The early morning sun filtered through Nico's eyelids. Everything hurt. He had slept curled up in a corner next to Leo, who kept turning over every minute or so in an attempt to find a comfortable position. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was Leo elbowing him in the eye. Looking back, perhaps that was what had caused him to collapse.

  Nico sat up; Leo followed suit, stretching.

  "I didn't sleep a wink last night," Leo said, rubbing his face and ruffling his hair with quick, almost hysterical gestures.

  "How dare you?" Nico said, irritated. "You snored like a pig all night and didn't leave me an inch of space, not even to stretch my legs."

  "Hey! How..." Leo said, confused.

  "Good morning, rookies, wake up," he heard someone say on the pier.

  "Good morning," Kiah said.

  Nico turned around. Dan and Kiah were standing on the pier: they looked like they'd been awake for a while. Kiah was holding a small steaming pewter mug.

  "Hey, Kiah... what's that you've got there?" asked Nico, his voice still thick with sleep.

  "I had breakfast with some friends, with Dan. They left me this," replied Kiah with a smile.

  "And where are these friends?" asked Leo, clutching his stomach.

  "Gone."

  "Gone where?" asked Nico, looking around, bewildered.

  "But I'm hungry," Leo muttered to himself.

  "The early bird catches the worm, rookie. Ever heard that saying?"

  Kiah laughed. "You were all tangled up, arms and legs. You were sleeping so soundly that we decided not to wake you."

  "How cruel," said Leo, offended.

  "Oh well, there'll still be bread and cheese," said Nico, looking at Dan.

  "Just bread, rookie," said Dan. "And not much of that either. This guy here..." said the man, pointing at Leo, "ate everything last night."

  In response to that information, Nico's stomach growled.

  Kiah was sitting at the bow, under a small space covered by a roof made of planks and tarpaulin. She had an open book on her lap and was murmuring something repetitive and rhythmic, almost like a lullaby.

  Nico and Leo had eaten two slices of bread each. There was one last slice left between them. Nico saw Leo reach for it, glanced at him sideways, and, with unexpected quickness, snatched the bread from Leo's hand and stuffed it into his mouth.

  "Damn..." Nico muttered, spitting out crumbs. He swallowed loudly. The piece of bread scratched his throat; he coughed laboriously, as if a boulder were blocking his windpipe. Dan handed him a flask; Nico grabbed it and drank greedily. A sharp, pungent taste set his throat on fire; he coughed until he felt his rib cage shake, aching.

  "Hey, take it easy with that stuff," Dan said, laughing.

  Nico wiped his face with the back of his hand. "What is that stuff?" he asked, coughing again.

  "A little something I invented," replied Dan.

  "Mine!" said Leo, trying to grab the flask from Nico's hands, but Dan was quicker.

  "I'll give you a sip if you show me you can hit the target over there."

  Nico stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the pier come to life in the early morning sun. The dark, greasy planks, ropes, and barrels piled up provided the backdrop for fishermen mending their nets, children running around, women with shopping baskets, and a young girl with a cart selling A gentle warmth brushed his face; the smells of fish, tar, and salt mixed in a cacophony that was sometimes pleasant and sometimes nauseating. The water lapped against the hulls with a regular, almost hypnotic sound; above this, the shouts of the fishmongers and the indistinct voices of the people filled the air with life. The light fell sharply on the surface of the sea and everything seemed brighter. The morning in Nico seemed clear and full of promise.

  Dan, together with Leo, rummaged through a pile of crates. They pulled out a half-broken barrel.

  "That'll do," said Dan, dusting his hands on his jacket. "Move it over there," he added, pointing vaguely to Leo.

  Leo moved the barrel and glared at Nico. "Remind me again why you're standing there looking smug while I do all the hard work?" he muttered, his freckles tangled on his reddened face.

  "Next time, learn not to make bets you don't want to keep," Nico replied, smiling.

  Leo leaned the barrel against a sturdy pole.

  Nico looked around: he didn't like this place for practicing, too exposed, too many people coming and going. Dan had told him it was his job to keep people away from the area; that responsibility put him on alert and gave him a strange feeling of importance.

  While Dan put the finishing touches on his lesson, Leo stood next to Nico, his hands drumming on his knee, his gaze fixed on Dan.

  "You know," Leo murmured, lowering his voice so that only Nico could hear him, "in normal games, you usually take on your first mission and go kill monsters with a dagger, gain experience, equip yourself... I don't understand why everything is so complicated here. They didn't give us anything, not even a weapon to start with, and now we're here learning how to throw daggers. I don't know if I like this game or not."

