Scarlet wakes up in a bed, she is still holding her father's skull and is dressed in the same white dress. She gets up and looks around the unknow room she's in, from instinct she touches her head and feels the horns that grew when she transformed.
The room doesn't have any windows and the only source of light is a candle, the candle is on a small table from the other corner of the room. Scarlet hugs the skull close to her chest and goes to the candle, she hestiates for a moment to take the candle "It could easily be a trap" she thinks "A trap for me to let the skull down to take the candle, or something else..." she wishpers to no one and decides not to take the candle.
The girl tries to make the skull smaller like she made the key from the tower larger, she focuses hard enough and her hands start burning again, she pictures the skull smaller with a thin rope next to it. After a few tries she manages to make the skull small like a gem and create the thin rope, two pieces perfect for a bracelet.
"This way I can protect the skull and no one will notice" Scarlet thinks putting the bracelet on and hiding it under her sleeve.
Finally, the lady wizardess as Trystan called her, finds the door and leaves the dark room, outside it is a small and dark living room, this one is also lit by candles but here are more than one because it's a bigger room. As she is closing the door of the room, Scarlet hears someone talking quietly and looks to the direction where the voices come from to see two persons standing at a table facing each other. Their backs are lit by light from the candles but their faces are unclear in the dark.
Suddenly, Scarlet feels like someone is watching her then understands that she's been noticed by the two strangers. One of them gets up and takes a candle that lights his face "Trystan!" gasps the girl looking him dead in the eye.
"You woke up!"
"Don't 'you woke up' me! Where I am, who is this person, why did you bring me here, what where you two talking about??"
"Wow, wow, take it easy Scarlet. Have a seat, we'll explain everything."
"No thanks, I'd rather stand. Now, who is this person?"
The mysterious person stands up and gets next to Trystan extending a friendly hand to the girl.
To Scarlet's surprise and horror, the person is one of those shadow men from her vision, seeing one up close makes her notice that they actually have distinctive features like humans. For example this one has blue eyes, white hair and strange white marks on his arms but there is no black smoke around him showing his gray skin.
The gray elf is wearing a casual outfit, plain baggy black T-shirt, dark blue skinny jeans and in his feet are a pair of gray sneakers.
"I'm Theo, nice to meet you, Scarlet. This is my house"
"Ok... I still don't trust you"
"I'm not expecting you to"
"I was also talking about Trystan"
The elf scratches the back of his head looking to the side "Would you tell me how did you find that place alone?"
"You still didn't answer all my questions, and could you please bring some more light in this room, so I can see where I'm stepping"
"Sure" says Theo clapping two times with his hands then light from nowhere fills the room while the candles go out
"Thanks" says Scarlet sitting at the table with the other two sitting in front of her
"Now, why did you bring me here?"
"To protect you" says Trystan
"From who?"
"From the king of beasts, of course"
Scarlet smiles to herself and looks at the table shaking her head then looks back at Trystan with a mix of anger and hurt in her eyes.
"You're still going on with that king of beasts bullshit! Tell the fucking truth once!!!"
Trystan and Theo look at each other for a few moments like they're having a mental conversation then Trystan turns to Scarlet.
"So, how did you find out?"
"About The Shadow Man? I can't tell."
"Why?"
"So I understand you are protecting me from him or this is another sick trick of yours."
"No tricks here, I decided that is wrong to kill you for something you are supposed to become and Theo here, my friend, is helping us"
"Very convincing, I must say"
"Where is your skull?"
"On my body, where else?"
"Scarlet, I know it's pretty hard to trust us right now, but if you don't tell us anything we can't help you"
"Right, but how are you planning to help me?"
"We don't really know but any information will help us."
"I really feel safe right now, seriously"
"Please, don't you think you would've been dead by now if we didn't want to protect you?"
"I guess, ok I'll tell you what I know. I had a vision that told me about The Shadow Man and the truth about everything."
"How?"
"I don't know, just like how you lied to me."
"Ok ok, where's the skull?"
"Well I thought you took it from me while I was sleeping"
"We didn't, it wouldn't budge from your hands."
"So you tried to take it!"
"I didn't want to sound like that, it's just that normally your arms would've relaxed and let go of the skull"
"But if it wouldn't budge then why I woke up without it?"
"We will investigate tomorrow, now we should go to sleep" says Trystan getting up and stretching his hands
"But I just woke up!"
"It doesn't matter, you never have enough energy!"
"Ok then, where do I sleep?"
"I'll take the couch and you two go to my room" says Theo
"But there's only one bed" says Scarlet while Trystan winks at her
"It's for two persons" says the elf
"Give me a break, I'd rather sleep on the floor"
"It's ok, I can make up another bed on the floor from some pillows and blankets"
"Thanks, Theo!"
"Oh no, I'll take the bed on the floor. You can sleep in the bed, Scarlet"
"As you wish!"
This night Scarlet doesn't really sleep and not only because she just woke up but because she also has a lot to think about.