Manuel stared at the little creature with bewildered eyes. "Charge?" he asked. "What do you mean by that?" The small being looked at him and simply shook her head. She went into the palm of Manuel's hand, gesturing for him to go to a table in the rear area near the bed. Manuel moved as quickly as he could, ensuring Geheim didn't experience too much jostling. As he rounded the bed, he caught sight of a beautiful dollhouse, larger than a typical one. When he reached the dollhouse, the small female creature leaped from his hand, opened the front door, and disappeared inside. "Wait!" Manuel called out. Sophie, who had followed him, placed her hand on his shoulder and said, "Stay calm. She'll be back in a moment. Trust me."
Not two minutes later, the little creature emerged from the dollhouse with a tiny stretcher. She asked Manuel to place Geheim on the stretcher and then sit on the bed and wait. As the small being wheeled Geheim into the dollhouse, Manuel slumped onto the bed, on the verge of tears.
In that very moment, Manuel became acutely aware that his life was about to change forever. Small beings resembling humans but entirely different, a job that seemed increasingly elusive, a beautiful woman who offered help but left the future uncertain, and the enigmatic underground facility—they all converged, overwhelming him with the weight of the unknown. It all became too much for Manuel to bear.
Sophie noticed Manuel's discomfort. She stood up and walked to a large white wardrobe. Opening it revealed a concealed kitchen. She took out an electric kettle from a hanging shelf, filled it with water, and turned it on. From a cupboard out of Manuel's view, she retrieved two exquisite cups adorned with golden ornaments, placed them on the kitchen counter, and pulled out a tea pot from another hanging cabinet. Manuel immediately recognized it as a precious tea pot, even though it lacked any golden embellishments. It was a porcelain pot with a tea infuser, colored blood red, featuring a large black Chinese dragon encircling a small creature resembling Geheim and the other small female being. Manuel stared at the pot. Sophie noticed his gaze and offered a faint smile. She placed the pot on the counter, fetched dried tea leaves and fruits from another cupboard, mixed them, and poured the blend into the teapot.
As the kettle whistled and clicked off loudly, Sophie carefully poured the hot water into the teapot. She turned to the cupboard out of sight, pressed some buttons, and then returned to Manuel, sitting beside him on the bed. Manuel turned to her, and she smiled at him. "Don't worry, Marianne can certainly help Geheim." "Marianne?" Manuel asked. "Yes, Marianne," Sophie began. "Marianne is my protector." "Protector?" Manuel inquired curiously. Sophie shook her head, explaining that he needed to be patient. "Geheim will surely explain everything calmly when he feels better."
Manuel stood up and took a few steps away from the bed. He glanced briefly at the floor before turning to Sophie with an outburst. "But I have no patience left," he began with a loud voice, almost screaming. "I don't even know where we are, what Geheim is, and what all this means. All I want is to find a job, someday start a family, and simply live happily. I can't keep going like this. I can't lose anything more." After his last words, he dropped to his knees, burying his face in his hands, tears threatening to fall.
Manuel remained unaware that Marianne was observing the entire situation from behind the top window of the dollhouse. Her eyes shifted to Sophie, who clearly seemed uncertain about what to do. Marianne let out a sigh, turned towards the bed where she had placed Geheim, and approached him.
"Oh, Geheim, you have something to do here. Please wake up," Marianne whispered directly into his ear. However, Geheim remained unresponsive. With a tinge of sadness, Marianne returned to the window and watched as Sophie entered the kitchen, where a faint beeping sound emanated. She retrieved a silver tea filter from the red teapot, placed it in the sink, closed the teapot, and turned to a hidden cabinet. Pressing a button, she silenced the beeping. Sophie poured the brewed tea into two cups, setting them on a tray. From the tea leaves cabinet, she took out a small white sugar bowl, adding it to the tray. Carrying the tray, she walked over to the small table, placed it on top, and lowered the cups and sugar bowl. Returning to the kitchen, she fetched two small teaspoons, laying them beside the teacups.
Afterward, she went to Manuel, who still knelt on the floor. Placing her hand on his shoulders, she whispered, "Come." Manuel looked up at her, and she gestured towards the small table. Following her lead, he gazed into her beautiful eyes, seemingly empty.
"The tea will help calm you down. Then, we can talk in peace," Sophie said as she assisted Manuel to the table. They sat in silence, sipping tea, while Marianne observed them. Before either could finish their tea, Marianne heard a soft groan. Swiftly turning around, she saw Geheim slowly regaining consciousness. She rushed to him and embraced him. Geheim looked around and then down at Marianne.
"Marianne?" he asked in a weakened voice. "Yes, it's me," Marianne replied with a loving tone. Geheim inquired about what had happened, and Marianne shook her head. "I don't know. But..." She paused, took a breath, and continued, "I'll tell you everything that happened after you arrived here. The rest, you'll have to learn from the two out there." Marianne gestured towards the window, and Geheim nodded. As Marianne began her narrative, Geheim listened attentively. When she concluded her tale, Geheim looked at his hands and said, "I understand; this could be a problem." He shook his head, slapped his cheeks, and was about to leap up when he screamed in shock.
Marianne turned in the direction Geheim was looking. It was the window, and at the window, there was only a giant eye. As Geheim calmed down and the eye slowly retreated, he recognized it as Manuel's eye. Manuel, having heard something and curious, approached the window. Geheim, getting out of bed with Marianne's support, looked out the window. What he saw not only astonished him but also Marianne, who had come to assist him.
Manuel joyfully ran to Sophie, embraced her, and told her that Geheim had woken up. Together, they went to the dollhouse, and with Marianne's help, Geheim exited. "Geheim, are you okay?" Manuel asked, concerned. Geheim nodded and said, "Yes. That's why we should finally talk in peace." This time, Manuel shook his head, leaned forward, and said to Geheim, "I can wait a bit. Rest a while, and let's talk in peace tomorrow." Geheim, looking slightly puzzled, eventually agreed. Sophie and Marianne also chimed in, agreeing that it was a good idea. Marianne escorted Geheim back into the dollhouse. Sophie retrieved her phone from her bag and called her driver. Manuel couldn't understand what she was saying as she spoke in a foreign language. Five minutes after Sophie ended the call, the driver arrived, explaining to Manuel that he would now take him to his room. Manuel bid farewell to Sophie and followed the driver. Back in the hallway, he was led to a room not far away. Manuel glanced at the bed and simply laid down. Exhausted, he didn't even bother looking around the room. He was so tired that he didn't change; he just covered himself and immediately fell asleep.