  Nico just nodded. He had never played much: a few games on Bruno's console when his cousin was away, with characters that were already powered up.

  "Well, maybe Kiah is right: we should have done a few missions in the place where our characters started," said Nico, unconvinced.

  "Listen," Leo said irritably, "in normal games, you go in, waste some time wandering around, and then go back to the main mission: it's mandatory, otherwise the game doesn't progress, right?"

  Nico nodded, unconvinced. "Well, maybe our main mission is to go to the king's summons," he said quietly.

  "Yeah, maybe... but I'm not convinced," Leo muttered.

  Nico looked back at Dan. The man was drawing an irregular circle on the barrel with a piece of charcoal. He thought back to what Dan had said to him earlier: clear and direct. The two boys were skinny, their muscles struggling to fill out their clothes. Dan believed that throwing knives would help them, a way to keep their distance in a fight and avoid head-on confrontations. Nico wasn't sure he believed it entirely, but he saw a determination in Dan's manner that seemed to come from experience, not stubbornness.

  Kiah, with her book open on her lap, occasionally looked up and watched them with a mixture of curiosity and mild disapproval. She didn't try to stop them, but her presence held the group together like a thread connecting the pieces. Nico felt her gaze on him too, and this kept him alert.

  "Move over," Dan said to Nico, without raising his voice. "I don't want anyone in the way."

  Nico nodded and moved toward the edge of the pier, his eyes scanning the walkway: a fisherman finishing tying his net, two girls with baskets chatting, a group of kids playing crouched on the ground. With gestures that were gentle at first and then more decisive, Nico tried to divert the passersby without attracting attention.

  Dan pulled something thin from his pocket that glinted in his hands with a silvery, almost living glow. Nico stared at the dagger: the blade was thin, the metal seemed to breathe, reflecting the rhythm of the sun. Dan twirled the dagger between his fingers as he talked to Leo, but Nico couldn't hear: there was too much noise around the pier. Dan rested the blade on his index finger to show its balance; then, holding it with two fingers, he demonstrated the posture and movement for striking. He handled it as if it were part of his body, not a foreign object.

  Nico saw Dan take out another dagger and hand it to Leo, making him repeat the same movements. Leo, imitating Dan, placed the short dagger on his index finger with obvious satisfaction; his eyes lit up when he saw the blade remain upright. Nico felt admiration and a subtle sense of envy for Leo; he hoped it wasn't noticeable. Leo looked up from the dagger to Dan and then to Nico. Dan put a hand on his shoulder and whispered something that Nico couldn't hear in the cacophony of the pier. Leo changed position, one foot forward and the other back, his body tense toward the target; he grabbed the dagger between two fingers, just as Dan had done. With slow, repeated movements, Dan corrected his posture: feet, knees, torso, head. Watching them repeat the same gestures like shadows, one less awkward than the other, Nico felt envy strike him like a stab in the stomach. He knew he had to monitor the environment, but he couldn't help himself: he had to listen. He approached Leo and Dan. He heard the man speak firmly, not about complicated techniques but about the head, about calmness, about measuring one's breath before acting. Those words seemed like a lifeline to him, something to start changing. There was something relentless about Dan that fascinated him.

  Nico stood there, hands in his pockets, watching Dan as he spoke again in a low, measured voice.

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  "A dagger isn't just metal," Dan said to Leo, turning the thin piece of metal over in his hands. "It's weight to be respected, felt, understood. You have to find its center."

  Nico listened to words about balance, rhythm, and gaze; he stared at him as if waiting for a little magic. Dan smiled slightly. "It's not a question of strength," he explained. "You have to know how to listen to your body: feel what comes naturally to you and don't force gestures that don't belong to you."

  Silence fell around them: Kiah with the book on her lap, Nico with his hands in his pockets, Leo listening intently. Then Dan threw.

  Nico relaxed, realizing how tense he had been. Suddenly, thunderous applause erupted around them. He turned around: the pier had remained motionless, waiting for that moment.

  Dan bowed to the small audience with theatrical flair. Nico looked at the barrel that served as the target: a perfect center. Then Dan pulled out a series of small colored balls and threw them into the air in a whirlwind of yellow, red, and blue; he caught them and bowed to another round of applause from the crowd.

