend after all.
" "He's clearly in no hurry to meet.
" "I don't know. I can only guess. I have a feeling we'll meet soon...
" "Yes. You will.
" The men turned their heads in the direction of the voice. It belonged to a girl no older than ten. She was sitting on a bench in a flowered dress, swinging her legs, which were wearing green, knee-high socks. Two blond braids stuck out at the sides of her head. The girl raised her green eyes to the men and looked at them curiously.
"Who am I meeting?" asked the old man.
"The Dark One. Who else would you be meeting here?
" "How do you know that?"
"I just know," she replied. "Just like you know how people feel, and just like you knew," she looked at Raven as she said this, "that you would take down this guy. "
The men looked at each other and then at the girl.
"Apt observation." " said the old man.
The girl raised her arms in a gesture acknowledging the banality of what she had just heard. She stood on a bench, placed her hands on the balustrade, and began to stare at the view stretching out in front of the castle.
"Do you know anything else about my meeting?
" "Of course
I do." "Tell me what? But don't. Don't tell
me. I don't want to know." "I think I know, but as if I didn't know. I don't know anymore. Never mind." She waved her hand. "Shall we play? What do you think?" she asked, piercing them with her gaze.
"Why not?" Raven laughed. "What do you suggest? And tell us your name. I'm Raven, and he...
" "Call me Grandpa.
" "Great," she shouted happily. "My name is Kira." Every now and then, swallows fly past the balcony. They turn behind the wing on this side"—she pointed to the right wing of the castle—"and reappear. Then they fly to the left and come back again." Whoever guesses when the swallows will fly by wins. We can play this game many times. You have to look at the river. No further. No sides allowed, no cheating. To score a point, you have to say they'll fly in three loud, even counts before and you'll hit. Got it?" She peered searchingly, her green eyes darting from the old man to the Raven.
"Right," the men agreed in unison.
"Then let's play."
All three stood at the railing, gazing at the curving river. They began counting. Raven first, the rest waited. Raven finished counting and laughed, the old man began, followed by the girl. Just as the girl counted to three, the swallows appeared in front of the terrace. They quietly passed them by, flew on, and disappeared over the right wing.
"I won," she squealed happily.
The swallows flew by repeatedly, and none of the men managed to beat the girl. She laughed heartily and shrilly with each victory, and she won every time. They were having a wonderful time. The sun had almost disappeared below the horizon when a woman in a red dress approached the three, the same woman who had opened the door for the old man and Raven.
"Please follow me. The innkeeper will see you," she said to the old man.
"Good luck, Grandpa," the girl said. "
Good luck," Raven repeated.
The old man nodded and walked away, tapping his staff. Raven looked at the little girl, and as if reading the fear in his eyes, she replied,
"He'll come back.
" "He'll come back. I think so too.
" "There's something about him I can't figure out.
" "Where are your parents?
" "I don't know. I haven't seen them in a long time. And yours?
" "I don't remember my parents. I don't even remember...I don't remember much.
" "What do you need a saber for?"
"I don't remember that either." There's an emptiness inside me, Kira. An emptiness I don't know where it came from and I don't know how to fill it.
The girl looked deeper into Raven's eyes.
"Maybe I can help you.
" "I don't know if anyone can help me.
" "I do," she said in a resonant voice. "I can help you.
" "I would be grateful, but how could I repay you? I don't know.
" "You don't have to worry about so many things at once.
" "Shall we continue?
" "Not now.
" The music stopped. The string quartet stopped. A woman dressed in a flowery red kimono stood next to the piano. Her hair was tied in a bun. The man began playing a slow melody, gently touching the keys of the instrument. The woman began singing a slow song in a melodic voice. Most of the audience couldn't understand the words. But that didn't matter. It was a beautiful song, a bit sad but also full of hope. Joyful and good. The conversations fell silent, the pure sounds of song spilling out into the room, filling the hearts of the listeners with a certain comfort. The flickering candles fell on their faces, filled with concentration. And the song flowed, flowing towards the setting sun and the swallows passing by the terrace. Raven and Kira stared at the rays, tinting the clouds with red and orange.
Meanwhile, the old man had left the hall and was walking down a long hall. On either side of it, in semicircular recesses, stood the armor of knights, each holding a five-foot-long double-edged sword, its blade resting on the floor. The armor itself was enormous, and it was hard to imagine a man wearing and carrying it. The woman led the old man further and further into the hall. They finally stopped before a large, iron-bound door. As if on cue, it swung open, creaking softly. A vast library came into view. Tens of thousands of books lined the walls, lined with oak shelves. In the center of the room, suspended in midair, was the solar system. The ropes holding them in place were invisible. Interestingly, the system wasn't static. The planets were moving. They rotated on their axes and around the sun. The sun emitted a light that was so intense it was difficult to look at without shielding one's eyes. The system itself was masterfully crafted. On the Moon, centrally radiating stripes, once considered the work of civilization, could be seen. Around Jupiter, light reflected from the asteroid belt. Earth looked magnificent. Blue oceans, the outlines of continents, swirling clouds. Sunlight fell on the planets so that they reflected the authentic seasons. In the background of the solar system, the shimmering light of stars could be seen. It looked as if someone were beaming an image from outside the solar system into this room. The view was three-dimensional and incredibly realistic from every angle.
