Before Alain realized it, the blow landed with calculated precision, a swift and firm movement from the guard, who wielded the rifle's butt with practiced skill. The impact resounded with a dry, dull thud, striking squarely against the side of Alain's head. It wasn't an excessively violent strike, but it was forceful enough to achieve its purpose.
Alain staggered for a moment, his body losing all coordination. His gaze, fixed moments earlier on the grand doors of the mansion, began to blur. The crimson moon, which had cast its strange light upon the path, faded in his vision, as though someone had drawn a shadow across the landscape.
A second later, darkness enveloped him completely. His body crumpled like a falling leaf, producing only the faint rustle of his collapse against the cold, damp ground. The guard remained motionless for a moment, observing the inert figure before him with a mixture of professionalism and disdain, as if completing just another task on a long night of duty.
The surrounding forest held its eerie silence, barely disturbed by the distant whisper of the wind. The mansion, towering and somber, loomed over the scene like a silent witness, while the crimson moon continued to bathe the valley in its unsettling glow.
At that moment, two guards took charge of dragging the unconscious body of the young Alain into the depths of the mansion. The apparent guards of this family handled his body in a humiliating manner, as though discarding a rat that had dared to skulk around their home. The scene was hazy; Alain briefly regained consciousness but found himself mentally back where it all began hours ago in that cold, dark forest.
His eyelids felt impossibly heavy, refusing to open, and his entire body ached. His head throbbed fiercely, as though struck repeatedly with a hammer, despite having been hit only once with the rifle's butt. Alain's world had shattered when the impact extinguished every trace of light he could perceive. Now, he felt a biting cold, like being locked in a freezer and left to languish. He could hear the sound of chains clinking rhythmically beside him. Wherever he was, the atmosphere carried an eerie sensation of being watched.
Alain struggled to lift his own weight but knew he had to try. He relied on the technique his father had once taught him—one he had also seen in the TV show Lost. He began to count: one… two… three… four… When he reached five, he opened his eyes, only to be momentarily blinded by the glare of a lamp shining directly at him. He lowered his gaze, blinking rapidly to adjust to the intrusive light.
It took him a few moments to process his surroundings. He realized he was seated on a sturdy wooden chair, with heavy chains binding his hands and feet. In front of him stood two guards, holding spears in their hands and rifles strapped to their backs. The polished metal of their armor gleamed under the harsh light, as if it had been meticulously cleaned. Each guard bore a symbol on their chest—a pair of crossed swords with a crown above them.
Alain couldn't help but interpret the scene. Whoever these people were, they clearly did not belong to his time. This is the 21st century, after all. Knights in armor, castles—weren't these relics left behind in the Victorian era? Alain chose not to jump to conclusions, though the trajectory of this encounter seemed obvious enough to him.
Looking around, he noticed the guards positioned at each of the four corners of the room, standing diagonally as though in a premeditated formation, ready to attack like pieces on a chessboard. He observed that the two guards directly in front of him bore the same crossed-swords-and-crown insignia as the others, but their crowns were gold—no, more accurately, plated in a lustrous gold finish.
The guards stationed in the corners, on the other hand, had silver crowns on their emblems. Alain reasoned that perhaps these golden-crowned individuals were of higher rank—or at least held greater authority within whatever hierarchy governed this strange castle.
The first guard, with a piercing gaze, spoke in a firm voice:
—My companion asked you earlier, who are you? And what were you doing lurking around these areas? Are you aware of how difficult it is to enter this valley without a carriage or without being detected? How did you get here?
Immediately, Alain knew he had to come up with a smart response to ensure his own safety and sound convincing. He thought to himself: This guy definitely scares me, but I can't just say: "Oh, sorry, buddy, I woke up in a forest in the middle of the night, walked for hours, and ended up here looking for a way to get back home." They'd think I'm crazy! So, after a moment of reflection, Alain decided to give a quick and confident answer with a smile on his face:
—Well... I was traveling in a carriage near this area, heading to the nearest town, but my car broke down halfway, so I had to walk for hours to get here. You know? It's like... Damn, I pay so much for that car and it runs out of gas in the middle of nowhere. Today is definitely not my lucky day, huh?
With a small smile and a relaxed tone, Alain tried to exude confidence. Then he added:
—You're making a mistake, gentlemen. I'm not a stranger or anything... I'd show you my ID, but it must have fallen along the way.
Of course I had to lie, Alain thought to himself, put yourself in my shoes, anyone would've done the same.
The first guard kept his suspicious gaze and glanced at the other guard, the one wearing the laminated gold crown, seeking some support. After a small smile, the second guard nodded and approached Alain with a more relaxed and reassuring expression.
—What's your name, sir? —asked the friendly guard.
Alain, thinking quickly, replied calmly:
—James Valmont, sir.
The friendly guard smiled and continued:
—What do you do for a living, sir?
Alain cursed himself internally for not having a better answer. Finally, without wanting to sound evasive, he said:
—I'm an apprentice in medicine, sir. I work in my father's family business, which is... quite far from here.
Alain tried to sound as confident as possible, though deep down he knew that if they found out it was a lie, things wouldn't end well. The second guard thought for a moment and then responded:
—Are you aware that this is a private area? I don't even want to know how you managed to get in here.
Alain sighed and said, trying to sound sure of himself:
—It was definitely a misunderstanding, sir. I didn't mean to infiltrate your territory. I promise that if you let me go, this mistake won't happen again.
The friendly guard thought for a moment, then turned to the other guard.
—I think we should let him go. He doesn't seem to be a threat. Apparently, he just took the wrong path —he said.
—Are you serious? Let him go just like that? It's dangerous —replied the second guard, still suspicious.
—He won't cause any problems, or so I hope. Right? —said the friendly guard, looking at Alain.
Alain nodded quickly:
—Of course not, sir. I won't come near your castle again, not even a little. But... perhaps you could help me with something. My car is stuck outside the forest, and I'd die there if I had to walk to the town. I thought you might be able to help...
Before Alain could finish his sentence, the guard interrupted:
—I understand. We'll take you to the nearby town where you live, but this is just a warning, sir. If we see you here again, we'll take it as hostility, and we'll have to kill you.
Alain understood perfectly what he meant, and though he had no intention of returning, he nodded. He knew he wasn't coming back to that place anyway.
The second guard, though still distrustful, knew it would be foolish to keep arguing, but it would be even more foolish if the young man decided to return.
Finally, Alain was escorted out of the mansion and into a carriage, where one guard drove and the other watched him carefully with a rifle in hand. The carriage, with golden details and luxurious seating, was clearly not ordinary. Alain had never been in a carriage like this, only seeing them on TV or in movies. As he looked out the window, Alain accepted that, in some way, he was much farther