  "These are my apprentices: no shows today. But tomorrow night you'll find me at the Stuffed Bear. Come one, come all, otherwise who's going to pay for my dinner?" said Dan, in a theatrical voice.

  Everyone burst out laughing, then little by little the crowd dispersed and Nico approached Dan and Leo.

  "So you're a kind of juggler?" asked Nico, noticing that Kiah had also approached.

  "No, rookie, I'm a minstrel, it's a completely different thing."

  "How wonderful!" said Kiah, clapping her hands enthusiastically. "Then why didn't you tell us anything? Sing us a beautiful poem."

  "Treat me to dinner and we'll talk about it," laughed Dan.

  Nico and Leo had been practicing in turns all morning; Leo was much more skilled, and Nico was grateful when Kiah called them to order: they had a duty to report to the meeting.

  Like fish carried by the current, they entered a huge hall. There was a constant buzz of noise. Along the sides were two rows of white marble columns supporting small stages, which were also full. The white light coming in through the large windows on the sides of the hall blended with the colorful light from the stained-glass windows, which alternated scenes of coronations, hunts, and victories in battle. In the center, a large rose window depicted the royal coat of arms: a golden ash tree on a white field. Beneath the rose window, at the top of an elegant white marble staircase, stood an empty throne.

  Behind them, trumpets sounded. Guards in parade uniform formed a corridor from the door to the throne. The man with the crown, silent and proud as he advanced toward the throne, was the same man who had intervened against the Nothing at the circus. Behind him walked a figure veiled in white; above the veils covering her face stood out a small gold circle.

  "That's Princess Nadia," squeaked a winged elf in Nico's ear. "They say she's the most beautiful girl in Darsis," he concluded with a laugh. "Too bad no one has ever seen her face."

  The king sat down on the throne while the princess remained standing beside him. Nico felt a sudden gaze pierce him: it was just a moment.

  Nico heard the king's voice thunder throughout the hall, supernaturally loud: "People of Darsis, friends and allies: we are here tonight, not by virtue of our strength, but because of the hope that still burns in our hearts. Many have seen their homes vanish into darkness. The cries of mothers who have lost their children have reached me. The Nothingness has taken away lives, smiles, the light of your families.

  But I tell you that we will not be victims, we will not be prey to the shadow.

  Look at those who are beside you, those who remain: workers, shepherds, mothers, young warriors, wise elders...

  Together, we know that any dark power can be countered by the will to defend what we love.

  Today, I ask you to wield your sword with me, not out of ambition, but to protect the light: that of your children, your roots, and the dawn to come."

  A chorus of cheers and applause filled the room.

  "What does that mean?" asked Leo, frowning. "War? Against those giant shadow things?"

  "Well, it would be the typical epic video game mission, wouldn't it?" muttered Nico.

  "Shh, be quiet," whispered Kiah.

  "...this expedition will have the task of locating the place of origin so that we can fight where the Nothingness lurks."

  A murmur echoed through the hall. The king raised his hand to silence everyone.

  "You will not be sent like sheep to the wolves. You will be trained. Taynor is a safe place."

  Another murmur.

  The king raised his voice: "I know that many of you have families, loved ones, homes, and possessions to protect; but tell me: what will become of those homes if none of you fight? I will train you, I will arm you, and together we will fight. For our families, for our loved ones, for our beloved land: so that the

  Nothingness may leave our lands forever."

  They were having dinner in the large banquet hall. The king, the princess, and what Nico thought were prominent nobles were seated on a raised platform.

  In front of them, tables and benches overflowing with food awaited those who had volunteered for training. The king had given them the freedom to leave or stay for training; many had left the hall with their heads bowed. Leo was also about to leave: he didn't think it was important, but Kiah had stopped him, reminding him that at least a minimum of training was necessary, as is the case in any game.

  They walked through the hall among humans, stone men, and goblins: everyone was chatting, in an apparent cheerfulness that probably served to prepare them for the hardships of the days to come. They found a table with a few empty seats not far from the king's.

  The king was wearing less formal but still sumptuous clothes; the princess's veils covered her face just beyond her nose.

  "Poor thing. She can't even eat in peace," Kiah exclaimed indignantly.

  "It's a tradition, my dear," whispered a girl behind them.

  Kiah jumped.

  "She'll only show her face once she's married."

  Nico turned around. A girl stepped out of the crowd. She wore a long white dress with gold embroidery on the bodice that accentuated her slim, supple figure. A crown of peach blossoms adorned her long blonde hair.

