Silence.
The only sound that could be heard was the rushing water. Evan and Ezra just realized that in the vastness of this flower garden, there were no sounds of insects that usually lived in the bushes, nor any sight of flower-loving creatures—no butterflies or bees.
The only thing that could be considered a moving living creature was the raven with purple eyes perched on the left shoulder of the woman in the white gown. Whatever the raven was doing, it hadn't moved at all since Evan and Ezra arrived, perhaps even before. Its eyes were wide open, and from a distance, the vibrant purple of its gaze was clearly visible.
The woman in the white gown remained motionless.
"Is she just a skeleton too?"
"That's impossible," Evan replied, offering an explanation. "If she were just a skeleton, that long hair would have to be fake."
They stood there, not moving. And neither did the two figures on the island—the woman in the white gown and the purple-eyed raven.
"Should we approach them?"
"Are you crazy?" Ezra snapped, pulling Evan's arm. "Let's get out of here."
"Alright," Evan nodded. "Let's approach them."
"Evan!"
But Evan had already taken a step forward. There was no fear in his eyes. In stark contrast, Ezra had been trembling non-stop since they first entered the cave, and now her entire body was shaking uncontrollably. She had no choice but to follow Evan, who was already crossing the stream by stepping on the stones that formed a sort of bridge. If she stayed behind, there would be no one to protect her if something bad happened. Like a six-legged Lizard, for instance.
Halfway across the lake, nothing happened. The woman still didn't move, nor did the raven with the purple eyes. They looked less like living creatures and more like statues guarding the skeleton. However, as Evan had said, they couldn't be just skeletons, for the woman's hair and the raven's feathers stirred slightly whenever the wind passed.
At last, they reached the island. As they set foot, a different sensation enveloped them. The ground here was softer yet firm. Evan could tell it was a rare and high-quality type of soil.
Ezra had already hurried behind Evan, hiding ever since they landed on the island.
Evan approached slowly, trying not to startle anyone if something were to happen.
Suddenly, the woman's head moved. Just slightly. As if someone had been startled.
"Oh…" Her voice was cold, heavy for someone so slender. Evan exhaled in relief, now assured that the woman they faced was indeed alive and not just a skeleton.
The woman turned slightly, revealing her mouth from the side, though her eyes were still hidden. Her black hair draped over her shoulders, concealing them.
"No one has reached this far in years," she said flatly. "And this place is not meant to receive guests."
"Sorry," Evan bowed slightly. "We didn't know what this place was." He glanced around cautiously, his hand discreetly gripping a dagger hidden at his waist. "Are you the owner?"
"Not anymore," she replied, rising from her kneeling position. Slowly, she turned to face Evan. Both Evan and Ezra were startled.
"How did she know we were here?" Ezra whispered, horrified. "Let's get out of this cursed place!"
The woman was indeed beautiful, so much so that even Evan's eyes widened in surprise. She had a natural beauty, without makeup, like a noble princess, but even more elegant and graceful than any princess Evan had ever seen. A mysterious woman with a raven and an old staff—Evan couldn't tell if she was a bringer of misfortune or the opposite. What he did know was that he felt as if he were gazing at an angel.
However, both of her eyes were blind. Her irises were no longer black but pure white. Completely white.
"What are you looking for here?" The question snapped Evan out of his trance. "Let me tell you, what you seek is not in this place."
Both were taken aback. Was it just a coincidence that she knew?
"Many have come here, but they ended up dead even before reaching the deepest point—this place. I wonder about the person who spread that rumor," she paused, her gaze vacant, staring into the distance. "The Philosopher's Stone has never once touched this land. You're on the wrong path."
"Why should we believe you?" Ezra dared to challenge, trying to resist. "What if you're hiding it?"
"Little girl…" The woman pointed at Ezra with her left hand, eerily accurate in pinpointing her despite her blind eyes looking elsewhere. "What do you know about this place? What do you know about the Philosopher's Stone?"
Faced with this question, Ezra fell silent.
Evan's hopes had dimmed.
Now he was convinced that the Philosopher's Stone was not just absent from this place—it had never existed in the world. It was merely a myth.
"So, it's true?"
The woman tilted her head, confused.
"The Philosopher's Stone is just a myth, a mere tale?" Evan murmured softly. "So, my purpose and my honor were for something that doesn't exist? How laughable."
"Hey!" Ezra struck his arm, hard. "You sound like you're insulting my father! Your goal and his were the same."
Evan smiled bitterly. "Your father and I were both deceived."
"By whom?" the woman in the white gown interrupted.
"By a story."
"Yes," the woman nodded. "That means you're both equally foolish."
Ezra's anger flared.
"Who are you to insult my father?" she snapped. The woman remained silent, unresponsive. "We didn't have a choice, you know? My brother was near death, and the only hope we had was that imagined stone. Do you think we could still think straight when the one thing keeping our loved one alive seemed like a dream, while they were on the verge of dying?" Ezra's eyes reddened as she fought back tears, remembering the past.
"What does your brother have to do with me?" the woman replied coldly. "You don't understand what I'm saying."
Just as Ezra was about to lunge at the blind woman, Evan pulled her back. With a dark expression and a bitter smile, Evan sighed. "In that case, we'll leave. Sorry for disturbing you. Ezra, I'll take you home." He tugged her hand, slightly forcefully.
"That woman knows nothing; she has no right to insult us!"
"You're the ones who know nothing!" the woman in the white gown shot back. The raven tilted its head, shifting its gaze. "The Philosopher's Stone doesn't exist, the Philosopher's Stone is just a myth, the Philosopher's Stone is a mere tale. Don't you know that all those rumors are nothing but lies?"
Evan stopped in his tracks, turning back. "What do you mean?"
"Did you believe all those stories?" The woman removed a silver ring from her left hand. "They were all lies—the Philosopher's Stone is real; it exists in this world. But not here."
"Then where is it?" Evan asked, strangely drawn in. His eyes glimmered with a new hope. "You shouldn't lie."
"I'm not lying, at least not this time," the woman said, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips.
Using her wooden staff for support, she approached Evan slowly. She then lifted Evan's right hand, slipping the ring onto his finger as she said, "My name is Alena, remember that. And this ring will prove the truth of my words; it may lead you to where the Philosopher's Stone is kept."
Evan examined the ring closely. It appeared to be just an ordinary silver ring, he thought. "This ring will also make you believe in things you never believed before. Until we meet again, which I think will be soon."