It was cold. The woman left, and the door slammed shut behind her. The old man looked around the room. He spun around on his heel. On the sides, on numerous tables, stood various instruments: stacks of books, laboratory tools, jars full of colored liquids. Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him; someone placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly and saw a man.
"Black."
"I haven't been called that in a long time," the man said.
The name "Black" didn't suit this man, at least not his appearance. He was dressed in a pale blue robe. His hair was short and gray. His long mustache reached down to his chin. His dark, deep-set eyes shone with great intelligence.
"Hello, White. We haven't seen each other for a long time.
" "Yes, for a very long time. "
They exchanged glances for a moment. The Black was the first to turn his head. He held a thick book in his hand.
"I'm reading a history of the world. Very interesting. Do you know what the ending is?
" "It doesn't have an ending yet.
" "But it does." The Black laughed. "It does. You're still an idealist, as you can see. You see, the world, despite its complexity, isn't unfathomable. That was the goal of my studies: to know and understand the world. I recently finished my work. That's why I threw the party. You'd be surprised at my conclusions. I'm convinced of it.
" "So that's why you invited me."
"Yes, my friend. That's exactly why. I'm preparing a grand graduation party. You couldn't miss it. I want to present the results of my studies." He smiled, confident in his knowledge and the fact that his long-planned dream would soon be realized.
"You've discovered the meaning of the world and understood it. So what is Its meaning?
" "I won't tell you now. You'll find out along with the others.
" "I hope you haven't concluded that the world is heading for destruction, is meaningless, and doesn't deserve the chance to destroy itself," he said casually. "You haven't gathered all these people who matter to show them the value of their reality, civilization, and all their philosophies. You don't want to appear before them as a creator and destroyer, revealing their true colors. You don't want to because with your insight you see the potential that lies dormant in people, and you probably prefer to discover it rather than destroy it...
" "Enough!" Czarny said in a hushed voice. He frowned as he listened to the White One's words, and where his eyes had sparkled with intelligence before, they now blazed with anger.
"Enough...
" The song ended. The lights on the enormous chandelier hanging in the center of the room were turned on. People returned to their conversations, still enchanted by the sounds they had heard. It was darkening completely. Stars began to appear in the sky, forming constellations unknown on Earth. Black clouds could be seen in the distance.
"Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful," said the Raven. "What's wrong with you, Little One?"
The girl stared at the black clouds. She didn't react to the Raven's words.
"What happened?" he asked, grabbing her hand above the elbow. He looked in the same direction as her. "They move faster than the clouds." He understood in an instant. He frowned and said in a loud voice,
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have company."
Their eyes met. The Raven noticed that the girl was frightened, very frightened.
"Enough! What could you possibly know about my plan? Nothing! You haven't spent years researching." You haven't thoroughly researched the human race. You don't know what it's capable of. I know," the Dark One spoke angrily and loudly. "I know, and I will do what I planned," he finished, calming down.
"Don't think you'll stop me. I underestimated you. You quickly grasped my intentions. Ha ha. It doesn't matter. We won't escape our destiny. And it's clear. Only the blind and foolish fail to see it. I would offer you cooperation, but you're too stubborn and too blind. You believed in them.
" "I might believe your mad plans of destruction if I didn't know you. You don't so much want to "accelerate" the imagined end of the world as to take over the earth. In either case, you won't accomplish what you planned."
People spread out along the sides of the hall. All the entrance doors were closed. A few people stood on the terrace, including Raven. It was quiet. Everyone waited for what would happen. Swallows approaching the terrace suddenly veered in the direction from which they had flown and, whimpering softly, disappeared into the darkness. Before the eyes of the people standing on the terrace, the clouds took the form of black-clad riders. Each held a naked sword. Horses with glowing red eyes ran along an invisible path.
"Fool! You will not destroy my plan!" he yelled. A staff similar to the one White held materialized in his hand. They both raised them and struck the stone floor simultaneously, which cracked under the blow. They stared into each other's eyes in silence. After a moment, the shelves began to shake. The first book fell to the floor. It opened, and if anyone had been there at that time, they might have read Shakespeare's words: "Let time not drag…" The sun dimmed, and volumes fell from the shelves.
"…when swords yearn for the clamor of battle," Raven said to himself, and several riders burst into the hall. One was beheaded. The fight began.
Everyone with a weapon and the ability to wield it threw themselves into the fray. Every moment, more riders flew in. They rushed in, wreaking havoc. The warriors bravely faced off. The battle moved inside. Raven led the way among the combatants. He no longer resembled a calm man with a dull, sad gaze. He raged among the surrounding black riders. His saber formed a silver circle around him. Every now and then, a black figure fell beneath the horses' hooves. His eyes gleamed, his hair flowed in the fight. Raven laughed, laughing loudly, encouraging the fighters. But every moment, the warriors in the hall diminished, and black figures appeared from the cloud. Raven's suit was largely no longer white. Blood stained it.