  Kiah's astonishment turned to anger. "Once she belongs to someone else, then," Kiah roared, her eyes blazing.

  The girl smiled, and it seemed as if the room lit up with light.

  "What's your name?" asked the girl, looking at Kiah with clear blue eyes.

  "Serafina."

  "No, Serafina, you're wrong, or perhaps I didn't express myself clearly," added the girl with a smile. "I meant once she is married to the Kingdom. When her father abdicates in her favor."

  Kiah snorted softly, her shoulders slumping as if a weight had been lifted from her. "All right, then," she concluded, embarrassed.

  "Nice to meet you, Grampasso," said Nico, wondering where all that courage came from.

  "I'm Celeste," said the girl with a nod. Then she looked at Leo, who had a slightly vacant look on his face.

  Nico heard Leo mumble something incomprehensible and came to his friend's rescue. "This is Long John Silver," he said, introducing Leo.

  Celeste smiled. "Come on, this is our night." With that, they made their way through the crowd and sat down at a table.

  Nico sat next to a boy with thick brown hair. He wore a dark doublet with a small golden ash tree embroidered on the chest and a sword at his side. For a moment, his dark gaze rested on the blonde girl, then returned to the mug of beer he was clutching, his eyes filled with bitterness.

  "Gareth, have you already taken your seat?" said the girl, staring at him.

  He stared at the mug, his shoulders hunched and his gaze lost. They greeted him, but he did not respond.

  "Hey, have you seen Dan?" Nico asked Leo.

  "Dan said he didn't want to see these ugly faces and that he was going to look for wine... then he disappeared," Leo replied.

  Nico nodded.

  "I'm so excited about tomorrow," said Kiah. "I studied a little at magic school, but not much. I have some books with me, but I've already read them all, and I

  know there's still so much to learn."

  "If you like reading, there's the royal library. I can try to get you a pass to go in," said Celeste.

  "That would be wonderful," said Kiah, her eyes shining with happiness.

  "So you'll be part of the group that will follow me in magic training," explained Celeste.

  Kiah's eyes grew as big as saucers.

  "Yes," said Celeste with a smile. "I will train those who want to develop their magical abilities, while Gareth will take care of sword and bow training."

  "I'm a great shot," Leo muttered, joining the conversation with a huge piece of mutton sticking out of his mouth.

  "I have no doubt," said Celeste, laughing as Kiah ran a hand over her face and shook her head.

  "So you'll be training us?" said Nico, trying to break the ice with Gareth. The boy grunted and went back to sipping his beer.

  "Yes. He and I are the princess's guardians. Don't mind him if he doesn't answer you: he's a quiet type," explained Celeste.

  Nico noticed that the caretaker occasionally glanced up at Celeste, as if they were magnets drawn to a single, inexorable pole.

  They chatted with Celeste about this and that, eating and drinking. For a moment, as the king sipped his wine, his eyes met Nico's; the man's lips tightened. Nico's mug slipped from his hand and fell to the floor: he bent down to pick it up.

  "Are you okay?" asked Celeste.

  "Yes... just... nothing. It must be the wine," stammered Nico.

  When he looked up at the king again, the man was looking elsewhere.

  Suddenly, Gareth broke the harmony by slamming his mug down on the table. "So that's it? We just leave...?" he exclaimed, his voice trembling as he clenched the mug as if to break it. Nico and the others stared at him in confusion.

  Celeste looked down and touched a strand of hair, trying to smile. "Gareth, why are you saying that? Princess Nadia has decided: we will train and leave."

  "That's not true. You know it's not like that, you could have..."

  "Gareth, that's enough. That's an order," said Celeste in a low voice, but with a sharp and commanding tone.

  He looked at her hurt, then stood up: "Excuse me," he murmured, and left.

  Celeste stared at the young man's shoulders for a few moments.

  "Is everything okay?" asked Nico, looking at the girl.

  "Of course, it has to be okay. He just has to learn to accept this decision," replied Celeste, her voice tense.

  "Could you have refused?" asked Kiah. "After all, we volunteered, but you..."

  Celeste scanned the room, her eyes narrowed to slits, scrutinizing everyone and no one. "I need to get out of here," she murmured, more to herself than in response to Kiah.

  Celeste shook her head and pressed her lips into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "But enough now. Soon it will be time to leave. Eat and drink, my friends, and rest in your rooms and calm your anxieties. Tomorrow is the big day: your training begins."