Scholarly books fell by the dozens. The vibrations in the library intensified. Only the two old men stood motionless. Only their eyes expressed concentration. The wind blew away the White One's habit and the Black One's robe. One of the bookshelves collapsed, crushing thousands of books. The solar system began to dim. It lost its sharpness, eventually vanishing. But it wasn't dark. Two figures glowed. The steel-bound doors creaked and moved on their powerful hinges, and cracks marked the stone floor and ceiling of the room.
The scales of victory were tipping in the horsemen's favor. Only a handful of warriors remained. The rest of the men hid wherever they could, the first civilian casualties littering the marble floor. Raven continued to rage, giving everything they had, fueled by the horsemen's resistance, each time one fell, he let out a cry of victory. Despite everything, the fight was hopeless. Blood streamed down his pale face. Several horsemen surrounded him, and behind them, more crowded in. After a moment, his red and white suit was no longer visible. Only the clang of metal and laughter announced that Raven was still fighting. Suddenly, the hall shook. The shock repeated. For a moment, all the lights went out. Then, silence. A scream pierced the silence like a blade, sending fear up the hairs on the backs of the men's heads and sending shivers down their spines. Then, silence fell upon the hall. A silence as painful and terrifying as the previous scream. Hooves clattered on the floor, fragments of glass scattered. The cloud receded, leaving only bloody rags of the black bodies.
The elders remained motionless. But something changed. The Dark One's face twisted in pain. He hunched over. The vault cracked, plaster fell from the ceiling, and the hall shook. The White One leaned forward imperceptibly. Suddenly, everything fell silent. The elders remained motionless. The staff cracked, emitting a loud, clear sound, and the hall shook again. The Dark One fell to his knees. The cracks in the ceiling and walls deepened.
"You defeated me. But this isn't over yet. We'll see each other again," the Dark One said quietly, and vanished.
The White One moved toward the exit. The door groaned, the hardened steel bent and cracked. Wood crumbled, and the door fell out. He stopped in the corridor. No sound broke the silence.
"Go away, servant, or if you stay, I will destroy you."
Steel creaked. The leg of one of the knights' armors moved. No longer just the armor, but a giant knight moved from its spot and stood before the old man. He raised his sword in both hands to strike. Then the old man slightly moved his staff, and in the blink of an eye, the steel melted, leaving a red, glowing mass covering the floor. A moment later, the rest of the knights' armor shattered into pieces.
"Friends. I wish you luck. It's time for me."
Frightened people began to emerge from their hiding places, not yet knowing what had happened. The light flashed again. There was no trace of the black cloud. Stars appeared in the sky. Kira and the others began searching the battlefield. They found Raven. He lay unconscious under black rags.
"Raven! Raven!" the girl cried, trying to lift his body.
She burst into tears and lowered her head. Raven, meanwhile, opened his eyes and said,
"Who is crying, and why?"
The girl immediately raised her head and threw her arms around Raven's neck. Raven wiped the blood from his forehead with his free hand and said, as if to himself, "I don't need your happiness, old man."
Suddenly, the room began to lose its shape. First, the walls rippled and dissolved, the floor dulled, melting into a single black mass, and solidifying. People looked around, and every few moments one of them disappeared. Raven looked into the girl's frightened eyes.
"Don't be afraid. We'll meet again. I think I've begun to find what I've lost. Now I know what to look for. Don't be afraid."
The girl hugged Raven tighter, reached up to her head, and untied the ribbon. Only one braid remained. She placed it in his hand.
"Look," she said, gazing at the slowly fading view from the terrace. Some invisible force separated them. They offered no resistance. The floor slipped away from under their feet. Raven stared at the fading image of the forest. Blackness flooded his head. He lost his bearings. His numb senses registered no stimuli. Only his hand. The hand seemed to exist when everything else had lost its meaning, sense, and form. A moment passed, perhaps a day, perhaps a year. A humming sound reached the man's ears. From where? What? Where? He felt something soft beneath him. It clung to his back. Wet, cool. His vision began to clear. He slowly opened his eyes. A blinding light and a scream. No, not a scream. Birds. They were birds. He rolled onto his stomach, felt sand in his hands. He squeezed it with all his might. He rose. He opened his eyes, saw his knees and tiny grains of sand. They were shifting in the wind. He lifted his head. Water. Sea. Ocean. He stood up. Clouds raced across the sky. Birds circled, calling loudly. The wind tossed the plants growing on the dunes. He looked around, lost in thought. Suddenly, something dawned on him. A thought. Something important. Something he needed to remember. But what? What? A hand. He looked at his hands. They were in the wet sand. Just that. Just sand. He looked down at his feet. Something red caught his eye. Something danced in the wind. He bent down and picked up the ribbon. He frowned. After a moment, his eyes sparkled, and he laughed out loud.
"I remember!" he shouted with all his might. "I remember!"
Wave after wave followed. It washed his feet with cool water and then returned. The wind ruffled his hair. It brightened his thoughts. The water gave him the impression of infinity. Wave after wave…
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